Worship

[0:00] Ephesians 5, verse 19.

[0:15] I know a young Daniela has started walking last week.! She was singing tonight as well. She's joining in the worship. That's what we're talking about tonight, worship.

[0:25] And I love talking about worship, and not only talking about it, but doing it. And it's been said that in churches, there's some people that are whiners. Now, I know there's no whiners here tonight.

[0:36] There's people who whine and complain. Some people are watchers, they just watch what's going on. Some people are workers, they're just busy working. And some people are worshippers. Worshippers. I want to talk about worship, what it's about, what it means.

[0:49] What does worship mean? It's one of the reasons why we like to get together as God's people, to worship together. And what it's not, is it's not entertainment. We know we live in an entertainment culture, where everything's centred around entertainment.

[1:03] When you go shopping, you can't help it. There's always music playing. There's TV shows that are about entertaining us. One called Entertainment Tonight. And people want to be continuing on the edge of their seats.

[1:13] Entertainment. The whole world's geared like it, isn't it? And if you don't like what you're watching, you press the remote, change the channel. We want to be entertained. It's in our nature as human beings. But if we're not careful as Christians too, it can happen with our worship.

[1:28] That we think that some days, gathering together is somehow about entertainment. Here I am, God, entertain me. But it's not what it's about. And we'll learn about, as we trust the Word of God, or teach us, what worship is about.

[1:42] And it says there in Ephesians 5, verse 19, it says, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

[1:56] Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your Word and for our fellowship and our worship unto you. And Lord, that you would be glorified as we do so. And as we open your Word together as your people.

[2:07] Lord, that you would be honoured and lifted up in our praise. And in this time, as we dig into your Word and talk about these truths. Lord, help us to learn, to grow and to be inspired.

[2:20] Lord, to be touched by your Holy Spirit. Guide us, we pray, for your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. Some definitions about worship.

[2:30] What's worship? Worship is a bowing down. It's an adoration. It's praise. It's adoring Him, the God who's created us. And to whom we are, everything.

[2:42] Everything that we are and everything we have. And to worship is to, as some old-time preacher said, To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God.

[2:54] To feed the mind with the truth of God. To purge the imagination by the beauty of God. To open the heart to the love of God. To devote the will to the purpose of God.

[3:05] And all this is gathered up in that emotion which most cleanses us from selfishness, which is the most selfless of all emotions. Adoration. Adoration.

[3:16] And worship is that opportunity for us as we know we can be busy people to touch the eternal. To take time out from the busy, helter-skelter world that we live in.

[3:26] And to touch the eternal. To touch God. And for sinners to glimpse the holy. For broken people to be enfolded in His love. And to go beyond our self-centered lives.

[3:38] And to meet the one who has created us for something better. And worship, it's been said, it's a celebration. It's a festival. It's as we recognize that God is everywhere present.

[3:51] But as we praise Him, we come and honor Him together. And worship is not just about meeting as a group of Christians. But it's our day by day.

[4:02] In your day by day. It's like Clement, an old early church writer, said, We praise Him as we till the ground. Could be out in the garden when you're out in the garden this week.

[4:14] We sing hymns as we sow the seed. We feel His inspiration in all that we do. Worship is your life. Our life can be worshipped. As it says, making melody in your hearts to the Lord.

[4:26] You can do that down at the workplace. Down when you're doing your humdrum, you can be humming. And worshipping God in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Making melody in your hearts to the Lord.

[4:37] And worship is that communion between God and His people. Where God speaks to man and man to God. What we worship. Now we can worship all kinds of things.

[4:49] We can worship things other than God. And lots of people do, don't they? You see some people out there, I know, I was talking to Daniel one day. People are polishing that Harley. They can worship the Harley Davidson.

[5:02] Or whatever it might be. They can worship their possessions. Or they can worship whatever occupies them. Some worship their sport.

[5:12] It's like a God that they bow down to. As they would worship their team. Or whatever it is almost. You can get beyond what is really right, can't you?

[5:24] When you worship things other than God. In that kind of way. And we're not here to worship anything. Not our program. Not our preacher. Not anything of our church. But we're here to worship the Lord.

