The Bethany Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, had a strange lawsuit on its hands. One of the church’s deacons blamed the church for a herniated disc in his back. He claimed the back injury occurred when he was assisting a fellow church member who became “overly excited during the sermon.”
Could such an accusation be made at your church? Do you get excited about going to church? Does worshipping God put a smile on your face and pep in your step, or does it give you the blues?
The Worship Instruction Manual
The book of Psalms is like a worship instruction manual. Martin Luther made the statement, “The Psalms are a little Bible, wherein everything contained in the entire Bible is beautifully and briefly comprehended.” (Luther, p. 254)
The Psalms are a prime source of learning about God, His will for the world and life lived under His claim. Some believe they originated as liturgical material. Others believe they were the hymnbook or prayer book of the first or second Jewish temple. Still others viewed the Psalms as an instruction manual for theological study of the divine order of salvation. Most would agree the greatest benefits of the Psalms lie in their definition of worship and their clear picture of God the Father and Christ the Son as the Objects of worship.
Here are three examples from the Psalms of what true worship looks like:
- True Worship is Delighting in God’s Word (Psalm 1:1–2)
To delight is to take great pleasure in someone or something. I delight in my wife. I take pleasure in being with and sharing life with her. A person who delights in God’s Word walks, stands, and sits differently. He or she does it on a daily basis with intentionality. Whatever is the focus of our delight, it is a reminder to us of how much more we ought to delight in the Lord and His Word!
- True Worship is the Celebration of God’s Character and Work (Psalm 100)
True worship is coming before the Lord with the joy of praise and thanksgiving in our hearts. This begs the question, what do we do when we don’t feel like praising God? In the book, The Crisis in the University, Walter Moberly challenged Christians, “If one-tenth of what you believe is true, you ought to be ten times as excited as you are.” Regardless of our feelings about different expressions of worship, our attitude in worship tells God how we really feel about His character and work.
David often expressed his burdens in the Psalms. But as he began to talk to God about his struggles, the burdens would lift and he would conclude with praise! The idea here is to come as we are and to focus on who God is. This leads to a joyful spirit and gladness! The benefits of this kind of worship are twofold: 1. We strengthen and encourage each other in the faith. 2. Our praise becomes a witness to unbelievers.
- True Worship is Looking for the Coming Messiah (Psalm 110:1–2)
When Jesus came, He stepped into the pain and brokenness of this world and sang the Psalms with His people. But Jesus not only sung the Psalms; He was the King who the Psalms were ultimately about. True worship looks for Jesus. Without Him, our worship is meaningless.
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Thomas Ken (1674)
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen!
Article by Dr. L.W. Edwards
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