The Pinnacle of the Christian Experience (2)

Psalm 95:1–6 ESV

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

We are looking into the subject of worship - the highest call and duty of man.

We want to ensure we have a good understanding and we are practicing this.

Meaning

Object

Reason

Foundation

Expression

Results

1. Meaning -

“Worship is attributing honor, reverence, or worth to God.”

Torrey, R. A: Worship is the soul bowing itself in adoring contemplation before God.

Difference between praise and worship.

praise is what we do to get into the Presence of God

Worship is what we do when we are in the presence of God

Praise involves lips. Worship is always from the heart.

Worship requires humility and surrender.

2. Object - God the Father, Jesus Christ. Not for man, Satan or idols or false gods.

3. Reason

Created to worship

Commanded to worship

God is worthy of our worship

1. The Foundation of worship

What is worship ?

attending a Sunday morning service and sitting in the pew.

Giving tithes

singing

offering a sacrifice

making a pilgrimage

John 4:23–24 ESV

23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The true worshipers! - implies false worshipers.

In Spirit

We worship in spirit as separate from a mere physical act - give an offering, make a sacrifice

We worship from the heart, innermost being

It is not about a physical place but an attitude of the heart

In true worship the heart is connecting with God

In truth

begins with salvation - salvation is from the Jews

cannot worship a God you do not know or not connected to

truth of Scripture

Many people worship in many different religions. But does God accept it all?

Quite clear here He doesn’t

JC- I am the truth

Thy Word is truth

The sum of your word is truth.

We live in a world that has thrown truth out the door.

There is no absolute truth. I have my truth and you have your truth.

Failing to see the contradiction , the self-refuting claims

All over the world truth is being stifled.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Anytime we refuse the truth of God and about God, we open ourselves to lies and eventually delusions

Romans 1:24–25 ESV

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Anyone who seeks after truth will eventually find their way to Jesus.

Beauty of holiness

Psalm 96:9 ESV

9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

We worship in spirit- out of our hearts, inner being, not focusing on outward ceremonies and rituals

in truth - in accordance with the principles of Scripture

Beauty of holiness - righteous lifestyle under-girds our worship

God is holy.

The first word we hear when we have insight into heaven is : holy, holy, holy

Beauty of holiness.

How do you feel when you sin? Dirty, ugly,

God is a holy God. He requires holiness in His people.

The HP had an engravement on his head piece - Holiness to the Lord

What are the expressions of worship?

Give thanks

Psalm 100:4–5 ESV

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Those who are learning to worship. Where do I begin?

Start by giving thanks

Sing

Psalm 95:1 ESV

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Psalm 96:1–2 ESV

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

We have a long list of songs, old and new, fast and slow.

Thank God for the wonderful hymns - Amazing Grace. What a Friend we have in Jesus. O for a Thousand Tongues to sing. It is well with my soul.

But we need the new songs. The songs of what God is doing today.

Just as some are afraid of hymns, there are those who are afraid of the new songs.

Here’s the key - sing what is in your heart!

In my heart there rings a melody, of heaven’s harmony.

Ephesians 5:18–20 ESV

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Sing, sing in the shower, sing in the car, sing doing the dishes,

Don’t just listen to music. Sing. Not to exercise your vocal chords but sing unto Him.

I like to hear by boys sing - sometimes in the shower, in the room

Imagine how God feels! When we sing to Him!

Don’t let Satan hinder you. Sing.

It changes the atmosphere in your heart and home.

Clap our hands

Psalm 47:1 ESV

1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

You may recall the days when people referred to the Pentecostal church in a derogatory manner as the clap hand church.

You had very little instruments but we clapped and sang with the joy of the Lord and enthusiasm.

During the COVID lockdown I saw an Indian Pastor and wife, sitting clapping and singing joyfully to the Lord.

Remember the days when we gathered in homes and sang choruses, clapped and rejoiced in the Lord.

we have the drums now to help with the beat but we can still clap and sing.

Lift our hands

Psalm 141:2 ESV

2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Psalm 134:1–2 ESV

1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!

Half way - perfunctory worship [mechanical, minimal effort]. Just doing it because I am expected to.

Palms inward

petition

to receive

one hand outstretched

Both hands fully outstretched

blessing God with everything, will all my strength

Pastor Samaroo: ‘When you raise your hands you are yielding yourself to God. It’s a sign of surrender.”

Shout

Psalm 47:1 ESV

1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

When you are a game, volleyball, basketball, you are not quiet

you shout for your team - whether losing or winning.

Well, this team will never lose.

According to Lester Lewis, the Jamaican evangelist: Jesus is the winnuh man!

Psalm 100:1 ESV

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Sometimes we can’t tell we are in a Pentecostal church.

I am not talking about noise from the PA system.

We need to make a joyful noise unto the Lord

Ill- visiting CAOG in G/t Guyana.

Dancing

Psalm 30:11 ESV

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Psalm 149:3 ESV

3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

2 Samuel 6:14 ESV

14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.

Here was the king of Israel dancing before the Lord.

Music

Psalm 150 ESV

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Kneel

1 Kings 8:54 ESV

54 Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven.

Daniel 6:10 ESV

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Philippians 2:10 ESV

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Psalm 95:6 ESV

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Fall prostrate - before God.