[5:35] To put our focus upon Him. And there's a story told one day. How Charles Spurgeon. He was a well-liked preacher. That had lots of people come to hear him. Some 6,000 people.

[5:46] Imagine that. Came to hear Spurgeon on a Sunday morning. To hear him preach. And one Sunday he was out of town. And there was a replacement. A stand in. A fellow preacher stood in for him.

[5:57] And as the service progressed. People realised Spurgeon wasn't there. And so some people started to get out of their seats. And head for the exits. And the visiting preacher had the gumption to say.

[6:07] If you are here this morning to worship Charles Spurgeon. Then keep on going out the door. But if you are here to worship Jesus Christ.

[6:18] Then we invite you to stay. That's what worship is for isn't it? To worship the Lord. It's not to worship. You know son. They have a celebrity preacher. Some special occasion. And people come out for that.

[6:29] But we're not here about that. We're here to worship. As God's people together. Young and old. You know from all our walks of life. That we might come from. We're here to worship. To give Him glory.

[6:40] It's the ultimate purpose. Of every human soul. And we've been chosen to worship Him. It says in 1 Peter 2.9. But ye are a chosen generation.

[6:52] Unholy people. A peculiar people. That ye should show forth the praises of Him. Who hath called you out of darkness. Into His marvellous light. He's taken us out of darkness.

[7:03] And into His marvellous light. We've got reason to praise. We've got reason to rejoice today. Because He's taken us out of that darkness. Out of that dark place. And put us into His wonderful light.

[7:14] And we're a God praising people tonight. I trust. It starts with salvation. He's taken us out of darkness. Into His glorious light.

[7:24] He's taken us out of that miry clay. That messy. Mucky. Stinking mud. The miry clay. And He's set our feet on the rock. He's put our feet on the rock.

[7:35] Something that's rock solid. Like we heard about this morning. Something that's solid. That we can commit. And stand upon. With the assurance that it's going to hold us. And be assured.

[7:46] And be a foundation. For life and eternity. And that's what Christian life is. It's the starting point isn't it? We get on that rock. Christ Jesus. That solid rock. That solid foundation for life.

[7:58] And we can praise Him. We've got reason to praise. Because of where He's taken us from. Out of that darkness. And into His light. And worship is God centred. And many Christian songs.

[8:10] There could be some in here perhaps. That they're man centred. We've got to be careful about that. That they're not man centred. But they're God centred. What we worship. How we worship. It's not that God is some great needs meter.

[8:23] Or my hero. Or my buddy. My mate God. As some would consider Him. But He is the almighty one. He is the one whom we reverence. And fear. And respect.

[8:34] And enthroned. Not man. But God is enthroned in our worship. In Psalm 118.14 it says. The Lord is my strength and my song.

[8:44] And has become my salvation. The Lord is my strength. The Lord is my song. You can sing to Him. You don't have to be in church to sing to Him. You can sing to Him 24 by 7.

[8:57] Amen. Maybe you might have to do it under your breath when you're working. But you can sing in your heart. You can have that song in your soul. That you know that you're His and He is yours.

[9:08] And He is worthy of your worship. He wants you to worship Him. He wants you to adore Him. He wants you to love Him and praise Him for what He has done for who He is. So have that centre who is Christ.

[9:19] That hub around everything which everything revolves. Because our worship should revolve around Him. Christ is the hub. The centre. Unto Him be glory in the church.

[9:30] And it says Romans 11.36. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To whom be glory forever.

[9:42] Amen. We want to give Him the glory forever. You know, the Bible says that we will serve Him in the beyond. And His saints will serve Him. And worship Him.

[9:54] There's worship in the hereafter. So it's a good time to practice in the meantime, isn't it? Practice in the meantime to adore Him. To worship Him. And Revelation 4.10 talks about the 4 and 20 elders.

[10:06] There's 24 elders. It says they fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him. That liveth forever. They cast their crowns before the throne.

[10:16] They say, Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy, O Lord. To receive glory and honour and power. For Thou hast created us.

