WHY WORSHIP? #1 in a series on Worship
Posted by: jackpeters47 <jackpeters47@...>
Psalm 100
#1 - WHY WORSHIP?
We come to Sunday School, but have we worshipped?
We come to church, but have we worshipped?
We come to Prayer Meeting, but have we worshipped?
Our minds are easily distracted.
My tongue can easily mouth words of hymns that I give little or no thought to. So often when we worship, “the light’s on, but nobody’s home”.
Psalm 29:2 - Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
We get little out of church because we put little into it.
We haven’t really learned to give the Lord “the glory due unto His name” because we haven’t truly learned to worship Him in the beauty of holiness.
So what is worship?
In the Old Testament, the primary word translated “worship” means to “bow down”. When we bow down before something or someone, we are submitting ourselves.
In the New Testament, according to Warren Wiersbe, the key Greek word for worship means to ‘to kiss toward’. “It conveys the idea of showing reverence or doing obeisance to God, humans, or even Satan. Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship: Playground, Battleground, or Holy Ground? Second edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2000) p.20
Warren Wiersbe also says, “When we consider all the words used for worship in both the Old and New Testaments, and when we put their meanings together, we find that worship involves both attitudes (awe, reverence, respect) and actions (bowing, praising, serving). It is both a subjective experience and an objective activity.” Wiersbe, p. 20-21
My friend, I suggest to you that everyone worships something or someone. Everyone bows to and reverences something or someone. We as Christians are to bow to and worship God; but why?
Please turn to Psalm 100, a classic psalm that tells us about worship. It is here that we will find why we should worship God.
Psalm 100:1 - Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
To make a joyful noise is to “shout joyfully”.
There should be joy in our hearts and on our lips when we worship God.
Church should not resemble a morgue!
There should be joy in church!
There should be no lack of reverence for God, but there should also be no lack happiness.
There are times to be solemn, to be sorrowful, to mourn over sin, to be serious in prayer.
But when we worship privately or publicly there should be great joy!
Psalm 100:2 - Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Whatever we do, we should do as an act of worship to our God.
We should see worship as a service to our God, and we should be glad to serve our God. If we are glad to serve our God, we will be glad to worship our God.
We are also to come before his presence with singing.
Whether we worship privately our publicly, music is to be a great part of the worship of our God.
Psalm 30:4, Psalm 150:3-6, Ephesians 5:18-19
Why should we go through all this “trouble” to worship God?
Psalm 100 gives us reasons for worshipping our God.
WE SHOULD WORSHIP GOD BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS
Psalm 100:3 - Know ye that the Lord he is God:
The word “LORD” here refers to the word Jehovah, the self existent one, the great “I AM”. Revelation 1:8
When I truly “know” something, I have a heart-felt conviction that I know it. If I know that the Lord is God, I am thoroughly convinced in my heart, and wouldn’t dare worship anyone or anything but Him.
WE SHOULD WORSHIP GOD BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
You wouldn’t be here if God hadn’t created you.
Nothing would be here if God hadn’t created it. Psalm 135:6
If we had no other reason to worship God, and there are many other reasons, we are obligated to worship Him, because we are creatures, we are creations, but HE IS CREATOR! Revelation 4:11
WE SHOULD WORSHIP GOD BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Not everyone can worship God for these reasons.
Everyone one can worship God as creator.
Not everyone can worship God because they are His people and sheep.
When this psalm was written the Children of Israel were the people of God. Today it is those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who are the people of God .
God’s people are those people who God will receive into Heaven. Jesus tells us that God’s people must be born again! John 3:3, 6-7
If you have truly trusted Jesus as your Savior, you have been born again into the Family of God. You are a citizen of Heaven, even though you are not there yet. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD! John 1:12-13
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus tells us in John 10:27-30, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. [29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. [30] I and my Father are one.
The Lord Jesus is taking personal responsibility for you as one of His sheep, if you know Jesus as your Savior.
Please listen to these familiar words with a new appreciation for what it means to be one of His sheep.
Psalm 23:1-6
If you honestly reflect on the 23rd Psalm, you will have to admit that we have every reason to worship!
WE SHOULD WORSHIP GOD BECAUSE OF WHAT HE IS LIKE
Psalm 100:5 - For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
You have life because the Lord is good.
You have eternal life, if you know Jesus as Savior, because the Lord is good.
Your every day needs are met because the Lord is good.
You have answers to prayer because the Lord is good.
You have the beauty of creation because the Lord is good.
There is truth and righteousness because the Lord is good.
his mercy is everlasting;
This word “mercy” means “love”.
God’s love is eternal.
It began before the foundation of the world.
It will continue throughout all eternity.
His love is best summed up in that old familiar favorite, John 3:16.
truth endureth to all generations.
God’s truth endures, because God’s word endures.
God’s truth endures, because God’s Son endures. John 14:6
We can worship God because of what he is like, and these are just three examples.
There are more reasons to worship God because of what He is like. You will find them as you read His Word.
--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: pastormail-unsubscribe@welovegod.org