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100110 Expressing Our Worship
Tim Franklin
Introduction:
· We are starting this year looking at the mission statement for our church.
· Our mission is:
o Expressing Our Worship
o Equipping the Saints
o Expanding God’s Kingdom
· Last week we began by looking at the ‘Equipping the Saints’ portion of our mission statement. Today I want to look focus on Expressing Our Worship. I love this about our church!
· Worship Shapes Life: James Michener, writing in his book, The Source, tells the story of a man named Urbaal, who was a farmer living about 2200 B.C. He worshiped two gods, one a god of death, the other a goddess of fertility. One day, the temple priests tell Urbaal to bring his young son to the temple for sacrifice--if he wants good crops. Urbaal obeys, and on the appointed day drags his wife and boy to the scene of the boy's "religious execution" by fire to the god of death. After the sacrifice of Urbaal's boy the several others, the priests announce that one of the fathers will spend next week in the temple, with a new temple prostitute. Urbaal's wife is stunned as she notices a desire written more intensely across his face than she had seen before, and she in overwhelmed to see him eagerly lunge forward when his name is called. The ceremony over, she walks out of the temple with her head swimming, concluding that "if he had different gods, he would have been a different man." Worship Shapes Life that is why I want each of you to be passionate about worship Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
· God is looking and I am looking for radical worshippers.
1. What is Worship?
A. What is worship?
i. “Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call Our Father Which Are in Heaven.” A.W. Tozer, quoted in D.J. Fant, A.W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, p. 90
ii. Greek is proskuneo-to bow, to kiss, to serve, to worship. One word study gave the illustration of a dog that gently licks the masters hand. Ie. When we had Harley our Chocolate Lab he would often do that. He would walk up if you were standing and he would gently lick my hand. Not to get me to pet him just say “I love you man.”
a. John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. NKJV the word(s) for worship in this passage are all proskuneo.
b. True worshipper is one who submittingly loves, and serves the master. They bow to the greater bringing awe and adoration.
B. Two facets of adoration that we give to God.
i. Praise-which comes the Hebrew word, Yada, which means to boast, to acclaim in recognition and declaration. It is something that is verbal and done out loud. We do lots of praising here in the House of Freedom. Heb. Zamar means to praise with musical instruments. Halal—to praise out loud. Hallelujah!
a. Praise is like attending a sports event. You have the band, dancers, banners, shouting, cheering, clapping etc.
b. Psalms 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! NKJV
c. Is. 12:6 “shout aloud and sing for joy!”
d. Psalms 149:3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. NKJV
ii. Worship on the hand is often a more quiet expression of reverence and respect.
a. It comes out of a place of contemplation, gratitude, devotion and adoration.
b. It is expressed in a way of honor and awe. I bows before the greatness of His majesty.
iii. We love to see a mixture of all both at Freedom Christian Center.
C. What is an extravagant worshipper? That is what I am seeking the whole House of Freedom to be: RADICAL EXTRAVAGANT WORSHIPPERS of the Most High God! Jesus is worthy boisterous praise and bowed down worship.
i. Extravagant worship comes from an extravagant heart after God.
ii. Extravagant worship goes all out to express itself to God. It may be banners, dancing, shouting, etc. or it could also be tears, hands raised, fixed focus.
iii. An Extravagant heart is what we want God to see. If God looks at your heart and he says, “wow!” That is good heart towards God.
a. As a parent you want your child’s heart. Ie. I loved when the kids were small and they would run and scream “Daddy’s home, daddy’s home!” They would go wild, pull on your hands, hang on your legs, and jump all over you.
b. Then after a while they come sit on your lap, hug on your neck, kiss on your face.
c. A child’s heart like that is extravagant!
iv. An extravagant heart loves without abandon and therefore worships the same way.
2. Why Would I Want to be an Extravagant Worshipper? We want to be extravagant worshippers because:
A. One, praise and worship creates an atmosphere which invites God’s presence.
i. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. NKJV
ii. When our praise goes up, His presence comes down.
iii. Psalms 22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. NKJV Some Bible says inhabit or live in the praises of Israel.
