We can praise a beautiful painting, getting a good grade on a test, winning an Olympic medal, or being the top donor. worship and praise both public and private. Our Attitude When Worshipping Our God 5. Or have you ever complained about the regular costs of maintaining your vehicle? This terrible reality grips Isaiah when he is given a glimpse of proceedings of worship in the very precincts of heaven itself in Isaiah 6:1-3. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way. The people had no taste whatsoever for the things of God. Wether I am playing tennis, mountain bike riding, writing music, studying or spending time with my family; I want to do it with my whole heart. We are in the era of ‘sought after worship leaders.’ I have time again read or heard world famous ‘worship leaders’ described in this grand terms. There the prophet is witness to holy, sinless angels engaged in heavenly worship. Do we want to be like the other nations or do we want to ‘come out from among them and be separate’ (2 Corinthians 6:17). It is aimed at the wrong God, or at the very least motivated by false or defective views of the God of Scripture. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”. It is so easy to forget how blessed we are! Sometimes I just wanted to stay home and relax. It is unspeakable in the sense that it is not natural, it defies human comprehension. Lot’s wife is a monument of leaving Sodom yet Sodom not leaving your heart. Come before Him, singing with joy. “It is impossible to please God without faith. Praise precedes worship. Don Moen continues to be described as such and attracts thousands in His ‘worship concerts.’ Don Moen (perhaps the greatest in this respect) was in Kenya a few days ago. A friend recently told me these series are restricted in their scope of worship (of course he is right, but I restricted this treatment to expression of worship in song and physical expressions). Are we seeking fun or the worship of the Lord? He is also the Principal of Wisdom Training Centre Schools of Theology and Ministry. Again we must answer this in the negative. I invite the reader to take note of the content of David’s worship while he sits before the Lord. What this blasphemous reasoning creates is a threefold cumulative attitude. With that regulation comes sanctions, and with sanctions punitive penalties. My church has no interest in what our group does, but they do allow us a place to practice our music twice/month. As we have presented throughout this series, Biblical worship is a highly regulated activity. A praise and worship leader's life, as viewed by the congregation on a daily basis, has as much or more effect on the worship attitude of the congregation as a well-planned flow of music and singing from the worship team. Jesus said ‘I have come that their joy might be full’. It is symptomatic of a growing importance of the worshiper and most significantly the ‘worship leader.’ This symptom is not limited to those few at the top. This was a coming to pay homage to a ‘Christian superstar’. ‘One thing have I desired and that will I look for, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 27:4). This is true not just in church music, but also in what is called secular music scene and the dominant pop culture. The Worship leader is an individual called and anointed by God to minister in the house of … How Do You Encourage Your Band To Worship During The Music? Ros, You may enjoy a post I’ve written on similar theme – which has some great comment from CS Lewis as well. Attitude of Praise: Praise the Lord Medley: Let There be Glory and Honor and Praises: I Worship You: Great Name: Say the Name Medley: God of All Gods: Out of His Great Love: Love Grew Where the Blood Fell: Thank You Medley: I Just Call It Home 13:15). 10 Ways To Improve Your Worship Team ~ Part 1 of 4, “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure, What I’ve Discovered About Worshipping God ~ Part 1 | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure, 10 Ways To Improve Your Worship Team ~ Part 1 | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure, 10 Ways To Improve Your Worship Team-Part 4 of 4 | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure, The Five Most Important Facts About Worship | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure, 8 Tips On Taking Your School Worship Time To The Next Level | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure, 8 Tips On Taking Your Sunday Morning Worship To The Next Level | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure, 8 Tips On Taking Your Sunday Morning Worship To The Next Level | Following God: The Grand Adventure, The Five Most Important Facts About Worship, The 10 Commandments of Great Worship Team Members, Attitude Is Everything! In Marcion’s view, the God of the Old Testament was an angry capricious despot compared to the One we see in the New Testament. Psalm 7:17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. The assumption is that these ladies and gentlemen are gifted worshipers; they have something valuable to bring to worship. