DAY 10: WORSHIP
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This is our final day of focusing specifically on our connection with God. Today we are going to look at the idea and concept of worshiping God. As we set the stage on what worship is, the most important piece, to begin with, is how we view God within the context of worshiping Him. God is our creator and savior. Most importantly, He is holy and worthy to be praised. I want to break down a few key concepts within this framework. First, let's define what Holy is.
Holy - Having the characteristics of moral or ritual purity; context often emphasizes one over the other.
As we look at this definition, I want to focus on two key components. The word "purity" and the phrase "one over the other.” In God, there is no sin nor evil; He himself is perfect (Matthew 5:48), and He is the literal definition of pure and true. He declares what is right, good, holy, and just, because he himself is Holy (Deuteronomy 32:4). He also sits at the highest possible position in the universe (Psalm 83:18). There is no one like Him (1 Samuel 2:2).
Holy Fear - God is our friend (John 15:15), that is true, but more importantly He is God. As you develop your understanding, it's important that we would develop what many would call a "Holy Fear" of God. Proverbs says the following in Proverbs 9:10,"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Now this concept of fear is not in the sense that you should run and hide, but it's a high level of respect towards God, meaning reverence and awe. We see this concept spoken about in Hebrews.
Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Let's quickly define reverence and awe.....
Reverence - A feeling of profound respect.
Awe - An overwhelming feeling of fearful wonder.
As we build up our understanding of how to approach God in worship, we must approach God with a Holy Fear. This is something that should be consistent within the believer's life for the duration of his or her life. If I were to define Holy Fear, I would say it's a fearful wonder with a high level of respect for who God is. It's interesting that Hebrews 12:29 says, "For our God is a consuming fire.” When you look at a fire, it tends to be captivating, yet you have respect not to touch the fire because of its power. The same goes for God– God is an all-consuming fire: powerful, captivating, but greatly respected.
Just like on a very cold night, the fire keeps us drawn into it to sustain us. The same goes for the Holy Fear of God; it should draw us ever closer to Him because He is the sustainer of life. The fear that we should carry is out of a place of high respect and honor. I like how author John Bevere says,"The fear of the Lord doesn’t drive us from God’s presence — rather just the opposite. A good and wonderful fear draws us close to Him." I also heard John mention something I'm going to paraphrase. When we walk with a daily understanding of the proper fear of God, we should fear being away from Him, not fear being near Him. This understanding now sets the stage for us to explore some aspects of worshiping God.
Holy - Having the characteristics of moral or ritual purity; context often emphasizes one over the other.
As we look at this definition, I want to focus on two key components. The word "purity" and the phrase "one over the other.” In God, there is no sin nor evil; He himself is perfect (Matthew 5:48), and He is the literal definition of pure and true. He declares what is right, good, holy, and just, because he himself is Holy (Deuteronomy 32:4). He also sits at the highest possible position in the universe (Psalm 83:18). There is no one like Him (1 Samuel 2:2).
Holy Fear - God is our friend (John 15:15), that is true, but more importantly He is God. As you develop your understanding, it's important that we would develop what many would call a "Holy Fear" of God. Proverbs says the following in Proverbs 9:10,"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Now this concept of fear is not in the sense that you should run and hide, but it's a high level of respect towards God, meaning reverence and awe. We see this concept spoken about in Hebrews.
Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Let's quickly define reverence and awe.....
Reverence - A feeling of profound respect.
Awe - An overwhelming feeling of fearful wonder.
As we build up our understanding of how to approach God in worship, we must approach God with a Holy Fear. This is something that should be consistent within the believer's life for the duration of his or her life. If I were to define Holy Fear, I would say it's a fearful wonder with a high level of respect for who God is. It's interesting that Hebrews 12:29 says, "For our God is a consuming fire.” When you look at a fire, it tends to be captivating, yet you have respect not to touch the fire because of its power. The same goes for God– God is an all-consuming fire: powerful, captivating, but greatly respected.
Just like on a very cold night, the fire keeps us drawn into it to sustain us. The same goes for the Holy Fear of God; it should draw us ever closer to Him because He is the sustainer of life. The fear that we should carry is out of a place of high respect and honor. I like how author John Bevere says,"The fear of the Lord doesn’t drive us from God’s presence — rather just the opposite. A good and wonderful fear draws us close to Him." I also heard John mention something I'm going to paraphrase. When we walk with a daily understanding of the proper fear of God, we should fear being away from Him, not fear being near Him. This understanding now sets the stage for us to explore some aspects of worshiping God.
