Worship. Introduction. Day 1: Everyone Worships

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1 Worship Introduction Our guest author this week is Christ Fellowship s Worship Pastor, Andrew McKinney. This Sunday (Sept. 4), Andrew will be preaching in our services and this guide will give you an in-depth look at some of the issues he ll be discussing. Over the course of the week he will help us understand why worship is essential, what true worship is and give us greater insight into the purpose of corporate worship and congregational singing. Day 1: Everyone Worships A basic truth of humanity is that everyone seeks satisfaction. While the ways we go about achieving satisfaction are many, the common denominator is that people ultimately do what they believe will bring them the most satisfaction. The question is: what can bring us true and lasting satisfaction? It s not easy to find. Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, put his frustration into song and proclaims, I can t get no satisfaction. King Solomon, who at the time was the world s wisest and richest man, declares in chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes, Meaningless, meaningless. Everything is meaningless. You might think that if anyone should have arrived at a point of complete satisfaction by the world s standards it would be Solomon in his day or Mick Jagger in ours; yet they both openly declare that they haven t arrived at a lasting, deep satisfaction or fulfillment. Do you want to know why? Because, as the Bible teaches us, there is nothing in this world that can ultimately satisfy! God did not design us to find our ultimate fulfillment in the creation, but in the Creator. You will never arrive at a point of true satisfaction as long as what you seek is something other than God himself. C.S. Lewis writes in his book Weight of Glory: It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. It is not a bad thing to desire our own good and happiness. The problem is that you and I are far too easily pleased. We don t seek pleasure with nearly the resolve, passion or perspective that we should. We settle for the things of this world, when our God has offered us the depth of his goodness and mercy. 1

2 Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Matthew 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Every good and perfect gift comes from God but, by its very nature, the best gift God can give us is himself. You see, the desire to worship is present in the heart of every human and often reveals itself in our actions, decisions or thoughts. We naturally invest ourselves in things we deem worthy of worship. The things we dwell on or fantasize about and spend our time, energy or money on show what our hearts are worshipping. Therefore, with our thoughts and actions good or bad, for God or against him we are assigning worth and engaging in worship. Worshipping God this should be the number one priority in every human heart, especially for Christians. We know that God has commanded it, but it is for our best and for his glory that we cultivate a deep soulsatisfying relationship with the Triune God. By doing so, we display the power of the gospel to a world that desperately needs it. How do you usually define worship? Have you ever thought of it as something central to your life? What are you placing ultimate value on, and therefore worshipping? 2

3 Day 2: How Should we Worship? John 4:23-24 The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Jesus says that true worship is done in spirit and truth (verse 23). The truth part is clear: with the coming of Jesus, truth centers on his person and work. He is the one who is himself the Truth (John 14:6). The message about his saving accomplishments for us is the word of the truth, the gospel (Colossians 1:5); and the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation (Ephesians 1:13). It is this word of truth (James 1:18) through which we re given new birth. Therefore it anchors and saturates worship that is truly Christian. But what about spirit? Is this our spirit or God s Spirit? Jesus s statement to Nicodemus in John 3 helps: That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. It s not either/or, but both/and. For those of us who are new creatures in Christ, our spirit owes its rebirth and vitality to the Holy Spirit of God. 1 Head and Heart When I was young in ministry, I heard a Kenyan missionary speak to the importance of a follower of Jesus pursuing big heads and big hearts. As he began to explain this concept he described the believers in Kenya who had tremendous passion for things of God but were grossly lacking sound biblical teaching, and how they could be greatly led astray by false teachers that littered Kenya. They lacked a deep understanding of who our Triune God truly is. American churches like ours sometimes have a different problem. This missionary had observed that many believers in the Bible-saturated suburban church where I was serving had a wealth of sound biblical knowledge, but lacked the enthusiasm for the things of God. We often did not seem to have genuine affection for God in our hearts. The missionary had clearly shown us how Christian worship must engage both heart and head. It hinges on true doctrine about the Triune God, and their partnership in rescuing sinners, and true emotion about that truth. It is an affair of both the heart and the mind. No book has helped me understand this concept like John Piper s Desiring God: Worship must be vital and real in the heart, and worship must rest on a true perception of God. There must be spirit and there must be truth.... Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full of artificial admirers.... On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship. 2 I love this image of bone and marrow that Piper introduces. It shows that one without the other is incomplete, impossible and lifeless. Jesus reinforces with his answer to the question, What is the greatest commandment? He responds with, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your 1 David Mathis. Worship in Spirit & Truth 2 John Piper, Desiring God (Colorado Springs, Multnomah, 2003)