B. Two, it silences the enemy!
i. Psalms 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. NKJV
ii. It shuts down lying spirits that whisper lies into people ears.
a. If it shuts down lying spirits from whispering lies then it also positions us to hear from God.
b. Often prophetic words come during times of praise and worship.
c. Saul prophesied when he encountered the school of prophets singing. 1 Sam 10:5-6
d. Elisha calls for a musician. 2 Kings 3:15 But now bring me a musician." Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. NKJV
C. Three, it binds the enemy
i. Psalms 149:6-9 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; 8 To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute on them the written judgment — This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord! NKJV
ii. Our praise binds the enemy and set the prisoners free. Acts 16:25-ff. Paul and Silas.
D. Four, it empower us to take back what the enemy has stolen.
i. Amos 9:11 "On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; NKJV
E. Five, it release our heart in an expressive way towards God. That takes us back to John 4 to the kind of worshippers God is looking for. All of heaven is filled with worship and they never get tired of it. It will be the thing the end time church does best.
3. A Picture of Extravagance
A. DAVID’S SACRED VOW: TO EXTRAVAGANTLY PURSUE GOD UNTIL…
i. As a young man, David made a vow to dedicate his life to find a resting place or dwelling placefor God. This refers to a place where an unusual measure of God’s presence is manifest on earth. David’s life work was to establish a dwelling place for God in Jerusalem in his generation.
a. LORD, remember David and all his afflictions; 2 How he swore to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One: 3 "Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes…5 until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob"…8 Arise, O, Lord, to Your resting place. (Ps. 132:1-8)
ii. David vowed to live in extravagant devotion to seek the Lord with all his resources (time, talents, treasures). His vow included spending time in God’s House (Ps. 27:4), fasting (Ps. 69:7-12), extravagant giving of his money (1 Chr. 22:14) and embracing God’s order in worship.
iii. This vow changed history and continues today in those who embrace it. It is at the heart of the End-Time worship movement. Lord, raise up a million believers who fully walk out this vow.
iv. David’s vow positioned his heart to receive insight into the worship that God seeks.
a. John 4:23 True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
v. David received revelation of worship in God’s heavenly sanctuary (1 Chr. 28:11-19).
a. Ps 119:96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection (God’s Throne of Glory)
b. 11 David gave his son Solomon the plans…12 for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD…13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD…19 All this," said David, "the LORD made meunderstand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans." (1 Chr. 28:11-19)
B. David’s Plan:REVELATION OF WORSHIP: LED BY FULL-TIME SINGERS AND MUSICIAN
i. David received revelation into how God wanted worship.
a. 1 Chr. 28:11-19David gave his son Solomon the plans…12 for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD…13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD…19 All this," said David, "the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans."
ii. After David became king he set up a tabernacle of worship in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6; 1 Chr. 15).
iii. He set Levites before the ark (which spoke of God’s presence) to worship God night and day.
a. 1 Chr. 16:1, 4 They brought the ark…and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David erected for it. 4 He appointed Levites [singers] to minister before the ark…to praise the Lord…
b. David established a full-time occupation for singers, musicians, and gatekeepers (administration). 37 So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark regularly, as every day's work required… (1 Chr. 16:37)
c. David provided financial support so that singers could sing as a full-time occupation.
(i) 33 These are the singers…who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night. (1 Chr. 9:33)
d. David established 4,000 full-time paid musicians, 288 singers and 4,000 gatekeepers. Thus, he financed about 10,000 full-time staff to facilitate night and day worship. It would cost about $200 million a year to provide $3,000 a month for 5,000 full-time people (plus buildings costs).
(i) I Chron 25:7 The number…instructed in the songs of the Lord…who were skillful, was 288.
(ii) 1 Chr. 23:5--4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 praised the Lord with musical instruments... NKJV David gave over $100 billion (at modern prices) to God’s house. One talent is 75 lbs. or 1200 ounces (16 oz per lb.) and would be worth about $1 million ($800/oz). Thus, 100,000 talents of gold worth about $100 billion plus a million talents of silver ($12/oz) worth about $15 billion.
C. All 7 revival of the Old Testament Kingdoms saw the restoration of Davids vision for worship. And Amos 9:11 declares we will see that again.
Conclusion:
· How extravagant is your heart towards God?
· How big is your heart towards God?
· Let worship Him!
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