[10:28] And for Thy pleasure we are and were created. the glory, the wonder of heaven we've just got a foretaste of it in our worship as we cast our crowns at his feet as it were his wing as citizens of heaven that's where we belong Australia is just a temporary place for us to live but we will be forever with our Lord forever in his worship and praising him and meantime John 4 says that God's looking he's searching, he's scouring the world for worshippers he's searching for worshippers he's looking across planet earth for those who will worship him in spirit and in truth it says in John 4 he's seeking worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth so worshipping genuinely from the heart in spirit and in truth as it would accord with God's word so it lines up with God's word it's not in opposition or contradiction to it it's in accord with it and it's in genuine heartfelt desire to worship him as he prompts us to by his spirit so some of the things about what is worship what is worship worship is tuning in to the presence of God it's taking our thoughts to things that are heavenward and above it's seeking to talk with him to commune with him and for him to do everything even everyday things for him to glorify him in the everyday things of life and have our mind on him and he responds to our worship it's having that mindset it's in our lifestyle our lifestyle should be one of worship in Romans 12 1 it says that our bodies our bodies should be like living sacrifices we know a picture of a sacrifice it's an animal put on an altar to be destroyed to be slain and burns and the Bible says our lives should be like that like a worship like a reasonable service that we should be like a sacrifice that our lives should be committed and sold out to this one who we owe everything to the one who bled and died for us and rose for us to whom we want to offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise and what were once sinful lives can now be committed into his care and unto his worship it's about lifting up Christ lifting up the Lord Jesus because of who he is he is God and we thank him for what he has done it says in the Bible that that he is the

[13:05] God blessed forever the Lord Jesus he's our almighty God and we can give him the worthy the worthy name we can exalt and praise him and when we worship it's us ministering to God adoring him it's him ministering to us by his Holy Spirit as we learn some truths that we can apply and live as his Holy Spirit prompts us convicts us of sin helps us to walk more closely to him and we minister to each other too now you're ministering to one another today just by your fellowship by your encouragement there's a place of worship as we're lifting up Jesus in all of those things ministering to him to one another and he ministering to us there's all those dimensions there why do we worship why do we worship we worship because we want to please God we want to please God above all things speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord elsewhere it says singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord to have that desire that longing to please him so that our lives can be lived according to his will to glorify him not that we're here to that worship is about making me feel good and that might happen too but the worship isn't about me or you it's about him he is the one to whom we give it to to whom we adore today it's unto him we want to adore him to desire him to long for him to seek his face and to long for his worthy name to be lifted up you know it's been said of atheism atheism you know the belief that there is no belief in God the non-believing in God atheism is songless there's no songs in atheism there's no songs in atheism and that at the funeral there was one day there was an agnostic this ungodly man

[15:15] Robert Ingersoll he was an agnostic he was someone who didn't believe in God he was a skeptic he was an atheist and at his funeral notice it said there will be no singing there will be no singing what a shame when it's a funeral with no singing but we as Christians as God's people we can sing we can rejoice we can give him praise and exalt his name and heaven is going to be vibrant with song it's going to be a place of worship a place of adoration and the question for all of us is does our worship please God do we honour and reverence him like we should worship too is about celebrating his victory it's celebrating the victory of Calvary of the bloodshare of salvation gained for us because of his working because of his love for us and we share in that victory the Bible says that you are more than a conqueror through him that loved you you are more than a conqueror through the trials and testings of life the battles at times you are more than a conqueror through him that loved you and we've got reason to celebrate victory today you know you see them down at the sport field don't you when the footy team scores everybody just goes ballistic they just go nuts don't they they go mad and you know the fanaticism around the world cup at the moment our whole countries just stop and watch the game and take stock and want to see that victory see that victory won and we as

