Establishing A Lifestyle of Worship What would you do when you meet God face-to-face? If Jesus returns when you finish studying this lesson, how would you respond? What would you say to Him the Holy One who created you and the rest of the universe? I think we would immediately recognize the absolute power, holiness, and glory of God. Some of us might be able to say something, some might just fall on our faces before the King of kings, and some of us might just want to hug Him. Take some time to think about how you would respond if God appeared to you right now. Pretty awesome thought, isn t it? When we recognize who God is, it definitely changes the way we think about things. Acknowledging God who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised helps us to overcome past hurts, have faith in our Christian walk, repent of our sins, and desire to be closer to God. When we acknowledge God through our praises and thanksgiving, or even our everyday actions, we are worshiping God. Tyson Supasatit WE WERE MADE FOR WORSHIP Worship of God is not defined specifically in the Bible, but the concept is still pretty clear. Basically, worshiping God is the natural state of God s creation. When the religious leaders told Jesus to stop His disciples from worshiping Him, Jesus replied, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. (Luke 19:40.) All of creation is meant to give glory to God, including us. We were made to worship God. However, Paul tells us what happened when people stopped acknowledging God in Romans 1:21-23: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal 1
man and birds and animals and reptiles. We were created to give God glory and thanks, but because of sin, we replace God with the things of this world. One day, however, the Bible says everyone will realize what they have done and will worship Him. In Isaiah 45:22-23, God promises this: Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has u ered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. When Jesus returns, the entire world will instantly realize who God is, and they will worship Him. At that time, the Bible says Jesus appearing will be like lightning flashing across the sky suddenly everyone will know how small they are, and they will acknowledge the glory of God. When faced with the reality of God, we will instantly change our viewpoint on life. Cars, career, houses, and hobbies will all become very insignificant things. We were created to worship and give glory to God, and when we go to heaven, we will worship Him for all eternity. After Jesus returns, there will no longer be a veil between us and God. We will not see God as through a dark mirror, but we will see and worship Him face-to-face. This is what we were made for. HOW TO WORSHIP GOD? When Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman by the well (in John 4), He said this powerful statement: God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. This statement gives us some guidelines in worshiping God. First, we need to worship God in spirit, which means that we come to Him by the leading 2 NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
of the Holy Spirit and present our deepest passions, thanks, and praises before the throne of God. Second, we need to worship according to biblical truths. in spirit Worship is first a spiritual, inward act. It is important that we focus on worshiping God inwardly instead of only through outward actions. That means paying attention to our thoughts and attitudes. Praise and worship songs help us to focus our minds on God. For example, when we sing the words All things are possible! it helps us to praise God for His promises in the Bible. When we sing You are awesome in this place, mighty God, we are reminded of God s majesty and that He inhabits the praises of His people. Also, an anointed worship leader will allow the Holy Spirit to lead the worship. In an environment where Christians are focused on worshiping God, the Spirit of God will change our hearts, and when our hearts are changed, our thinking will change accordingly. The Holy Spirit can bring supernatural healing and deliverance to us. That is why the corporate worship in the church is so important. We may not be able to overcome some obstacle in our mind by ourselves, but when we come before God during the corporate worship time, the Holy Spirit will remove those obstacles. Often, corporate worship is a healing time when the Holy Spirit purges us of doubt, fear, bitterness, unforgiveness, and hatred. When we concentrate on worshiping God, the Holy Spirit will come and renew a right spirit in us, like King David wrote in Psalm 51:10-12: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. While worship together as a church is wonderful, Christians can also experience this type of spiritual rejuvenation at any time, if they make a conscious effort to live in accordance to the Spirit of God. Romans 12:1 says that our spiritual worship is not just singing with our mouths or dancing, but is 3
consciously submitting our day-in and day-out lives to God. The Holy Spirit helps us to live godly lives everyday when we live to worship Him, just like He helps us overcome sinful thinking during the corporate worship on Sunday morning. After we submit ourselves to God, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will constantly be there to renew and sustain our spirits. This is what Jesus meant when He said, Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. (John 7:38.) So then, worship must first be an inward, spiritual act. When we worship God in the corporate meeting, the Holy Spirit will come to cleanse and renew our spirits. But we also worship God with our lives when we submit ourselves to Him. In order to live this way each day, we need to constantly be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:18-20 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. in truth Christians should also worship God according to the truth of the Bible. This means we cannot worship God in whatever way we please, according to our own ideas. For instance, some people might stay out late on Saturday night, and then sleep till noon on Sunday morning, thinking, God set apart one day for rest, so I will rest. These people s worship is not according to the truth of the Bible. Respecting the Sabbath does not mean sleeping all day, but means setting apart a time to worship God together with our natural and spiritual families. We need to worship God according to biblical truths, not according to what we think is right. Jesus said true worshipers must worship in truth, and compared the Samaritans unorthodox worship with the Jewish worship that 4 NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
