CHRISTIAN FAITH - WORSHIP - WHAT IS WORSHIP PT 2

The essence of worship is the inner experience of treasuring the true beauty and worth of God. Worship first begins and ultimately is a private action between you and God – the form of worship varies and even if it is around others, involves others, it is the inward expression of our love for God, our awe of Him and our response to His Voice and Calling.

Yes, worship is a personal connection with our Heavenly Father and requires your heart to be focused on God.

I truly believe that if you have the heart of God, for God in you and He is truly your Lord then you have something praise to offer, worship to offer.

Worship – the word we use comes in 3 forms – an Old English translated word of a Hebrew and a Greek word

The Old English word is worthship – meaning to give value and worth to something

But Worship is not always done in private

The original Hebrew word is Shachan – to bow down and surrender – full submission – and is generally always repeated twice

Psalm 95:6 – Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

The Greek word is Proskuneo – meaning adoration, prostratation, and expression

They both talk about bowing, prostrating – and a question that was asked of the men on Tuesday and I ask of all of you – no matter the form of worship – does the posture of your body represent the posture of your heart?

We have examined 4 forms of worship last week and we conclude with 4 this week – remember that this is an all-inclusive list just what I was led to and revealed in preparation for this mini-sermon series within a series.

Teaching, Fellowshipping, Obeying and Celebrating Communion, are done in private but we are also called to corporately worship as well.

Let us Pray

1. Teaching

You can have Scripture memorized, instruct others on what the Bible says, but if your heart is not focused on God, your mind clinging to the thoughts of God – then it is worthless, a torn, stained unusable rag – your heart must be in the right place –

When we share Scripture, share our testimony – what is our heart focused on? Is it on God and the Glory it will bring Him or is heart desiring the praises of man? We are all called to preach, teach and share – it can only be a form of worship when your heart is right with God.

a. Willing to be taught –

Proverbs 9:9 – Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

ACTS 8:31 - And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The Ethiopian has a spirit willing to be taught

Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Psalm 25:4 – Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

1 Peter 315 – but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Psalm 143:10 – Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

b. Willing to self-teach –

1 Timothy 4:13 – Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

c. Willing to teach others –

1 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Romans 2:21 – You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?

2 Timothy 4:2 – Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Titus 2:1 – But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

2. Fellowshipping

Fellowship comes from the Greek word – koinos – living together in community, having something in common

a. Fellowship within the church

1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philippians 2:1-5 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Hebrews 10:25 – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Romans 1:12 – That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

Psalm 55:14 NIV – with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.

Colossians 2:2 – That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,

John 17:21 – That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

1 John 4:11 – Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

b. Fellowship outside the church

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 – And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Galatians 6:10 – So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

3. Obeying

a. Obeying is commanded

If we love Him we worship when we obey

Jesus is pretty blunt and straight forward

John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

v21 – “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

v23 – Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Peter reminds us -

Acts 5:29, 32 – But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

John reminds us –

1 John 2:3 – And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

1 John 5:2-3 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

b. Obeying Blesses the heart of the Lord –

1 Samuel 15:22 – But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Hosea 6:6 – For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Psalm 51:16-17 – For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

1 Peter 1:14 – As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

4. Celebrating Communion In order to properly take communion, take the Lord’s Supper – we are asked, no we are called to get our hearts right with God – thus we prevent taking it in an unworthy manner.

Since worship is all about remembering God, His Worth and what He has done and involves the condition of our heart and our heart has to be aligned and right with God, communion, the Lord’s Supper is a form of worship because it expresses the infinite worth of Christ

a. Table of Sharing

Fellowship is tied to worship and there is fellowship when we share

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 – The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Acts 2:42 – And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

v46a – And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes

b. Table of Remembrance and Celebration

Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

1 Corinthians 10:31 – So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29 – Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine him

As we close, what is worship? Worship is a personal connection with our Heavenly Father and requires your heart to be focused on God.

And while worship is individual and private, Worship is not always done in private

Teaching, Fellowshipping, Obeying, and Celebrating Communion, while are individualistic, we are also called to do so corporately.

Is teaching a form of worship for you? Are you willing to be taught or do you come out of obligation or only when your schedule allows you to come? Do you self-teach or are you only taught on Sunday morning? Are you willing to share your story, the Bible with others or as fear encaged you>

When you fellowship, is it to just blow off steam or to come alongside someone whether it is a fellow believer or not. If it is, that is ok it is just not a form of worship – how can you fellowship as a form of worship?

What is your obedience tied to -blessing or the blesser? Receiving or Giving? Serving or being served? Fitting God into your schedule or making Him your priority?

No matter how you express worship, no matter the form of worship, remember Colossians 3:17, 23 and 1 Peter1:13.

Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

v23 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

1 Peter 1:13 – Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Let us pray and prepare for communion.

When you celebrate communion, do you actually take the time to get right with God and seek His heart – His forgiveness?

I ask that you do that now as we prepare for communion – be still and know God – allow the Holy Spirit to speak, bring to mind any unconfessed sin – bring your heart to God so that you can participate in the Lord’s supper and worship Him in a worthy manner.

Related Media

Related Sermons