09WK11- THE WORSHIP LIFE OF DAVID ...1

THE WORSHIP LIFE OF DAVID ----- I
KEY VERSE: My heart says of you, "Seek his (a) Face! "Your face, LORD, I will seek PSALM 27:8
SCRIPTURE LESSON: PSALM 27:4-14
4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the lord and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, "Seek his (a) Face! " Your face., LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 What for the LORD; be strong and take heart and waiting for the LORD.
INTRODUCTION
In our study last week, we saw how Jesus would not tolerate those who had turned the Temple into a place of commerce, instead of its right use as a place for prayer and the worship of God. The Bible exhorts use to meet regularly with other Christians for worship and exhortation (Heb. 10:22). However, as we saw in our study of nationalism in the July – Dec. 2008 edition of the WBL, some challenges facing the church are poor attendance and lateness to church services. Sometimes too, the singing, praying and other activities in the service are carried out with such lukewarm attitudes that it makes one wonder if there is any warmth in our relationship with God, the object of our worship.
William Bullock (1798-1874) wrote the hymn, ‘We love the place, O God, wherein Thine honour dwells… (MHB 677, KNN 677, CAN 225). This should reflect the right attitude with which we must worship God in our churches. For the average worshipper however, the lament of the hymnist, John Newton (1725-1807) in verse 5 of the popular hymn ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ears’ (MHB 99, KNN 99, CAN 225) applies:
‘Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art, I’II praise Thee as I ought’



In contrast to the coldness of our worship, the study of the life of David and the Psalms which he wrote, reveals a man whose relationship with God was warm and reflected in his worship. What then can we learn from David to improve the quality of our worship as individuals and as congregations? This will be the focus of our study for the next two weeks.
EXPOSITION
David’s Passion for God and His Worship
In Psalm 27, David says his greatest desire in life is to be in the sanctuary and worship the Lord;
‘One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his Temple’ (Ps 27:4).
Zeal for your house has consumed me’
In Psalm 69:6-9, David says that what distinguishes him from others, including members of his own household is his zeal for the Lord’s house. He wrote; ‘I endure scorn for your sake and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons’. And the reason is that; ‘ zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.’ In the same way, Jesus could not bear the irreverent use of the Temple and so had to drive out the bad worshippers. When this happened, ‘his disciples remembered that it is written, "Zeal for your house has consumed me" (John 2:17).




‘ I would rather be a doorkeeper I the house of God…’
Psalm 84 was not penned by David, but it expresses the desire, which David had: to be in the Temple of God and to worship him
The following are extracts:
‘How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising you. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked’ (Ps 84 : 1-2,4).
David worshipped God from the depths of his heart
We go to church and participate in worship, but sometimes our hearts are not in what goes on; we pay lip service to God or are more concerned with a particular order instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to have his way. In the following passages, David reveals the depth of his worshipful heart: ‘ Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits’ (Ps 103: 1-2). I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land’ (Ps 143: 6).
‘I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you’ (Ps 144: 9)




THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
Michal frowns on David’s Liberty in worship (2 Samuel 6:-23)
In this passage, we see how David worshipped God in public, his wife’s resentment and the consequences of her attitude. The following issues stand out:
David worshipped with awe
In their first attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, there was a celebration, but reverence was missing. Uzzah took things for granted and touched the Ark and so was struck dead by the Lord. Consequently, the first attempt was aborted. When the Ark was removed a second time, three months later, David ensured that there was reverence as well as rejoicing. When those who carried the Ark had taken six steps, a bull and a calf were sacrificed. In our rejoicing in the house of the Lord, we must ensure that there is decorum, that is behavior that is controlled, calm and polite.
David freely expressed himself in worship
King David ‘danced before the Lord with all his might. ‘He wore a linen – the symbol of his office as a priest-king, yet his nobility did not restrict him in dancing freely before the Lord, as any commoner would do.
Michal despised David in her heart
Michal is one of those who thing that it is degrading for people in high positions in society or in the church to freely express themselves in worship. There are worshippers who refuse to join in singing dancing, etc, and walk expressionless in bring their offering to the Lord. There are also those who frown on and accuse those who dance or express themselves freely as overdoing it or are unspiritual and would have not part in it .
Michal receives a curse rather than a blessing
After the Ark had been brought in, David ‘blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty’ (Verse 18). However, when David returned home to bless his household, it turned into arguments and insults between him and Michal over how he had danced in public before the Lord. According to the Chronicler, Michal’s barrenness can be attributed to her resentment of David’s free expression of worship. The attitude with which we enter the chapel with the Lord’s blessings or perhaps invite curses on ourselves as happened to Michal.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why do you think that many of our members attend church services late? Is it a result of the generally poor attitude of the Ghanaian to time, referred to as ‘African punctuality’, or is it a reflection of our lack of zeal or enthusiasm about prayers and singing?
An ordinary church service has about four main parts – the singing and prayers, the sermon, worshipping with our substance and the notices. Which of these do you think should engage the attention of worshipper most and why?
How can we combine reverence and the free expression of ourselves in our worship services?
Why do you think that the level of church attendance is a better reflection of the spiritual growth of a church than its membership roll?
‘Soul Music’ may be described as a song or an act of worship which arises from the depth of one’s soul. How can we encourage soul singing worship in our church services?

BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
a. David said, ‘Zeal for your house has consumed me’ (Ps. 69;9). Reflect on your attitude towards church attendance and worship in general. How does your attitude compare to that of David?
b. Michal received a curse because of her attitude during a ‘worship services’ How has your attitude been towards other worshippers in church services?
An ordinary church service has about four main parts – the singing and prayers, the sermon, worshipping with our substance and the notices. Which of these do you think should engage the attention of worshipper most and why?
How can we combine reverence and the free expression of ourselves in our worship services?
Why do you think that the level of church attendance is a better reflection of the spiritual growth of a church than its membership roll?
‘Soul Music’ may be described as a song or an act of worship which arises from the depth of one’s soul. How can we encourage soul singing or soul worship in our church services?
BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
a. David said, ‘Zeal for your house has consumed me’ (Ps. 69:9). Reflect on your attitude towards church attendance and worship in general. How does your attitude compare to that of David
b. Michal received a curse because of her attitude during a ‘worship service’ How has you attitude been towards other worshippers in church services?

c. Confess any of the above or other negative attitudes and seek the Holy Spirit’s help to worship God in spirit and truth from henceforth.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Psalm 95:1-8 Bow Down in Worship
Tuesday Psalm 96:1-9 Tremble Before the Lord
Wednesday Psalm 98:1-6 Sing a New Song to the Lord
Thursday Psalm 98:4-9 Shout Unto the Lord
Friday I Chronicles 29:10-13 David Praised the Lord
Saturday Psalm 66:1-6 God’s Awesomeness