By Faith Week 10. Worship

WORSHIP LIKE JACOB

How We Worship

WAYS OF WORSHIP

Genesis 24:26 Then the man (Jacob) bowed down and worshiped the LORD

Nehemiah 8:6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down andworshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

Psalm 96:9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

Psalm 100:2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe

Psalm 20:5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.

Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Psalm 47:1 [ For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. ] Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

2 Samuel 6:14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might,

Luke 6:23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

The Faith Of Jacob’s Request

GEN 47

(Genesis 47:29-30 ESV) [29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.”

Jacob also known as Israel, since God had changed his name when they wrestled and Jacob demanded a blessing, was dying.

He was in the land of Egypt.

He wasn't Egyptian.

He was a descendant of Abraham.

Belonging to the blessing of Abraham.

He knew he was about to die, but he didn't want to be buried in the land of the Egyptians.

He wanted to be buried in the land of his fathers.

In the land of the promise.

So He made Joseph swear to him that he wouldn't be buried in a land of pagans but in a land of promise.

Joseph, his son, agreed to take him to be buried in the land of his fathers.

It pleased Joseph, also known as Israel, and the scripture says that because of that agreement, because he wouldn't be buried among the pagan, but would be buried in the promise, that he leaned on his staff and worshiped the LORD.

31 "Swear to me," he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. [d]

That leads to to our theme verse in Hebrews 11 this morning…

HEB 11: 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped (bowed) as he leaned on the top of his staff.

By Faith Jacob Worshipped

(Genesis 47:29-30 ESV)

[29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.”

He worshipped because he knew what was coming!

His immediate worship was based on postponed promise.

His right-now worship was based on a not-yet fulfillment.

His present worship was based on a future occurrence.

It’s about time we worship God in the right-now because we are confident in the not-yet fulfillment!

Not-yet healed. Right-now I worship because of the promise of the cross.

Not-yet sorrow free. Right-now worship because he has carried my sorrows.

Not-yet experienced the miracle. Right-now worship because all things are possible with God.

Not-yet feeling confident about paying my tithes. Right-now I worship in giving because “My God will supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"!

Not-yet sure of which direction I should go in my job/school/relationships. Right-now I worship because I know as I trust Him he will direct my path.

Don’t allow the NOT-YET to keep you from RIGHT-NOW WORSHIP!

By faith he worshipped!

http://studylight.org/com/mhc-com/view.cgi?book=heb&chapter=011 (2.) He worshipped, leaning on his staff; that is, he praised God for what he had done for him, and for the prospect he had of approaching blessedness; and he prayed for those he was leaving behind him, that religion might live in his family when he was gone. He did this leaning on the top of his staff; not as the papists dream, that he worshipped some image of God engraven on the head of his staff, but intimating to us his great natural weakness, that he was not able to support himself so far as to sit up in his bed without a staff, and yet that he would not make this an excuse for neglecting the worshipping of God; he would do it as well as he could with his body, as well as with his spirit, though he could not do it as well as he would. He showed thereby his dependence upon God, and testified his condition here as a pilgrim with his staff, and his weariness of the world, and willingness to be at rest.

BY FAITH HE WORSHIPPED

HOW DID HE WORSHIP?

Leaning on his staff.

He was physically weak. But he was spiritually fit.

He mustered all the strength he had to worship.

Even if it meant leaning on his staff he wasn’t going to let the moment pass without intentional worship.

He didn’t have any excuse.

We often make excuses for our lack of participation in worship.

I can’t sing. I’m tired. I don’t like this song. I just don’t feel like it today...

We often allow distractions to move our thoughts and worship from God to something else.

We often allow our circumstances to dictate our worship. If things are going well, we praise. If things are bad, we worry.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 ESV) [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [19] Do not quench the Spirit.

Jacob leaned on his staff.

The Aim And Final Purpose of All Good Music Should Be To Glorify God - Bach

Bach said the aim and final reason of all music was none else but the glory of God.

Bach used his musical abilities for GOD.

Two groups of religious people during Bach's day and he fights between the orthodox and the pietists were conducted by doctrinaire theologians on either side.

But for people like Bach there was some truth in both movements.

Pietist’s saw faith as personal and life changing.

The orthodox tended to be more understated and traditional.    

Johann Sebastian served two churches in Muhlhausen.     One pietistic. The other orthodox.

All Bach wanted to do was glorify God with his music.

Bach is almost a kind of patron saint for church musicians.

All around the world he is recognized as one of the greatest composers that ever lived.

He spent his entire life in Germany and was greatly influenced by the legacy of Martin Luther.

Luther himself had been a musician declaring music to be second only to the gospel itself.

Bach was to be the reformers greatest musical disciple.

Bach worshiped God with his abilities.

Bach understood that

True worship is not about the music, the emotion, the setting, or the band.

True worship is about the heart.

Israel/Jacob was worshipping because he knew he wasn't going to be in Egypt forever.

True worship is an act of faith.

It's an expression of your dependance on him, an expression of your reliance unto him, an expression of your thankfulness to him, and an expression of your love of him.

True worship is a substance/evidence thing.

Because the substance, the true saving faith in your life, the evidence is seen in your worship.

Worship Is More Than A Song

Now worship isn't just a thing you do when we gather together and sing songs. Worship is a matter of the heart and a lifestyle.

It’s a lifestyle of the NOT-YET/RIGHT-NOW!

I want you to hear what members of the Worship Music band Leeland said about worship.

Talking about worship this is what they said...

Jack: I think that goes back to our main topic of what we’re taking about, which is raising up a generation of worshipers. Does that mean raising up a generation of songwriters or singers? No. It means maybe quite the opposite. Raising up a generation of worshipers means going past songs and past music into living a lifestyle that glorifies God.Yes, music is amazing and a great way to worship God, but there are so many other ways to worship Him aside from art. Our goal is to help people to find ways to dedicate their whole lives to God and worship in every aspect of their lives. I definitely think there are lots of ways we’ve missed as a Church to worship God.

Matt S.: For us, it’s more of a lifestyle. We try to be the same on the stage, on the bus, or wherever. Worship is definitely living a lifestyle of prayer and being in a relationship with God. I think if you really want to define worship it’s a lifestyle that is trying to be pleasing to God.

Leeland: Worship is anything that’s glorifying God whether that’s praying or hanging out or cleaning up the church after worship or cleaning the toilet—anything that’s glorifying God in your life or in a song is worship. It literally is your whole life devoted to God. You need to see your life as an act of worship.

Romans 12 Living Sacrifices 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

the only way to live you life as an act of worship to your creator is to understand that God is not after your hands or your voice.

He is after your heart. Once he has your heart, the rest will follow.

Psalm 51:16-18 (New International Version) 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are [a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Worship By Faith

WAYS TO WORSHIP????

honoring your parents

honoring your teachers

picking up trash

showing kindness