The Power of Worship
By
Pastor M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: (24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. (25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
(26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
This Bible story begins the unjust arrest of Paul and Silas. Because they had cast a spirit of divination out of a girl. This is what is called a Python spirit, remember sometime ago I preached about the Python spirit and how this spirit entangles a person and literally squeezes the life out of a person. This young girl operated under the influence of this Python spirit and brought her masters great gain. This girl followed Paul and Silas and said the truth, but the spirit that was working in her was trying to mock God, so Paul under the anointing of the Holy Ghost cast that spirit of Python out of the girl. When he did that, those that made money off of her had Paul and Silas arrested the local authorities beat them and then threw them into prison. In prison they suffered severe beatings, and then they were fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile position, this is a stronghold. No doubt these stocks cut off circulation and caused all kinds of cramps and pains in their bodies. The atmosphere there was depressing; the pain was more than likely unbearable, the beatings caused their backs to bleed profusely. The dark, damp, stench-ridden, waste polluted, dungeon was probably crawl with rats biting at their feet. Yet in spite of all of all of this, in spite of throbbing pain in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! When it seemed like all hope was gone, when in the darkest of times and the darkest of places, these two men began to worship God on high.
No doubt others that were in the prison began to call them crazy, they probably began to curse them and say things like you fools how can you be singing and praying at a time like this.
Paul and Silas understood the power of worship. They understood that their circumstance didn’t change the purpose nor the power of worship. They understood that in their worship the anointing that destroys yokes is released. They understood that if they wanted to change their atmosphere they had to send up worship. They believed that when praises go up blessing will come down.
As they worship God on High, the Bible says “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed”.
It was worship that caused this to happen.
WATCH THIS:- The world has understood a concept that many people fail to understand and that is Worship = Acquisition!!! You can’t worship and get something in return. In Matthew chapter 4 Jesus had fasted 40 day and was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. WATCH THIS:- The Bible says “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,(See the 1st thing the devil did was to attack His identity that is the same thing he tried to do to us as well) then he said command that these stones be made bread. Jesus replied It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”.
WATCH THIS:- The devil said 1st command these stones to be made bread – he tempted the flesh with a fleshly desire, 2nd then he said cast thyself down for it is written – he tried to use the word against the word, the 3rd he said was he will give Jesus all this stuff if he worshipped him – why did he say that, because he understood that worship = acquisition. You can have stuff if you worship.
That is why there are so many musical entertainers that have made so called soul packs or have sold their souls to the devil because he has promised them stuff for their worship.
UNDERSTAND THIS:- If the devil can give stuff to those that worship him what will God do for those that worship Him.
WHAT IS WORSHIP:- worship derives from the Old English weordhscipe meaning worthiness or meritoriousness and thus giving God the recognition He deserves.
There is a Greek word called “proskyneo” and a Hebrew word called “shachac” Both of these terms refer to a posture of submission and thus an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. It literally means the kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
Obeisance requires an attitude of reverential fear. This is evident in the behaviors of bending the knee (i.e. gonu or gonupeteo) and bowing down (histahawa or shachac {Heb.} or proskyneo {Gk. to kiss forward}) which are associated with worship.
The terms that communicate attitudes of service, submission & reverence (i.e. which are translated 'worship') do not indicate how such attitudes ought to be shown. However; when we examine the behavior of worshippers we notice something wonderful!
WE NOTICE: there are certain things about worship and I like the Hebrew words for worship, there are 7 and we know 7 is God’s number, it means perfection, completeness. So within these 7 words is perfect worship.
1. Halal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. Our word "hallelujah" comes from this base word. It means "to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish sing in a loud voice."
Psalm 113:1-3 Praise (halal) ye the Lord, praise (halal) o ye servants of the Lord, praise (halal) the name of the Lord.
Psalm 150:1 Praise (halal) the Lord! Praise (halal) God in his sanctuary; Praise (halal) him in his mighty expanse.
Psalm 149:3 Let them praise (halal) his name in the dance: let them sing praises with the timbrel and harp.
2. Yadah is a verb with a root meaning, "the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand." The opposite meaning is "to bemoan, the wringing of the hands."
2Chr 20:21 Give thanks (yadah) to the Lord, for his loving kindness is everlasting.
Ps 63:1 So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will (yadah) lift up my hands in thy name.
Ps 107:15 Oh that men would praise (yadah) the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.
