In our most recent Teaching Notes we looked what the Bible teaches about the Church. One of the most important responsibilities and opportunities for Christians in the Church is to worship God in spirit and in truth.
[These notes are from a Bible study I taught 40 years ago. The notes are in outline form.]
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” Psalm 105:1-6
[You can read more about the history of this worship Psalm in 1 Chronicles 16.]
- Give thanks to the Lord
- Call upon the name of the Lord
- Make known the deeds of the Lord
- Sing to the Lord
- Talk about the wonderful works of the Lord
- Glory in His holy name
- Let the hearts of those who rejoice who seek the Lord
- Seek the Lord and His strength
- Seek His face evermore
- Remember the marvelous works, wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
Worship involves the mind (Psalm 105:1, 5)
- We actively think about the Lord
- We focus our thoughts on Him as He has shown Himself to us in His works and His Word
Worship includes –
- Meeting God in the Bible
- Actively receiving, understanding, considering, remembering, and believing what God has spoken and done
Worship involves the emotions (Psalm 105:2-3)
- When we meet God in His Word, and understand His message, our hearts are moved to praise Him.
- Our faith in Christ brings joy!
Worship involves the will (Psalm 105:4)
Genuine worship results in obedience –
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
- The believer fellowships with the Lord as His Word is presented, received and understood
- The believer responds to the Lord with rejoicing and praise
- The believer desires to do God’s will as revealed in the Scriptures
“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. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24
May we be true worshipers of God, worshipping Him in spirit and truth.
[Thank you for reading these teaching notes from 40 years ago. My prayer is they will be a blessing to you and your ministry.]
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
