Worship
- Mar 17, 2024
- 4 min read
INTRODUCTION :
Last week we went a little deeper on the topic of prayer and were challenged by the concept of praying without ceasing. In other words, keep the line of communication going between you and God all the time. This week we will take a look at worship and what that means and looks like. Often you hear the word worship connected to the word praise. For example, have you ever heard the phrase “Praise and Worship music”? Is there a difference in Praise and Worship or is it the same thing? Let’s start with delineating these two words and then we will go from there.
Difference Between Praise and Worship
Praise is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us. It is closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer back to God appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf.
You can see the intertwining of praise and thanksgiving in Psa 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Praise can be a feature of other relationships as well. We can praise our family, friends, neighbors or co-workers. It is merely the truthful acknowledgment of the righteous acts of another in order to build them up.
Worship is to be reserved for God alone. In Luke 4:8, Satan is trying to get Jesus to worship him . And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
To Worship God Requires Surrender
Worship is the act of losing self in the adoration of another. To truly worship God, we must surrender our self-worship.
We must be willing to humble ourselves before God, surrender every part of our lives to His control, and adore Him for who He is, not just what He has done.
Expressions of Worship (How do we do this?)
Jesus said the Father is seeking those who will worship Him "in spirit and in truth" . This is found in John 4:23-24 But 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.”
We worship from the spirit - which lives inside of us and works to completely fill our entire heart and soul. This is where our worship originates.
Worship in Truth means that we worship God in obedience to His word. He knows that if we don’t worship Him, we will worship something else, and that is not truth. True Worship is reflected in the first commandment which we discussed in February. Matt 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
We see this concept of Spirit and Truth again in Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Worship comes in many forms. All through the bible you will see worship expressed through song, dance, the playing of instruments, lifting up hands, bowing down, praying, and fasting. It can even be a sacrifice. It can present as a full on celebration or in heartbreaking brokenness and everything in between. Let’s look at a few scriptures as we wrap up. You’ll notice quite a bit can be found in the Psalms and are a great way to express worship from our hearts.
Luke 2:37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day
Psa 66:4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”
Psa 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Psa 141:2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
Psa 150- READ from Bible
CONCLUSION:
Praise is an action that expresses our adoration, glorification, and applause. It involves recounting all the wonderful things God has done for us. Worship is something that we do to draw close to God and to see him as high and exalted. Everything that we are and everything that we have comes from him. It is more about humbling ourselves before God and surrendering our lives. Worship requires humility and surrender. When we put praise and worship together there is a powerful, relationship building opportunity between us and God.
He designed us to worship. If we don’t worship our creator, we will worship something or someone else to fill that void. Remember, He gave us self will and He gives us a choice. What will you choose to worship?
Worship- Message Notes- 3/17/2024
Difference Between Praise and Worship
To Worship God Requires Surrender
Expressions of Worship (How do we do this?)
Scripture
Psa 100:4 Luke 2:37
Luke 4:8 Psa 66:4
John 4:23-24 Psa 95:6
Matt 22:37 Psa 141:2
Rom 12:1-2 Psa 150
Thoughts/Questions To Consider:
Worship is an attitude of the heart. Would you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
What are things we can worship above God?
How do we know when we have idols in place of God?