The Why and How Of Worship

Temple Baptist Church - 5-19-2013

 

John 4:23-24; Psalms 100

 

Introduction:

A. Psalm 100 is a Psalm of worship. Even in our day, the main service on Sunday is called a “worship” service. On our sign we put the words “Come worship with us.” I try to preach on the subject of “Worship” on a somewhat regular occasion because of its importance to God’s children.

1. Worship is essential to the spiritual well-being of God’s people. God made it that way. Worship is not something to be “worked up” but rather something to be “worked out.” Worship comes from with; from a heart of love. Paul said, “The love of Christ constraineth us.”

b. True biblical worship is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Very few Christians today have ever been involved in a church that worships the Lord nor have they worshipped personally. If worship is that important, and it is, then something vital to our spiritual well-being is missing.

B. There two types of worship found in the Bible:

1. Personal Worship - Genesis 24:26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. (Abraham’s servant, knowing the leadership of God in his mission, bowed his head and gave praise to the Lord. Each of us need to have private devotion which is essential to the next type of worship.)

2. Public Worship – Psalms 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. (In verses 2 and 4, we find the word “with” used three times. It means to bring something with you when you come. What you to bring to church stems from what you have been doing privately. No private devotion or worship, no public devotion or worship!)

C. Our Lord gave a simple explanation of worship when witnessing to the woman at the well in John 4. – John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

1. There Needs To Be Quality In Worship – “true worshippers”

a) There Is Deception In Worship (not everything that is called worship is true worship)

b) There Is Deadness In Worship (formalistic and ritualistic services are not true worship)

2. There Needs To Be Qualification In Worship – “spirit … truth”

a) There Needs To Be Fire – “spirit” Without “spirit” you dry up.

b) There Needs To Be Form – “truth” Without “truth” you blow up.

D. Worship services are to be orderly but not ordered!

1. The worship service is not to be so ordered that nothing can alter it. There must be a spontaneous element to our worship or else it just becomes a form with no reality to it.

2. The worship service must have order to it (this Psalm gives order) or else it becomes an emotional high for the carnal in heart.

E. Now, let us look at the essential elements of a worship service.

a. The Element Of Noise - vs. 1 (Dead churches are characterized with quietness and formality.)

b. The Element Of Service - vs. 2 (Dead churches are characterized by lack of involvement.)

c. The Element Of Gladness – vs. 2 (Dead churches are characterized by a lack of joy.)

d. The Element Of Singing - vs. 2 (Dead churches are characterized by lackluster singing - no pep or zeal.)

e. The Element Of Acknowledgment - vs. 3 (Dead churches are characterized by a lack of teaching that brings about knowledge of the Lord.)

f. The Element Of Entrance – vs. 4 (Dead churches are characterized by a lack of attendance – Sunday morning crowds should be there Sunday and Wednesday nights.)

g. The Element Of Thanksgiving - vs. 4 (Dead Churches fail to give God the glory for what He has done.)

h. The Element Of Praise - vs. 4 (Dead churches characterized by no personal testimonies.)

i. The Element Of Adoration - vs. 4 (Dead churches characterized by a lack of the love of Christ and becomes mouth religion, not heart – just going through the motions.)