WORSHIP
by Bo Sullivan
(PLEASE READ THE SCRIPTURES, - THE HUNGRY WILL)
To some people why does a worship service have to be such an energetic release? Have they gone mad, or do they have a solid biblical foundation on which they base their beliefs for the way that they worship God? Let’s look at the issue in detail, and as you read this try to keep an open mind about this terrific old-fashioned method of worship.
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SHOUTING
We’ll begin with the most questioned of all acts, SHOUTING. Why do people engage themselves in seemingly obnoxious shouting and carrying on? The answer is found in many books of the Bible. Notice the word "SHOUT" in the following scriptures:
(Ezra 3:11-13; Lev. 9:24; Psa. 5:11; 35:27,28; 47:1; 132:9,16; Isa. 12:6; 42:11,12; 44:23; Jer.31:7; Zeph. 3:14; Zech. 9:9; 1Kings 1:40)
God shouts - (Jer. 25:30; 1Thess. 4:16).
God rejoices and sings with joy - (Zeph. 3:17).
Read (Pro. 11:10), I shout everytime I think how the old, wicked, fallen, corrupt nature has died in Christ.
Psa.100:1 making a joyful noise qualifies as a shout, to make a noise is to shout.
Some would say, "yes, but did not God mean this just for those in the Old Testament?" No, the Lord himself said, "For I am the Lord, I change not . . . " (Mal. 3:6). See also Heb. 13:8; Psa. 102:27.
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WORSHIPING WITH LOUD VOICES
Besides heaven being rich, beautiful, peaceful and safe it will be filled with worshipers with loud voices. Will you feel out of place in heaven? (Rev. 5:11-14; 7:9-12; 14:2,3; 19:1-6).
The Bible is the actual word of God, so when you get to the nitty gritty of things God is commanding this (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4).
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PRAISE
The Bible has plenty to say about praise. (Matt. 21:16; Rom. 15:11; Heb. 13:15; 1Pet. 2:9; Psa. 100)
One Hebrew word for praise is "Halal" which means, to shine; hence to make a show; to boast and thus be clamorously foolish; to rave; to celebrate; to stultify or cause to appear stupid or inconsistent.
The word "appraise" comes from the root word "praise". When you appraise something, such as an old coin, it means to judge it’s value. Therefore, the true meaning of worship is "to declare the value of God." The person who exhibits no praise doesn’t consider God worth the effort for them to invest their time, talents and energies, which God gave them and can remove them just as easy.
No Praise = no value of God.
Some Praise = some value of God.
A little Praise = a little value of God.
A lot of Praise = a lot of value of God.
Much Praise = Much value of God!
Notice the word "lips" in each of these scriptures: (Psa. 51:14,15; 63:3-5; 71:23; 119:171; Heb. 13:15)
The above scriptures have already laid a strong foundation for us when we address the next question commonly asked, "why pray verbally aloud in public?"
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PRAYING ALOUD
(Psa. 35:18; 22:22,25; 26:12; 34:3; 55:17; 66:8; 68:26; 107:32; 108:3; 109:30; 111:1; 116:14,18; 149:1; 1Tim. 2:8; Matt. 18:19; Lk. 1:10; Acts 1:14; 4:24; 12:12; 21:5; 2Cor. 7:14; Zech. 13:9)
Does Matt. 6:5,6 condemn this kind of praying? If it does it contradicts 1Tim. 2:8; Acts 4:24; 12:12; and Acts 21:5. We know THE BIBLE DOES NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF. If we are to take this passage to condemn public praying in church and else where, then everytime a person stands to lead a congregation in prayer and prays out loud for all to hear, he sins. But notice how verse 5 reveals how the hypocrite loves to pray in public to be seen of men. This He plainly condemns. Verse 6 tells us to go in our closets to pray. The Greek word for closet is "tameion" which means storehouse, or room for privacy or retirement. Now look at Matt. 6:21, your heart is where your treasure (storehouse) is. Your closet is your heart and your closet should be with thy Father which is in secret. Verse 6 tells us to pray in our closet (heart), shutting the door "of our lips", praying to our Father in secret; this is how we obey the commands to pray everywhere all day long without ceasing (Lk. 18:1; 1Thess. 5:17), without being hypocritical about it. Can you imagine obeying 1 Thess. 5:17 for one day verbally out loud? This would give you no room for any conversation other than praying to God. However, it’s been proven time and time again that one can pray from the heart without ceasing.
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RAISING HANDS
Let’s move on to another practice found in worship, the raising of hands. The Lord said we were to lift up holy hands in 1Tim. 2:8. Related scriptures to "hand raising" are Psa. 63:4; 119:48; 134:2; 141:2; Heb. 12:12; Lam. 2:19; 3:41.
The gesture of raising the hands is a form of worship. It speaks of a child coming up to a parent and asking to be picked up and cuddled. It shows the purest form of total trust in a parent. One of the signs of abused children is their lack of turning to their parents for this type of security. We must never forget Jesus said unless we be converted and become as little children we should in no wise see the kingdom of God (Matt. 18:3).
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DANCING
Have you ever wondered what the Bible said about dancing? Read these passages:
(2Sam. 6:14-16, 21; 1Chron. 15:29; Psa. 149:3; 150:4; Eccl. 3:4; Jer. 31:4, 13; Acts 3:8,9)
One more note here, never do we read in the Bible the phrase "dancing in the Spirit".