[16:53] God's people we've got a victory today amen we have victory you know some of those songs that we just sang earlier victory in Jesus there's a victory that we have there's a victory that we can have over sin over death over hell over Satan and Christ has purchased it Christ has won it for you he scored that goal if you like he's made that absolute victory over death and hell that Satan is vanquished at the moment we've still got a little bit of life in him but Christ is going to ultimately triumph completely at the end times when he comes back to take control of planet earth and we are on the victory side it's like someone said if you look in the back of the book you can see who wins back of the book in Revelation it tells you who wins and if you're in that number of the saved you'll be on the winning team the winning side so we've got reason to praise him and Revelation 15 you can hear them praising him in the end of the age Revelation 15 3 to 4 they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the

[17:57] Lamb they say great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy ways thou king of saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy name for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee you know it's been said in lots of languages as much as there's so many confused languages on planet earth today hallelujah it can be the same in every language isn't it of course it's a Hebrew word hallelujah but it means praise ye the Lord we can say hallelujah that's what it means and that can be said in every nation tribe and tongue hallelujah and we celebrate what God has brought in Psalm 145 verse 3 it says great is the Lord and greatly to be praised great is the Lord and greatly to be praised his greatness is unsearchable verse 5 of Psalm 145 oh speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works

[19:04] I will declare thy greatness your God is great your God is great absolutely great and he's worthy he's majestic he's the holy one he's the king he's the almighty he's your saviour he's your redeemer he's your master your lord and marvellous and great and righteous and he loves you today you want as a Christian man or woman we can't but help praise him we can't but help adore him and thank him for Calvary and worship him and enjoy that victory that he has won for us and into all eternity we'll be around that glassy sea and we'll worship him in that place too and so how should we worship how should we worship the bible says we should worship in order there's an orderliness to worship in 1 corinthians 14 33 it says that God is not the author of confusion so not just some confused chaotic kind of carry on but he says let all things be done decently and in order so there's a sense where there's an orderliness worship is not a sideshow not a performance not an entertainment to attract the crowds but it's done in obedience to God's command so it's done in order how should we worship in order how should we worship in truth as we said before

[20:26] John 4 true worship is about pleasing God and it's measuring up to what God says to us and honouring what he says tells us to do because the ultimate authority for everything that we do whether worship work witness life in general this is the guidebook it's like it's been said and I've said this before B-I-B-L-E basic instructions before leaving earth you know don't miss it this is the maker's manual the maker's instructions read the instructions if you want to know how to live B-I-B-L-E basic instructions before leaving earth then this is the book this is the manual for life and for worship it shows us how to worship how we can make God's truth live and in Leviticus 10 it tells us a story some people went out to worship and maybe they were well meaning I don't know what was in their minds at the time these guys Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 they had some fire that they brought along to worship with and it says they put incense on this sensor this kind of instrument and they had the fire on the end of this instrument this sensor and they were going to put it where they were going to put it and it says that fire went out from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord because they were offering strange fire there was a this is Leviticus 10 1-2 not the sacred fire which was always burning upon the altar

[21:56] God had forbidden any other fire to be used so we've got to be careful how we worship that we're worshipping in truth now some well meaning though they be are worshipping not in truth as we know there's many cults and various belief systems about they're not worshipping in Bible truth and God has forbidden any other kind of worship that's not based on his truth so we've got to be careful about that don't we you know in today's world worship is becoming a business worship is becoming a business as we know that there's large corporations that operate the Christian music industry today they're making a buck out of it so they don't care about the truth of it it's about whether it's popular whether it's about whether it's catchy enough whether it's going to pull the crowd or sell enough DVDs or whatever and nowadays it's music celebrities selling the music and so there's less focus on the great truth of the faith the content is lacking now that's not always the case but it can be the case where it's all about selling the music and that's not what our worship is about it's not about commercial it's not about gain it's not about entertainment purposes worship is teaching it says in the word that as we read when we started teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs so there's a sense we're actually teaching one another in these songs that we sing there's doctrine here there's sound teaching about godly bible truths and so we're admonishing one another we're scripturally teaching one another not with weak and watered down words but with doctrinal truth that lives in these words and that's not to say we reverence our hymn book but that the bible content is in here

