At IGNITE on June 10, Jen shared about different postures of worship, encouraging and challenging people to step out of their comfort zone, listening to how the Lord was asking them to worship without being concerned about what is happening around them.
Wor·ship - the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.
This is a purpose for which we are called: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).
We were called for the purpose of praising God, worshiping God. That is one of the job descriptions of a Christian. We should declare that God is worthy, worth more than everything else put together.
One thing was important – probably the greatest commandment about worship, the most important rule about worship no matter who we are or when we live. The first and greatest commandment is this: You shall worship no other gods.
Our temptation is to think - I only worship Jesus - I don’t believe in any other Gods. We may not worship a golden calf but… do we really not worship other gods?
When God dealt with Jacob in Genesis 35, he was not concerned about how he was worshiped – his primary concern was that Jacob worship the true God and no other gods. God demands exclusive worship, 100 percent allegiance. Only that can do justice to his worth. There’s no room for loving any other gods even 1 percent. We cannot allow anything to get in the way of our worship relationship with God. We cannot let money, self-consciousness, busyness or anything else get in the way. Worship is to be our highest priority.
What holds us back?
Fear of Man? At a dance recital, a mom was hoarse from screaming and cheering for her daughter. At 5th Grade Volleyball parents scream and stomp feet cheering. Even at a 4H rabbit show there cheers for how a rabbit placed. Earlier today I was laughing at my boys cheering for their video game… Not to mention a Friday night football game, …. You get my point.
On the other hand, some people pretend to make a joyful noise when really showing off. The joyful noise God desires does not draw attention to the noise maker. It begins with a pure heart. When the focus of our hearts is God and His greatness, our noise is a sweet round to his ears. Ephesians 5:18-19 instructs us to “be filled with the spirit addressing one another in psalms and hyms and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” When we are filled with the HOly Spirit, we desire to sing to Him and edify others. It’s not about musical talent…
We do not have to have a perfect life. David did not have a sinless life, yet overall, he pleased God. His attitude was right, and that’s the kind of worship God wants most. David - a man after God’s own heart. David was the first to have paid musicians and was a forerunner in the worship movement.
1 Chronicals 23- Paid musicians
2 He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. 3 The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. 4 David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges. 5 Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.” - 4000 of 38000 is 10.5%
Let’s use tonight to practice worship… You may kneel to the ground, bend the knee, fallon your face, touch your head to the ground, lay prostrate, clap, dance, shout, raise hands, whatever posture GOD calls you to. I’ve heard it said that whatever we do with our bodies affects our soul. The most important aspect of worship is the attitude you bring with you, one of expectation… Worship tonight with expectation, expect that you will encounter God.
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and try something different in worship. Eveyone enters into worship differently, but why not be open to the Spirit’s leading in case he calls you to do something different.
WORSHIP Scripture
Worship
Is 29:13 - The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
Psalm 150
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Altar - Ps. 43:4 - Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.
Raise Hands
1 Kings 8:22-23 - Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
1 Timothy 2:8 - Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Psalm 134:2 - Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.
Psalm 144:1 - Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. (Spiritual Battle)
Psalm 63:2-4 - I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Kneel
Eph 3:14 - 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being
Ps 95:6-7 - 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
1 Kings 8:54 - 54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.
Luke 22:39-42- 39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Bow/Face to ground -
Nehemiah 8:5-6 - 5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Matt 2:10-11 - 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Revelation 4:8-11 - 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Shout -
Psalm 95:2 - O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Dance
2 Sam 6:14 - 14 And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was [h]wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
Ex 15:20 - Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing.
Psalm 149:3 -Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
Clap -
Psalm 47:1 - Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Is 55:12 - You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Sing -
Acts 16:25 - 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Stand -
Hab 3:2-Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Listen -
1 Samuel 3:10 - 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” - Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.
Sacrifice -
Hebrew 13:15-16 - 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Psalm 51:15-17 - Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, isa broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
