Series: Discipline – Week 4
Scripture: Psalm 95
Title: The Cooperate Discipline of Worship
Focus: Establishment of Spiritual Disciplines
Introduction: Psalm 95 has been used as a guide to worship. Jews would recite this chapter when they would reenact their time of spent in the wilderness (OT). Tonight we need to answer the question, “What is “Worship”?” before we can discipline ourselves to worship.
Point #1: Worship is Surrender (Psalm 95:1-6)
• Explanation: In Hebrew, the word "worship" (Shakah) means to fall down or bow down. The Psalmist says, "Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker" (95:6). To worship properly is to surrender to God. We worship God because He has given us life (physical and eternal).
• Illustration: The confusion comes when we talk about what this actually looks like to surrender. In other words, what am I to physically do when it comes to worship (song or life)? Praising and worshiping God is done in many different positions and forms. Here are several biblical examples:
o Sitting - Acts 2:1-2 says, "A sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."
o Kneeling - Psalms 95:6 says, " let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."
o Standing - Exodus 33:10 says, " they all stood and worshiped”
o Lying Down - 1 Kings 18:39 says, "When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD - he is God! The LORD - he is God!"
o Bowing head - 2 Chronicles 29:30 says, "So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped."
o Lifting hands - Psalm 63:4 says, " I will lift up my hands."
o Dancing - Psalm 149:3 says, "Let them praise his name with dancing."
• Application: All of these acts of surrender can be done both inside and outside of song. When we worship, we give up ourselves and give our lives over to God. Paul says in Romans 12:1, "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship."
• Questions:
o Are you surrendering yourself back to God?
o Are you in a celebration to God over what He has done?
o How is your attitude when it comes to worship?
Point 2: Worship can only be given to God (Exodus 20:3)
• Explanation: Our English word for worship literally means, “worth”. Worth is what you place a high standard on. Therefore worshiping is when we attribute ultimate worth to something. Whether it's an object, or a person, or even an idea, if you attribute worth to anything other than God, you are in an act of idol worship. (“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3). To worship God is to recognize his worth or worthiness in your life; to look God-ward, and to acknowledge in all ways the value of what we see. The Bible calls this activity "glorifying God".
• Illustration:
• Application: So we see that it really isn't a matter of whether we will worship, but what we will worship. We were all created for worship. It’s hard-wired into us. If we don't worship God, we will no doubt find something else to worship.
• Questions:
o What do you value above everything else? Is it the Lord?
Point #3: Conclusion of Series
• Internal Disciplines: Bible readying, personal study, and prayer
• External Disciplines: Service, simplicity, and submission
• Corporate Disciplines: Worship and Celebration
