Devotional Life - Worship Psalm 95

Introduction  Why are people louder for Bruce Springsteen?  What is worship

Introduction – What is worship  Big topic  Big definition  Worship, in my simplest terms, is the action of giving God the devotion and adoration he deserves from us.

Definition of Worship  Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something,  "The absolute acknowledgment of all that lies beyond us—the glory that fills heaven and earth. It is the response that conscious beings make to their Creator, to the Eternal Reality from which they came forth; to God, however they may think of Him or recognize Him, and whether He be realized through religion, through nature, through history, through science, art, or human life and character." (Evelyn Underhill – Expert on Mystics) - Underhill, Evelyn, Education and the Spirit of Worship, in Collected Papers, p.193

Definition of Worship  Worship is the proper response of all moral, sentient beings to God, ascribing all honor and worth to their Creator-God precisely because he is worthy, delightfully so… …Such worship therefore manifests itself both in adoration and in action, both in the individual believer and in corporate worship, which is offered up in the context of the body of believers… - Robert Shaper In his Presence. In DA Carson, Worship by the Book. 26.

Definition of Worship  Adoration v Veneration (revere)  Adoration - God  Veneration - Saints  Protestants question Veneration

Psalm 95 - Overview  Today – Worship in the community (9:30 – 11:45)  Psalm 95 very old and oft used  Post exilic for sure, early church, The Veinte

Psalm 95 - Overview  We use this as well  Call to Worship  Practical Worship Theology

Psalm 95 - Overview  Many strange practices  Joy in Psalm 95  Worship with an invitation – COME  Horizontal perspective  Sensible worship activities  Gives us our reason

Psalm 95 - Overview  A blueprint for worshipping God properly  Addresses posture

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Why Come?

 3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.  He is God  Do you Believe God is God  Then Come

Why Come?  4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.  God is Great  Ponder creation around you. Did God do this?  Then Come

Why Come?  7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.  You are His. He Cared for you.  Has he cared for you?  Then Come

Come How?  Key – the three-fold come  Each come is different  Each describes a different space in the worship process

Come How?  1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Enthusiasm and Excitement  “The Psalm opens with a crash of words: The Psalmist calls upon his hearers to ‘shout’ and ‘sing aloud.” (Tate, WBC 20)  Come, and loudly!  Coffee / Beginning of Worship

Come How?  2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  Coming before a judge or magistrate  Come filled with Thanksgiving, highly praising in music and song  First Set / Offering / Beyond ourselves

Come How?  6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;  Third space – most intimate  Backstage pass  Two responses

Come How?  6 Come, let us bow down in worship,  Brought low, humbled, bent knee  Worship – lying prostrate  Overwhelmed with majesty – respond with reverence  Response and Prayer after worship

Come How?  let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;  As if Jesus brings us to the kneeling position  Communion / Closing Song / Announcements  Hopefully encouraged, and even with a sense of accomplishment. (We have come together today and we have given God his proper worship!)

Conclusion  Where does this leave us?  Consider your heart for worship and your worship experience  What is on your mind as you leave?  Great Church  Are we experiencing all we can in worship? Are we giving it our all?  Old Psalm

Conclusion  Psalm 95 – Coming to the Lord with Joy and mutual encouragement  Psalm 95 – God is at the center of worship  You are the chief instrument