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WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY I am a member of a redeemed community. Among us are people who were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, con artists, liars, gossips, and so on. But we have been washed in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and set apart by God. We have been filled with the Holy Spirit and we are being changed into His likeness. (See 1Cor. 6:11.) We have all been baptized into His body. We share a common belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He was raised from the dead on the third day and that He is coming again. We believe that because He lives, we shall live also. We are convinced that what He did for us He can do for anyone who will put their faith in His finished work. We share a sense of belonging, of being connected with one another through Christ. We care for those around us and know that they care for us. We are a redeemed community. As a redeemed community our emphasis is on what we are and then on what we do. What we do is determined by what we are. Being proceeds doing. We expect an auto mechanic to work on automobiles and a diesel mechanic to work on diesel engines. If I say that Dr. Nolan is a cardiologist, then we expect him to work in the area of medicine that deals with the heart. What these men do is determined by what they are. I remember seeing a sign in a dry cleaning store that read, "We have an agreement with the bank, they do not clean clothes and we do not cash checks. I do not take my car to the cardiologist for mechanical repairs and I do not expect the patrons of a local bar to do the work of the redeemed community. While the life expressions of the redeemed community are many there is one that stands out in my mind and that is WORSHIP. The redeemed community is a worshipping community, but what does this mean? What does it mean to be a worshipping community? I. WHAT DOES THE TERM "WORSHIP" MEAN? A. THE HEBREW TERM shachah {shaw-khaw'} means to bow down and when used with reference to God, it means to bow in acknowledgement of His superiority and sovereignty. Recent newsreels from Moslem countries show hundreds of Moslems kneeling and touching their foreheads to the ground. This demonstrates the meaning of shawkhaw.
The Psalmist calls, "Come, let us worship and bow down [khaw]; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Psalm 95:6). B. THE GREEK TERM proskuneo {pros-koo-neh'-o} means to kiss the hand or to bow down as an expression of profound reverence. It comes from a root word meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand.
C. THE ENGLISH TERM worship is derived from an Old English word meaning worthiness. It was used to refer to persons who were worthy of respect and reverence. A mayor or magistrate was referred to as "his Worship." Its contemporary meaning is to regard with great, even extravagant respect, honor, or devotion. WHAT
DOES IT MEAN TO WORSHIP GOD? II. WORSHIP BEGINS WITH THE HEART. Jesus, in describing the kind of worship Father desires, said, "the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." True worship, worship that is acceptable to Father, comes from the heart and is genuine. God rejected Israel's worship because it was heartless and insincere.
Jesus quoted this in his indictment of the Pharisees and scribes. He said, "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me…'" (Mt. 15:8, 9a). Many today are worshipping the sound of worship rather than God. They are like the people of Ezekiel's day of whom God said, "And behold, you [Ezekiel] are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not practice them" (Ezekiel 3:32). III. WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE, NOT A SUNDAY EVENT. A. Worship involves a sense of awe. I can't worship someone I do not view as worthy of extravagant honor and respect. Luke tells us "And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe" (Acts 2:43a). Isaiah
6:1-5 (NASB) Have you ever looked up at an evening sky and marveled, realizing that the One who created it all loves you and me so much that He came to earth and died for us? What an awe inspiring thought. David must have felt this way when he wrote: "When I consider your heavens and the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him…?" Then he closes with these words, "Oh Lord, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth." Worship not only involves a sense of awe, it also involves personal obedience. B. Worship involves obedience. When God called Abraham to offer Isaac up as a burnt offering, Abraham considered his obedient response to be an act of worship.
Worship is not a musical event that occurs on Sundays, it is a lifestyle. It is giving God what He asks for.
Worship is honoring God's word and will above your own desires. It is giving God first place in our life. He takes priority over my family, my fun, my finances and my food. It is denying self and enthroning Christ. It is our lifestyle of worship that gives Sunday morning worship value in the eyes of God. If I have honored God with my lifestyle, then what I sing to Him with my lips will be a sweet fragrance to Him. ·
I can't complain all week about what I don't have and then rush in and
sing "You Are My Everything" and expect God to be impressed.
Worship not only involves a sense of awe and a lifestyle of obedience, it involves gladness and joy. C. Worship involves and joy. Luke tells us, "And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people" (Acts 2:45-46a). One has to realize that these people were awed by what was happening. Their entire life was focused on God and what He had done in Christ. They were filled with wide eyed wonder concerning the resurrection of Christ and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. These people had discovered that God is not some awesome being waiting for them to make a mistake so that He can punish them. They had come to realize that the creator of the universe is a God of love, a God who loved them. They were aware that He wants to express His mercy and His grace, and to save us from our sins. He has lifted us up out of the pit, and has brought us close to Himself. The Psalmist declared: "Shout joyfully to the Lord, [Shout for joy, KJV] all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (Psalm 100:1-3). CONCLUSION I am a member of a worshipping community. This worship isn't relegated to a few dancers or singers; it is the responsibility of the entire community. It is my privilege. It is your privilege. The check I write for $100 is good only if I have the money in the bank to back it up. Singing and dancing and the lifting of our hands in and of themselves are not acts of worship. They are invested with value only if my lifestyle backs them up. To be a member of a worshipping community means that my lifestyle agrees with what I sing on Sunday morning. It means that I live a life that acknowledges God's supremacy and sovereignty. It means that our lifestyle exhibits our awe for God, our submission to the His Lordship and the joy of those who have a personal relationship with God. If you're
not a member of this community, I want to extend an invitation to you
to become a part of this redeemed community of worshippers. If you aren't
an active worshipper, then I invite you to become a worshipping member
of this community. If you were Bartemaeus or Naaman or Lazarus or the Widow of Nain, you might be filled with an awe and joy that if given into would take you to new heights in worship. You might say something like… THERE
IS NONE LIKE YOU ________ |