Worshipping the Lord

Worshipping the Lord

‘Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. His greatness is beyond understanding’. Let us worship our great God: ‘I will exalt You, my God the King. I will praise Your Name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your Name for ever and ever’ (Psalm 145:1-3). The God whom we worship is so much greater than the worship we bring to Him. Our worship is to be a ‘joyful celebration.’ We celebrate His great love: ‘The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.’ We rejoice in His great faithfulness: ‘The Lord is faithful to all His promises.’ Here on earth, we have only begun to worship our great God. Our worship will continue in His ‘everlasting Kingdom.’ There, we will ‘praise His Name for ever and ever’ (Psalm 145:7-8, 13, 21).

Receiving strength from the Lord

By the grace of God we are called to salvation – ‘saved through faith’ – , sanctification – ‘for good works’ – , and service – ‘according to the gift of God’s grace… by the working of His power’, we are enabled ‘to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Ephesians 2:8-10; 3:7-8). When we consider all this, we say in our hearts, ‘To God be the glory’! (Ephesians 3:21). We are ‘strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner being’so that we might live as those who are saved, sanctified and serving. Even when we are deeply conscious of our own great weakness, we draw encouragement from this: God is ‘able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us’ (Ephesians 3:16, 20). We grow in grace as we share in fellowship – ‘eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit’ (Ephesians 4:3).

Doing the will of the Lord

‘May the Lord do what seems good to Him’ (2 Samuel 10:12). This is the attitude we ought to have. This is the ideal: ‘Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven’; ‘Not as I will, but as You will’ (Matthew 6:10; 26:39). Often, we do not live up to the ideal – ‘the thing that David had done displeased the Lord’ (2 Samuel 11:27). Throughout life, there are choices between our own will and the will of the Lord. Sometimes, we make wrong choices. We choose our own way rather than the Lord’s way. Throughout life, God is speaking to us. He is trying to get our attention. He wants it to be less of self and more of Him. He is leading us to say from the heart, ‘As for God, His way is perfect’ (2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30). May we have this testimony: ‘I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God’ (Psalm 18:21).

God is holy. God is love. Let’s worship Him with joy.

God is holy. God is love. Let’s worship Him with joy.

‘Exalt the Lord our God… Make a joyful noise to the Lord’ (Psalm 99:5, 9; Psalm 98:4, 6; Psalm 100:1). We are to worship the Lord with joy. We are to glorify God. We are to enjoy Him. In our worship, we must never forget the holiness of God: ‘He is holy! … The Lord our God is holy!’ (Psalm 99:5, 9). In our worship, we rejoice in the love of God: ‘His steadfast love endures for ever… He has done marvellous things!’ (Psalm 100:5; Psalm 98:1). The God of ‘awesome purity’ loves us with the most perfect love of all: ‘No earthly father loves like Thee…’. Let us worship Him with holy fear and heartfelt love: ‘O how I fear Thee, living God, with deepest, tenderest fears… with trembling hope and penitential tears! Yet I may love Thee too, O Lord, Almighty as Thou art, for Thou hast stooped to ask of me the love of my poor heart’ (Church Hymnary, 356).

Let’s worship the Lord. Let’s walk with Him.

‘I will sing of Your love… I will walk with integrity of heart…’ (Psalm 101:1-2). These words were written many centuries ago. ‘Things are very different now’- so we’re told! Worshipping the Lord and walking with Him: Are these things out-of-date now? Are they to be forgotten? So many people have no time for the Lord. They feel that they can do without Him. They refuse to worship Him. They do not walk with Him. In our ever-changing world, there is something we must never forget: The Lord is ‘enthroned for ever.’ His ‘Name endures to all generations.’ In all the changes of life, the Lord ‘remains the same.’ His ‘years go on through all generations’. His ‘years will never end’ (Psalm 102:12, 24, 27). These words were ‘written for a future generation.’ They were written for us. We must not forget to ‘praise the Lord’ (Psalm 102:18)!

