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Worship – Why?
Read Psalm 84:1-12
“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (v. 10).
Why should we worship God? For the conscientious soul, worshiping God is an act of obedience. God commands that we worship him, and therefore we obey. Obedience is a required portion of our relationship with God, but by no means should it be the entirety. Worship is not just the fulfilment of our obligation, but it is our joy! It draws us closer to the One we love. In Psalm 122 we read, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”
In a human relationship, we do not find it surprising that those who are in love look forward to spending time together. My wife and I share a weekly date night, not out of obligation, but out of our desire to spend quality time together. Is that also how we view our relationship with God? As we draw near unto God in worship, we find that he draws near to us (James 4:8), and our relationship grows even closer. (Daniel Merkley)
To Jesus every day I find my heart is closer drawn;
He’s fairer than the glory of the gold and purple dawn;
He’s all my fancy pictures in its fairest dreams and more;
– W. C. Martin (Public Domain)
Do we cherish our time with God, or is it merely an obligation?
This devotional is the Tuesday, October 25, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
The Barrier of Unfamiliar Traditions
As a pastor's kid, then a pastor, and now a missionary pastor, I have observed a variety of Sunday school traditions. Some churches I have attended have Sunday school exercises before class. Others have it afterward. Some have it before AND after the Sunday school class. The traditions of singing, praying, reading a devotional scripture, etc., as well as the expected posture during those activities - sitting or standing - have varied.
While one learns the traditions after attending several weeks, it can be embarrassing, bewildering, and frustrating when one enters the church and does not know where to go, what to do, when to stand and sit, where to find the various recitations, etc. The new pastor will adaps, but the unchurched guest tends to approach the service from a different perspective. In a culture where user-friendliness in every aspect of life is valued highly, the failure to communicate traditions, expectations, etc. is offensive.
Are you erecting unnecessary barriers by your traditions?
Worshiping the Lord
Lesson 9 - October 30, 2016
Focus Text: Psalm 86:1-15
Central Truth: Our worship should seek to give God His rightful glory.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list new ways to worship God in their lives.
Lesson Outline:
- Petition in Worship (Psalm 86:1-6)
- Humility in Worship (Psalm 86:7-10)
- Praise in Worship (Psalm 86:11-15)
What was David's hope for in his prayer for cleansing?
In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:
The need is greater than just blotting out sin. The psalmist longed for a totally new beginning. Scholars are amazed at the boldness of this petition. The word create suggests that David was looking for a miracle. In no other text is this word used to refer to moral changes in a person's life. This is the word used for God's speaking worlds into existence. This is a request for the removal of everything that separates man from God — a heart where no sin exists. Renew a right spirit within me. The term spirit occurs three times within three verses — twice referring to the human spirit, and once to the Holy Spirit. Here David, in parallel with asking for a clean heart, asked for an inner stamina to pursue right in every situation.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 48.
How was David "shapen in iniquity"?
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5)
In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:
We have no indication from scripture that David's parents committed adultery or fornication when he was conceived. Rather, every indication we have is that his parents were in a loving, faithful relationship. Verse 5 points to a deeper truth. Indeed, David would probably say that we all have been “shapen in iniquity.” How is this true?
We are all born with a nature corrupted by carnality, an inclination to rebel against God in order to worship self as god.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 47.
What is the most common word for sin in the Old Testament?
In "Word Focus" Danny McCain writes:
“Cleanse me from my sin.” The word used here (chatha) is the most common word for sin in the Old Testament. It basically means “to miss the mark” or “to come short of the goal.” Robert Girdlestone says, “If man was originally made in the image of God, it must have been implanted in him as a first principle that he should live as God lives. Every departure, therefore, from the law of right is a coming short of the purpose for which man was made, and a missing of the goal which ought to be reached” (Synonyms of the O.T.).
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 46.