WORSHIP - NYOBS 20.12

WORSHIP

Worship is mentioned in scripture 158 times – Praise 339 times – Sing 122 times – Pray 226 times

WHAT DOES WORSHIP LOOK LIKE?

A first Word

In this study I wanted to see what the Bible has to say about praise and worship

without seasoning it with the way I was brought up in Church.

My momma told me to be quiet; be still, be reverent and be solemn.

So that pretty much leaves out singing in tongues, raising your hands, clapping, shouting,

dancing, and waving banners; let alone beating a drum.

Images, Objects and Rules

• Objects - My very first finding was that God did not want any object in the heavens above or in the earth below to be worshiped.
• Images - God will not share His worship with any object or image. – This would include images of Mary the mother of Jesus, images of saints or images of Christ on the Cross. -  NO IMAGES.
• Rules - Scripture goes on to say that we worship in vain when we worship through rules.

Acts 17:23 – Objects of worship

23 I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship,

Zeph 1:4-5 – Objects in the sky

4 I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests-

5 those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, NIV

Isa 30:22 - Images

22 Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!" NIV

Rom 1:25 – Worship the creator not the creation

25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator- NIV

Isa 42:8 – God will not share His glory with an image.

8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols NIV

Ex 20:4 – The second commandment – Any likeness of Anything

4 You shall not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness (of any thing) that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth ASV

Mark 7:6-7 – Rules taught by men

6 These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;

7 their teachings are but rules taught by men.'  NIV

How and Where

• You can praise God Worshiping with joyfulness, gladness and thanksgiving by standing up, bowed down or on your face.
• Lift up your soul, your head, your eyes, your hands, your banners.
• Worship Him in the sanctuary or where ever you happen to be; at all times, praying, singing hymns of praise, worshiping with instruments; shouting, clapping, dancing, waving banners and Singing in tongues.
• Notice; God does not have a preferred method of worship; He includes it all – Don’t like dancing – Don’t dance – Don’t like to clap – Don’t clap – Worship the way that is meaningful to you before the Lord.

Ps 150:1 – In the Sanctuary.

1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

Ps 34:1 – Praise at all times

1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.  NIV   

Ps 100:1-5 – Joyful – gladness – thanksgiving

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

3 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.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. NIV

1 Chron 23:30 – Stand and praise

30 They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. NIV

1 Chron 29:20 – Bow Low – Fall prostrate

20 Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king. NIV

Ezra 3:11 – Shout of praise

11 And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, NIV

Ps 71:23 – Shout and Sing for joy

23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- NIV

Ps 40:3 – Hymns of praise

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. NIV

Eccl 3:4 – There is a time to dance

4 there is a time to mourn and a time to dance, NIV

Ps 149:3-4 - Dancing

3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; NIV

Ps 150:4 - Dancing

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing; praise him with the strings and flute,

2 Sam 6:14-15 – David danced before the Lord.

14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might,

15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. NIV

Ps 47:1 – Clap your hands

1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. KJV

Ps 25:1 – Lift up your soul

1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God NIV

Luke 21:28 – Lift up your heads

28 lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." NIV

Lam 3:41 – Lift up your heart

41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, NIV

Ps 134:2 – Lift up your hands

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. KJV

Ps 28:2 – Lift your hands toward heaven

2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. NIV

Ps 63:4 – Lift up your hands

4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. NIV

Ps 119:48 – Lift up your hands

48 I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. NIV

1 Tim 2:8 – Lift up Holy hands

8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. NIV

Ps 20:5 – Lift up banners

5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God NIV

Prayer

• God’s house is a house of prayer – Prayer is a form of worship – He hears our prayers and sees our tears.
• He hears us before we begin to pray and sends the answer before we finish.

Ps 88:13 – Pray first thing in the morning

13 In the morning my prayer comes before you. NIV

Ex 9:29 – Spread out your hands before the Lord in prayer

I will spread out my hands in prayer. NIV

Ps 141:2 – Prayers come up as incense

2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;

may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.  NIV

Isa 38:5 – God hears and sees our tears.

5 I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; NIV

Luke 1:13 – God hears our prayers

13 Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. NIV

Acts 10:31 God hears our prayers.

31 Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. NIV

Isa 56:7 – God’s house is a house of prayer.

7 for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." NIV

Dan 9:3 – Pray and fast

3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. NIV

Dan 9:21 – God sends the answer while we are still in prayer

21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. NIV

Acts 4:24 – Pray out loud together

24 They raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. NIV

Phil 4:6 – Pray with thanksgiving

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. NIV

1 Tim 2:8 – Lift up your hands in prayer

8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing NIV

James 5:16 – Prayers avail much

16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. NIV

Close your eyes

• Interesting out of the 550 times the Bible mentions eyes, nowhere does it say to close or shut your eyes.
• We close our eyes not from a command, but to block out all the distractions that interfere with our worship, praise and prayers. – I often do that when children are playing during worship or when adults are talking.
• I have a friend who prays “Open Face” prayers – Hands uplifted and eyes upward.

