`What is Christian Worship?’ Series: What Does the Bible Teach About Worship?
A few initial thoughts to get us thinking: there is no formal definition of “worship” in the Bible. The word comes from two old-English words which can be translated as WORTH-SHIP. When we worship, we are saying that God is worthy (1 Peter 2.9)
There are two major words in the Bible which help us to understand worship:
To bow down/kneel - an act of respect and submission. It’s as if we are saying to God, “I am ready to listen; I am ready to obey”
To serve – to do something for God
So worship is about giving praise upwards; receiving instructions from above; and carrying out those instructions in the world around us. All three types of worship are essential if we are to truly live for Christ.
We can worship on our own, but God has put us in community and together we are to declare that he is worth all honour and praise. And when we do meet together, God promises to be there with us.
Music/singing has an important role to play, but worship is far more than this. It is about our entire relationship with God – heart, soul, mind and strength.
So when we meet, we should ask ourselves three questions for it to be authentic worship:
Does it glorify God?
Does it build up the body of Christ?
Does it have practical results in our daily lives?
You might like, as a group, to reflect on the above (do you agree with it?) before moving on to the two passages we have been asked to study.
READ Psalm 29 – attributed to David, the Psalm repeats the name of the LORD 18 times and uses the phrase “the voice of the LORD” 7 times. The Psalm itself is pure worship. Some scholars note that in the early church this Psalm was often read to children or to an entire congregation during storms.
The command to worship the LORD
Q. Who do you think are the “mighty ones”? (Verse 1)
Q. What are we called to “give” to the LORD? (Verse 2)
The awesome voice of the LORD
Q. What do we learn here about the voice of the LORD? (Verses 3-4)
Q. How does the LORD’s voice speak over creation? (Verses 5-6)
The LORD as the reigning king
Q. What does it mean when we say the LORD is our King? (Verse 10)
Q. How does the LORD bless us? (Verse 11)
READ 2 Chronicles 5 verses 2-14
Completing the temple in Jerusalem was probably Solomon’s greatest achievement – a project he began shortly after he came to the throne. Although his father, David, did not build the temple he clearly designed and made some of the temple’s furnishings.
Q. Why do you think Solomon wanted representatives of the entire kingdom to have a part in bringing the ark of the covenant into the temple? (Verse 3-4)
Q. Why do you think Solomon sacrificed so many sheep “that they could not be counted”? (Verse 6-10)
The temple was not “open” until the ark was set up in the Most Holy Place. The statement that “they are still there today” must have been quoted by Ezra from his sources, written before the destruction of the temple in 586BC.
At an earlier point in Israel’s history the ark contained 3 items – What were the two “missing” items? (Exodus 16.33 & Numbers 17.6-11). What happened to them we will never know.
Q. What is the significance of the reminder of the deliverance from Egypt?
Q. What is the significance of these verses? (Verses 11-12)
The cloud was the “cloud of glory”, sometimes called the cloud of Shekinah glory. Is it possible to define the “glory of God”? (Verse 13-14)
The cloud played an important role in Israel’s history. Look up the following references: Exodus 13.21-22; Exodus 16.10; Exodus 19.9; 24.15-18; Numbers 11.25; Numbers 12.5; Numbers 16.42; Exodus 33.9-10; Leviticus 16.2; Ezekiel 10.4; Luke 1.35; Luke 9.34-35; Acts 1.9; Luke 21.27; Revelation 1.7
NOTE TO LEADER – if you are going to look up these verses it would be advisable to have each reference written out and given to individuals so that it is not too lengthy a process.
This great outpouring of God’s glory came in the context of dedicated worship. What do you make of Spurgeon’s comment: “We can never expect to have God in this house, or in our own houses, or in our own hearts, unless we begin to praise him. Unless as a people we unanimously, with one heart … extol the King of kings, farewell to the hope that he will give us his presence in the future.”
PRAYER
For our time of worship next Sunday; for everyone involved, including the many who work behind the scenes to make our worship possible
For those who preach that we may hear God speaking through them to us
For ourselves that we may truly meet with the living God
We have a wide variety of services on a Sunday – pray for wisdom as to how we might all come together as one from time to time
The following notes are intended for housegroup leaders but are available to all. They are not intended to be the “right answers” but are there to promote further discussion
Psalm 29
The command to worship the LORD
Verse 1. Q. Who do you think are the “mighty ones”?
Is it those who see themselves as mighty on earth? Despite their standing in the world they should still see they have an obligation to the LORD God (Isaiah 42.8). The phrase is used elsewhere to speak of angels/heavenly beings but here it seems to refer to humans.
Verse 2. Q. What are we called to “give” to the LORD?
It is a call to recognize the character and nature of the God of Israel. We need to bow in humble recognition of his greatness, beauty and holiness. The Hebrew for “bow down” = a subordination of our wills and minds. We do not give God anything that he does not already have.
The awesome voice of the LORD
Verses 3,4. Q. What do we learn here about the voice of the LORD?
It speaks of the strength and authority of God. The idea that God thunders may well have been promoted by David witnessing a great storm, and associating it with the voice of God (cf Exodus 9.28 & 19.16; Job 40.9). Scientists have calculated that a typical thunderstorm (not as great as the one described by David) releases some 10,000,000 kilo-watt hours of energy = the equivalent of a 20-kiloton nuclear warhead!
The ancient Hebrews were not really a seafaring people and they saw the “many waters” of the sea as dangerous and foreboding. The ancient Canaanites worshipped Yam (god of the sea) and Baal (god of fertility and thunder) yet David recognizes that the God of Israel was the real Master over many waters.
Verses 5-9. Q. How does the LORD’s voice speak over creation?
The cedars of Lebanon were known for their strength and size, yet the LORD’s voice splinters these mighty trees. Did David see lightning strike and shatter such a tree? For David what he could see around him was but an illustration of the power and effect of God’s word. Thunder and lightning may give a sense of awe, but at the temple in Jerusalem the people tremble in awe of their great God and proclaim “Glory!”
Does God’s voice sound to you like thunder – or is it just like the drop of a pin, hardly noticed? Perhaps we need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit to warm our hearts and make them open to God’s voice?
The LORD as the reigning King
Verse 10. Q. What does it mean when we say the LORD is our King?
Did David witness a flood as a result of the storm? The flood takes us back to the Genesis account where God showed his power and authority. He was King and Judge at that time – and he is still King and Judge today.
Verse 11. Q. How does the LORD bless us?
God’s power may come as a destructive storm upon creation and those who rebel against him, but as God’s people we can be confident that he will bless us with peace (what kind of peace?)
(Please also see) 2 Chronicles 5 verses 2-14
Q. What is the significance of the reminder of the deliverance from Egypt?
There is a sense in which this event, some 500 years after the Exodus from Egypt – is the culmination of that event. The Israelites spent many years in the wilderness, living in tents, worshipping with a tented tabernacle. Now, the dwelling place of God was a building, a symbol of permanence and security. Is this how we see our own church buildings, especially St Giles’ with its long history over many centuries?
Verses 11-12. Q. What is the significance of these verses?
Rightly the worship on that day was focused on the LORD and not the king. This was indeed the LORD’s house, not that of any human king.
It is worth discussing whether our worship on a Sunday always focusses on the LORD and not on individuals who are leading the service and preaching.