Worship God With Our Lives
After salvation, our pursuit of life and the way we think about our lives should be changing. We now live for God, not for ourselves only. We have a call to worship God with our life. Worship is defined as the feeling or expression of reverence (respect) and adoration (deep love) for God. I like to compare our relationship with God to marriage. In marriage, you are solely committed (deep love and respect) to one partner and completely sold out to that one relationship. The same goes for our relationship with God; to be committed to God is to worship Him solely, placing Him as a priority over everything, even your desire and will. Worship is genuinely expressed within us when we fully submit ourselves (Body, Soul, Spirit) to Christ. We see this discussed in Romans 12 where it says.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
To "offer your body as a living sacrifice" does not mean you need to die as a sacrifice, Christ has done that for us already. The key word here is "living" sacrifice. A living sacrifice means you continuously or daily offer yourself in full submission to God. We see this throughout scripture; another great verse is Colossians 3:3 " For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." If this concept is difficult for you to understand, an easier way to consider it is to fully commit your entire being solely to God daily.
This idea of a living sacrifice is vital because it places God as king in our life, so He is the ultimate authority, and we understand that following His word and the Holy Spirit leads to true life. Second, He directs us on what to do and how we should do it. This is called living out the "Will of God," which will be discussed in greater detail in Week 5. The only way we follow God's lead is if He is fully in control of us, God cannot be co-equals in the leading of our life. We are flawed by sin, which includes lust for the flesh, pride, envy, selfishness, etc. We unfortunately are broken and are in need of His saving grace. True salvation should lead us to desire to submit to God's rule in our lives, and this is how we show genuine worship to Him.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
To "offer your body as a living sacrifice" does not mean you need to die as a sacrifice, Christ has done that for us already. The key word here is "living" sacrifice. A living sacrifice means you continuously or daily offer yourself in full submission to God. We see this throughout scripture; another great verse is Colossians 3:3 " For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." If this concept is difficult for you to understand, an easier way to consider it is to fully commit your entire being solely to God daily.
This idea of a living sacrifice is vital because it places God as king in our life, so He is the ultimate authority, and we understand that following His word and the Holy Spirit leads to true life. Second, He directs us on what to do and how we should do it. This is called living out the "Will of God," which will be discussed in greater detail in Week 5. The only way we follow God's lead is if He is fully in control of us, God cannot be co-equals in the leading of our life. We are flawed by sin, which includes lust for the flesh, pride, envy, selfishness, etc. We unfortunately are broken and are in need of His saving grace. True salvation should lead us to desire to submit to God's rule in our lives, and this is how we show genuine worship to Him.
Worship God With Our Song
There are many aspects that go into worshiping God, but there is something powerful within worshiping God with our song. Worshiping God in song is more than just singing words on a screen in the church or over iTunes or radio. The song should come out of an overflow of our hearts, understanding with gratitude, respect, and awe who God is and what He has done for us. If we choose to sincerely press into singing worship songs, it enables us to take a deep reflection within our hearts.It has a tendency to reposition or even break our hearts back into proper alignment with God. Song is an offensive approach we can take within our spiritual lives to elevate God to His rightful place. Song is a way of communicating the sincerity of our heart's affection toward God. Below are some great verses to reflect on this specific act of worship.
Psalm 95:1-6 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
Isaiah 12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world
Ephesians 5:19-20 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 95:1-6 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
Isaiah 12:5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world
Ephesians 5:19-20 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Worship God With Our Resources
Finances might be one of the most difficult areas for people to trust God in and to even talk about because it is a touchy topic, but the Bible has a lot to say about it. There are different interpretations on the idea of tithing, but I believe this verse describes why this is so important.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Tithing and/or giving is a benchmark in our spiritual maturity, in my personal opinion. I know that we have all read how some church leaders have misappropriated the funds of their respective organizations, but it's key to understand that we don't give to men. If someone misappropriates the funds, God will hold that man or woman accountable, and to be honest, it is not as common as the news outlets might indicate. I believe the enemy uses these rare examples to try to discourage our spiritual development. Remember, this is an act of worship, we give to God to spiritually demonstrate our faith, trust, and obedience to Him. In Mark 12:17 it says, "Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” The Old Testament and New Testament have several examples, but let me share with you a few that are most often used.
Malachi 3:8-10 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
2 Corinthians 9:6-12 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
We are called to be stewards of God's resources according to His will. If you think about it, God gives us the health to work and the ability to earn wages. With a healthy biblical perspective on this subject, we realize that no matter if it is a little or abundant resource, it's all the Lord's.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Tithing and/or giving is a benchmark in our spiritual maturity, in my personal opinion. I know that we have all read how some church leaders have misappropriated the funds of their respective organizations, but it's key to understand that we don't give to men. If someone misappropriates the funds, God will hold that man or woman accountable, and to be honest, it is not as common as the news outlets might indicate. I believe the enemy uses these rare examples to try to discourage our spiritual development. Remember, this is an act of worship, we give to God to spiritually demonstrate our faith, trust, and obedience to Him. In Mark 12:17 it says, "Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” The Old Testament and New Testament have several examples, but let me share with you a few that are most often used.
Malachi 3:8-10 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
2 Corinthians 9:6-12 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
We are called to be stewards of God's resources according to His will. If you think about it, God gives us the health to work and the ability to earn wages. With a healthy biblical perspective on this subject, we realize that no matter if it is a little or abundant resource, it's all the Lord's.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.