Biblical Worship

WHAT IS BIBLICAL WORSHIP?

WHAT IS BIBLICAL WORSHIP?

If you don’t worship… you’ll never experience God. – David Jeremiah

Without worship we go about miserable. – A. W. Tozer

Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. – Oswald Chambers

Have an eye to God in every word you sing. – John Wesley

Worship is the highest elevation of the spirit, and yet the lowliest prostration of the soul. – Charles H. Spurgeon

Definition: Biblical worship is the response of God’s redeemed people to His self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and

WHAT IS BIBLICAL WORSHIP?

wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Among adults who regularly attend church services, one-half admit that they haven’t experienced God’s presence at any time during the past year. Remember, this is not among the Easter-and-Christmas-only church attenders, but among people who attended an average of more than two dozen worship services last year. – George Barna

I. Biblical Worship…

We are always worshipping. The question is what or who?

We’re always placing something above us that we desire, pursue, and allow to govern our behavior.

allow to govern our behavior.

When it’s God, He must determine how we worship Him.

Not our opinions, preferences, or ideas. God has more to say about how we worship Him than we think.

we worship Him than we think.

II. Is the Response…

God has already done something outside of us and inside of us that enables us to worship Him.

enables us to worship Him.

Created us

b. We are not the initiators of worship; God is. ()

2. Redeemed us

2. Redeemed us

Redeemed us

Sustains us

3. Sustains us

3. Sustains us

2. Redeemed us

We are not the initiators of worship; God is. ()

3. Sustains us

b. We are not the initiators of worship; God is. ()

Acts 17:26–28 ESV

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their

dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their

way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

“ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets

have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

III. Of God’s redeemed people…

Just as God delivered the nation of Israel from Egypt to worship Him (), so He has redeemed us as a holy nation to declare His praises. ()

(), so He has redeemed us as a holy nation to declare Hispraises. ()

praises. ()

Worship of God is more about what we do when we’re together, rather than when we’re alone.

than when we’re alone.

Worship is about our life TOGETHER. We bring glory to God by the way we relate, interact, love, and serve each other.

we relate, interact, love, and serve each other.

IV. To His self-revelation…

1. Created us

2

2. Redeemed us

We couldn’t know God apart from what He reveals of Himself to us. We could study for the rest of our lives and not know him unless He showed himself to us.

could study for the rest of our lives and not know him unless He showed

3. Sustains us

himself to us.

We must listen for God’s voice everywhere,

We must listen for God’s voice everywhere,

In creation - , eternal power, divine nature, creativity, power, beauty

In His Word - ;

His Son – ;

creativity, power, beauty

Just as we don’t have our own ideas about worship, we don’t have our own ideas about God.

In His Word - ;

His Son – ;

c. Just as we don’t have our own ideas about worship, we don’t have our

own ideas about God.

V. That exalts…

The essence of worship is exalting - raising up, lifting high, submitting to, magnifying, making much of, honoring, reverencing, celebrating – the triune God. ()

magnifying, making much of, honoring, reverencing, celebrating – the

triune God. ()

Proclaiming/declaring – (Read )

Expressing desire for – (Read )

VI. God’s glory…

God’s glory is everything that makes him uniquely God.

b. “In the ultimate sense, no subject is more important than this. . . . His is the right of preeminence by virtue of being God-- the Creator, the Redeemer, the All in All. His glory has intrinsic worth and permanence.” (E.F. Harrison)

right of preeminence by virtue of being God-- the Creator, the Redeemer, the

In the ultimate sense, no subject is more important than this. . . . His is the right of preeminence by virtue of being God-- the Creator, the Redeemer, the All in All. His glory has intrinsic worth and permanence.” (E.F. Harrison)

All in All. His glory has intrinsic worth and permanence.” (E.F. Harrison)

Moses asked God to show him his glory and God passed before him and proclaimed his nature.

c. Moses asked God to show him his glory and God passed before him and proclaimed his nature.

Exodus 34:6–7 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

proclaimed his nature.

VII. In Christ…

We relate to God as Father, Son, and spirit, but the clearest display of God’s glory is in the Jesus Christ.

God’s glory is in the Jesus Christ.

b. God has enabled us to see His glory in the face of His Son. () His pre-existence, his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his intercession.

3

God has enabled us to see His glory in the face of His Son. () His pre-existence, his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his intercession.

pre-existence, his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension,

Primarily seen in the Gospel – Christ died for our sins.

his intercession.

c. Primarily seen in the Gospel – Christ died for our sins.

VIII. In our minds…

Worship involves thinking before it involves feelings.

Meditating on, reflecting on, processing, evaluating, and understanding what God has revealed to us of Himself. ; .

b. Meditating on, reflecting on, processing, evaluating, and understanding what God has revealed to us of Himself. ; .

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Psalm 111:2 ESV

2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.

what God has revealed to us of Himself.

1. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to

present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to

God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this

world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by

testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and

acceptable and perfect.”

2. “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in

them.”

IX. Affections…

God-honoring worship involves the heart as well as the head.

We worship what we love and value the most.

b. We worship what we love and value the most.

Matthew 22:37–38 ESV

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.

1. “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all

your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is

the great and first commandment.”

X. And He wills…

a. If we are truly worshipping God, we will truly be transformed.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

1. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are

being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory

to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Corinthians 3:18

b. Our choices will reflect our profession that God is supreme in our lives.

1. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to

Our choices will reflect our profession that God is supreme in our lives.

present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to

God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by

Many times, we do exactly what we want. To worship God is to want what He wants.

testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and

XI. In the power of the Holy Spirit…

We are those who worship by the Spirit of God, and depend on His leading and enabling.

leading and enabling.

acceptable and perfect.”

1. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and

Philippians 3:3 ESV

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh…”

Maturity isn’t self-sufficiency, but utter dependence.

b. Maturity isn’t self-sufficiency, but utter dependence.

1. “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is

c. Many times, we do exactly what we want. To worship God is to want what He wants.

John 5:30 ESV

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent

me.”

We can’t do this on our own! We should lead with a confident humility.

XII. Definition Conclusion

When we talk about worshipping God, we’re communicating something of profound significance that should humble and amaze us.

He wants.

of profound significance that should humble and amaze us.

The greatest end of our existence – being numbered among the worshipers of God. What a privilege to live with the purpose of helping others be numbered among them as well.

worshipers of God. What a privilege to live with the purpose of helping

others be numbered among them as well.

a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in

steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for

thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who

will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers

on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the

fourth generation.”