09WK13 EXPERIENCING GROWTH THROUGH WORSHIP -1

EXPERIENCEING GROWTH THROUGH WORSHIP-1
KEY VERSE: Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

SCRIPTURE READING- Psalm 95:1-8A
Psalm 95: 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

3 For the LORD is the great God, the great king above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us keel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did at meribah, as you did that day at massah.

INTRODUCTION: What is Worship?
Worship is the dramatic celebration of God in his supreme worth in such a manner that his worthiness becomes the norm and inspiration of human living. It is the adoring contemplation of God as he has made himself known in the Lord Jesus Christ and his word. Both Old and New Testament primary terms for worship has the underlying meaning, to bow down in homage. Both give images of bowing down toward… of looking toward the object of worship and overcome by wonder at his person and attributes, expressing our awe and praise I our posture.
In worship, therefore our concentration and attention should focus on the Lord Himself. Indeed when we worship, we take our eyes from ourselves, needs, and even the answers we have already received. We concentrate only on the Lord, on his unchanging and eternal qualities- his power, love, faithfulness, etc. For in worship, we offer ourselves to him (cf. Ro. 12;1-2). We worship God because worship, truly and rightly belongs to him. He alone deserves worship!
However, Worship is also a dialogue in which God and his people speak with one another. We listen as God speaks to us in scripture, as the word is preached. And we speak to him as we pray and sing.

When we gather for worship we desire to discern God’s will so that we may carry it out in daily life. To worship is to acknowledge God’s worth in acts of praise as well as in daily life; through worship we draw closer to God and find enrichment.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the basic elements of the worship service and their use. Each of them has a specific and important function. Knowledge of them will enable us to use them appropriately in the worship service to enhance our worship and personal growth.

WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP?
The essence of worship is that, it glorifies God and edifies the worshippers. This statement implies a deep and intimate communion between God and man. Jesus described it in His encounter with the Samaritan woman. He said… a time is coming, and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit; and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:23-24).


This is the highest level of worship. It is experienced when the Spirit of God touches the spirit of man and the Word of God is studied and obeyed. The worship experience of the early Christians in Jerusalem was deep and lasting. It was based on a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and the experience of the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:1-4,41-47). The Holy Spirit was present, he made their worship meaningful. They also gave themselves to the Word of God (Ac 2:42). It was worship in spirit and truth. True worship should always have these characteristics. When Christians worship on this level, there is simplicity, unity and growth.

II WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF WORSHIP?
There are no clear instructions in scripture for the leading of worship, nor is there an agreed formula for all churches. However there are a number of concerns which are important in worship:

Call to Worship
The purpose of the call to worship is to focus the attention of the worshiper on God and ask his blessing on the service. Scripture passage like Psalm 95:
May be used: come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the lord our Maker; For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Sometimes the call to worship is sung by the choir. It is also appropriate for the minister to offer a prayer of invocation as part of the call to worship. This prayer is a request for God to bless the service with his presence. These three aspect are used separately or together. Whichever is used, the call to worship should always be brief, well planned, and to the point.
Music
Hymns and Choruses play an important role as an aid to worship, by putting us in the right frame of mind and heart. It prepares and adjusts our minds and spirits in our approach to God.

Generally, music can influence the way we feel, work on our emotions and even change the way we act, In the New Testament we are commanded to sing unto the Lord (Eph.5: 19; Col. 3:16,17). God wants us to praise him in song because he is worthy of our praise and worship and because singing lifts us up spiritually if properly used. The purpose of music in worship therefore is not to make a background noise or rest from a sustained time of prayer nor simply to wake us up when we feel sleepy in a church service. Rather it is:

To prepare the people to receive the Word of God and
To give them opportunity for expressions of worship.

In worship then, it is important that we understand the type of song being sang so that we can lock into the meaning and feel of it. For in worship we sing not just to enjoy the melody but to commune with our Lord. Too often however, we miss this avenue of worship because while some of us feel that our voices lack quality (abokyi voice) and so do not like singing very much, others feel they have to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and joyful noise they really make! But songs of worship are not just joyful noises. They are the worshippers songs of praise, adoration and deep communion with the Lord – their love song to him. Yes, in worship, we sing first to and for God. Thus



§ The hymns must be well chosen so that they build the theme of the service and enhance each of the different parts of the worship service, through both the meaning and feel of the hymns and choruses.
§ The song leader needs to be skilled in directing congregational singing so that he/she does not distract from the worship atmosphere.

