Praise and Worship

STUDY INDEX

Page 1 - The Importance of Praise

Page 2 - Methods of Praise; Expressions of Worship

Page 3 - Expressions of Worship; Blessings on True Worship

Page 4 - Is There a Wrong Way to Worship?; Conclusion

Expressions of Worship (continued)

4) As we have explored earlier in this study, praise is an essential and important element in worship. Praise can be in the form of a testimony. It can be voiced through a time of adoration, with hands uplifted in surrender to God, as we exalt His holiness and majesty (alone or in unison with the body of Christ). Praise can be done in quietness as we love Him, and dwell upon His goodness and mercy.

Praise can also, as we have seen, be in the form of singing hymns and spiritual songs, whether in our hearts or in corporate worship, and can involve the skillful playing of instruments. Paul wrote to the Colossians that we should "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16). Singing was a form of worship, and under no circumstances anywhere in the Scriptures was it viewed as a form of entertainment.

5) Prayer is also a crucial element in worship (see our study on prayer). Prayer is a thread which runs through both the Old and New Testaments, and was a vital part of the lives of men and women who were close to the Lord. It was a regular part of Jesus's life, who often went alone to pray, sometimes spending whole nights in prayer. On the day of Pentecost, some 3,000 souls were saved through Peter's sermon. Concerning these new souls, the writer of Acts states, "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42). Paul instructed the church at Thessalonica in his first epistle to "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks..." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Matthew Henry commented, "If we pray without ceasing, we shall not want matter for thanksgiving in every thing. We shall see cause to give thanks for sparing and preventing, for common and uncommon, past and present, temporal and spiritual mercies. Not only for prosperous and pleasing, but also for afflicting providences, for chastisements and corrections; for God designs all for our good, though we at present see not how they tend to it. Quench not the Spirit. Christians are said to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He worketh as fire, by enlightening, enlivening, and purifying the souls of men. As fire is put out by taking away fuel, and as it is quenched by pouring water, or putting a great deal of earth upon it; so we must be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit, by indulging carnal lusts and affections, minding only earthly things. Believers often hinder their growth in grace, by not giving themselves up to the spiritual affections raised in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. By prophesyings, here understand the preaching of the word, the interpreting and applying the Scriptures. We must not despise preaching, though it is plain, and we are told no more than what we knew before. We must search the Scriptures. And proving all things must be to hold fast that which is good. We should abstain from sin, and whatever looks like sin, leads to it, and borders upon it. He who is not shy of the appearances of sin, who shuns not the occasions of it, and who avoids not the temptations and approaches to it, will not long keep from doing sin."

6) Confession of sin and prayer for forgiveness is to be a part of our worship experience. Solomon, in his prayer of dedication of the temple, prayed, "Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk." (1 Kings 8:36). Likewise, both Ezra and Nehemiah led the nation in a time of repentance and confession. In Nehemiah 9:1-2, we read, "Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers."

Jesus in His instructional prayer said that we are to pray for forgiveness of sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us. (Matthew 6:12). The apostle James tells us to confess our faults to each other. He writes, "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The apostle John gives us a precious promise in his first letter when he writes, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

7) Worship can include the reading of Scripture, alone or in corporate worship. In Nehemiah 9 where the people of Israel prayed for forgiveness of sins as a nation, it also included a time of reading from the book of the law. In verse 3 of chapter 9, we read, "And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God."

As Jesus began His ministry, Luke tells us in his gospel that Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16-17). The reading of the Word is also important in our personal times of worship. Paul exhorts Timothy to "give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." (1 Timothy 4:13).

The love of God's Word is a trademark of those who love the Lord and seek Him with all their hearts. David wrote in Psalm 119:140, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it."

In this same psalm, David showed forth his desire and hunger for the word of the Lord. He wrote, "They word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee... I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word... Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path... Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word... Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me... Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever... I rejoice at thy word... My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandements are righteous... I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope... I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

8) Part of our worship includes the giving of tithes and offerings to the Lord. David wrote in Psalm 96:8, "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts." The prophet Malachi wrote in his book God's promise, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10).

Jesus watched as people gave of their money to the temple treasury. The rich gave very much, Jesus noticed. But He was drawn to a little widow who gave only two mites, but it was all that she had. Jesus said of her, "Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." (Mark 12:43-44).

In his commentary, Matthew Henry writes concerning this widow, "Let us not forget that Jesus still sees the treasury. He knows how much, and from what motives, men give to his cause. He looks at the heart, and what our views are, in giving alms; and whether we do it as unto the Lord, or only to be seen of men. It is so rare to find any who would not blame this widow, that we cannot expect to find many who will do like to her; and yet our Saviour commends her, therefore we are sure that she did well and wisely. The feeble efforts of the poor to honour their Saviour, will be commended in that day, when the splendid actions of unbelievers will be exposed to contempt."

9) A unique element found in New Testament worship was the role of the Holy Spirit and His manifestations, including the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues, and special workings of faith. In 1 Corinthians 14, the apostle Paul provided principles and instructions to regulate this aspect of worship. The overriding principle was that any exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was to be for strengthening and encouraging the body. In verse 26 of chapter 14, Paul wrote, "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying." (see also 1 Corinthians 12:7).

God's Blessings for True Worshipers

When an individual or a body of believers engages in true worship in spirit and in truth, God will respond with many promises and blessings. God promises:

1) His presence will be with them. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus promises, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." In Revelation 3:20, Jesus again promises a time of communion to anyone who opens the door when He knocks.

2) His glory will overshadow them. When Solomon ended his prayer of dedication for the temple, the glory of the Lord so filled the house that even the priests could not enter. For those who praise and rejoice during times of trial or who are reproached for the name of Christ, the spirit of glory and of God will rest upon them (1 Peter 4:14).

3) He will give peace and joy. David penned in Psalm 122:1, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." As we studied earlier, one may worship the Lord by abiding in Him and living a life of surrender and dependence upon Him, as a branch gets its life from the vine. As Jesus taught His disciples in John 15, He commented, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

In John 14:27, Jesus again promised, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." David the psalmist wrote in Psalm 29, "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness... the Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace."

4) He will answer the prayers of His people. Jesus gave us this precious promise in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Again we look to the promise in James's letter, "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:13-16).

David wrote in Psalm 40, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry... And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."

5) He will comfort, encourage and edify His people. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble..." (1 Corinthians 1:3-4). Peter wrote in his epistle, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." (1 Peter 5:10-11).

6) He will send His Holy Spirit for guidance and conviction. In Acts 4:31, we read, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." Jesus said concerning the work of the Holy Spirit, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you... And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin." (John 16:8, 13-14).

. <