For the remainder of 1992 and for 1993 I have set a personal goal of how I can exalt God. Is everything I do exalting God. With that in mind I start this morning with a message entitled, "Will This Worship Service Glorify God?" I base this message on one of the outstanding examples of dynamic worship in the Bible in I Chronicles chapter 16. There King David is bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. David wanted to establish Jerusalem as the center of civil and spiritual life for the Israelites. To accomplish this, he decided to locate the palace and the Ark of the Covenant in that city. The Ark served as a focal point of faith for the Israelites. It was a symbol of God's presence in their midst.
A great celebration took place as the Ark arrived in Jerusalem. The Atmosphere was festive. There was a great procession, marked by choirs, instrumental music and an excited king dancing before the Lord. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God and blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
To Asaph, the choir director, David gave a song of praise to God that was to be part of the worship celebration. It is clear that David's goal that day was to glorify God.
Let's focus our attention now on chapter 16. David wrote;
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always....Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods....Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness."
David wanted everyone present to know that God was powerful, wonderful and marvelous. He sang of His mighty acts and glorious deeds. He declared the Lord's strength and ascribed glory to His name. This was the focal point of the entire worship celebration--bringing glory to Almighty God.
Like David's celebration in First Chronicles, all worship services should seek to bring glory to God. This is the starting place of dynamic Christian worship. Believers should gather to declare God's praise. Like David, Christians should sing of His mighty acts, tell of His glorious deeds, declare His glory before the nations. This is central and true worship.
I would like to offer to you 4 ingredients that must be present if worship is to truly bring Him honor. We will share 2 of these ingredients this week and the remaining 2 next week. (1) WORSHIP MUST BE SACRIFICIAL. (2) WORSHIP MUST BE SENSIBLE. (3) WORSHIP MUST BE SINCERE. (4) FINALLY, WORSHIP MUST BE SPIRIT-FILLED.
WORSHIP MUST BE SACRIFICIAL.
1.) WORSHIP SHOULD BE A SACRIFICE OF OUR WORDS.
The writer of Hebrews writes: (Heb 13:15)"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name." One way Christians are to express joy and delight in God is thru praise. It is the acceptable sacrifice of our lips. When Christians gather together for worship, they should lift words of praise and adoration as a sacrifice before God. It is a key part of the worship experience. Other examples in the Bible include;
"But 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 Pet 2:9)
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (Psa 146:1-2)
All thru the Bible we see, by example and command, that praise is characteristic of believers' worship and devotion to God.
In corporate worship, this sacrifice of praise is expressed thru singing, speaking and exclamation. When believers lift their voices to God in sincere adoration, it seems to unleash power and excitement. This, of course, presumes that worshipers commit themselves to singing to the Lord. Halfhearted, disinterested singing does not qualify as a sacrifice of praise.
Congregations would do well to learn the value of shouting God's praises as a sacrifice of worship. This may sound radical, yet it is a thoroughly biblical practice. Psalm 89:15 says, "Blessed are the people who know the festal shout" What is a good example of a festal shout. One would be "The Lord Reigns!" Say it with me "The Lord Reigns!" We would do well to embrace this ancient and biblical form of worship.
2.) WORSHIP THAT GLORIFIES GOD INVOLVES A SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES.
This point consistently draws the most reaction from people. In many evangelical churches we are not yet ready to use our bodies in worship. Fearing wild fire or "charismania", believers are encouraged to remain as reserved as possible in their expressions of praise. Clapping, lifting hands or body motion of any kind is almost taboo. This is unfortunate. Why? First, because body language is recognized as a powerful means of communication. Second, restricting bodily responses can be stifling to some worshipers, just as demanding outward expressions of praise would be threatening to others. Third, the most important, closing the door to clapping, lifting hands or other types of body movement is not consistent with scriptural practices of worship.One way Scripture talks about using our bodies in worship is thru lifting hands in praise. Unfortunately, many evangelicals think this practice began with pentecostalism. At the least, they consider it uncomfortably demonstrative. But everything and anything that we do as Christians, unchecked, can lead to excesses. That, however, should not cause believers to miss the blessing and meaning of such a valid expression of Christian worship.
Numerous Scriptures address this issue. Of particular note is Psalm 141:1- 2,
"A psalm of David. O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice."
Or consider Psalm 63, where David seeks to praise God in song. In verses 2-5 he says,
"I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."
Think for a moment about what the lifting of hands means in our culture. It is a sign of surrender. Lifting hands upward is also a way that children request things from their parents. It is a symbol of dependence. In worship, it can represent our need of God and our desire for more of Him.
In summation, worship that glorifies God is not just cerebral. It is also physical. Scripture and history testify to the importance of offering to God a sacrifice of praise that engages not only the mind but the body.
3.) WORSHIP SHOULD ALSO BE A SACRIFICE OF OUR POSSESSIONS.
In many churches, the offering does not seem to fit into the worship service. For some, it is an interruption that gives opportunity for chatting with one's neighbor. Often it is a place for listening to special music while the ushers pass the plates. Worshipers often dislike offering time because it seems to be another "push for money" -- something for which many churches are notorious.In response to these mis-understandings, many churches have eliminated the offering from the order of service, choosing rather to place plates at the back of the church. Believers can leave an offering at their convenience as they enter or exit. While I appreciate the effort, even that practice misses the point.
Two concepts can help us put the offering in its proper perspective. First, it is an offering and not a collection. The goal is not to gather funds but to present God with a sacrifice of our possessions. It is to present the offering of our lives to Him. As an act of worship, it symbolizes the full and total sacrifice of all we are and have to God. Our gifts should flow from our recognition of God and His grace.
Second, the offering should be seen as a response to God's self-giving. Because of what God has done for us, we respond in an act of surrender and dependence. Our giving flows from God's giving to us. Thus it is an expression of praise.
And now our second point for today.
WORSHIP MUST BE SENSIBLE
Long ago, in a letter to the Corinthian church, Paul spoke out against imbalance and chaos in worship. Christian worship is not meant to be an empty, subjective high, full of energy but lacking substance. Worship is a deeply meaningful act, carefully planned and carried out. Commitment to order and balance is a commitment to glorify God in worship.
Our worship must be sacrificial. Worship that glorifies God includes a sacrifice of our words, words of praise and singing. Worship that glorifies God also includes a sacrifice of our bodies. And worship that glorifies God also includes a sacrifice of our possessions. Giving to God because He has given to us. Not a collection, but an offering. Then finally, for this week, Our worship must be sensible. Our God is a God of order and we must worship Him in that order.
Some of what has been covered today may be strange to you, but in our quest to Glorify God we need to be fully aware of all the aspects of worshiping God. Next week we will discuss how our worship must be sincere and Spirit filled. "The Lord Reigns" "The Lord Reigns", let that be our call and let that be our praise, and let that be our life in the Lord. "The Lord Reigns"
