Worship

It was fall 2019, where I felt the need to do some soul searching/healing. I was lucky enough to have a pastor/boss who gave me time to focus on myself during that summer I would find myself spending countless hours being outside in the dark looking at the stars. This was my time where I was doing some soul searching. As I looked up, I could not stop myself from Worshiping God. I wasn’t in a sanctuary, there was no music, no one leading, I wasn’t with people it was just me and my creator observing and being amazed by His creation. I was in awe, and I realized the words and praises that I was saying out loud were coming from my soul. Where being inspired by the Holy Spirit. I would begin a journey of honest and Holy Spirit-led worship.

Laying on the ground reminded me of the time when I countered at my home church. It was assemblies of God, and it was a huge church. We had a ton of children especially toddlers. Well, they divided the groups and would have big groups where the 2–5-year-old would gather and hear a kid’s sermon and sing and praise God. Being this 20 something year old I was reminded how those 3-year-old genuinely raised their hands or how they clasp their hands together during prayer time and some with tears in their eyes. I was there and this was not manipulation not playing with their emotions or even faking it so that others can see you. The children were authentically worshipping God.

As part of this month’s Series “The Why Behind the What” I will humbly and depending on God will be teaching/preaching about the idea of Worship. To being, I would like to share what is the definitions of worship. In simple terms, worship is ascribing to God His worth.

In one of my classes that were about Worship, I read a quote by N.T. Wright said: “...the word ‘worship’ means, literally, ‘worth-ship: to accord worth, true value, to something, to recognize and respect it for the true worth it has.” Worship is rooted in God’s glory and praise. I would always see worship as the time where we all sand worship and praise. When the worship band or the choir would come and sing. That is worship but I learned that is not the only way to worship.

One of the best worshipers was King David. In fact, 95% of the books of psalms were written by Him. Many refer to King David as David the Psalmist. The book of psalms contains a ton of praises and acknowledging the worth and the existence of God. Even in those time psalms where David is asking “Why is this happening to me” “Why have you let my enemies attack me” Or Psalms accepting to wrongdoing. The truth about God is always mentioned. You want to all about honest and authentic prayers, David was honest. I personally see the psalms as a journal written to God. Where fear is shown, confusion, amazement, hurt shame, and bewilderment is expressed.

Today our sermon would be from the books of Psalms chapter 149-150.

Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord.[a]

Sing to the Lord a new song,

his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;

he crowns the humble with victory.

5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor

and sing for joy on their beds.

6 May the praise of God be in their mouths

and a double-edged sword in their hands,

7 to inflict vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with fetters,

their nobles with shackles of iron,

9 to carry out the sentence written against them—

this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the Lord.

The books of psalms are examples of how we can come to Our Father. The two psalms above explain to us why we worship.

149: This psalm can be a bit conflicted within itself. It talks about praising God and how good He is. It implies and encourages God’s people to faithfully praise the Lord and carry out sentences on the nations in the name of the Lord. What this psalm is referring to, not personal or random revenge but the righteous punishment of the Lord. The final judgment. Those who hold the word close to them and praise in their mouth will have the victory.

Verse 6 can show to us, that the revenge portion is not foreign to the psalm but combines with the praise element to form an important part of the psalm. The praise on the lips and the sword in the hand complement each other.

Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord.[b]

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,

praise him with the strings and pipe,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

In 150:2 we are told why the Lord should be praised. His “mighty deeds” and “surpassing greatness” are given as reasons for praise. These words are intended to refer not only to the Lord’s deeds of creation but also to his deeds of deliverance throughout history.

The major portion of the psalm (150:3–5) is used to indicate how the Lord should be praised. By listing all the possible musical instruments—stringed, wind, and percussion—the poet emphasizes that the Lord should be praised in every possible manner, with exuberance and abundant joy.

The psalm concludes by saying who should praise the Lord, namely, “everything that breathes.” Everything and everyone created by the Lord, all who received breath and life from him, should recognize that he is the Creator by praising him. To praise the Lord is the first and most important duty of all creatures. This is the conclusion reached by the psalm and the entire psalter. Just as the hymnic framework, “Praise the Lord!” indicates the beginning and end of the psalm, so our lives should be framed and regulated by the praise we owe to our savior and creator.

God is good everything that is the food comes from Him all that is bad does no. Though he uses the bad and can turn it into good. He gets in the mess with us and makes it good. However, I wonder if because we see Him. In the mess with us, we blame Him or accusing Him of having something to do with It. This past week at a bible study some of the people were introduced to the concept of Forgiving God. I learned that in seminary, so I was aware of the idea of it but was glad to be reminded. Later in small groups, one of the ladies was struggling with the idea of “us Forgiving God” “Why do I need to forgive Him, Jesus, in the cross Why have you forsaken ME” the whole time in the cross Jesus is referring to God as His father until he questions God’s presence with Him. He refers to Him as “My God… God” I know I am not the only one who has asked God why bad things happen to good people. Or have subconsciously or with fear admitted to being upset or mad at God for things that are happening in the world or to our loved ones. I grew up seeing and learning that God is safe and I can come to Him with questions/doubts and even anger (towards Him) He is capable of handling all that. He was able to see and hear His son on the cross asking “Where are you?” I know some might never doubt and accepted life as it is. Hearing studies of some of you, going through a lot, and still having faith blows my mind and encourages me. But I know some ask “Why God?” and to you I say,, is ok…ask Him, wonder, God will meet you in your doubt. This past week I was asked where I have felt God the most and it was in the room of broken people admitting that this was the last opportunity to live if they continue the life, they were living they were fully aware that would be the end. I was right with them not as their pastor or helper but as one of them. Trying to ask Why me Why here? But then I understood it was more about the What For than the Why…And when you are during that time as shard as it sounds the best that we can do is worship. Not all of David's psalms are happy and cheerful. They are real and some are filled with fear and worried however they still worship.

Worship is admitting and saying who God is out loud. Yes, psalms 150 says the way to worship by describing some instruments however we also see in the bible worshiping with whatever and however they could. In the New Testament, we learn about the apostle Paul and Silas. Both were captured and taken into captivity, and they were chained up for preaching the word. However, their mouth and their faith were not chained. They would worship even tied up even though they were unsure about their future.

This past Friday, I went to Bernheim forest. And I found a spot where no cars nor people. It was quiet and I could hear the wind. Then I started to observe the trees in the clouds. I began to contemplate and worship God’s creation. Then, I remember that In one of my classes about worship and missions it was pointed out that the bible says that God’s creation also worships Him. The way that is done is by doing what they were meant to be doing. The trees by standing and giving shade that is a form of worship. We are meant to worship God our spirit is yearning to let out praises to its Creator. Let us be influenced and guided by the Holy Spirit to worship God in the good and the bad times.

I know that it is not easy to worship for the good, however, let me encourage you to say when you can. When you feel tired and beginning to lose hope or are in the stage of dryness. Lean on each other. When you do not have faith let me have faith for you. Just like someone doesn’t believe in their achievement there is always a parent a mom believing and supporting them. That can be done with our faith. When you do not have faith that God will answer that unspoken prayer, I have faith that HE listens and He is and will be on the move.

God is good and He is worthy of our praise! Let us pray.