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February 19, 2022 2:00 am
When you go to a doctor's office you are typically asked, "So, what brings you here?" The answers may range from having a sore throat to something far more serious. The same is true of coming to church. Not everyone comes for the right reason: to worship. The first earthly church was committed to it and the church in heaven will continue it. Let's get some Scriptural pointers.
This teaching is from the series Church? Who Needs It.
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Did you know that in 1524 Martin Luther decided to take our songs drinking melodies and put Christian lyrics to I can't believe it.
Candor their classics songs is a mighty Fortress is our God. Another song away in a manger there classics now, but they were considered really on the edge that work in particular was good.
If we get the vision with pastor Skip Heitzig as we continue our series church a look at worship today to worship and love go hand-in-hand expressions of love include settlements like how we worship the ground they walk on and so forth for women to express our love the people in such a manner what's keeping us from expressing the same kind of passionate, worshipful love your God. Skip Heitzig explores this aspect of worship into a study right here and connect with Skip weekend edition. But before we get started is what we have for you this month interconnect with Skip resource at there's a top 10 list for just about everything.
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The fact that you yourself are there by God's grace.
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Maybe I should use the Christianized form of that feel glad to bow before the Lord even in the time of worship like this. Iwas limited. But if you got the space around you to do it. It's perfectly biblical to do so. Just don't draw attention to yourself all the attention is drawn to him. That's one form of physical worship.
There are other forms the Bible speaks about raising up of the hands like we sang just a moment ago in first Timothy chapter 2 verse eight Paul writes, whenever you assemble.
I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God. The first time I saw somebody do this.
Honestly, I thought that's goofy. I can never see myself doing that I miss not that kind of person that I sent and I often try to figure out what that was about maybe rethinking Skip help me out on this. What's the deal with the raising of the hands here is first of all raising up of hands as a sign of welcome. What is a little child doing his or her parents entered the room. I haven't seen him for a few hours to do that. Reaching out to embrace them. What do adults do when they first meet somebody they put out their hand to welcome them.
We do that with people.
It's also a sign of surrender your hands up, come out with your hands up your surrendered your hands are visible because when your hands are up. You can't do anything else. You can't text a friend you can't talk to somebody next to you is very difficult to do that when your hands are sort of covering that availability. So it's a sign of welcome.
It's a sign of surrender.
And Paul said I want men and women to do it. Also, the Bible speaks about kneeling down Psalm 95.
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord, like bowing, it's a sign of humility.
It simply says I am pre-occupied with God. I am not thinking about school or work or problems or finances preoccupied with God is another form of the Bible speaks about will raise a few eyebrows dancing dancing is a form of worship.
Psalm 149 verse three. Let them praise his name with the dance they did that, did they not in the Old Testament at some of the great festivals of the Jews.
They would gather together, they still do it by the is a form of worship. They dance of this is of the hip-hop. This is a holy worshipful dance picture. Exodus chapter 15 when they crossed to the Red Sea and Miriam took a tambourine out and got a few gals in the worshipful Manor did a dance expressing their joy for the victory God had given standing is also mentioned in the Bible as a form of worship with the body. Psalm 135 praise him, all you servants of the Lord who stand in the house of the Lord dislike again royalty would stand up when God enters a room, and I think you see where I'm going with all this in the West where the West in Western culture we have so guarded ourselves against any type of physical expression in worship, except for one sitting that we say is acceptable that I can do is most comfortable to us, but all of these other forms are acceptable and biblical. Also, the lifting of the eyes is another one Psalm 123 and to you I lift up my eyes. Oh you who dwell in the heavens. Guess what closing your eyes and folding your hands, not in the Bible. Sorry that share that with you doesn't mean it's bad. It just didn't make God's top five people do it and it's fine. It's really a matter of the heart. The body can correspond with the hard and here in heaven it was perfectly acceptable in fact was right for them to cast their crowns and bow before the Lord's worship is fundamental. It is intellectual. It is physical and number four. Worship is musical. It's musical.
Chapter 5 verse eight now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harp harp. That's a musical instrument will be honest with you when I when I read through this or when I first read through this. This did not excite me. I did not get all jazzed about playing the harp in heaven. We in fact for me. The whole idea that I try to get away from of spending a gazillion years with a white robe in a cloud playing harp never really stoked me and I was really trying to get away from that. But here it says they had a harp but I did a research discovered a harp.