[23:40] I think that's important and how do we worship in order in truth in reverence worship in reverence it says in psalm 89 verse 7 that god is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints to be had in reverence of them that are about him we want to reverence him and stand in awe of him how do we worship in gladness worship is a glad time I was talking to someone this morning saying some churches are all morbid and they're all sitting there like they're a lot of prunes or something worship is not about being glum it's about being glad you've got reason to be glad you've got reason to be glad today if you're a christian to be glad it says I was glad when they said unto me I was glad when they were about to go to worship and praise god there's a gladness there that he gives to us I was glad when they said unto me let us go unto the house of the lord it's a joyful time a joyful time a glad time and maybe if we're feeling glum it's a good place to be because we can get a lift amen we can get a lift as that song says burdens are lifted at calvary maybe it's a good time to come to church

[24:53] I know someone was telling me if they're feeling a bit down in the mouth they don't come to church but maybe that's the best place you can be because you can get encouraged you can encourage yourself in the lord you can have a glad time with him in communion with him and enjoy the fellowship enjoy the ministry and people can bless you when you're here too as well as you be a blessing to them so how do we worship it's a fellowship time too it says in hebrews 2 12 god will help you to sing his praise you might think i'm not a very good singer or i don't know the words or i don't feel confident god knows what's in your heart you don't have to impress anybody or put on a show god sees that you're worshipping him even though you might not even be singing much god sees that you're worshipping in spirit and in truth making melody in your heart so that's what counts god knows your heart he's got those x-ray vision that vision of the inside of you and someone might be singing like a choir boy who's far away from god far far away from god and that's not what it's about it's about your heart it's making melody in your heart to him it's not about pomp or gimmickry or putting on a show it's about let all things be done unto edifying it's about building one another up not about glorifying anybody but god glorifying our saviour and provoking one another to love and good works and worship itself can be a witness too because as we lift up the lord others will be drawn unto him there's a sense where as we worship him as we lift him up others will sing yes this is

[26:40] Christ this is our Lord this is our saviour this is life worth living this is abundant life this is life that goes forever and the one who's made it possible our saviour and the one of whom we sing of his blood as we talked about this morning we care about the blood because that's what makes it all possible isn't it the blood that he shared the life that he gave is reason for praise and it inspires us to trust him and we worship in spirit in spirit from the heart it says in Romans 12 11 that we can be fervent in spirit fervent in spirit someone was talking this morning David was saying about the fire get fired up we need to get fired up time is running out I was talking with someone this morning too about the end of the age earthquakes and famines it's all happening you see it in the newspaper it's all around about us that the end of the age is happening as imminent as we talked about of late and we see that us time clock as it were

[27:45] I don't think we're going to need these much longer all right we're not going to need a watch much longer because it's going to be forever time will be no more and we should be fervent in spirit serving the Lord it says have an attitude of zeal and worship as a whole heart can be engaged in worship in Psalm 111 it says I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation I will praise the Lord with my whole heart it's been said that atheism has arguments but no songs there's no songs in atheism they've got no one to praise you know some might try to praise men but there's no saviour there's no salvation there's no hope there but for us that are saved for us that believe in the saviour there is hope eternal everlasting hope life everlasting if any man be in Christ he's a new creature old things are passed away behold all things have become new heathen religions have rituals they have chants some of them but no vibrant melodies there's no melodies there and we as believers as

[29:02] God's people we can sing heartily we can sing with courage we can sing with strength and I'll just quote here from Wesley John Wesley he says this sing lustily or heartily with good courage beware of singing as if you were half dead or half asleep but lift up your voice with strength be no more afraid of your voice no more ashamed of its being heard than when you sung the songs of Satan you know they sing down at the bar don't they they sing down at the karaoke or the down at the footy club or whatever sing their songs we should sing unto the Lord with heartily heartily and joyfully and you know you see the kids singing the latest top of the pops they've memorized all the words before the songs have been out very long we should sing unto the Lord heartily because what we're singing about is forever it's true and it's eternal but there is a time when God actually told Israel stop your songs stop your songs they don't want to hear it that was