God’s Love, God’s Son, God’s Command, God’s Purpose

‘When the Holy Spirit comes on you… you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). This great advance of the Gospel – Salvation reaches ‘the Gentiles’ (Acts 10:45; 11:1, 18) – is a movement of ‘the Spirit’ (Acts 11:12). The Spirit speaks through the Word (10:44; 11:15). In God’s Word, we read of (a) God’s love for the whole world (John 3:16); (b) God’s Son who died for ‘the sins of the whole world’ (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2); (c) God’s command that ‘the Good News’ should be preached to ‘everyone’(Mark 16:15); (d) God’s purpose that there should be disciples of Christ in every nation (Matthew 28:19). ‘Every person in every nation, in each succeeding generation, has the right to hear the News that Christ can save… Here am I, send me’ (Youth Praise, 128). ‘Go forth and tell!’(Mission Praise, 178).

 

 

God Loves Every One Of Us.

1 Chronicles 6:1-60
The names tell a story – the story of what God is doing among His people. They speak of the faithfulness of God. He loves every one of these people. He loves every one of us. We forget the names. God doesn’t. Everyone is important to Him. We rejoice in ‘the great love of God’. We rejoice in Christ ‘who came to this earth to redeem every one’. In the many names, forgotten by us yet remembered by God, we hear the message, ‘God is love’. Among the many names, we read of those who ‘ministered with song’. We read of ‘the service of song in the house of the Lord’. God is calling us to worship Him: ‘Sing aloud, loud, loud! Sing aloud, loud, loud! God is good! God is truth! God is beauty! Praise Him!’(31-32; Church Hymnary, 415-416).

Give Joyfully, Generously And Wholeheartedly.

1 Chronicles 29:6-30
The Temple of the Lord did not come easily. It had to be built. This involved God’s people in much sacrificial giving. This was a great challenge. The Lord’s people rose to the challenge. They gave to the Lord- joyfully, generously and wholeheartedly (9). This giving was an expression of their worship. They were saying to the Lord, ‘Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty’(10). Worshipping the Lord like this transforms our giving. It is no longer a legalistic burden – “Why do I have to give so much?” It becomes our joyful privilege. Our giving becomes thanksgiving. We thank the Lord for all that He has done for us. Let us give ‘with great gladness’- ‘Our God, we thank You… Everything comes from You. We give only what has come from Your hands’(22, 13-14).

Our Meditation On God’s Word Is To Be Accompanied By Obedience To His Word.

1 Chronicles 15:16-16:6
David called God’s people to worship. They were ‘to raise sounds of joy’, praising the Lord with ‘loud music’. David did not leave it to others. He gave the lead. Along with all the others, he was there, ‘dancing and making merry’. He was a true spiritual leader. He ‘blessed the people in the Name of the Lord’. He called upon the people to ‘praise the Lord’(16,28-29,2,4). God calls us to worship Him continually’(6). May God help us to be the kind of people who take ‘delight in the Word of the Lord, meditating on His Word day and night’(Psalm 1:2). Our meditation on God’s Word is to be accompanied by obedience to His Word – ‘be careful to do according to all that is written in it’(Joshua 1:8). This is the true ‘spiritual worship’ God is looking for – the dedication of our lives to Him (Romans 12:1).

God Is Calling Us Back To Himself.

Zephaniah 1:1-2:7

‘The great Day of the Lord is near – near and coming quickly… That Day will be a Day of wrath… I will bring distress upon the people… because they have sinned against the Lord’(1:14-17). This is God’s Word of warning. He is calling us back to Himself: ‘Seek the Lord – before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the Day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you’. We are to seek the Lord in ‘righteousness’ and ‘humility’. This is the way of being ‘sheltered on the Day of the Lord’s anger’(2:2-3). God is calling us to ‘worship Him in Spirit and in truth’: ‘Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer’(John 4:24; Romans 12:1).

