11/17/13 Design For Life

CREATED TO WORSHIP GOD

    We have been talking about worship for a few weeks.  Worship is commonly connected with singing.  We have said that, even if you are not a good singer, do your best and enter in to giving God glory and honor.  I saw a cartoon one time on that theme.
    An usher, talking to a man in the pew: “Sir, you have been recommended for our remedial singing class that meets in the church basement after the service.”
Cartoonist Mary Chambers in Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2.
    We don’t have a remedial singing class, so sing out for Jesus.
    We have also been talking about the fact that worship, a church service, is not a spectator sport.  We have no such thing as Spectator Spirituality.
    A comment made by Katie Wiebe in the Christian Leader:  Whenever I attend yet another church spectator event, I am reminded of A. W. Tozer’s disdain and despair for “that strange thing--the program,” for “conventional religious chatter,” for our wholesale “pursuit of happiness, rather than holiness,” for our bondage to the conscience of people rather than bondage to God.
Katie Wiebe in the Christian Leader (January 1987). Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 15.
    As we have been saying, worship is declaring worth of God.  Worth-ship.  We pursue God as we lift Him higher.  Worship is about HIM.
    Today I want to share several quick points about worship.  They come from an article in the Fire Bible on the topic of worship.  They are very practical.
    The goal of this short series is that we will have a greater understanding of what worship is and that we will be people who genuinely worship God.  Again, it’s not about me, it all about God.
    In the Old Testament, as God revealed Himself and the nation of Israel worshiped God, the key feature of O.T. worship was the system of sacrifice.  These sacrifices pointed forward to the time when Jesus would come. Since Christ’s sacrifice on the cross completely fulfilled this system, there is no longer any need for the shedding of blood as part of Christian worship.
Hebrews 9:11-14 NKJV
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
    Through the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, communion, the church continually celebrates in memory of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 11:26 NKJV
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
    Praising God is necessary in Christian worship. Praise was an important element in Israel’s worship of God, as well as in the early church.
    They praised God even when everything was going wrong.
Acts 16:25 NKJV
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
    One important way to praise God is by singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  The New Testament church was a singing community.  Never did they consider or practice singing as a form of entertainment disguised as worship. They were careful not to view music as the primary means of worship.  They did not allow it to take the place of true worship.  Music as a part of worship certainly can inspire and move our hearts to offer up true worship.
    At the time of Jesus’ birth, the entire heavenly multitude burst into praise.
Luke 2:13-14 NKJV
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
    Prayer is another important part of worship.  The leaders of the New Testament church prayed continually after Jesus was lifted up into heaven. Prayer was a regular part of Christian worship.
Acts 1:14 NKJV
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV
17 pray without ceasing
    Confession of sin.  God had established the Day of Atonement for the Israelites as a time for national confession of their offenses against God. In his prayer at the temple dedication, Solomon recognized the importance of confession.
    When Jesus gave his followers an example of how to pray (often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer), he taught them to ask for forgiveness of sins. James instructs believers to confess their sins to each other.
    Worship also includes public reading of God’s Word and preaching of its truth.
    We saw an example of this when we pointed out that Ezra read the Law to the people for a week, as they stood there and heard God’s Word.
    Scripture reading became a regular part of the synagogue worship on the Sabbath.  When the early church gathered for worship, they also heard God’s Word, along with teaching, preaching and practical challenges based on the truth of the Word.
    Whenever God’s people assembled in the courts of the Lord (i.e., places of worship), they were instructed to bring tithes (i.e., a tenth of one’s income or produce) and offerings.
Malachi 3:10 NKJV
10 “ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”
    Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians about gathering funds:
1 Corinthians 16:2 NKJV
2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
    This is an example of how true worship of God must be planned for, especially in presenting our tithes and offerings to God.
    One unique element of Christian worship is the role of the Holy Spirit and His various expressions given through Christ’s followers.  God has given spiritual gifts to be a part of worshiping God.  The most important principle of all was that any exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit during worship had to strengthen and help the whole congregation.
1 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
    We have said that the purpose of worship is to declare God’s worth, value, to exalt Him.  But, it is not all one way.  When we worship and enter God’s presence, there are many blessings, many by-products that make our lives better.  A quick look at a list of some of them when real worship takes place.  God responds with many blessings. He promises:
to be with them and to have close personal interaction with them
to guide and surround them with his glory
to shower them with blessings, especially peace
to give them overflowing joy
to answer their prayers when offered in sincere faith
to give them a fresh infilling of his Holy Spirit and boldness to live for Christ and tell others about Him
to work among them in special and obvious ways through the Holy Spirit
to guide them into all truth through the Holy Spirit
to purify, develop and set them apart for his purposes through the power and instruction of his Word and the Holy Spirit
to comfort, encourage and strengthen them
to expose the reality of sin, righteousness and judgment
to spiritually save people whose sinfulness is revealed to them (and they respond in faith) during a worship service

What have you learned about worship in the past few weeks?
How has applying these truths impacted your life?