[30:03] Amos 5 and 6 why did he do that because their heart wasn't right you know again we could say as has been said often times coming to church doesn't make you a Christian just like going to Hungry Jack's doesn't make you a hamburger alright coming to church you can come to church morning noon and night and midweek and anytime the doors are open and go to hell because you don't know Jesus as your saviour you can worship him you might be up the front leading the songs and in the choir and you might be the song leader of the worship as it were and still be lost it's not about trying to impress God or get credit for being in church it's about knowing Christ as your Lord and saviour that's what counts that's what worship starts from knowing the Lord as your saviour and friends just to close think of your condition today think of your condition are you saved do you know him you can't really worship without salvation trust him trust him put your trust upon him not upon anything else trust trust trust in big letters trust some must be some kind of brand name or some kind of slogan trust it just said but the bible says trust not in man trust not in your flesh trust not in chariots trust not in whatever the world can throw your way in terms of making it, but trust in the Lord.

[31:41] Trust in the Lord. It's putting your faith in Christ. What does that mean? It means saying, I am undone. I am not good.

[31:53] I am a sinner, lost, hell-bound, without hope, without God. And realising Christ has died on the cross for my sin. He paid the price, the absolute price, the priceless price, the most precious price, the everlasting price for your soul to be saved.

[32:16] And cry out. It says, seek you the Lord while he may be found. It says, call upon him while he is near. Call upon him. You know, some would make it a ritual or saying it, reading some lines on a page, on a track, as if you've got to parrot after a preacher about what he's telling you to pray.

[32:38] We're not here to tell you exactly what words to say, but simply call upon him. It says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

[32:50] It says that in black and white here. That's a promise from God Almighty. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's saying, I'm at the end of my rope, and it's calling upon him.

[33:03] It's calling upon the only one who can save you. You can't save yourself, and he can save you because of his bloodshed, of his price paid for your sin. And friends, that's what it really, it all boils down to that.

[33:16] And worship is recognising that. And believers today, as I was saying to someone else lately, becoming a Christian doesn't mean your life's going to be perfect, and you're going to have an easy ride for the rest of your life.

[33:32] As Christians, we know, as the Bible says, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Life throws things at Christians and non-Christians alike, good and bad. It can happen to, you know, we might face some real challenges as a Christian, but we've got someone to hang on to, to help us through those times.

[33:50] As we read in Acts 16, chapter 16, the story there of Paul and Silas, they've been beaten and bashed up for Jesus.

[34:02] They've been beaten black and blue. You know, they'd have had some broken ribs, and they'd have had some wounds and bruises, and the Bible says they got beaten up with rods.

[34:13] Rods have beaten on their backs. And it says that the magistrate rent off their clothes. They had their clothes torn off their back, and they were commanded by the magistrate to beat them.

[34:24] And when they had laid many stripes upon them, so here they were bleeding, gashes of bleeding cuts on their back. And then it says they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

[34:35] These are the legal system of the day. This was the ones who had been charged with protecting law and order. This was the police force and the court system of its day.

[34:47] They bashed up these Christians, beaten them, cut their backs with the whipping. It says they're charging the jailer to keep them safely. Who, having received such a charge, he thrust them into the inner prison.

[34:59] He made their feet fast in the stocks. They had this wooden contraption to hold their legs fast. And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.

[35:14] Here they were, you know, they had every reason to complain, to whinge, to whine, to feel sorry for themselves. But at midnight, they sang praises. At midnight, they prayed.

[35:25] And maybe it's midnight for you. Maybe it's like the world's crashing all around you. Everything's gone to pieces. Now's the time to praise him. Now's the time to hang out onto him. Worship him in the midnight hour.

[35:37] Job did that in chapter 35, verse 10. God my maker, who giveth songs in the night. God gives songs in the night. When we're feeling at a loss. When we're spared. When we're feeling like everything is blackness and darkness about us.

[35:50] God can give you songs in the night. And help you to see that night through. And so, friends, be encouraged today. In closing, oh come, let us worship and bow down.

[36:01] Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker. I love to tell the story of haunting things above.

[36:14] Of Jesus and his glory.