Worship
Anything a person does to show love and respect. Christians worship the one true God.
A. Blessing God
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1 – nasb). It is awesome to consider that we have the ability to bless our Creator, but time in the Scripture we are exhorted to do just that. We bless Him through our praise and worship. See Psalm 34:1-3.
B. Praise
Praise is an expression of admiration and appreciation. When we praise someone, we tell them how wonderful we think they are, or how great their accomplishments are. It is the same with the Lord. Praise has to do with acknowledging God’s character and power.
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Ps 63:3-4).
1. Why Do We Praise God?
a. Because of who He is. “ Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise” (Ps 47:6-7).
b. Because of what He is. “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion…” (Ps 103:1-5).
2. Who Is to Praise God?
a. Those Who Seek God. “… they who seek the Lord will praise him…” (Ps 22:26).
b. Everything That Has Breath. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord “ (Ps 150:6).
3. When Do We Praise God?
a. At All Times. (Ps 34:1)
b. In Every Circumstance. (1Ths 5:16-18)
4. Where Are We To Praise God?
a. Surrounded By God’s People. (Heb 2:12)
b. Among The Nations (Ps 57:9)
c. On Our Beds. (Ps 63:4 -6)
C. Worship
Whereas praise is an expression of admiration and appreciation, worship is an expression of love and adoration. It is possible to admire someone and appreciate what they do without being in love with them. In the same way, worship has to do with our love of the Lord. It can be expressed only with the giving of our whole heart and life to Him.
“To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33).
“Yet a time is coming, and has now come, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in SPIRIT and TRUTH” (John 4: 23-24). Read also verses 4-26.
1. In Spirit
Our spirit is called the “inner man” (Eph 3:16). True worship takes place when the inner man, in response to the promptings of God’s Spirit, expresses love and adoration to God. This can take the form of spoken words, a love-song to the Lord, or silent adoration. True worship requires the action of the Holy Spirit on our spirit. So, only those who have been “born again of the Spirit” through faith in Jesus Christ can truly worship God (John 3:5-8).
2. In Truth
To worship God in truth is to worship Him as the Bible says we should. Nadab and Abihu (the sons of the high priest) offered strange fire before the Lord and died (Numbers 3:4; 26:61). This sober warning illustrates the need to study God’s plan (the Tabernacle of Moses) for priestly ministry. There was sacrifices, cleansing, anointing and clothing before worship (Exo 30:17-38). There was much preparation of the priests before they could go into the Holy Place to worship the Lord. To ignore the steps outlined was perilous. We must worship in truth – in the Bible way.
D. Expressions Of Praise And Worship In Scripture
1.With The Mouth: Singing (Ps 9:2,11), Praising (Ps 103:1), Shouting (Ps 47:1)
2. With The Hands: Lifting (Ps 63:4), Clapping (Ps 47:1), Musical Instruments (Ps150)
3. With The Body: Standing (Ps 134:1), Kneeling, bowing (Ps 95:6), Dancing and leaping for joy (Ps 30:11)
Read also Exodus 15:11,21; Psalms 86:8,10,12.
My Commitment
The greatest thing I will ever do in this life or in eternity is to worship God. I determine today to be a true worshipper and to make this my supreme goal in life. I will teach someone else this vital way of life also.