Dec. 04, 2022

Living by Faith IV – Worship (4 December 2022)

Introduction - This lesson, introduced in the previous lesson, carries on the study of worship.  In the last lesson, we established the point that we must learn to live a life in which our bodies are given over to God for His purposes.  This is the essential meaning of worship, as contrasted to the modern Christian notion that worship is a compartmentalized activity which we do mostly at church and mostly through singing.  True worship may involve singing, but it is really much more. 

Genesis 22:1-2 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”  NLT

Genesis 22:5 Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”  NLT

The Hebrew word for worship is shachah (shaw-kaw) meaning “to depress, bow down.” This is God’s concept of worship in its earliest mention. It is likely that this story was recorded as the most prominent example of what worship is because Abraham was the father of faith.  It is the first time that the Hebrew word for “worship” was used in the Scripture.  The first mention of something in the Bible usually very important. 

This story had a beautiful ending!  God watched Abraham make all the preparations, right up to the point where he picked up a knife to kill his son, and God stopped him, telling him he had passed the test.  God didn’t and wouldn’t have anyone carry out the killing of a child.  It is, however, fitting that the man who would become the spiritual “father” (Gal 3:29) of all those who believe in Jesus be tested in a more severe way than those who would follow his lead.  God has never been interested in dead sacrifices.  They were only teaching tools to point toward the real sacrifice He wanted - us! - alive!  He wants living people who become changed so that they don’t care about their own interests.  It is important to see beyond just having a good “song service.” If singing remains our highest form of worship, we eventually will become critical as soon the music is not to our liking — too many fast songs, too many slow, too many words, no new songs, too loud, don’t know the words. Although we will never stop singing, worship is certainly more than singing. It is interesting that modern churches take great pains to produce powerful, professional music presented on stages similar to nightclubs or concerts.  Interesting, because the New Testament says not a word about skilled, professional musicality.  It doesn’t say anything against instruments. Skilled, professional musicians are probably more of an Old Testament concept than New Testament.  If we are to replicate the skilled musicians (1 Chronicles 25:7), we should replicate the buildings also, duplicating the Temple or tabernacle.  

Real worship will involve making us a bit uncomfortable, being challenged by God to do something we’ve never done before.  What’s hard for you? Saying something in front of people? Giving of your resources? Laying hands on a sick person? Speaking in a tongue? Letting people get to know you? Obedience is what real worship is all about.  

A good starting point on the path to becoming a worshipper is to realize that God has needs!  This is not to say that He is deficient in anything, but that He, as the only omnipotent being, needs something we were designed to supply - love!  We do this through our bodies.  A body given over to God freely gives the very things we ourselves crave and live on - affection, admiration, praise, thanks, encouragement, edification, etc.  Last week I posed a question to you concerning perhaps the most meaningful and exciting way you can give thanks to God personally.  This verse teaches what it is:

1 Corinthians 14:12-17 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. 13 So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. 14 For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. 15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you. NLT

It is speaking in a tongue in the presence of the congregation, and, even better, interpreting it.  There are two manifestations of tongues: 1) one is a personal language which you receive as a sign that you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.  You can receive this easily and can use it anywhere, anytime.  It is probably the most perfect way to pray.  2) The second manifestation of tongues is called the Gift of Tongues.  It happens when you deliver a statement in an unknown tongue to the entire congregation and then you or someone else gives the interpretation of it. Corresponding to the Gift of Tongues, The interpretation happens through another Gift of the Spirit called the Gift of the Interpretation of Tongues.  

Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. NLT

Amazingly, it is possible to please God!  This means that we can give something to him which brings about a happy emotion in His soul.   It must mean that he was less pleased as contrasted to the moment he became pleased by what we did.  He cannot get this from anything else in his creation.  Animals don’t have the instinct to articulate thanks.  Sure, dogs and cats recognize where their food comes from or who will pet their fur.  They appear to give thanks, when they have learned only how to stimulate their food source to keep it going.  How pleased God is when we have faith, overcoming our natural reluctance, and we risk looking foolish to speak in an unknown language in front of others.  This is a major emotional and spiritual breakthrough, because the language, which God understands clearly, is giving thanks powerfully to Him.  It is the faith that is needed for this to happen which blesses him so very much.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him!

Exodus 34:14 You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

Here we learn that God has a feeing we recognize - jealousy.  Ours is sinful because it is because of our love for self.  God’s is righteous, because of his love for us.  He knows that serving another god will kill us.  So, we see that we actually can supply something which moves God’s heart through real worship.  

Conclusion -  One last thought…

Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  

Just like expressions of love in a marriage mirror the relationship between Jesus and the church, and these expressions differ between male and female, expressions of worship should differ also.  Most worship music (and it is usually music and video only) is written for a feminine audience.  We need males to seek God to bring dance into our congregation’s expression to God.  It is exciting when a team of men or women do something together, in unison.  What a precious, God-pleasing moment it will be when men seek God, get a group of men together and teach us a choreographed dance to the Lord!