was according to Moses Law. Today, Christians do not worship according to the Mosaic Law, but follow God s principles shown in the Bible. Some of the principles we find in the Bible include: focus on God, reverence, obedience, forgiveness, love, and joyfulness. FOCUS ON GOD Throughout the Bible, God tells His people to worship Him only. In fact, the first commandment He told Moses to write in the 10 commandments was You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3) Our worship must be focused on God, not on worship leaders, our congregation, our church vision, or our emotions. The Bible says very clearly that only God is worthy of our honor and praise. He is the Creator, whereas everything else is only the creation. Therefore, our worship must be focused on Him, not anyone or anything else. Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. REVERENCE Another biblical truth that we see in the Bible is reverence for God. The Bible shows many different modes of worship, such as clapping hands and dancing, singing and shouting, bowing down, or lifting our hands in prayer. The important principle tying all these activities together is that they must be done 5
in reverence to God. King David was reverent toward God when he took off his outer garments and danced before the ark of the covenant, in 2 Samuel 6:12-16. Paul and Silas were reverent toward God when they were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight, even after they had been flogged and were put in chains! (Acts 16:25) No matter our mode of worship, it must be with respect, or reverence, for God. How is this principle of reverence acted out in our congregational worship? One way is dressing up in your Sunday best when you come to church because that is one way we convey respect in our society. If you wear shorts and sandals to meet the CEO of a client company, that person might feel that you have no respect for them. On the other hand, we should remember that it is not because we are dignified in our own eyes, but rather because we want to honor and give reverence to God. If we are in the worship team and practice to improve our skills, it is not to dignify ourselves, but because we want to give the best to God. 2 Samuel 6:12-15, 20-22 Now King David was told, The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God. So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fa ened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets...when David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would! David said to Michal, It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD s people Israel I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor. 6 NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
OBEDIENCE Worship must also be in obedience to God. King Saul was told to completely destroy an Amelekite city as part of God s judgment, but he decided to keep the best of the sheep and cattle in order to sacrifice them to God as a worship offering. God rejected Saul s worship because Saul was not obedient. Samuel told Saul this in 1 Samuel 15:22: Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is be er than sacrifice, and to heed is be er than the fat of rams. This example reminds us that God does not need our fleshly sacrifices. Instead, God wants our obedience. If God tells you to do something, then the best way you can worship Him is by obeying, not by giving Him something else which He doesn t need. FORGIVENESS Another biblical principle that governs our worship is forgiveness. Before we can come into the presence of God, we need to practice forgiveness. The Bible says many times that Christians should not keep unforgiveness in our hearts. Not only does unforgiveness ruin our human relationships, but it also ruins our relationship with God! Jesus told a parable about a wicked servant who would not forgive debts owed him by other servants, even though the master had forgiven the first servant a much larger debt. How can we worship the God who bore all our sins on the cross if we do not forgive our brother or sister? Ma hew 18:32-33 Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? 7
LOVE Like forgiveness, love is another principle that characterizes biblical worship. When we come into the presence of God, His love is there because God is love. His perfect love is powerful enough to comfort, heal, restore, encourage, and transform us. We should let His love fill our hearts during worship. Let God s love heal your hurts, encourage you, and transform you into someone radiating His love. 1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. If you are worshiping God through your daily life, you should exhibit the primary characteristic of God: love. JOY When we praise and worship God, we put ourselves in right relationship with Him. There is joy in knowing we are His and He is ours. Worship will not always be full of laughing and dancing sometimes the Holy Spirit will guide an individual or congregation to repentance or feeling God s heart for the lost. But usually praise and worship will be full of joy because we recognize who God is. God is awesome!!! Psalm 100:1-5 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 8 NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