Ps 121:1 - Lift up your eyes

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? NIV

Ps 123:1 – Lift up your eyes

1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. NIV

Saying AMEN is worship

• The scriptures encourages the people to listen and say “Amen” out loud meaning “so be it”

Ps 25:1-2 – Amen – SO BE IT

1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

2 in you I trust, O my God NIV

"`Then the woman is to say, "Amen. So be it." NIV

Deut 27:15-26 – Then let the people say “Amen” So be it

15 "Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol--a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hands--and sets it up in secret." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

16 "Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

17 "Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's boundary stone." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

18 "Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

19 "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

20 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife, for he dishonors his father's bed." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

21 "Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

22 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

23 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

24 "Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

25 "Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

26 "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" NIV

Neh 8:6 – Amen - Lifted hands; bowed with faces to the ground

6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. NIV

Praise

• When we are in worship God is present.- He lives within our praises
• Praise Him for His counsel and instruction, His wonderful deeds, His mercy, Greatness, that He upholds our course in life, His deliverance and that He saves us from our enemies and that He is worthy. – Praise Him for all His wonders; His benefits, His forgiveness and His healing

Ps 22:3 – God inhabits the praises of His people

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel. ASV

Ps 16:7 His counsel and instruction

7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. NIV

Ps 26:7 – His wonderful deeds.

7 Proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.  NIV

Ps 28:6 – His mercy

6 Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.  NIV

Deut 32:3 – His greatness

3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! NIV

1 Sam 25:39 – He upholds your cause

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause NIV

2 Sam 18:28 – His deliverance

28 Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men NIV

2 Sam 22:4 – Saved from your enemies

4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. NIV

1 Chron 16:25 – Because He is Worthy

25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; NIV

Ps 138:1-2 – His Wonders

1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.

2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.  NIV

Ps 103:2-5 – His benefits, forgiveness, healing, redemption

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--

3 who forgives all your sins  and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. NIV

Ps 66:20 He does not reject our prayers

20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! NIV

Ps 71:22 – His faithfulness

22 I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.

Ps 150:2 – Acts of power – Surpassing greatness

2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Singing

• We are told “sing the scriptures” as a witness to our children
• We can sing in tongues and also sing in the understanding.

Deut 31:19 – Sing the scriptures to each other

19 "Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. NIV

1 Cor 14:15 – Sing in tongues and the understanding

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. KJV

Judg 5:3 – Make music to the Lord

3 I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. NIV

Ps 27:6 – Make music to the Lord.

6 I will sing and make music to the LORD. NIV

1 Chron 15:16 – Sing joyful songs

16 Sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. NIV

Ps 33:3 – Sing to Him new songs.

3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. NIV

Col 3:16 – Sing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

16 sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. NIV

Ps 59:16 Sing of His strength

16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; NIV

Instruments

• Trumpets, cymbals, Harps, Lyres, flute, tambourine, strings.
• I don’t think there is a limit on the kinds of instruments that can be used to worship God.

2 Chron 5:12-13 – Trumpets and Cymbals

13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: NIV

Ps 33:2-4 – The Harp and Lyre.

2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. NIV

Ps 150:3-6 – Tambourine, flute, strings, cymbals, flute - Dancing

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing; praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD.

   

Summary of Worship

• We are not to offer our prayers, praises or worship to images of saints, but to the Father in heaven alone.
• We are to praise Him IN everything we can think of.
• There is not a specific method of worship – God uses all of them that come through joy, gladness and thanksgiving.
• The word says God lives within our praises whither we are standing up, bowed down or falling prostrate – Whether we are praying, singing, playing instruments, dancing, waving banners, clapping, lifting our hands or speaking in tongues.
• We don’t have to close our eyes to pray or worship unless we want to.
• We can use trumpets, cymbals, Harps, Lyres, flutes. Tambourines, strings or any other instrument of praise.
• SO – Waving banners, Shouting Amen, Clapping, Dancing, Singing Hymns, Singing in tongues, and beating the drums are all acceptable before the Lord. – Worship the way that is meaningful to you.

 In the multitude of counselors,

 there is wisdom.

Prov 11:14

 I am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I otherwise ever could have.

Antiquities of the Jews – Flavius Josephus; Jewish Historian

Anointed with the Spirit and Power - John D. Harvey

A.S.K. – Associates for Scriptural knowledge –

BlueLetterBible.Org

Holy Spirit; The – Billy Graham

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

King James Version Bible - KJV

New International Version of the Bible - NIV

Person and work of the Holy Spirit; The – R. A. Torrey

Sabbath.Org

Victor Journey through the Bible; The – V. Gilbert Beers.

VictoryBibleBaptist.Org

Wikipedia – Chronology of Jesus