How Does One Worship - Part 2

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This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages on the topic of worship. This message discusses the theme of worshiping God with our words of praise and adoration, as well as our actions in obedience to His Word.

Written Excerpts:

Rom. 12:1-2 ^(NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Introduction:

We have been talking for a few weeks about the matter of worship. The Bible tells us that all of creation worships God and that is our primary purpose – to worship Him.

A.W. Tozer says that a piano may be used for lots of different things, but it was manufactured for only one purpose – to make music. Likewise we are designed for one primary purpose [worship].

Tozer – Sometimes evangelical Christians seem to be fuzzy and uncertain about the nature of God and His purposes in creation and redemption. In such instances, the preachers often are to blame. There are still preachers and teachers who say that Christ died so we would not drink and not smoke and not go to the theater.

No wonder people are confused! No wonder they fall into the habit of backsliding when such things are held up as the reason for salvation.

Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, died on the cross and rose from the grave to make worshipers out of rebels! (Whatever Happened to Worship?)

We have giving a series of messages on the topic of worship and most recently we were trying to answer the question, “How does one worship God?” or perhaps we could phrase it like this, “How should one worship God?”

Last week we talked about worshiping God “in spirit and in truth.”

Today I want to continue by proposing that we worship God with words and with obedience (conduct).

Last week’s emphasis was on inward qualities – spirituality and integrity.

This week’s emphasis is on outward actions – what we say and what we do.

The outward must be based upon the inward or it becomes a pretense and hypocrisy. But the outward must follow right along with the inward, or it’s nothing more than good intentions or wishful thinking.

III.           We worship with words

In the first sermon on worship that I gave a few weeks ago I attempted to define or describe the meaning of worship. After sharing some of the words that are used in scripture, I offered my own summary of what worship really is:

… it is a recognition of the worth/worthiness of the one being worshiped, and the unworthiness of the worshiper.

It is using culturally accepted means to express humility along with adoration, reverence and honor to the object of worship.

Probably one of the best ways to discover how we can use our words to worship the Lord is to search the Psalms in order to follow the example provided by King David and others.

Bless the Lord

Psalm 106:48 ^(NKJV) Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!

When we consider the various meanings of the word “bless” we conclude that to bless the Lord means we acknowledge with humility, gratitude and adoration that God possesses every benefit for success such as power, prosperity, fruitfulness and long life. We are acknowledging that He has freely bestowed these benefits on human beings who are weak, limited and unworthy.

To bless Him is to praise Him and to worship Him.

Praise the Lord

Psalm 148:1-5 ^(NKJV) Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.

 (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) [Praise] may be defined generally as an ascription of value or worth. … true praise consists in a sincere acknowledgment of a real conviction of worth.

When we worship the Lord with our words, we ascribe value and worth to God for who He is. We acknowledge His attributes and qualities and praise Him for each one.

Adore the Lord

Psalm 8:10 — Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) Adoration is intense admiration culminating in reverence and worship, together with the outward acts and attitudes which accompany such reverence…. Adoration is perhaps the highest type of worship, involving the reverent and rapt contemplation of the Divine perfections and prerogatives, the acknowledgment of them in words of praise, together with the visible symbols and postures that express the adoring attitude of the creature in the presence of his Creator.  

There actually are no Bible verses that use the word “adore.” The concept as defined here certainly is found in Scripture, but the word isn’t used.

Tozer – There's an awesomeness about God which is missing in our day altogether; there's little sense of admiring awe in the Church of Christ these days. (Worship: The Missing Jewel)

Tozer – Then there is admiration, that is, appreciation of the Excellency of God.... This admiration for God grows and grows until it fills the heart with wonder and delight. "In our astonished reverence we confess Thine uncreated loveliness," said the hymn writer. "In our astonished reverence." The God of the modern [Christian] rarely astonishes anybody. He manages to stay pretty much within the constitution. Never breaks over our bylaws. He's a very well-behaved God and … very much one of us, and we ask Him to help us when we're in trouble and look to Him to watch over us when we're asleep. The God of the modern [Christian] isn't a God I could have much respect for. But when the Holy Ghost shows us God as He is we admire Him to the point of wonder and delight. (Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church)

Shout Joyfully

Psalm 95:1-2 ^(NKJV) Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms. (KJV, “joyful noise”)

Extol/Exalt the Lord

Psalm 30:1 ^(NKJV) I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.

Psalm 99:5 ^(NKJV) Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool-- He is holy.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The Hebrew word most often translated "exalt," "exalted," is rum; "to lift up," "to be or become high."

It seems to express the idea of lifting up for prominent recognition the qualities that are worthy of being noticed and admired.

I’ve read a number of different passages in Psalms that say, “Bless the Lord,” “Praise the Lord,” “Shout joyfully to the Lord,” and “Exalt the Lord.” But what are to bless, praise, shout and exalt Him for? The same kind of things that the Psalmist did and the prophets did: His creative acts; His holiness; His loving kindness; His judgments…

So whether we are speaking in songs, in prayer, in testimonies or some other context we worship Him by using words to magnify and lift up His infinite perfections.

However, Sometimes we worship by not saying anything.

Habakkuk 2:20 ^(NKJV) But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."

IV.           We worship with conduct, namely obedience

Psalm 40:6 ^(NKJV) Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

Proverbs 21:3 ^(NKJV) To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Jeremiah 7:22-23 ^(NKJV) For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'

1 John 5:2-3 ^(NKJV) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Richard J. Foster – If worship does not change us, it has not been worship. To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change. Worship begins in holy expectancy; it ends in holy obedience. (Draper's Book of Quotations)

Conclusion:

Since this is Father’s Day, I want to finish up the message by challenging all of us fathers to set the example for our families in worshiping God.

We need to make every effort to teach them and model for them what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth.

We need to model what it means to worship God with our words and our conduct.

As fathers, we need to teach them the importance of worshiping God by demonstrating its importance in our own lives.