THE ANATOMY OF A WORSHIPPER
by Bishop Charles C Jones
2 Samuel 24:18-24:25
Our focus in this message is to explore the exercise of worship. There is a book out that is entitled
’
Worship is a verb’, in this book the author states that
Worship isn''t an entertaining showcase for a talented soprano or a lecture on textual criticism or a pleasant weekly reunion of friends and family. Instead, true worship is a joyous celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And as we actively turn our hearts toward God in earnest praise of God''s great works, God in turn speaks to us and blesses us with a healing and renewing touch. He also states that
Worship is not "something done to us or for us, but by us." It is the most exhaustive demonstration of our faith and the most intimate form of relationship we can have with our Savior.
With that said I want to focus today on The Anatomy of a Worshipper. Worship is not a passive thing, it is not active but acted upon it expresses the effect of our actions where worship is concerned. Whether it's reading your Bible,Praying or Interceeding on the behalf of somebody else, Whether it's singing , dancing or shouting. When your feelings or your emotions completely master or take over your mind (soul) you have been considered by others to have lost all self control Why because it has become your passion. When you are passionate about something you have an intense love for it, a strongly felt emotion about it , a strong enthusiasm for something, it has litterally become the object of your intense desire or enthusiasm. If there was such a person in the Bible who displayed this in the Bible. It would be David.
David was not only a musician but he also a prolific songwriter; as you may know David wrote more than half of the Book of Psalms many of the songs we sing in the church today during our Praise and Worship service can be accredited to David. Others since him have expressed an immense heart of worship through there songwriting as well.
I believe that every generation needs men and women who are examples of what it means to live a lifestyle that is overflowing with expressions of worship. In my generation it was people like Thomas Dorsey, Andre Crouch,Walter Hawkins,Edwin Hawkins, James Cleveland,Tramaine Hawkins,The O'Neil Twins,Shirley Caesar,and the Maestro Thomas Whitfield to name a few.
These people fed the church with songs to use and lyrics that not only declared God’s goodness and greatness in the language of that generation but they helped to change a culture of people that were being cultivated by the growth of a particular style of music that would literally break up the fallow ground of men and womens hearts so that their hearts could be turned not only towards God but towards worshiping God.
David illustrates perfectly the many aspects of a worshipers life:
• THE PHYSICAL WORSHIPPER
What am I describing?
Raised hands, waving banners, clapping, shouting, singing, cheering, hugging, laughing, crying.
Is it the worship service of a Hand Clapping, Foot Stomping, Tongue Talking Pentecostal church?
Or is it the reaction of a packed football crowd?
When you think about it let me ask you this why is one perceived as natural and the other as weird?
The enemy has convinced the church and society that being excited about God is unnatural and should be avoided at all cost! We get excited when our favorite football team wins , we get excited when our favorite basketball player scores a three pointer to win the game, we get excited when we see a new car sitting on 20 inch dubs but when it comes to worshiping God it is considered to be unnatural.
When the Bible talks about worship it uses the language of the human body. The Psalms are full of references to the use of my body to praise and worship God.
It is expected that I as a child of God, would quite NATURALLY want to express my enthusiastic gratitude to God with every fiber of my being for the great things that he has done but the reality of the truth is this that I had to learn how to worship God.
I had to learn how to lift my HANDS - Psalm 134:1,2 “Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your HANDS in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.”
I had to learn how to worship on my KNEES - Psalm 65:6 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us KNEEL before the Lord our Maker.”
I had to learn how to keep my EYES focused on God- Psalm 25:15 “My EYES are ever on the Lord.”
I had to learn to glorify God with my LIPS - Psalm 63:3,5 “Because your love is better than life, my LIPS will glorify you…..My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing LIPS my mouth will praise you.”
I had to learn to praise God with my TONGUE - Psalm 35:28 “My TONGUE will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.”
I had to learn to put a new song in my MOUTH - Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song in my MOUTH, a hymn of praise to our God.”
(What are you doing with the song he gave you?)
I had to learn learn how praise God with my HEART - Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.”
Worship for David was a physical activity each action was a way of illustrating his love, gratitude and affection for God.
• THE PRIVATE WORSHIPPER
2 Samuel 24:18-25
As we look at our text:
David was instructed to build or raise an altar in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite unto the Lord of worship. As David was going up Araunah looked
and saw David and his servants coming towards him as he went out and bowed himself before David on his face upon the ground. Araunah asked David, “Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said,” To buy your threshingfloor so that I can build an altar unto the Lord,that the plague may be stayed from the people. Araunah said to David, “ Let my lord the king take and offer up up what seemeth good unto him:behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. All these things Araunah did as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
I want you to notice that David refused to cut corners or offer cheap sacrifices that had cost him nothing. David had to give God the best he had.
David was a private worshiper; a man who worshiped on his own looking after his Father’s sheep. Psalm 23:1-3…..David is talking of his private moments with God.
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
When Israel wanted a King God gave them a warrior – Saul.
When God was looking for a King to replace Saul he searched out a worshipper – David.
To Saul God said…”But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
Your PRIVATE is what gives birth to your PUBLIC!
• THE PUBLIC WORSHIPPER
2 Samuel 6:21,22
This passage records the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Israel. This most tangible of symbols represented God's presence and favour upon the nation. David had fought the Philistines and brought it back to Jerusalem. He, and the nation, were elated.
The man who held the nations most dignified position expressed his gratitude to God with all of his energy and enthusiasm. He was totally unconcerned by the opinions of others. Because David was a worshiper.
Somebody here this morning needs to respond to God with the attitude of a worshiper
I don't want anything freely given to me I want to make the sacrifice to come and worship because There's a worshiper in me.
It’s time to use your human anatomy to express what your heart is trying to say.
When we worship we (Kneel, raise hands, lie down or bow down)
When we praise God we (clap, shout, dance)
A Worshipper
The most important thing a worshiper can do in a worship service is to be a worshipper. That is, to be someone who is there to worship God, no matter what anyone else does. You've come to worship because there's a worshiper in you.
A worshiper is prepared.
He /She is prepared for the service before they even get here.
A Worshiper recognizes the urgency of the now moment they are in. because there are times in a dead service where God needs some Praisers to show up but I have found out that not everybody that praises God knows exactly how to worship him. Worshipers know how to break forth in singing, clapping, hand-raising,because they have dared to spend time in there prayer closets with God. There are also times in a service which are meant to be celebrative, times to jump for joy. A real worshiper cherishes those moments for what they are because they are special moments with God.
If something happens to break the pattern of worship or break into your thoughts during worship (such as a disruption, a spontaneous shout, or a praise), you won't stop because you recognize what the Spirit is using you for or what the Spirit is trying to teach you because in worship, you know what it means to leave yourself open to God.
Worship is not about you or your needs. You need to realize that you are a part of something bigger.
Jesus said out of your belly shall flow rivers of living waters
Help Me Holy Ghost !
Even So Come Lord Jesus
Bishop Charles C Jones
