Worship God

Introduction:

What is worship?

“Worship is the recognition of God for who he is, what he has done, and what we are trusting him for. “ Tony Evans

“True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things.” John Piper

True worship is not the mechanical repetition of rituals, but should be wholehearted and reverent. It should be based upon trustful and obedient lives, in that obedience is itself to be seen as an act of worship.

The job of believers as worshipers is to praise and exalt the glory of our great God and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God fills all of the universe and eternity. There is no lack in him that requires us to magnify him so that he becomes bigger. Rather, worship recognizes and extols how big he truly is. Magnifying God is when we focus our praise and worship on him. We see him for the great and awesome God that he is ; he is bigger than our problems and circumstances. That’s the power worship has. It changes us by changing our perspective of God. Worship it to be the lifestyle of the believer.

Every Man Must Worship God In Three Ways

Rightly

Barak–To kneel, to bless God, to bow down

“He

Barak means to bow down to, or kneel before, the Lord. It communicates that the Lord holds a place of importance and helps us remember just how great He is.

Halal–To be clear, to shine, to boast, to show, to rave, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish

“David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the Lord—to invoke his blessings, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.” –

Halal appears more than 110 times in the Old Testament. It translates as to shine, boast, rave about, celebrate or even to be clamorously foolish. Can you imagine a more wondrous noise raving about about all the Lord is and all He has done?

Shabach–To shout loudly, to command

“Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!” –

Shabach means to shout loudly or command. Of course, it isn’t simply about being loud. Its focus is to worship the Lord with one’s whole being.

Tehillah–To sing praises, singing out of the spirit spontaneously

“But you are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].” –, AMPC

Tehillah means to sing unrehearsed, unplanned praises to the Lord. It can include adding words to an existing song or even singing in the spirit to the Lord.

Towdah–Extending hands, acting out of thanksgiving for what has or will be done

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” –

Towdah is a type of worship that includes extending your hands or raising them in thanksgiving for something that has been done or will be done.

Yadah– Extending the hands vigourously

“After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’” –

Yadah means to extend your hands vigorously as in complete surrender.

Zamar – To touch the strings, to make music with instruments, mostly rejoicing

“Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” –

Zamar means to touch the strings. It involves rejoicing and making music to the Lord.

True worship

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (

2. Reverently

Worship with awe!

, And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

New Living Translation Psalm 2

Serve the LORD with reverent fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

12 Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,

and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—

for his anger flares up in an instant.

But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

, Serve the Lord in awe/reverently and rejoice with trembling.

3. Regularly

Regularly

Point 1. How do we worship God rightly?

Worship, acceptable attitudes in

Synopsis

True worship is not the mechanical repetition of rituals, but should be wholehearted and reverent. It should be based upon trustful and obedient lives, in that obedience is itself to be seen as an act of worship.

Worship should be in accordance with God’s commands

(NLT) — 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

(NLT) — 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

(NLT) — 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord.

(NLT) — 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. 17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. 19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

(NLT) — 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

(NLT) — 6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. 7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: 8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

(NLT) — 2 “Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here!

(NLT) — 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

(NLT) — 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”

(NLT) — 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Worship should not be mechanical

(NLT) — 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

See also

(NLT) — 1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.

Worship should give God the honour due to him

(NLT) — 29 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

Worship of mere human devising is unacceptable

(NLT) — 13 And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

See also ; ; ;

(NLT) — 1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.

(NLT) — 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

(NLT) — 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,

(NLT) — 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Worship should be orderly and reverent

(NLT) — 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

See also ; ;

(NLT) — 37 David arranged for Asaph and his fellow Levites to serve regularly before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, doing whatever needed to be done each day. 38 This group included Obed-edom (son of Jeduthun), Hosah, and sixty-eight other Levites as gatekeepers. 39 Meanwhile, David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the Lord. 40 They sacrificed the regular burnt offerings to the Lord each morning and evening on the altar set aside for that purpose, obeying everything written in the Law of the Lord, as he had commanded Israel. 41 David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord, for “his faithful love endures forever.” 42 They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany their songs of praise to God. And the sons of Jeduthun were appointed as gatekeepers.

(NLT) — 30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” 34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. 36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

(NLT) — 26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.

Worship should be grounded in godly and obedient living

;

(NLT) — 6 What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? 7 Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? 8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

(NLT) — 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

See also ; ;

(NLT) — 1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? 2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. 4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. 5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

(NLT) — 3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.

(NLT) — 10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

The proper attitude of worshippers

Preparation for worship

(NLT) — 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

See also ; ; ;

(NLT) — 3 “When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He must put on his linen tunic and the linen undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are sacred garments, so he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on.

(NLT) — 20 Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.

(NLT) — 1 When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple.

(NLT) — 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Wholeheartedness

(NLT) — 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

See also ; ; ; ; ; ;

(NLT) — 14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

(NLT) — 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

(NLT) — 5 But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

(NLT) — 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.

(NLT) — 4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

(NLT) — 37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

(NLT) — 27 The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Confidence in approaching God

(NLT) — 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

See also ; ; ;

(NLT) — 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,

(NLT) — 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

(NLT) — 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

(NLT) — 4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Worship is a spark that is the result of people falling in love with the Creator, their Savior. Most folks have had the experience of dragging their foot or shoe across the carpet and then reaching out and touching someone, only to see a spark from that friction transfer through their body as they touch another person.

That’s how worship is. You rub up against God long enough and something is going to shoot somewhere. Worship is our rubbing up against God, and seeing the result of that connection produce a spark or a “shock.” Being close to God produces a spiritual, electric infusion of life and vitality.

“How to …” Sermon Outlines 31. How to Praise the Lord

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150:6).

I. Praise Him for Past Blessings

“I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things” (Isa. 25:1).

A. Recall past blessings—remember answers to prayer, miracles that took place. Recall the small details and circumstances surrounding your prayers.

B. Praise the Lord. Be grateful, and give thanks for the many blessings of the past.

C. Remembering God’s past blessings and answers to prayer inspires faith and brings new hope.

II. Praise Him for Present Blessings

“Every day will I bless thee; and … praise thy name” (Ps. 145:2).

A. Some think they have nothing to praise the Lord for, but they need to look for the good in their lives.

B. Make a list—write down the blessings that are yours: life, salvation, family, church, home, etc.

C. Praise brings a positive outlook, a desire to reach out, to inspire, to help, to share with others about the goodness of Christ.

III. Praise Him for Potential Blessings

“Be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things” (Joel 2:21).

A. Expect the best. According to your faith, so be it.

B. Look to the future with faith and anticipation. Keep seeking, reaching, and expecting the highest and best.

C. Praise the Lord—for what He is going to do. Work to help bring it to pass. Set goals for yourself. The Lord can bring the impossible to pass.