3. Towdah comes from the same principle root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, "an extension of the hand in adoration, or acceptance." It is used for thanking God for "things not yet received" as well as things already at hand.
Ps 50:14 Offer unto God praise (towdah) and pay thy vows unto the Most High.
Ps 50:23 Whoso offereth praise (towdah) glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
4. Shabach means, "to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph."
Ps 47:1O clap your hands, all peoples; shout (shabach) to God with the voice of joy (or triumph).
Ps 145:4 One generation shall praise (shabach) thy works to another and declare thy mighty acts.
Isa 12:6 Cry aloud and shout (shabach) for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
5. Barak means "to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration."
Ps 95:6 O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our maker.
1Chr 29:20 Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless (barak) the Lord your God." And all the assembly blessed (barak) the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the Lord and to the king.
Ps 34:1 I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
6. Zamar means "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.
Ps 21:13 Be exalted O Lord, in Thine own strength, so will we sing and praise (zamar) Thy power.
1Chr 16:9 Sing to Him, sing praises (zamar) to Him; speak of all His wonders.
Ps 57:8-9 Awake my glory; awake harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord among the peoples; I will sing praises (zamar) to Thee among the nations.
7. Tehillah is derived from the word halal and means "the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; it involves music, especially singing hymns of the Spirit.
Ps 22:3 Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises (tehillah) of Israel.
Ps 33:1 Rejoice in the Lord, o ye righteous, for praise (tehillah) is comely for the upright.
Isa 61:3 To grant to those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise (tehillah) instead of the spirit of fainting, So they shall be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Worship is the fountainhead of all power!
The Church was commissioned in a worship service. Matthew 28:16-20. After the disciples worshiped the resurrected Lord in that Galilean encounter, Jesus told them, All power is given unto Me and I am commissioning you to go in My name with that power.
• They would receive the Anointing of that power shortly, but the commission to go with that power was being given now.
The Church was born in a worship service. Acts 2:1-13 At Pentecost, it was the worship of the Lord (not the proclamation of the gospel) that ushered in the power of God’s Kingdom and offended the taste of people.
The worship of the Lord releases the power, the pathway and the purpose of what He wants to do in His Church. Throughout Scripture, whenever the Church is at prayer or in worship, there is great release of divine power. The most notable episode is in the outflow that took place at a worship meeting at Antioch (Acts 13) that determined the flow of history and the course of Western civilization.
The power of worship?
Worship creates a place for God’s rule to be reinstated. Man not only lost fellowship with God at the fall of Adam, but he lost the partnership and dominion God intended for him to rule and have dominion over the earth, but he gave that rule and dominion to the Prince of Darkness.
At the Cross, the Lord restored that rulership through Jesus Christ and broke the powers of hell. Where the people of God worship, divine power flows to penetrate the darkness and counter-attack the operations of hell. Through the worshiping Body of Christ, the Lord is able to re-establish His rulership through His redeemed. Where God’s presence is, there will be power. Where worship is released, God’s presence will abide. Our hearts are the ground on which the battle is decided. If we will worship, God’s power and rule will be established in and through us to flow to others.
Human worship is man beginning… Holiness of worship is man becoming. Man—as sons and daughters unto God—begins worship with a commitment. Through worship, man becomes transformed into kings and priests unto God (Read Revelation 1:6). Worship brings about the kingly privileges and an extension of the Kingdom rule of Jesus Christ.
God’s love for us is not in proportion to our worship. Saving grace is released at Calvary, not according to worship. He releases His power and His glory to us in proportion to our worship. At Calvary, our relationship as sons and daughters is restored; through worship, Kingdom dimension and rulership are added to our lives.
People can get to heaven without worship. But with worship, the Church becomes a center for the power of God to be released and shake up the kingdom of darkness. Wholeness, dimension and substance are increased in people who worship.
Let me just make it simple in my closing:-
When Paul and Silas worshipped God the earth began to shake, the foundation of the prison was shaken and all the bands were loosed.
Your deliverance is in your YADAH – extend your hands and worship God, this is a sign of surrender.
Your healing is in your TOWDAH - an extension of the hand in adoration, or acceptance.
Your breakthrough is in your SHABACH a shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph."
Your stuff is in your HALAL - to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish sing in a loud voice."
Your victory is in your SHABACH to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph
Your joy unspeakable and full of glory is in your BARAK – I’m not talking about the President, but to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration."
Everything that you need is in your worship, so you need to proskyneo and worship the true and living God.
It’s in your worship.
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Pastor
