why worship pt. 3

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We continued our study on Worship (the blue highlight is the key words) this

week asking the question is how we worship important.  After reviewing what we have discussed the last 2 weeks, and how our challenge to make Him first everyday, I shared a vivid dream I had several months back.
I was in heaven and it was bright and beautiful people everywhere I was searching for where I should go and of course, seeing Jesus was my first thought.  Looking up, there he was.  After we embraced and as I glanced around and noticed that groups of people were headed into a large entry.  I asked Jesus where was everyone going?  He said- "Oh, that is the worship practice room."A  I immediately lit up and said well, that is where I am headed then!  Jesus stopped me and said, no, that is not for you.  I was surprised and then he went on to say, "that is where people are going who didn't practice worship on earth, they still have work to do, come with me."  And off we went.  That was the end.  
I woke up with those words in my head and on my heart.  And clearly the Holy Spirit spoke in my spirit, "teach my people to worship".  And so this study was born.
But what does that mean?  -to Practice worship here on earth?
Does God give us instruction on what it is supposed to look like?

We read all kinds of scripture that would tell us to worship and now we have learned that we are created to worship and understand what worship is defined as honoring Him with extravagant love and extreme submission.

So, when we are not worshipping Him we are failing in the purpose of which we were created.  (from Tozer)

If we believe that we are created to worship, then our inclination will be to want to worship.  

Lamentations 5 describes a people who feel forgotten by God and a moment when they had no worship: “The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music. The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning” (vv. 14-15, ASV).

Even in the most challenging times, the art and discipline of lifting our voices (expressing what is in our heart) to the truth of the Word of God is part of the miracle of praise, remembering that we cannot even utter the words “Jesus is Lord” and mean it but by the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 12:3). And so we lean into His breath and His power every single time we praise, bringing forth life through gratitude.

But how we go about it is also important.  Often people/Christians get worried or concerned about being over emotional or too ritualized.  Is there an incorrect way to worship God?

AW Tozer is a favorite author of mine and a true student of worship.  He shares in his book WORSHIP that are 4 ways of worship rejected by God-

Cain Worship-- no blood sacrifice.  Atonement for sins.  Cain came up with his own way to worship God and thought that was enough. It wasn't.  Read Gen 4:3-7

Samaritan Worship--  Samaritans under Omri and ahad became heretics- not just false teaching but picking and choosing what parts of the Bible they believed.  We cannot become pickers and choosers among the truths of God.  Believing only what we want to believe.  God rejects worship like this.

Pagan Worship- other gods, self worship   Luke 4:8

Nature Worship- poetry of religion, concentration on the beauty – sublime, the "feel good" that I need.  Nostalgic feelings is not worshipping God.

Only a redeemed and renewed person can worship God acceptably.  

Jesus tells us in John 4:24 ²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

I love the definition from Luke 19-

³⁶ As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. ³⁷ When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

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³⁸ “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

    Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”^[c]

³⁹ But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

⁴⁰ He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

Their savior was coming and they prepared a way as well as bursting into cheers.  How often do we prepare ourselves for worship?  Anticipate the coming of our king?
The book of Psalms – over and over give us examples of worship- calling us to lift our hands as we are lifting our voices. 
So the coming together and lifting our voices is an important practice for us, giving of our selves (money, service is worship too) - outwards act of what is first in our heart.    
As a follower of Jesus, learning to express our joy of this relationship with our creator is a difference maker.  We were created to honor him.
And when we are not practicing worship here on earth, we are missing a whole piece of ourselves really.

In our natural bodies, when our hearts shut down, our lives shut down. The same applies to the power of praise and worship in song. When our praise shuts down, our hearts become small and stifled, and it affects our whole lives. Our lives are the substance of the song we sing, living in tune with the great Orchestrator Himself. (taken from a quote from Darlene Zchech).

Questions-

Have you found yourself in worship that is rejected by God?

Are you comfortable with expressions of worship?

Describe a time when your worship in truth changed your “mourning into dancing”

Challenge-  add to your first things first challenge- to be more open to expressions of worship, ask God to help you.

Next week is our last for this Why Worship Study.