In conclusion, we can worship God in many ways. But our worship should be with the right spirit and according to biblical truths. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF WORSHIP? Worship brings God s presence and power. When we feel helpless and discouraged, making the decision to worship God gives us new strength. That is why it is important to worship God in the midst of difficulty, not only when everything is going smoothly. Worship is not only for God s benefit; we also enjoy the results of worship! Worship takes us from the midst of trouble, despair, and our normal abilities and brings us close to God, where we can be rejuvenated and receive God s touch. When God called Ezekiel and Isaiah in the Old Testament to do His work, they were just normal men with normal problems. Through visions, the God brought them into His throne room where He is continually worshiped by angels and His glory is clearly seen. God empowered them and spoke to them so they would be able to do His work. Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty. Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I. Send me! 9
Although what Ezekiel and Isaiah experienced might not happen with us every time we worship, our worship does bring us into the presence and glory of God. When we acknowledge God s power and majesty, somehow it unlocks God s power in our lives. This is especially important to remember when we are feeling discouraged when we probably do not feel like worshiping God. Turn to God during these low times and worship Him; you will be amazed at how God can touch you! There are examples from the Bible that show how worship brings God s presence and power in times of trouble. In 2 Chronicles 20, Judah faced a huge invading army. King Jehoshaphat gathered the people together to ask God for help, and God told them not to be afraid, For the battle is not yours, but God s. When Judah went out to battle, they positioned singers at the front of the army to praise and worship God. Even before the army of Judah arrived on the battlefield, God caused the enemy armies to fight and kill each other! In Acts 16:25, the Bible says Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God while in prison (even after they had just been severely flogged). God caused a violent earthquake and opened their chains and the prison doors. Paul and Silas were able to preach the gospel to the jailer and his family. Worship also provides a time when God will speak to us. I remember one time we were singing Arms of Love in church, and I felt as though God were holding me close to Him. It was a very memorable moment and I always look forward to times of worship where I can come close to God. God also speaks to the entire church during times of worship. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were worshiping with the church in Antioch when God called them to begin their missionary journeys. Acts 13:2-3 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So a er they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 10 NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
When the church comes together to worship God, this is a holy time and we should expect to hear some message from God. Therefore, we should not talk disruptively or be dismissive of the worship service by wandering around or walking in and out. In the presence of God, the Holy Spirit may speak directly to our heart, through prophetic words, or through preaching. Worship also softens the hearts of people toward God. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul describes an orderly worship service where the Holy Spirit is leading the congregation. He says this type of Spirit-led worship service will convict sinners and demonstrate the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, God is really among you! Worship also a time where the Holy Spirit ministers to people. If they are hurt, He is like a doctor. If we face difficulties, He is an encourager. If we are preparing for a certain task, then He will give us anointing so that we can be successful. FINAL THOUGHTS There are a few points about worship that I will mention briefly here in closing: 1. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. This point comes from 1 Corinthians 14:26-33, which is the clearest instruction on worship in the Bible. Basically, we should not use worship time to please our fleshly desires only. Yes, worshiping God is often fun and involves our emotions, but the central purpose is glorifying God. If everyone is pursuing their own flesh, there will be disorder, but if everyone is following the Holy Spirit, there will be godly order. 11
2. Try not to be too self-conscious! Don t spend the entire worship time thinking about how well (or poorly) you are singing or who is looking at you. If you want to raise your hands to give glory to God or demonstrate needing Him, do it! If you feel like weeping, it s alright! 3. If you are easily distracted by other people during worship service, try standing in the front. Really. It works, because you re not noticing what other people are doing. 4. Keep some of your favorite worship CDs in your car and listen to them when you are driving. If you take your car to work, you can spend some time every morning praising God before the day starts. Also, listening to worship music turns your after-work commute from a frustrating time to a time spent with God! 5. Try to arrive early to church, not in the middle of worship. Arriving early will allow you to spend some time preparing your spirit. You will be able to worship with more focus. 6. Worship is a time of communication with God, especially us communicating praise to Him. But He also speaks to us during worship. If God speaks to you during worship time about some particular issue, remember and obey as soon as possible! DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What are some things in your life that compete with God for your worship? 2. Why did God reject King Saul s sacrifice? 3. What is your interpretation of Romans 12:1? 12 NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH
4. What are some ways you can improve your worship? 5. Is it easy or difficult to forgive others before you come to God in worship? If this is a problem, what do you think is a solution? 6. What will you do next time you feel depressed or discouraged? 7. Please share some experiences you have had during worship. 13