lesson 4 - expressing worship biblically

8/2/2019 Lesson 4 - Expressing Worship Biblically

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Lesson 4 Expressing Worship Biblically - Overcoming Hindrances toWorship

Last lesson, we discussed coming into the presence of the holy God,and compared this to entering into the various courts of the Biblical

temple. We know that we can come boldly or confidently before thethrone of grace (Hebrews 4:16), but we also know that we should becareful in the presence of the greatest of all kings.

Outward Expressions of Worship Found in ScriptureTo help us keep out of trouble, here is a listing of outward expressions ofworship.

Singing -

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day. It is good to givethanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most

High; (Psalm 92:1) I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise tomy God while I have my being. (Psalm 104:33)

Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them singpraises to Him with timbrel and lyre. Psalm 149:3

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Isanyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. (James 5:13)

Clapping

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. O clapyour hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. Psalm

47:1) "For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace;The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joybefore you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.(Isaiah 55:12)

Dancing

And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might,and David was wearing a linen ephod. (2 Samuel 6:14)

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; Youhave loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, (Psalm30:11)

Shouting

Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.(Psalm 33:3)

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For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. O clapyour hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psalm47:1)

For the choir director. A Song. A Psalm. Shout joyfully toGod, all the earth; (Psalm 66:1)

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfullyto the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence withthanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Psalm95:1-2)

Lifting Hands

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You forhelp, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Psalm28:2)

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips willpraise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my

hands in Your name. (Psalm 63:3-4) Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips willpraise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up myhands in Your name. (Psalm 63:3-4)

Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD.(Psalm 134:2)

Kneeling, Bowing

"But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egyptwith great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall

fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him youshall sacrifice. (2Kings 17:36)

And let all kings bow down before him, All nations servehim. (Psalm 72:11)

Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before theLORD our Maker. (Psalm 95:6)

Laying Prostrate

As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainyday, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Suchwas the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And

when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.(Ezekiel 1:28)

So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the gloryof the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by theriver Chebar, and I fell on my face. (Ezekiel 3:23)

While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a mancovered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face

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and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can makeme clean." (Luke 5:12)

and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. Andhe was a Samaritan. (Luke 17:16)

Playing Musical Instruments Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel werecelebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made offir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets andcymbals. (2 Samuel 6:5)

Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appointtheir relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres,loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. (1 Chronicles15:16)

When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all thepriests who were present had sanctified themselves, without

regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman,Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, withcymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and withthem one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unisonwhen the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselvesheard with one voice to praise and to glorify the LORD, and whenthey lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbalsand instruments of music, and when they praised the LORDsaying, "He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,"then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, sothat the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud,

for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (2 Chronicles5:11-14)

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him withstringed instruments and pipe. (Psalm 150:4)

"The LORD will surely save me; So we will play my songs onstringed instruments All the days of our life at the house of theLORD." (Isaiah 38:20)

New Songs (7 times in Psalms)

Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm

33:3) He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many

will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:3)

Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of theearth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands,and those who dwell on them. (Isaiah 42:10)

Rev 5:9 and14:3 both mention heaven's citizens singing a new songto God.

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Great Example of Worship:When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests whowere present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions),and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons

and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres,standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twentypriests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singerswere to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorifythe LORD, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpetsand cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the LORDsaying, "He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting," thenthe house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that thepriests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory ofthe LORD filled the house of God.(2 Chronicles 5:11-14)

Limitations on Worship

1 Corinthians 14:40 states But all things must be done properly and inan orderly manner. Or as the KJV puts it decently and in order. Somethings just are not proper or fitting as forms of worship. Examples are:

Wrong Practices

Snake-handling and drinking poison. These practices come fromtaking Mark 16:17,18 out of context. People handle poisonous snakes

and/or drink poison to show that they are true followers of Jesus.Aside from the serious physical dangers involved, there is a real issuewith spiritual pride here.

Not taking turns. Multiple people speaking at once or interruptingeach other is just plain rude. And confusing (1 Corinthians 14:27-33)

Wrong Motives

Worshipping in order to be seen by others (Matthew 6:1)

Going through the motions. (Isaiah 29:13-14)

Hindrances to Worship

1. A Lack of Knowledge2. Pride3. An Independent Attitude4. Critical Attitude5. Apathy6. Legalism

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7. Worldliness8. Unforgiveness9. Busyness

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lesson 4 - expressing worship biblically

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