MINISTRY OF THE WORD (READING OF SCRIPTURE AND SERMON)
The public reading of the Scripture is an important part of the worship service and must be done well as it prepares the way for the sermon delivery. The sermon is central in the worship service. It is God’s message to His people. The other elements of worship are God-directed; this element is man-directed. Both the preacher and church members need to understand that because it is the Word of God, it is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Ti 3:16).

Unfortunately, there are hose who come to church with interest mainly on the sermon; others come with interest in the singing and dancing, such that once we finish with these, they do not really participate in the rest of the service. However, it is important to give equal attention to both the singing and dancing and the bible Study and Sermon for all these are an interregnal part of the worship service. Sound Biblical instruction leads to good worship and good singing and dancing helps us to bring our whole being into worshipping the Lord None can stand alone; they belong to each other!



E. SILENCE IN WORSHIP
It is true that the bible calls us to respond to God in worship with a variety of responses – wholehearted clapping, singing dancing, etc. But it also presents an aspect of corporate worship we very often miss – the aspect of silence. Be still and know that I am God (Psa. 46:10). Often we find it difficult to be silent and tend to fill every space in the worship service with something other than silence. For example, the organist/instrumentalists continues to play in the background even whilst praying is going on. Sometimes one wonders whether the instrumentalists/organist do not have anything to say to God or to thank and praise him for, for they are often playing or singing whilst others are praying, interceding or thanking God. The silence of worship is equally important and valuable in the worship service. Sadly, many of us love to hear our own voices rather than that of God. Or are we afraid of what he might say to us or require of us and so hate to be silent and listen to him?

F. Worship and Obedience
Worship is never an end in itself, it should be related to other aspects of our lives. What leads on from true congregation or personal is lifestyle worship expressed in loving obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not been worship. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming a mere formality; an escape from the pressing needs of modern life (1 Co. 10:13; C 3:17; Ro 12:1). True worship must motivate us to live for God in daily living beyond the Sunday service. It should also motivate us to share the love of Jesus just as we have experienced in worship; worship must lead to holiness and service in mission (1 Ch. 16:8-9).



The greatest and most lasting joy of worship is that we get to know our loving Heavenly Father better. We can feel God’s presence in a special way when we keep his commandments. In fact, when we keep God’s commandments we live in union with him and he with us (1 Jn. 3:24). As we get to know the lord better we trust him more. We know that his faithfulness will never fail. We know that he has a plan for our lives and we can rest in the fact that he has everything under control. How wonderful to have the assurance that our future is in his hands here on earth and throughout all eternity (Ps 139:7-18).

G. Worship as a tool for evangelization
I Corinthians 14:22-25 shows that our worship services can be a major means of winning souls for Christ. The point here is that, when outsiders come to a Christian meeting, what will lead to their conversion is not necessarily seeing miraculous signs in action in the church but a presentation of the Gospel in words the visitor can understand. The same goes for our worship services. It is not the so called worship time with lots of singing and dancing that would bring about the conversion of an unbeliever but the whole worship atmosphere. Our worship services should be such that they edify the faithful and convince, affect, and convert unbelievers. The worship service is not intended to provide a platform for the display of spiritual gifts and abilities, but to save unbelievers and instruct and edify the saints.

H. Altar Call (reaching out to new comers and unbelievers)
Read Isaiah 6:1-8.
Identify the words or phrases that suggest the following aspects of worship:
(i) Praise and Adoration (ii) Renewal (iii) Confession (iv) Dedication or Commitment. Explain each one of them
2a. Identify the basic elements of the worship service and discuss their purposes.
b. Suggest how these could be improved to better the worship service of your local church.
3. According to the Lord Jesus Christ, a time is coming… when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23-24). What does it mean to worship the Father in spirit and in truth?
4. Worship is never an end in itself unrelated to other aspects of our lives. What leads on from congregational or personal worship is a lifestyle worship expressed in loving obedience. Discuss.
5. How can we use our worship services to bring unbelievers to Christ?
6. How can your church arrange the Announcements, Introductions of New Comer/Visitors and Renewal of Fellowship such that they follow after the spirit of your service?

BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
As you join other Christians in worship during the week, remember and apply the following exhortation by John Wesley: Sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than your self, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually, so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.





DAILY BIBLE READING
Monday John 4:19-26 The essence of worship
Tuesday Isaiah 6:1-8 Aspects of worship I
Wednesday 1 Timothy 2:1-10 Aspects of worship II
Thursday Psalm 100 The value of Music/Singing in worship
Friday 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Public Reading of Scripture/Preaching in worship
Saturday 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 Orderliness in worship