Experiencing Worship - The Study
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WHY WE WORSHIP
The need or desire to worship is born in every person. It is not something that is taught or developed. It is created within us to do. Think if you will of every culture in the world. No explorer has ever found a tribe or culture that did not worship. Each culture worships something or someone. Some worship self or money, some idols, others false gods. Because we are born with a desire and instinct to worship, the question is not do we worship, but whom do we worship.
"Worship is first and foremost for His benefit, not ours, though it is marvelous to discover that in giving Him pleasure, we ourselves enter into what can become our richest and most wholesome experience in life." Graham Kendrick p. 58 A True Heart for Worship by LAmar Boschman
"Our entire being is fashioned as an instrument of praise. Just as a master violin maker designs an instrument to produce maximum aesthetic results, so God tailor-made our bodies, souls and spirits to work together in consonance to produce pleasing expressions of praise and worship. When we use body language to express praise, that which is internal becomes visible." Don McMinn p.60 A True Heart for Worship by Lamar Boschman
What would you say if I told you that worship is the most important thing a Christian can do? You might come back with the response that evangelism is the most important thing we do as Christians. We are told to go and tell. Consider the following by answering a few questions:
Why do you feel we were created?
What was the first commandment given to Moses?
Exodus 20:1-3
Did you know that we are called to worship? Worship is not an option with the children of God. It's not something that we can decide to do if we feel like it. Worship is the first commandment that God gave to Moses.
Then God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me." He goes on to say in the next verses: "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God". (Ex. 20:1-5 NAS)
God's first and second commandments dealt with worshiping Him and Him alone.
Ex. 34:14 says "for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God".
Because we were created to worship, to have fellowship with God, nothing else we do in life will fill that void. Until our relationship with God and our worship life is meeting the core need in our lives, we will not be able to truly find happiness or fulfillment in anything else. Do not look for what only God can give you in a mate . You cannot truly have a full and rich marriage without first having a full and rich relationship with God. Let's look further into this.
Even as a Christian, I sometimes find myself needing more in life. I don't mean to be worldly but I tend to look in the wrong direction to fulfill those needs. The problem is, only God can fill it.
Have you ever set out to fulfill a goal in your life? What happened when you met the goal, you still felt empty? Or have you decided that reaching a certain financial level would help to make your life better? When you reached it, nothing really changed, just more debt and frustration. In many cases the desire to continue to earn more becomes lord. Even Christians are susceptible to searching for things in the world that will fill an emptiness. The reality is that only God can fill that void.
So many times in looking for a mate, we expect to find someone who will fill that emptiness inside. We want that person to fill the void that only God can through a personal relationship with Him. If we find what we need in God, then we will not need to look for it in others and in things. Developing a close relationship with the Lord is all that He desires. When this is first, your marriage will be close and intimate. You won't feel the need for what God has already filled within you. Develop a relationship with God that meets the core need of your life first, and your relationships and finances will be much more fulfilling. They will become the icing on, and not the ingredients in, the cake.
What does Matthew 6:33 say?
What does Romans 12:1 tell us?
So if worship is the most important thing we can do as Christians, then what about Jesus' last command to us to "Go and tell...?" I was always under the impression that our main purpose in life was to share Jesus with others. I believed that the great commission was the main focus of every Christian. I later found out that worship and a close relationship with the Lord was first and foremost for the Christian. You see, if we are truly people of worship, not just in the church on Sunday's, but are truly people who love God and worship Him with our total being, then we will draw people to Christ through our lives of worship.
Worship becomes the tool to draw people to the Lord. When they see genuine worship, it will be something they will be drawn to. Not because of what we do, but because of who we do it for. When we worship God and die to ourselves, it's then that He takes what we give and turn it into something useful for Him.
Yes, we must go and tell others of Christ, but a result of our worship will be people coming to Christ and thus drawing others to become worshipers. We will look closer at this during week 3.
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Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.