Differences: Different Ways to Worship
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Intro:
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
Today, we will conclude our series on [Differences], the subject of my message is [Different Ways to Worship].
There are somethings that are so similar, at first glance it might be hard to tell that they are different. They might look the same and seem closely related.
I remember being invited to the home of a couple in our church in Salem. She made meatloaf and asked me to join them. I couldn’t wait, because meatloaf was one of my favorites at the time.
We sat down and I made my plate. I took a big serving of meatloaf, green beans, and what looked like potatoes. They were cut in smaller pieces, looked boiled and had butter on them.
I took a big bite of potatoes, only to find out they tasted NOTHING like potatoes. I asked, what is this? She answered, those are turnips!
They looked very similar, but tasted VASTLY different. I refused to eat another turnip until I moved to Vulcan and learned that they weren’t too bad with A LOT of sugar!
There are a lot of foods like this, very similar, but they have enough differences that they have different names.
When Bekah and I were in Washington D.C. in October of 2016, we found a restaurant that made amazing burgers and shakes. After my burger I got a strawberry shake and it was the best I ever had.
On the last day, before we left DC, I told Bekah, I want to go back and get one more strawberry shake. I ran in there and tried to order one. They informed me they were out of strawberries, so I got black cherry.
I go outside to Bekah and she asked, how is your shake? I answered, not as good this time. She wanted to know why?
I told her, I had to order black cherry because they were out of strawberry! She looked at me really sympathetically and informed me, well no duh it tastes different, black cherry is NOT strawberry!
To which I answered, WELL IT LOOKS THE SAME!
This principles of being similar, but different applies when it comes to praise and worship.
Two weeks we focused on different ways to praise. We looked through Scripture to discover that praise is:
vocal—out loud telling God what He means
physical—including lifting or clapping hands, leaping, dancing, or running
musical—we sing and we play instruments.
Worship is very similar to praise. Often we look at the two as interchangeable, but I want us to see that there is a slight difference both in definition and practice.
Worship literally means worth-ship. It is the act of human beings paying homage to God.
God deserves and expects our worship:
14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
So what is the difference between two actions that are important in our walk with God?
In Psalms 95, we read a natural progression of praise and worship. We come before God and we:
sing to Him
shout joyfully to Him
thank Him
declare that God is great
expound on His attributes
When we do this, God pays attention! He ALWAYS takes note when people praise Him.
3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
I have quoted this many times from this pulpit and I do so on purpose. When we praise God, it is as though we are building God a throne and inviting Him to come in the room.
God hears our praise as a request to come spend time with us. The longer we praise Him, the closer He gets to us.
But something shifts when He enters the room, He might pass by us, His presence might surround us, but when He takes His seat on the throne of praise we’ve made for Him, we move into the dimension of worship.
When we begin to worship, it is not about the invitation to come near to us, He has already done that through our praise. Now, we worship and bow down, we kneel before God.
In other words, worship is what we do when He arrives, we spend time with Him and endeavor to do everything with an attitude of awe and respect for God.
As one person explained, praise is about articulation, worship is about adoration!
We enter with praise, but when He arrives, we enjoy or bask in His presence through worship.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Let’s look at three different ways we can worship God, [Worship with Our Assets], [Worship with Our Attitude], and [Worship with Our Adoration].
Let’s begin
1. Worship with our Assets
1. Worship with our Assets
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
An asset is defined as useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.
By this point in Abraham’s life, he had accumulated a lot of assets. God had blessed him with land, cattle, homes, and even an army. But nothing he had was more valuable to him than his son, Isaac.
He and his wife Sarah waited decades for a son. God promised he would have descendents that would fill the world. He knew that those who blessed his descendants would be blessed and those who cursed them would be cursed.
So imagine his surprise when God informed him that he wanted the ultimate form of worship—to sacrifice his only son Isaac on the altar.
I find it interesting that the FIRST time the word worship is used in the Bible was when Abraham told everyone, my son and I are going to worship and we will be back.
Why did Abraham focuses on this service to God as an act of worship?
There is no reference to music or singing, but he still viewed this as a form of worship. Abraham understood that EVERYTHING he had belonged to God and he wanted to worship the Lord with his assets.
He developed this mindset early on in his relationship with God.
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.
Abraham defeated his enemies and went to the king of Salem, Melchizedek. After the king praised God for being most high and thanked God for His blessings, Abraham turned around and worshipped God by returning a tithe of everything He attained.
BUT, when we honor God with our assets, the Lord promises to provide, just as He did for Abraham. Right as he was about to take Isaac’s life, God provided a ram in the bushes for Abraham to offer to the Lord.
And God promised to bless Abraham in everything He did for the Lord.
Abraham learned that when He worshipped God through giving, the Lord would provide for Him. He had faith. When God instructed him to take Isaac to the mountain as a sacrifice, Abraham knew that God would provide.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
Worshipping God with our assets, giving freely to Him requires faith. We have to believe that God will receive our worship. We do not do it to receive from God, we give because God is worthy of our worship!
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If we struggle to worship God with our assets, Jesus reveals that it shows us the true desires of our heart. The FIRST time worship is referenced in Scripture, it dealt with GIVING something important to God.
We worship God with our assets.
2. Worship with our Attitude
2. Worship with our Attitude
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
When John wrote this event in Jesus’s life, he provided details that we could quickly overlook.