Zephaniah 2:8-3:20

Here, we have a story of sin – Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She has not obeyed His voice. She has not accepted correction. She has not trusted in the Lord. She has not drawn near to her God’- and a story of salvation – ‘Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment. He has turned back your enemy… The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will renew you in His love. He will rejoice over you with singing’(3:1-2,14-17). The story of our sin is full of sadness. The story of God’s salvation fills us with gladness – ‘Rejoice and be glad! The Redeemer has come’(Mission Praise, 573).

Worshipping The Lord, Walking In His Ways And Being His Witnesses

Micah 1:1-2:13
Micah was a fearless preacher of God’s Word. His message was not popular: ‘Let the Lord God be a witness against you’. He was a forthright preacher of God’s Word. He knew that the people wouldn’t want to hear what he had to say to them. He demanded that they listen to him. This wasn’t only Micah’s word. It was the Word of the Lord. That’s why Micah said, ‘Hear, O people, all of you. Listen, O earth and all who are in it’(2:2). We cannot afford to ignore the Word of the Lord. We must listen to His Word. He speaks His Word against us. He says, ‘You cannot save yourselves’(2:3). He speaks His Word against us so that we might learn to rejoice in His Word of salvation: ‘I will bring you together like sheep returning to the fold’(2:12).

Micah 3:1-5:1
Micah speaks to those ‘who hate good and love evil’(3:2). He calls upon them to change their way of living. He calls upon them to worship the Lord – ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord’- and walk with Him – ‘We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever’. How do we learn to ‘walk in His paths’? We come to His ‘House’. We listen to His ‘Word’. We pray that His Word will come to us ‘with power’. We ask Him to ‘teach us His ways’. We pray that we will be ‘filled with the Spirit of the Lord’(4:2,5; 3:8). We worship the Lord in His House. Gathered in His House for worship, we ‘receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us’. Through His power, we are equipped for witness: ‘you will be My witnesses…’(Acts 1:8).

Worship is more than words.

Our worship is to be more than mere words. We worship God when we bring our offerings to Him. God’s people brought ‘the tithe’ (tenth) to Him (Nehemiah 10:37). We meet with the Lord when we worship in His House: ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven’. Through our giving – ‘Of all that You give me I will give You the tenth’ – , let us express our commitment to the Lord – ‘the Lord will be my God’ (Genesis 28:17,21-22).

Gathered for worship, we are instructed by the Word and strengthened by the Spirit

The Spirit of God is moving over the face of the people of God gathered for worship (Numbers 10:11; Genesis 1:2). Through the Word, the Spirit draws our attention to the Lord who has promised good to us (Numbers 10:29). Instructed by the Word and strengthened by the Spirit, we ‘journey’ with God (Numbers 10:33). We are moving on with God, looking forward to the fulfilment of His good purpose.

What happens when God’s people gather together?

What happens when God’s people ‘gather together’ (Nehemiah 8:1)? – (a) We hear the Word of the Lord(Nehemiah 8:2-3,8). We come to the Lord’s House, seeking a fresh understanding of His Word. We look to the Lord, speaking through His Word, to fill us ‘with great joy’ (Nehemiah 8:12). (b) We thank God for His Son, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Nehemiah 8:13-18). In ‘the feast of the seventh month’, ‘the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles’, God’s people remembered how much He had done for them (Leviticus 23:34,42). In the Lord’s Supper, we remember that Christ died for our sins  (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). (c) We dedicate our lives to the Lord (Nehemiah 9:2). ‘Do not be conformed to this world’. ‘Be transformed’ by God’s Word (Romans 12:2). (d) We worship the Lord (Nehemiah 9:5). Let us ‘praise the Lord our God…’.

Our sins are great. The love of God is even greater.