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HANDCLAPPING
What about handclapping? Psa. 47:1 commands it. The creation is doing it in Isa. 55:12 and Psa. 98:8. The word "laud" in Rom. 15:11 means to applaud.
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DRUNK IN THE SPIRIT
A commonly used phrase in worshipful churches today is "I was drunk in the Spirit". In Acts 2:13 we read where the believers were accused of being drunk. Peter in verse 15-21 explains to them that this drunken stupor came on them from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul later compared being filled with the Spirit with being drunk with wine in Eph. 5:18. Read Jeremiah 23:9 for more light on this subject.
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FALLING TO THE FLOOR
(SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT)
Why would a worshiper abruptly fall to the floor during a church service? Daniel was slain in the Spirit by the riverside in God’s presence just as others are in worship services. Try to recognize humility as you read the following scriptures. Also notice the word "fell" in most of these verses. (Dan. 8:17,18; Rev. 1:17; 5:8,14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4,10; Gen. 17:3, 17; 19:1; Exo. 34:8; Lev. 9:24; 2Chron. 5:13, 14; Ezek. 1:28; Matt. 2:11; 17:6; 26:39; Mark 3:11; 5:22, 33; 7:25; Lk. 5:8, 12; 17:15, 16; John 11:32; Acts 9:4; 10:10; 22:7)
Psa.96:9; Psa.99:1 tells us to fear, tremble before Him. Do you allow yourself to fulfill this literally? Do you allow yourself to tremble before God?
In Psalm 23:2, we quote it so often, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures (green fertile feeding grounds)." Jesus wants to lay us down for peace and rest. Sometimes the only way we can hear Him is by stopping our race and laying down for a rest. When one gets full it’s time to lay down in the midst of plenty to rest.
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LOUD PREACHING
Some people refuse to hear some preaching because it’s so loud. How are you going to react to the angel in Rev. 14:6, 7? Notice the words "a loud voice" in the following scriptures.
(Lk. 1:41, 42; 17:15; 19:37; John 11:42, 43; Acts 14:10)
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CRY & WEEP
Is it in order to cry and weep before God in a church service? Why don’t we let the Bible guide us to this answer?
(2Chron. 34:27; Psa. 34:17, 18; Eccl. 3:4; Joel 2:17; Lk. 6:21; Rom. 12:15; James 4:9; 5:1)
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RUN AISLES & JUMP PEWS
Why do some people run up and down the aisles and jump over the pews? Let me answer that question with a question. What caused the waters to run, the mountains and hills to skip and jump around in Psa. 114:1-6? Verse 7 said it was the presence of the Lord that caused it. Are you going to let a pile of rocks out jump and skip you? Look at Luke 19:36-40. Will you be like the evil Pharisees and allow a rock to out shout you while standing in the presence of the Lord?
2Sam. 6:14-16, 21- David ran and leaped before the Lord with all his might JUST at the presence of the ark of the covenant. Would you, like Michal, despise me for running, leaping, dancing, and playing before God in a church service?
2Chron. 23:12- They ran and praised a man, but some people run and praise God.
Psalms 18:29 - By our God we run through church and leap over pews.
Proverbs 18:10- We run at the name of the Lord.
Daniel 12:4- We have fulfilled this prophecy of running to and fro.
Isaiah 40:31- THEY SHALL RUN.
Habakkuk 2:2 - Write the word of God that he may RUN that readeth it.
Mark 9:14, 15, 25- When Jesus walked in on this scene, the people ran, it’s still happening today.
Mark 10:17- As Jesus was passing by, this man ran. ARE WE TOO GOOD TO DO THE SAME?
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REJOICE
Here are a few Hebrew words for "rejoice" with their definitions in English:
guwl - A prime root; properly to spin around (under the influence of any violent emotion).
ranan - To creak (or emit a stridulous sound) that is to shout (usually for joy).
`alaz - To jump for joy, that is exult.
`alac - To leap for joy, that is exult, wave joyously.
`alats - To jump for joy, that is exult.
Are you to prideful to literally obey the definitions of these words of God?
guwl (rejoice) - 1Chron. 16:29-33; Psa. 2:11; 9:14; 89:16; 97:1; 118:24; Isa. 41:16
ranan (rejoice) - Deut. 32:43; Psa. 20:5; 33:1; 63:7; 71:23; 98:4
`alats (rejoice) - Psa. 9:2; 68:3
`alaz (rejoice) - Psa. 60:6; 68:4
After studying and analyzing the nature of Bible worship, we come to the big question, should we imitate and follow all this? In the following scriptures God commands us to follow and imitate the steps of Jesus, the apostles and even the very Word of God itself.
(1John 2:6; 1Pet. 2:21; John 13:15; Acts 26:29; Rom. 15:4-6; Matt. & Luke 4:4; 1Cor. 10:6,11; 11:1,2; Phil. 2:5; 3:17; 4:9; 1Tim. 4:12; Heb. 8:5; 13:7; 1Pet. 5:3; 2Tim. 3:15-17)
There are those who do not understand why some people worship the way they do. Only those who have literally walked in the very presence of God can relate to what it is like. It’s a dead give away when you criticize what you don’t understand.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WALKED IN GOD’S PRESENCE?
See my article on PAIN for more insight.
See my article on Revival for balance.