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

11/10/13 WORSHIP

    Peter Buehler, who helped lead John and Charles Wesley to Jesus, once said, “If I had a thousand tongues, I’d praise Christ with them all.” Charles Wesley expanded this stray comment into lines that became the well-known hymn “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”
“The Golden Age of Hymns,” Christian History, no. 31.
    Charles Wesley wrote this in 1739.  I found a version with 17 verses.  I think he was trying to express something profound in his heart.  Let me share a few of them.  Remember how we defined worship last week: worth-ship.  Ascribing worth, value.
    O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
    My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.
    Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.
    He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.
    Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.
    All the glory and honor goes to God.  Lift HIM up.  This is worship rising from a heart to God.
    A Psalm of worship to God.
Psalm 95:1-6 NKJV
1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms. 3 For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills 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.
    Pick out the words that emphasize God, words of worship.
SOME BACKGROUND OF WORSHIP
    People have worshiped God from the beginning of history. They have not always had a formal worship service.  Adam and Eve had an amazing personal relationship and interaction with God in the Garden.  God came in the cool of the day and visit. Their sons, Cain and Abel, both brought offerings to the Lord.
    Seth’s descendants called “on the name of the Lord”.  Noah built an altar to the Lord for a burnt offering after the flood.  We see the use of animals sacrifices to God.
Genesis 8:20 NKJV
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
    Abraham set up many altars throughout the region that later became Israel’s promised land to present offerings to God and experience close personal companionship with him.
    Worship was expressed in personal and family ways in the beginning.  After the exodus Israel made the tabernacle (a tent) that served as a worship center and represented God’s presence.  Then, public worship became a formal ceremony or activity to honor God.  From then on sacrifices were offered regularly, especially on the Sabbath.
    When the Promised Land was finally theirs, eventually they built the temple in Jerusalem and their formal worship centered there.  When the temple was destroyed in 586 B.C., the Jews began to build synagogues as local places of instruction and worship while they were in exile. These buildings continued to be used for worship even after the second temple was built under Zerubbabel’s leadership. There were synagogues throughout Judea and all over the Roman world during New Testament times.
    Then Jesus came and, after the crucifixion and resurrection, established the church.  In the early days of the church, worship took place in the temple as well as in private homes.  As the Gospel spread, Christians worshiped in the synagogues as long as they were permitted to do so. When that was no longer allowed, they met elsewhere for worship—usually in people’s homes.
    How can we express worship?  The Bible teaches true and heartfelt worship can take many forms and postures.  Some of them are:
Bowing down/kneeling
Standing
Clapping and shouting
Raising hands
Walking and leaping
Lying face down or flat on the ground
    As long as the expressions of worship are suitable for the situation and are sincere responses to an awareness of God’s presence, they are acceptable to God.  All worship should lift up the Lord, not the individual worshiper.  Remember, it’s all about God, not me.
    Genuine worship must take place in spirit and in truth.
John 4:23 NKJV
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
    Jesus, speaking to the woman at the well.  She started debating about the place where people are supposed to worship God.
    Jesus told her that the place of worship is not the issue.  God’s primary concern is our spiritual attitude.  True worship must come from the heart and reveal deep devotion to God. We must offer ourselves to God in complete openness. Our worship must focus on God’s character and attributes.
***Can you name characteristics and attributes of God?
***How do we connect them to worship?
    Truth is a primary characteristic of God’s nature.  It is at the heart of the gospel message of Jesus.
    Give your best to God in worship.  He is worthy of it.
    Around Thanksgiving one year, Paul Harvey shared a true story of a woman and her frozen Thanksgiving turkey.
    The Butterball Turkey Company set up a phone hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys. One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in the bottom of her freezer for 23 years. That’s right—23 years. The Butterball representative told her the turkey would probably be safe to eat if the freezer had been kept below zero for the entire 23 years. But the representative warned her that even if the turkey was safe to eat, the flavor would probably have deteriorated to such a degree that she would not recommend eating it.
    The caller replied, “That’s what I thought. We’ll give the turkey to our church.”
Paul Harvey daily radio broadcast (11-22-95)
    I want to do something different and use the same questions we used last week at the end.  We need to give a strong emphasis to worship, what it is and how we can worship God in our lives.
Practical application of worship in our daily life.
Define worship.
How can you worship God throughout the week?
How can we make corporate worship more powerful?
Don’t be afraid to use your voice in worship.  Words as well as song.
Be sure of knowing Jesus  as your Savior and Lord.