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way. We read from David: ‘I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord’ (Psalm 122:1). He knows when we have been hurt. Praise can be a part of worship, but worship goes beyond praise. The drunkard does not have any more joy than the tea drinker merely because he is rowdier and more expressive. True worshipers are not developed in music schools or church apprenticeship programs, true worshipers are born of God, they are spiritually made. Attitude of Joy in worship. However, a person without transportation dreams about having a car to drive. This element of mutual edification and therefore the need for sobriety, order and deliberateness, cannot be gain-said in the matter of the public expression of worship. When he asked Washer why he would not come and speak on the attributes of God, Washer said (and I paraphrase), ‘If I preached faithfully in your church about the true attributes of the God of the Bible, no one in your church would remain; they would all go away saying “we do not want a God like that.”‘ The same can be said about popular worship today. The more sedate and ‘spiritual,’ who would not be that drastic in their expression, nevertheless have turned the worship service into a therapeutic experience in which they ‘let go and let God.’ They pour out all their hurt and feelings. Worship is simply an attitude of the believer’s heart. The God we have described in modern worship expressions is a plastic sort of God. It is different with the friends of the world, the systems, styles, expressions and innovations attract them. It is all very self-centered. I no longer a part of a worship team, and a choir does not exist in our church. Amen. Of course this amounted to tossing a ball into the air and attempting to hit it with his bat. God is the source of all the good things in my life. Professing Christians would of course vehemently object to this sort of characterization, but in practice they prove their unwitting agreement with it. Notes on worship, music ♫ , God, leadership, church, adventure and life. When God provides heavenly food for them in the form of manna, we read of them complaining that it tasted like coriander seed. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”. It is not just a title to be assigned to describe an activity. 28:19, […]. As a worship leader, praise and worship is part of my daily lifestyle. Sowing Seeds of Worship in Everyday Life. In my busiest seasons, I have led worship up to fourteen times in a single week. Men like T.D Jakes would call God, ‘my buddy, my Homey.’ Another would be heard using the American colloquial, ‘God and I are tight’.These are expressions which would be anathema in both the Old and New Testaments and in a good part of the subsequent history of the church. The Constant Attitude of the Believer Towards God is to be One of Praise! With so much pessimism in our world, we must be careful to maintain a daily attitude of praise (not because things are good, but because our God is good). In a nutshell, when one surveys modern worship and makes casual comparison between that and the expression we see in both Testaments, one sees the difference between day and night, light and darkness. We read of them desiring the onions and garlic of slavery. This is how men like Mark Driscoll, formerly of Mars Hill Church, would get away with lewd remarks in church and attract more following while at it. Psalm 100 says it this way: Worship the Lord with gladness. In the age of the seeker friendly movement, the worship service is all designed for the people and not for God. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! It is, Matt. At the end of the day it is a question of nature, do we have a new nature, new appetites or do we retain the appetites of the world? in midst of sorrow, pain- God is good. Firstly: our views, opinions and way of thinking about God. God is not surprised at the difficulties that we go through. We address the similarities and differences of Old and New Testament praise and focus on its power in our lives. Must it not be borne in our minds that the access we have before God is a mediated one (Ephesians 2:18)? Their spirits are in a state of perpetual worship.However true worship also involves having the right attitude in one’s mind, andpracticing the right acts in one’s body.It has been rightlysaid that worship is not for the purpose of obtaining anything from God, butgiving to God. The first is authority, and here we saw from the evidence of scripture that God insists on being approached and worshiped when he authorizes it, in the manner he authorizes it and with the elements or things he authorizes. Nehemiah tells us, ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength’ (8:10). Away from Christ we are personae non gratae before God, and our worship ‘an abomination to the Lord’ (Proverbs 15:8).This mindset enforces a humble deportment, and regulates what would be presumptive liberties. It is not a ritual. However a more central and far more influential fact to our worship is the nature we carry with us. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, ‘a time is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the spirit and in truth…for such worshipers the father seeks’ (John 4:23-24). We saw from passages such as Ephesians 5:19, and Colossians 3:16, that in Christian worship, especially public worship, it is expected that in our music and melody we actually speak to one another. I submit that our view, opinion and way of thinking about God has changed. He enacted that terrible episode again, earlier in the New Testament, to a man and his wife who dishonored His presence by telling lies (Acts 5.1-11). The God of the Old Testament is strict and has too many rules. The writer of the book of Hebrews put it this way. I love it when my kids and grandkids express their thankfulness for a gift that I have given them or something that I have done for them. Pingback: What I’ve Discovered About Worshipping God ~ Part 1 | Following God: Notes ♫ From A Grand Adventure. As a lover of God, I think it’s a crime to just ‘go through the motions’ in our worship. I want to be someone who puts my whole heart and being into what I am doing. Commitment to learning. Why should we praise God? God remains immutable, His standards never lowered, but we have changed our view of Him. . The eternal Lord who lives in unapproachable light is our great God (1 Timothy 6.16). Never mind the aesthetics and emotions of it. The physical acts often associated with worship—bowing, kneeling, lifting hands—help to create the necessary attitude of humility required for real worship. Fear: What Happens When We Quit Trusting the Lord, 10 Best Practices For Worship Sound Techs, The Pros and Cons of Using Backing Tracks In Worship, How to Stay in Love in Your Marriage for a Lifetime, Celebrate Recovery’s Eight Recovery Principles. They say still waters run deep; that worship may not be highly gesticulating, frenzied and light-hearted does not at all take away from its joy. If you would like to support this vision, you can help by giving any amount via PayPal here. Question: This is not an exhaustive list of attitudes, what other attitudes are important to you when you come to worship God? From the above definitions, you immediately see that attitude is not what, in today’s popular culture and, slang may be called ‘swag’, a rebellious or proud sort of disposition. Required fields are marked *. God wants us to come into our worship times with joyful songs. I have never seen God but I frequently sense His Presence. He made us, and we are His. He wants us to remind ourselves of how far we have come. That whole gamut can only be enabled to engage in true and acceptable worship if and when God changes the person by the miracle of the new birth. I am anxious to press this point because the word attitude in today’s parlance brings with it new and contemporary nuances. Actions And Attitudes: 10 Hebrew Words for Praise & Worship The Hebrew words translated as “praise” or “bless” have a deeper meaning than is conveyed in English. We were created to worship the Creator. Youtube | Facebook, In the first part of our discussion on Worship we were concerned to make the distinction between what would generally be called the body of worship and the heart of worship. These perfect angels hide their faces as they worship God, an expression both of the pristine holiness of God and their own unworthiness in the engagement they undertake. There is nothing narrow or limited about the good news of salvation. Praise voices sincere and deep gratitude for who God is and what He has done. As we praise Him, we submit ourselves to the One who is worthy and express devotion for the One whose love is unfailing. It is rather my settled view of something or someone which then causes me to behave in a certain way towards that someone or that something. I submit that unless we are made true worshipers by a radical change of nature, our appetites will pander to things other than those that make for true worship. We have been warned ‘Do not love the world, or the things of the world’ (I John 2:15). God doesn’t want us to feel that way. Worship is a lifestyle, not just an … It views our worship as some kind of life-line for God. I have been leading worship at home and around the world for over thirty years. It is impossible to worship God and anything else at the same time (Luke 4:8). He wants to remind us of how many victories that He has already accomplished in our lives. Attitude of Happiness in worship. Since then I have directed several children’s choirs, accompanied choirs using the piano, singing with a worship team after the concept of choirs and piano accompanying became “out-dated”. As Wife and Mom, we have a lot to do with the attitudes of our home. Indecent dressing, language that borders on profanity or blasphemy, calling God ‘the man upstairs,’ or ‘sir God,‘ is considered ‘cool’ or simply being ‘real’. In this context the big word is attitude. God wants our worship and our love for Him to be with our whole heart! Sometimes in our need for informality we forget who God is. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,” (Hebrews 12:28). The point is, you can’t live a self-centered, worldly life all week long and then come to church on Sunday and worship. The Lord is saying despite external pressures the Christian may look to his eternal blessedness and have an inner joy. Oh sorry…yes will do….its like when you forget the email attachment! We read in this wonderful song and worship book in the Bible, ‘In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy and in His right hand are pleasures forever more’ (Psalm 16:11).There is not the slightest doubt whatsoever that Christian worship is a joyful and satisfying experience. This is not a bad thing. Physical manifestations of praise might include singing, dancing, the raising of hands, bowing, the playing of instruments and other forms. The One who fills the heavens and says the earth is His mere foot stool is the One we purport to worship (Isaiah 66.1). Check out our July 20,2020 podcast, “Are Praise and Worship Necessary To Be a Faithful Christian?” for more. When I lift my hands in worship and sing to God, I have faith that He is there. A. Worship is primarily an attitude of the body: praise and thanksgiving are utterances of the mouth B. Firstly, that there is a need in God; secondly that to fill or fulfill that need God needs man; and thirdly that worship being thus man’s response to God’s need therefore makes man very important (others would say necessary) to God. In this respect the purpose of worship has been turned on its head. We too often measure the success of worship by how it felt to us, its appeal to the congregation and how well the diverse gifts and departments of the worship team collaborated to present flawless choir. You can really tell when they are going through struggles. It is a call to know Him intimately and express appreciation to Him with praise and thanksgiving, doing so with passion, sincerity, conviction, and in reverent fear and trembling. God is the same. Notice how fear and great joy are felt together. To many times in life we feel beaten down. We praise for who God is; we thank for what God does C. Worship relates to God’s holiness, praise to His greatness, thanksgiving to His goodness 1. (The Attitudes of Worship). I am 73 and have been in a leadership role in church music since I was 16 and directed a cherub choir in a small town church. With this liberty, the world has been brought into the church, and the worship of God turned into something not much different to a disco scene and reveling spot. It is loaded, hearty and meaningful, not casual and trite. God deserves our whole heart! Hi Jane, I’m sorry to hear of your frustration… A long time ago I decided to learn all those new choruses and embrace the change. Mr. Washer objected, much to the surprise of the inviting pastor. Isaiah 6:1–4—Vision of worship and praise in heaven. However, those without a place to live would love to have a house to clean. Worship is a covenant and call from our Lord to come before Him and meet with Him with reverence, gladness, and joy. The God of our worship is the One who killed Nadab and Abihu at the altar (Leviticus 10). One professor disparaged the God of the Old Testament as an old grandfather desperately in need of anger management classes. What terror must we attach to the One who effortlessly caused the earth to be buried in watery graves in the days of Noah (Genesis 6)? Sample David in the house of God, seated and speaking alone with God and almost in holy whispers (2 Samuel 7:18-29), and what you see is a portrait of a man who is so thankful, and so joyful he can do no better than sit and express his innermost feelings before the Lord. I have been so frustrated in the way church music is handled since the ’90’s. This is to ensure all involved are having the same conversation and not talking at cross-purposes. We do not bring gifts for which God is desperate. It is not uncommon to hear within charismatic worship services the outlandish claim that God created man to fill His own need to be worshiped and I have heard not a few times preachers and ‘worship leaders’ present, as a ground for worship, the idea that God was lonely being all by Himself in eternity with no one to worship Him and with whom to fellowship. “How can I do this better?” When I’m actively looking for opportunities to … He also hosts Reformed content at the following sites: This false mindset represents a rebellion against those attributes of God which do not settle well with our fallen human nature. He is more accommodating, more liberal, loves fun and generally easy going. He wants us to remember that He is on our side. I make this reference because even our TV stations, without regard to what authentic religion should be, still noted the hypocrisy. God wants our hearts to be true before Him. to bow down and give homage to someone or something. Your email address will not be published. They instruct, command or imply the worshiper is to take specific physical action. Should we be haughty and presumptive? You have in the minds of many professing Christians a mellowed God, whose rough edges have been smoothed by the coming of Christ, and the ushering in of the era of grace. His attitude before the Lord was well captured in the irreverent question, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ He did not show his fear of the Lord, and the curse which came upon him was to his own regret ‘too heavy for me to bear’ (Genesis 4). The point which the friend was making is that worship is the whole and all of life, the attitudes, responses, relationships, and duties, the church and work place and all of that. I think some of the best song lyrics come from the deepest sorrows and tragedies. It is my considered view that what is ruling contemporary worship in Pentecostal and charismatic churches is really the spirit of the age. 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