According the Bible dictionary is a trapezoidal instrument with strings that are plucked or strong. So I thought that just sounds in modern terms, a lot like a guitar. In fact, the Greek word is Keith Ira Stephen sounds like a guitar and the amplified Bible. I hope United don't think I'm stretching this too far. Here the amplified Bible renders this, each one having a harp in parenthesis a lute or a guitar so I read that night. Okay heaven sounding way cooler. Right about now here's the point I want to make on this particular point musical instruments have always been a part of the worship of God in the Old Testament in here culminating in the New Testament. Expression of heaven was used when they move the ark.
It was used when the health festivals.
It was used in the temple. It was used during sacrifices and here in heaven.
Musical instruments are employed here.
Psalm 150 praise him with the sound of the trumpet, praise him with stringed instruments and flutes praise him with allowed symbols next time here and you and you know what that's about, and praise him with clashing cymbals, Martin Luther wrote next to theology I give to music the highest place and honor, if any man despise his music as all fanatics do for him.
I have no liking for music is a gift in the grace of God, not the invention of men and I will say that I've changed my whole perspective on the harp thing I should throw this in the this week in the hospital there is been the harpist. The greatest thing ever seen in the hospital but a gal who is very skilled and proficient at the heart will go on the floor and play in front of rooms and it is so soothing.
I asked the nurses station about it.
She said oh yes, we have discovered that not only does this help the family, but it significantly lowers the blood pressure of the patient, beautiful, beautiful expression so worship is musical there musical instruments and I know that some churches are against the use of musical instruments. All I can say is are to be very surprised. In heaven, and the only way to get around this is to so a misinterpreted and Alec arise the text.
It makes no sense whatsoever.
Music is a part of worship fifth worship is vocal worship is vocal. Look at verse nine of chapter 5 and they saying a new song, saying, notice it was a song and noticed that say, saying they all sang the four living creatures saying the 24 elders sang in a few minutes.
All the angels of heaven will bear the anthem they saying it doesn't say and they watched others sing, they saying they all joined into that was much as I love a good choir.
I love a good choir. I love it I love when beautiful voices blend together you want to know that Calvary of Albuquerque has a choir I'm looking at them right now you're the choir all the viewer the choir and sometimes the statement acquire can make is we will select the best voices out of the congregation put them up here and you will watch them and listen to them.
That's not the way it's supposed to be weight supposed to be as all of us are the choir all of us join in. They saying a song and something else please notice in our verse what kind of a song they saying it was new song Greek word Chi Nass.
It's a song they had never sung before it was brand-new brand-new song and the lyrics are even written now, the whole concept of a new song singing a new song appears nine times in the Bible we are exhorted throughout the Scriptures sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing a new song to the Lord. I discovered a lot of people refuse to do this they will say will the old songs are better.
The old hymns are better.
I agree there is a depth of theology and our spiritual roots that are unmatched by many of those songs but if you refuse to learn and sing new songs and you will only harken back to the old songs you're making a very indicting statement against the church. What you're saying is God used to move 600 years ago, but he is stopped since those hymns were written is not moving any more is not working anymore. There's really nothing that we could ever add to that all and by the way, when those hymns were written, 400, 600 200 years ago. They were considered contemporary worship songs in that generation. They were new they were edgy.
In fact, many throughout history have since the need to bring in new styles.
Did you know that in 1524 Martin Luther decided to take bar songs, drinking melodies and put Christian lyrics to them. You can't believe it. Sure you candor. There classics now one of those songs is a mighty Fortress is our God. Another song away in a manger there classics now, but they were considered really on the edge.
Back then Martin Luther said this, how is it happened that in the secular field.
There are so many fine poems and so many beautiful songs while in the religious field. We have such rotten the lifeless stuff. Tell us how you really feel Martin Luther. He sensed the knee. That's just kind of update this thing then in the year 1690, a young boy by the name of Isaac, and coming home from a church service complained to his father saying dad and of the son, the church are really boring. Dad got mad at him and said if you think you can do any better than you write some and so young Isaac Watts did write some and Isaac Watts wrote when I survey the wondrous Cross and Joy to the world. Then there was William Booth who wanted to reach people who didn't know Christ out on the streets with the Salvation Army and he wanted the Salvation Army band and not have a church organ, but trumpets and drums so we did degrade something new, but can you guess what the church called that kind of music at that time devil music to the call that devil music then there was white Lyman Moody from Chicago.
