Week 8. Word Centered Worship.
Charles Spurgeon's words on worship.
Standing On The Promises. Our Daily Bread. 1-21-2023. Isaiah 49:16. -Engraved on His hands.
These words came from Week 1. Worship.
- Worship is our ultimate Destiny. Worship follows us into the eternal.
Jesus states in a confrontation with the devil in, Matthew 4:10 You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only you shall serve.
Week 2. What is Worship?
Worship is the occupation of the heart, not with its needs, or even with its blessings, but with God himself.
I gave you the three primary terms that are translated worship in the Old Testament.
*The first meant to serve.
*The second word for worship, means to revere. To live with holy fear.
*The third meaning, for worship means to bow down, or kneel down while proclaiming Jesus Lord over everything in your life. Bowing is an act of submission/humility.
Week 3. You should have no other gods.
Isaiah 43:21 This people I have formed for myself; they shall declare my praise.
I spoke about how everyone worships something. How true worship honors God. Corporate worship honors God. True worship strengthens the church. True worship builds up.
Jude 20NKJV But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Week 4. I spoke on the Hindrances of Worship.
How pride can hinder us from worshiping God. The works of the flesh hinder worship. We talked about the different styles of worship. -How sin separates us from worship.
Week 5. God is in our midst. Encountering the presence of God. The expectancy of worship.
Encountering the God of worship. The Tabernacle. Plus, how worship is the key to encountering God and entering boldly into the throne room of grace.
Week 6. The Beauty of Worship.
The example of king David. The example of the priest. Who may worship God? The example of Moses. The teaching of Jesus. Offering profane fire. Showing a lack of reverence.
Week 7. Spiritual Worship.
How true worship is empowered by the Holy Spirit. True worshipers worship in spirit and in truth. The location of worship, anywhere. -However finding one Secret place is essential.
Week 8. The final week, True worship is Word centered.
If what we do isn’t word centered/Jesus centered, it shouldn’t be worshiped.
-But the lamb is worthy!
There are seven essential components of an effective worship service.
1. Powerful prayer.
2. Meaningful music.
3. Passionate praise
4. Tithing and giving.
5. Preaching the word.
6. Teaching the word.
7. Personal testimonies.
A quick overview, we studied and taught/preached, number 1, Powerful Prayer.
Powerful Prayer. -Prayer was a priority in the Old Testament temple. -God always endorses his approval with enrichments of the spirit.
2. Meaningful music.
The Psalms may be read, recited, or chanted, but they were originally meant to be sung.
-This is a fact that testifies to the value of music and worship.
Expressions of praise. Hands, mouth, our legs, our surrender.
Praise, is acknowledging and celebrating the person of God. We praise Him for who He is. Praise is not based on our feelings or our moods.
In Psalm 22:3, I believe TPT has the correct translation. 3 Yet I know that you are most holy. You are God-Enthroned, the praise of Israel.
4. Tithing and giving.
Worship is our gift to God. One element of worship is to give. When we give, we give back a portion of 100% of what belongs to God.
All things belong unto God.
Psalm 50:10-12NKJV For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
Tithing results in God's blessings. Malachi 3:8–11NKJV “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say,‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me,?Even this whole nation.10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts;
The Lord spoke this truth in my heart. -If you can’t trust trust Him with the temporal, how can you trust Him with the eternal.
Jesus encouraged tithing.
Luke 11:42NKJV “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Giving to God is a privilege.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8NKJV But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Paul's word to the Church at Corinth teaches us at least three important lessons.
We are blessed in proportion to how much we give.
We should give freely and not because we feel forced to give.
God is able to supply all of our needs abundantly.
5. Preaching the word.
Sometimes it might seem ridiculous, but God has chosen to show himself through the preaching of his word. As a Pastor and preacher of God’s word, every time I get up and herald, I expect! Why? It’s God’s way.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5NLT When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
Worship should include hearing God's word. -The affection for the word of God is the key to worship.
Jeremiah 15:16NKJV Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
Old Testament worship always included scripture.
Nehemiah 8:5-6NKJV And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Preaching is just as important in the NT. 2 Timothy 4, Paul commands Timothy, “Preach the word!” Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.
Preaching should be a work of the spirit.
Luke 4:14NKJV Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
Luke 4:18NKJV “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
6. Teaching the word.
Worship should always include teaching the scriptures.
Acts 2:42NKJV And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Isaiah 2:3NKJV Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob;?He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Fact-- Many churches face crisis in discipleship.
The value of Sunday school and Small groups:
For over 100 years, the most reliable method for learning the Bible has been the Sunday school. Moreover today at CECC you access to small groups that meet, fellowship, study, pray, worship, have fun, retreats, A lot of open doors for the taught word.
There is no substitute for the systematic study of the Bible. The prophet, Amos 8:11 warned of a day when there would come a great famine, not of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
7. Personal testimonies.
Revelation 12:11NKJV And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
A Testimony is one aspect of congregational involvement.
1 Corinthians 14:26NKJV How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
Testimonies are a valuable part of worship. Testimonies build-up faith.
Benediction.