The foundation of this message is based on study taken from the Fire Bible, Don Stamps, general editor.

11/3/13 Design For Life - WORSHIP

Celebrity Accessories Sold at Inflated Prices
    In his book Fame Attack, Professor Christopher Rojek explores how we’ve turned celebrities into modern day idols. Rojek writes:
    In the early days of Hollywood, the [media] described celebrities as “gods” and “goddesses”.  It credited them with “magic” and messianic “spellbinding” power …. They were not called ‘stars’ for nothing.….Modern fans covet autographs, letters, check stubs, locks of hair, clothes … combs, glasses, cigarette butts, rings, cars, golf clubs, etc.
    Consider these examples of how much value is placed on celebrity items:
    In 2002, the former barber of Elvis Presley sold a clump of Elvis’ hair for $115,000.
    Justin Timberlake’s half eaten French toast sold for $3,000.
    A jar containing the “exhaled breath” of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was recently bought by a fan for $500.
    A piece of bubble gum chewed by Brittany Spears sold for $160.
    A lock of Justin Bieber’s hair sold on eBay for $40,668.
Jerry De Luca, Montreal West, Quebec, Canada; sources: Chris Rojek, Fame Attack: The Inflation of Celebrity and Its Consequences, Bloomsbury Publishers, 2012; Kiki Von Glinow, “Weirdest Celebrity Items Sold at Auction,” The Huffington Post (8-16-12)
    This is worship in it’s worst form.  If people didn’t worship these famous entertainers they wouldn’t spend a penny for these items.  In looking to understand what worship is, these examples help us grasp the principles of worship.
    As Christians, we come together to worship God.  We call this a worship service.  The meaning and understanding of worship has become very confused.  For many, worship means the time in the service when we sing.  Music is a part of worship, but it is not the totality of it.
    If worship is limited to singing, what if you have zero musical talent?  What if you can’t carry a tune in a pile of hymn books?  What if you lose your voice?
    As we enter this theme of worship, let’s look at a passage from the Old Testament.
Nehemiah 8:5-6 NIV
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
    One of the most beautiful songs ever written, The Hallelujah Chorus.  Look at the words and what they express.  It is an expression of giving praise and adoration to God.  It is genuine worship to God.  The word Hallelujah! is repeated 24 times.  It expresses the awesome nature of God.  Praise God!!! Look at some of the words beyond Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
    The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
    King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
    And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
    Show YouTube video of The Hallelujah Chorus.
    Let’s go back to the passage we read.  Ezra led the people in worshiping God and celebrating their return to their homeland after many years of exile.  There was a revival among the people as they worshiped and served God.
    As we dive in to this topic of worship, let’s start with an understanding of what it is, a definition to guide both our thinking and our worship of God.
    Definition of worship of the true God. The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word “worthship.” Ascribing or declaring worth.  The word describes actions and attitudes that highly favor and honor the worthiness of God and express awe and adoration toward him.
    True spiritual worship is God-centered, not human- centered. It focuses on God’s character traits (what is God like?). We worship because God is worthy to receive it, not because it makes us feel good.  Christian worship involves Jesus’ followers responding with holy love and reverence to God’s character and presence by expressing gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us. Sincere, or true and heartfelt, worship requires a faith commitment and a confession that God is the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth. It means knowing and confessing that God is the only Lord—the Leader and highest authority—in our lives. We were created to honor and worship God
    Read passages and analyze the worship, to help us understand what true worship is.
Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,
Psalm 29:1-2 NKJV
1 A Psalm of David. Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 96:8-10 NKJV
8 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.”
Revelation 4:8, 11 NKJV
8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
    Worship must be more than a service or ceremony; it must be a way of life that reflects the highest respect, reverence and honor for God—in words and actions—in all situations.
Hebrews 13:15-16 NKJV
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
    A lifestyle, not a religious ritual.
    Worship is not just singing songs.  We use music to worship God, but simply by singing, or singing a specific genre of music it is not worship.  It is not all about me, it is all about God.  Many love to sing because it makes them feel good.  Fine.  The good feeling must be the by-product of genuine worship, not the goal.  Again, it’s not about me, it’s all about God.
    In the passage from Nehemiah 8 that we read earlier, we see a genuine hunger for God.  Ezra read from the law for seven days straight, six hours per day.  They were hungry for God. The longed to worship God.  Truly for the, it was all about God.
Practical application of worship in our daily life.
Define worship.
How can you worship God throughout the week?
How can we make corporate worship more powerful?
Don’t be afraid to use your voice in worship.  Words as well as song.
Be sure of knowing Jesus  as your Savior and Lord.
Note: this series is based on reference material in the Fire Bible, Don Stamps general editor.  Other resources also used.