4 soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). True worship is never meant to be segmented into what we can conceive in our minds or what we feel in our hearts, but to involve every part of our lives and every part of our being. The essence of true worship is in our hearts; but it is all encompassing heart and head, emotion and thought, spirit and truth. My prayer is that we might each have a growing heart for the true worship of our Triune God in our daily lives, private devotions, Life Groups and when we come together as the church. May we use every opportunity to worship in spirit and truth. We all have different personalities and individual strengths. Are you naturally more of a head person who wants to study and gather more and more information, or a heart person who would rather have emotional experiences, or somewhere in between? How do you need to grow to become a true worshipper? 4

5 Day 3: Why do we Worship Together? Why have Christian churches throughout the world gathered together for corporate worship? Is this just tradition, or is there a greater purpose for church attendance? If I can worship God anywhere, why do I need to participate in a weekly church gathering? Let s consider what the Bible says. Hebrews 10: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching Matthew Henry s commentary on this passage states: Believers are to consider how they can be of service to each other, especially stirring up each other to the more vigorous and abundant exercise of love, and the practice of good works. The communion of saints is a great help and privilege, and a means of steadfastness and perseverance. What is the value of corporate worship? This is a good time for me to put in a quick disclaimer. We want to form our biblical worldview from the whole scripture and not just pieces. In Day 3, we studied in John 4, where Jesus says believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem (verse 21). Some have tried to take this out of context to demean the value of corporate worship, but all Jesus has done is decentralize worship from a singular location. It is completely faulty logic to assume that he is denouncing the church gathering altogether, when in actuality he is freeing the church to expand beyond a centralized, geographic location. God, in fact, has clearly laid out in scripture what happens when a congregation gathers publicly for the purpose of worshipping God. In the New Testament, we see commands for the church: To pray (Col. 4:2-4; 1 Tim. 2:1-2) To read Scripture publicly (1 Tim. 4:13; Col. 4:15, 16) To listen to preaching and teaching (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 4:13) To baptize believers (Matt. 28:19) and share the Lord s supper (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11) To encourage each other and praise God in song (Eph. 5:19; Heb. 13:15) To give of their finances (1 Cor. 16:1-2) 5

6 First Corinthians states that each one of these things we do together, must be done for the strengthening of the church to edify others. Finally, corporate worship is public worship. Through corporate worship, a congregation proclaims God to the watching world. Outsiders should be invited to learn about the one, true God. The power of the gospel should be displayed when we gather together as a local expression of the universal church, so that some visitors might recognize the truth of what we proclaim. Paul articulates our hope in 1 Corinthians 14:25. We hope that people will say, God is really among you! How do you view corporate worship? Is it important to you to participate in a weekly church gathering? Why or why not? It is imperative to acknowledge in our casual, western Christian culture that we suffer from a great apathy towards church attendance. The scripture is clear that it is a great privilege to gather together. In many parts of the world, many of our brothers and sisters long for the ability to gather without persecution. Pray that our hearts would treasure the times we are given, and be encouraged by our corporate gatherings. 6

7 Day 4: Why do we Sing? Have you ever wondered why many churches devote such a large part of their corporate worship time to singing? What value does it have? What does the Bible say that makes us believe this is good stewardship of the limited time we have together? I believe that music is a tool God uses to allow us to think and feel simultaneously, while also encouraging those around us. One of my favorite quotes is by renowned lyricist E.Y. Harburg who said, Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought. I have found this to be the case and would argue that no other art form allows for everyone present to be engaged with their whole being (mind, body, soul) while also engaging God and others in a singular space in time. Our time of congregational singing should consist of powerful moments of worship felt throughout our local church family. Mike Cosper wrote, At its best, congregational music is a marriage of truth, beauty, and action. Songs that are clear and comprehensible to a congregation, loaded with biblical truth, are set to music that paints that text emotionally. By singing with the church, I m putting truth and beauty into action within me. I m confessing the truth as I experience its effects. 3 If you were raised in church, you may remember Sunday school songs rich with meaning, or a melody that helps you remember the books of the Bible. The hymns and praise songs we sing can help implant essential biblical truths in our heads and hearts where we can access them when we need them. When we walk through difficult seasons in our lives, rich truth can be found in some of the lyrics and melodies that have been emblazoned on our hearts and minds through song. Consider the comfort found in crying out to God through song alongside fellow believers in moments of doubt or pain. My favorite scripture that details some of the benefits of congregational singing comes from Paul. Ephesians 5: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to highlight four benefits of congregational singing presented in this Scripture: A filling of the spirit one of the ways you can be filled with the spirit of God is singing with the people of God. Impacting others when the church comes together, you do not sing solely for your own benefit; but so that others around you might also be filled with the Holy Spirit. You sing because the person in front of you might be walking through cancer or the person beside you might be walking through the loss of a loved one. In our times of singing together, we are reminded that we walk together as the body of Christ and we should be an encouragement to those around us. Worshiping/engaging the Lord we focus on the one who is worthy, who has loved us with an indescribable love, and are overwhelmed that he calls us to be trophy of the Grace of God. 3 Mike Cosper, Why Do We Sing 7