Did crusades and his worship leader was one by the name of Iris Sankey who took contemporary songs like Luther was contemporary then was the waltz and add Christian songs are lyrics to them.
He took his music over to Scotland. The church of Scotland was appalled.
All they were used to singing were the Psalms of David and they resisted any new expression at all.
Calling Dwight L. Moody and Iris Sankey's music steam cattle music makes a lot of noise, God's not in it. They did not want to sing anything new, but in heaven it is a song and it is a new song so worship is fundamental.
It is intellectual. It is physical.
It is vocal and finally in a close with this worship is emotional. Maybe I should've chosen a better word because of what that term conjures up. Maybe I should just say it's passionate real worship is passionate when you just follow me with a few verses, verse 11 of chapter 5.
Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders and the number of them was 10,000×10,000, and thousands of thousands saying with all allowed voice. Just please notice that as we read phone a mega lay make a voice allowed voice, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing in every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and as such is our in this CD and all that are in them. I heard saying blessing and honor and glory and power to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. And the four living creatures said amen and the 24 elders fell down and worshiped him who lives forever and ever knows I read this, the picture that I get is this ever Christian doing cycle of praise were more and more join in this eternal anthem and it sounds to me like it's pretty loud and I can only infer from the biblical text itself here and in other places that God is into volume. Maybe I'm wrong but I tell you I don't think God is into this to the air.
I don't think he's into that. You could say blind is not a good singer. Get over so I can say that's not the issue.
It's really not about us. I had a camp counselor who said God gave you a bad voice give it back to him have always followed that in your voice given to you by God is an adequate instrument to worship him singing to the Lord. Bible says that it also says make a joyful noise. Anybody can do that. I watch kids do that and they can carry a tune, but they are so happy.
Maybe people around them aren't, but it is a joyful noise to them. But here's the idea. There's a motion there's passion again Jesus said you're to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Put yourself into it. When you sing sing like you mean it. I know people are wired differently. I know the people will say I've talked to people. I used even say this one, not an emotional person I beg to differ. You might not be an emotional person singing worship, but you're an emotional person when you got that birdie on the golf course three weeks ago. You didn't go that was nice. You jumped up you shouted when the logo scored or the isotope scored you stood up and you shouted when your kids receive that award. You are emotional. I guess it all depends what you're excited about.
Why is it that Christians think that enthusiasm for the most worthy thing in all of the universe must somehow be carefully contained in God would be pleased thing God looks at us. We hold it all in and he was way to keep it all inside party way to do it man waited shown nobody that you love way to worship. I think anyone loves it when we have any MOD more passionate all in our love for them and so does God. I know are all different and overall wire different. I know that some are more expressive than others. I'm dissing whoever you are and whatever your makeup is split, please give your all to God. And if you are flatlining catatonic by nature, than to give all of that to God a given euro given euro and don't let your work should be confined visiting day to be the ongoing expression of your life. It's one of the things that Mark of the early church, and it will mark the eternal church and thus it should mark our church. I read something I've never seen the marker myself but in England you know that there's church cemeteries.
The churches years. Even the early part of this country at a church yard with graves in it in fair Ford Shire. There is a church yard with a monument to a cat monument, a gravestone, a monument to a And if you asked the townspeople about it they will say what you know whenever this church was open for worship services the cat would often wander in. In fact, the townspeople say we notice that this cat attended worship services more than anyone in our town, so they built a monument to the worshiping cat. I read that I said I said I will not be outdone by any cat. Amen.
None of us should ever be outdone by it. Cat God is worthy of all of our worship. God is good all of the time and all of these praise prompters that are constantly around us should grab our attention in our worship should be the natural flow to a God who is most were every time we worship God, we have an opportunity to express our love to the one who first loved us. Considering always done for us.
Why would we seize every opportunity to worship well that's over time we have for today but before we go.
Here's Pastor Skip with an important word. Simply put God's Word has the power to change lives.
That's why together were taking these Bible teachings to more people around the world because we want to see lives transformed.
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