Nehemiah 8:1-9:5
What happens when God’s people ‘gather together’(8:1)? – (a) We hear the Word of the Lord (8:2-3,8). We come to the Lord’s House, seeking a fresh understanding of His Word. We look to the Lord, speaking through His Word, to fill us ‘with great joy’(8:12). (b) We thank God for His Son, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ(8:13-18). In ‘the feast of the seventh month’, ‘the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles’, God’s people remembered how much He had done for them (Leviticus 23:34,42). In the Lord’s Supper, we remember that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). (c) We dedicate our lives to the Lord(9:2). ‘Do not be conformed to this world’. ‘Be transformed’ by God’s Word (Romans 12:2). (d) We worship the Lord(9:5). Let us ‘praise the Lord our God…’.

Nehemiah 9:6-38
At the heart of Ezra’s prayer, there is a tremendous description of God: ‘You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love’(17). This is ‘our God’. ‘Our sins’ are great. The love of God is even greater. We look at ‘our sins’, and we feel that everything is hopeless. We look to ‘our God’, and everything changes. We see Him as the ‘gracious and merciful God’, and we are filled with hope. Our life need not be controlled by ‘our sins’. It can be changed by ‘our God’(31-32,37). Our God ‘delights in steadfast love’. He ‘will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea’(Micah 7:18-19). How do we know that God loves us? – ‘Christ died for our sins’. Bring your sins to Jesus, and let ‘His blood cleanse you from all sin’(1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 1:7).

God remembers us “according to the greatness of His steadfast love.”

Nehemiah 10:1-39
God is calling us to commit our lives to Him. At the heart of our commitment to the Lord, there must be worship: ‘We will not neglect the House of our God’(39). ‘Worship God’(Revelation 19:10). This is our reason for coming to the Lord’s House. We come to worship Him. Our worship is to be more than mere words. We worship God when we bring our offerings to Him. God’s people brought ‘the tithe’(tenth) to Him (37). We meet with the Lord when we worship in His House: ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven’. Through our giving – ‘Of all that You give me I will give You the tenth’- , let us express our commitment to the Lord – ‘the Lord will be my God’(Genesis 28:17,21-22).

Nehemiah 11:1-12:30
Like the walls of Jerusalem, our lives lay in ruins until Christ puts us together again. In Christ, our lives have been rebuilt. Now, we can ‘celebrate’. We can worship the Lord ‘with gladness’(12:27). We are to build our lives upon Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). This will not be easy. Our faith will be put to the test. Often, we will be tempted to take our eyes off Christ. We must keep our eyes on Him. He is the solid Rock upon which we must build (Matthew 7:24-27). Again and again, we must make our choice. We must choose Christ. We must choose to be ‘holy’. This is the choice which is ‘blessed’ by the Lord. ‘Many’ choose the ‘other’ way, the way of self. We must choose the way of the ‘few’, the way of Christ, the way of holiness and blessing (11:1-2; Matthew 7:13-14).

Nehemiah 12:31-13:31
God’s people sang ‘songs of praise and thanksgiving to God’. Where does the song of praise come from? – It comes from the Lord: ‘God had given them great joy’(46,43). Often, we seek our joy in other people and other things. We forget the Source of true joy – the Lord our God. God sees our self-centred way of life. He asks us to think about the way we’re living: ‘Why is the House of God forsaken?’(11). We have forgotten Him. Have we any right to expect Him to remember us? Time and time again, we have failed Him. Our many sins have given Him plenty of reasons for turning His back on us. Does He turn His back on us? No! He remembers us ‘according to the greatness of His steadfast love’(22) – He sent His Son to die for us. Let His great love fill you with great joy.

We cannot expect to be fruitful witnesses if we are not faithful worshippers.

Genesis 35:1-15
‘God appeared to Jacob again… and blessed him’(9). The Lord’s blessing does not come only once. Again and again, He blesses His people, leading us on to a closer walk with Him. God knows what we have been – ‘Your name is Jacob’(10). He knows how often we have failed Him, yet still, He loves us. Still, He holds out before us a new and better future – ‘Israel shall be your name’(10). God is inviting us to enter into a future of fruitfulness (11): ‘I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that you fruit should abide’(John 15:16). Special mention is made of ‘the place where God had spoken with him’- ‘Bethel’(the house of God) (15). We cannot expect to be fruitful witnesses if we are not faithful worshippers. Listen for God’s Word. Take His Word with you – and share it with others.

