Sermon Central
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Worshiping The Right Way
Contributed by Dean Rhine on Dec 9, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: What Samuel teaches us about worship
Worshiping the Right Way”
Intro: Have you ever been dissatisfied with a worship service? I’m sure not here, but maybe somewhere else. Well, this morning we want to talk about the “right” way to worship. But lest you get me wrong, I’m not talking about the method. There is no one right method of worship. Rather I’m talking about our attitude of worship. What makes worship meaningful for us? Let’s learn about our worship this morning from the lesson of David.
Read 2 S 6:1-5
Let’s look first at
I. Characteristics of David’s worship -
*worship was corporate - whole house of Israel - (5) - worship can be done individually, but this morning we’re talking about corporate worship. In the OT it was the nation; in the NT we look at the church. God designed a corporate dynamic to worship - we gather together to bring praise to God.
*Worship was initiated by a leader - (5) we see David is here the one who leads the people in their worship of the Lord. God desires all things in the church to be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40). He does not want mass confusion, but to have structured worship. That’s not to say there can’t be spontaneity, but not chaos.
*Worship involved great energy - (5,14) - were celebrating with all their might - in a good worship service, you should involve yourself as a participant, not just a spectator. We don’t need to perspire to have good worship, but neither do we need to avoid physical expression.
*Worship involved awareness of the presence of God - (5) before the LORD - as they enter into giving their praise, they are aware of God’s presence. Far too often we come to worship and never meet with the LORD.
#a little boy knelt by his bed one Sunday night and prayed, “Dear Lord, I had a great time at church today. You should have been there!”
#or sometimes we are like the SS teacher - in telling her elementary class about Solomon’s building the temple, the children were inattentive. Until, she mentioned that when the temple was finished the presence of the Lord filled the temple. The children were all excited. She soon discovered though, that their excitement was not the joy that God had come to dwell with man, but their delight in thinking about a huge building filled with presents from God.
--which would we rather have? The presence of God, or presents from God??
*Worship involved singing - (5) celebrating . . . with songs - praise is really a celebration
The Jews are a people who know how to celebrate. David was a gifted musician who wrote hundreds of songs. Everyone likes singing - we just don’t all like the same type of singing.
One of the biggest areas of fighting in the church is not over who gets to teach SS, or who won the most people to the Lord, or who gets to sit in the front pew. It’s over the style of music we sing. Some think we should speed up the music and speed up the sermon. Others think we should slow down the music and speed up the sermon!
Guess what - if you come into worship one Sunday and we’re singing songs that don’t move you, PRAISE GOD! Why?? Because your brother or sister in Christ might be moved to love God more and serve him by the music that doesn’t speak to your heart. Next week the songs that don’t minister to them might inspire your heart! Let’s not fight about music styles, but be one in the spirit!
*Worship involves instruments - (5) harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. -- It is okay to use a variety of instruments in our worship. Some people think there can be no instruments, or only just a piano or organ. Now I’ll be the first to admit, David never used a synthesizer or electronic keyboard - but if he had one, he wouldn’t have had any place to plug it in!
*Worship involves praise - (15) he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
-David and the Israelites enter Jerusalem giving shouts of praise to the LORD. I’m not saying we should be shouting in the church service, but it is a shame that sometimes we get more excited about a ball game than we do the eternal destiny of our closest friends. We need to care a little less about Michigan State and a little more about the city of Fort Wayne!
-David shows excitement as he celebrates his praise to the LORD.
*Worship involves giving - (17) David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. - David gave to the LORD that which cost him personally. We need to give financially to the house of God. God has been blessing our church this year. We have been paying all of our bills as they come due. But there are some here who have missed out on the blessing of giving to God. The first portion of our income belongs to the LORD. It’s a shame everyone does not realize this. Some actually keep for themselves that which belongs to God.