Verse six tells us that it was noon
Verse seven shows us the event took place in Samaria
Verse eight explains Jesus was alone
Verse nine details the woman’s response
There was a Samaritan woman who went to get water at noon. Scholars agree that women went to get water in the morning, before it got too hot and they went in groups.
This woman going alone in the heat of the day foreshadows the fact that she is an outcast. Jesus asks her for a glass of water, and she shows a little bit of an attitude.
She questions why Jesus, a Jew, would ask a Samaritan for a drink. Jews and Samaritans had a history of distrust and hatred for each other.
But over the course of their conversation, Jesus shows the woman how He can change her life. He promised her living water, she was interested.
He did not care that she had been married five times and was currently living with a man. He was ready to change her life for the better. But notice her reaction:
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
She went back to the fact that they had different races, Samaritan versus Jew, how could they ever worship together. For centuries they worshipped in different places.
But notice Jesus’s promise—the time is coming when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
The woman’s attitude centered on where and how they worship. Jesus wanted to change her attitude and reveal it is more important to focus on WHO we worship.
I wondered, why was her default attitude to get defensive toward Jesus?
And it hit me, evidently in her life, she never truly felt worthy.
Men mistreated her
Women gossiped about her
But Jesus accepted her
When it comes to worship our attitude is never on our worthiness but on God who ALONE is worthy.
If we’ve ever felt that we are not good enough to worship God, we have to remember the proper attitude in worship is to declare HIS worth.
Who agrees that God is WORTHY of our worship?
We worship with our assets and our attitude.
3. Worship with our Adoration
3. Worship with our Adoration
1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.
2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
John always provides a unique perspective on the life of Jesus. He wrote his book years after Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This time, he includes details about Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.
Jesus was close with these three. I read this account and see the different ways we can worship God.
Lazarus threw a dinner in Jesus’s honor
Martha served Him with humility and sincerity
Mary anointed His feet
Unlike previous encounters with these three, they did not disagree as Martha and Mary did in the past. Martha worked hard and resented Mary.
This time, they adored their time with God. But I am intrigued by Mary’s actions. She took a pound of spikenard, which was an expensive oil.
In fact, people invested in spikenard like many people might invest in gold or in the stock market. Spikenard was made India and brought over to Israel in small bottles.
It was expensive, we read it cost 300 denarii. One denarius equals $8.00. This bottle of perfume would have cost $2400 in today’s money. For them, it was one year’s wage.
Obviously Mary worshipped God with her assets. She also had the right attitude. But more than that, her worship was a form of adoration.
She worshipped God with everything she had. Her uninhibited worship offended the disciples, one in particular—Judas.
He was a thief, focusing on self instead of God. The other disciples did not understand the extravagance of her worship. Why would she do this?
We might say it was because Jesus raised her brother from the dead.
It could be that they were friends with Jesus.
Both of these reasons could be true, but the reason for such an astounding act was due to her deep love for Jesus.
Jesus did not reject or turn down her worship. He allowed her to do so, because she was preparing Him for His burial.
Very soon, He was going to die on the cross for the sins of humanity. But He would arise and be worthy of ALL praise and worship.
Eventually, the disciples got on board for after He rose from the dead, notice what happened:
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
When they saw the resurrected Christ, they could not help but adore Him!
Close:
We should worship God with our assets
We should worship God with our attitude
We should worship God with our adoration
But there is one more aspect of worship I want to emphasize. Often, when I envision worship, I think of hands raised or knees bowed, or eyes closed, adoring and spending time with God.
This is true. We praise Him and He comes. When He arrives, we spend time in adoration to Him.
I also believe that every time I give to Him, I am worshipping Him.
In all my worship, I sincerely want to adore Him! But that is not the totality of worship.
I read something recently that caught my attention regarding worship. The author contends, “Every act of obedience to Christ, no matter how mundane, when done for His glory is an act of worship.”
I read on, “Any regular task or work carried out, as well is worship to God.”
I had to stop and think for a moment about that. When I read that, it takes me beyond a church setting and into day-to-day life.
Then it hit me, IF worship is honoring God who is worthy, then EVERYTHING I do, I should do it for God.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Wow, that takes me deeper in the dimension of worship. It also tells me that God is interested in EVERY part of my life.
Does God want us to attend church?
YES!
Why? Because coming to His house is part of honoring Him.
Does God wants us to worship in Church? Raising our hands, kneeling or bowing before Him?
Absolutely!
BUT, God also wants to be a part of every thing we do. SO whatever we do, we should do it as WORSHIP unto the Lord.
This gives a better perspective on worship. It marries the sacred and the secular. For, if I work, on my job as worship to God, He will bless and increase my assets, which I will then turn around and use to bless Him.
God requires us to worship in Spirit and in truth. His Spirit is not confined to our facilities, His Spirit is with us ALWAYS. His truth endures regardless of social setting or context.
So, if we will develop a worshipful attitude every day, life will get better and we will honor Him throughout the day.
Lastly, God deserves adoration regardless of the day of the week. Yes, we adore God in this sanctuary, but I want to adore, honor, and give myself wholly to Him.
Worship is vital and important. It is a lot like praise for it often involves singing, physically honoring Him, but it is slightly different.
In praise we articulate what He means to us.
In worship we adore Him for what He means to us.
So let’s start worshipping NOW, for we will one day worship forever.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Worship should become our lifestyle!