8 Giving thanks when we sing we are overcome with thankfulness and reminded of all that God has done for us. I pray that these things will resonate in you, so that the next time you gather with a local body of believers and begin to sing, you would rejoice in the precious opportunity you ve been given to worship in this way. What do you think about times of congregational singing during a church service? What do you think your attitude towards those times should be? 8

9 Day 5: Does Posture in Worship Matter? Throughout this week we ve looked at true worship as involving every part of our lives and every part of our being. While the essence of true worship is in our hearts, it is impossible for it not to seep into every area of our being if it resides deeply in our hearts. A question I get often is Is there a right/preferred physical posture in worship in song? The short answer is there is no rigid, correct answer. However, our bodies give us an opportunity to express what is in our hearts. We are holistic beings with intellects, emotions and bodies all working in harmony with one another to express ourselves. Varying studies tell us that anywhere from 70 to 95 percent of communication is nonverbal. We say a lot about what we think and feel without uttering a single word. In the military we see soldiers standing at attention or saluting officers and superiors; when a man proposes he traditionally kneels; when our favorite team scores a touchdown we will jump, scream or hug a complete stranger. This type of non-verbal communication is essential to our humanity. Yet many times we feel as if it must be removed from our worship gatherings. When thinking of worship posture, it s hard not to be drawn to David and reflect on the many examples of different postures/physical responses he exhibited in the worship of God. Below are different worship expressions David refers to in the Psalms. These come from an article by Russell Henderson. 4 Spoken Voice 1. Speaking Psalm 34:1 says, I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2. Shouting Psalm 27:6 says, Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. 3. Singing Psalm 47:6 says, Sing praises to God, sing praises to our King, sing praises. Posture 1. Bowing Psalm 95:6 says, Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 2. Standing Psalm 119:120 says, My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws. 3. Dancing Psalm 149:3 says, Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. 4 Russell Henderson Nine Expressions of Worship 9

10 Hands 1. Playing Instruments Psalm 33:2, 3 says, Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 2. Clapping Psalm 47:1 says, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 3. Lifting Hands Psalm 63:4 says, I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. In our culture we are familiar with all of these forms of expressions. But for some of us there is a stigma or hesitancy to express ourselves in worship in this way. Let me encourage you to feel the freedom to express with your whole being the worship you feel in your heart! We know it brings God delight and is a tangible way for us to feel freedom and joy. I remember encouraging our men at a Christ Fellowship men s retreat to physically express themselves in worship and one man told me, My heart was engaged in a way that I had never experienced before, just by raising my hands. He engaged in worship with every part of his being. While raising hands is not a magic, outward form of feeling nearer to God, outwardly reflecting an inward reality allows us to feel something more deeply. The balance in this holistic experience is worded well by Steven Miller in his article Why Posture Matters in Worship. 5 If we consistently find ourselves in corporate worship with our arms folded, mouthing the words with a blank, glazed over or bored look on our face, this posture indicates we may not be experiencing an inward heart of adoration, wonder, and awe that is characteristic of true, spiritual worship. But rather than forcing our hands in the air, we should ask God to draw us nearer to him and seek how he desires to be worshiped. We should plead with him to captivate our hearts and reveal any sin that might be keeping us from seeing and savoring him with all we are. God wants our hearts, not just our fake smiles, arms raised or our knees bent. He wants more than just our shouts or our songs. He wants more than just our theological intellects. He wants all of us. Does your posture in worship reflect what s going on in your heart? 5 Steven Miller Why Posture Matters in Worship 10