The pathway to holiness: “By grace you have been saved … for good works.”

Leviticus 20:1-27
The life of holiness is not an expression of our own moral virtue. It is an expression of the holy character of God being reproduced in us: ‘I am the Lord who sanctify you’ (8). God wants us for Himself – This is why we must not live the world’s way: ‘I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine’ (26). God has a great purpose for us: ‘You shall inherit their land… I will give it to you, a land flowing with milk and honey’ (24). ‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies… my cup overflows’ (Psalm 23:5). ‘The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly… in Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 1:14). This is the pathway to holiness: ‘By grace you have been saved through faith… for good works’ (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Leviticus 21:1-22:16
We are sanctified by the Lord (21:8,15,23; 22:9,16). It is His doing – God’s call to holiness is founded in His gift of holiness: ‘the Holy Spirit…has been given to us’ (Romans 5:5) – ‘every virtue we possess… every victory won… every thought of holiness, are His alone’ (Church Hymnary, 336). When we are so conscious of our own weakness, God says, ‘I am the Lord’ (21:12; 22:2-3,8). He is more than sufficient for our justification, sanctification and glorification. Between our justification (the forgiveness of our sins) and our glorification (heaven) there is our sanctification (‘conformed to the image of His Son’). This is God’s doing. From beginning to end, it is the work of God (Romans 8:28-29). We lack faith, we lack holiness, we lack perseverance: In this we rejoice – ‘Salvation is of the Lord’ (Jonah 2:9).

Leviticus 22:17-23:44
God says, ‘I am the Lord’ (22:30-33): Let Him be ‘your God’ (23:14,22,28,40,43,). We are to ‘worship in Spirit and in truth’ – ‘in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day’ (John 4:24; Revelation 1:10) When Christ died – This was the day of atonement. We worship Him, ‘our Passover Lamb’ (22:28; Exodus 12:13; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8). After ‘fifty days’ came the Day of Pentecost – What a day that was (Acts 2:4,16-21,41)! Bring ‘the first fruits of your harvest’ (9): ‘What can I give Him? – my heart’ (Church Hymnary, 178). Blow the trumpet (23:23; Joel 2:1,15) – It must be a ‘clear call’: ‘Get ready for battle’ (1 Corinthians 14:8). On the ‘day of worship’ (3), God is preparing us for the rest of the week: ‘Be strong in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:12). Pray for the ‘fire’ of God (8,18,25,27,36-37; Acts 2:3-4).

Before we ask, “How can I serve the Lord?”, we must ask, “What must I do to be saved?”

Leviticus 24:1-25:24
‘Pure’ worship is to be offered ‘continually’: This is what God is looking for (1-8). ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?’: No-one else but Christ – He alone ‘has clean hands and a pure heart’, He alone ‘will receive blessing from the Lord’ (Psalm 24:3-5). Our worship is offered to God – in Christ… to the praise of His glorious grace’ (Ephesians 1:3,6). This is our worship, this is our joy – We have been reconciled to God ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 5:11). The ‘jubilee’ – ‘fiftieth year’ (25:11): Half a century is such a short time in the light of eternity (James 4:14). God has been good to us. How have we lived? How much do we love God? How much have we loved one another? Rededicate yourself to ‘the Lord your God’ (25:17).

Leviticus 25:25-55
Moral conduct is to be grounded in divine redemption. Throughout the detailed ethical instructions, there is the recurrent emphasis on God’s salvation: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt (Salvation) to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God (Sanctification)… For to Me the people of Israel are servants (Service) whom I have brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God’ (38,55). Salvation; Sanctification; Service. We do not begin with the questions, ‘How can I live a godly life? How can I serve the Lord?’ We begin with the question, ‘What must I do to be saved?’. God’s answer is clear: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus …` (Acts 16:31).