Worship Refocused E-Book

David Miles

• Herausgeber: Pencil
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 161

Beschreibung

About the book:
Have you ever wondered what Jesus really meant when he told the woman at the well in John chapter 4, that the "Father was seeking people to worship Him in spirit and in truth" ? This statement from Jesus should be very closely examined, because what he is telling us is of supreme importance. We see in this statement, something that the Father is seeking and something He wants to find. Therefore we should understand worship completely, so that we can become those people the Father seeks. For so many years, we have simply assumed that worship is a sound, a particular song, a Church format or an extraordinary event. We will find by examining the scripture with a fresh eye, that this is actually not what the Father seeks. If worship is a type of song, then when the song is over our worship stops. Surely the All Powerful God who spoke the universe into existence, The Father, is not searching for something that frivolous. No, His search is for something far deeper and more profound than a setlist of carefully compiled songs. The rewards of becoming a true worshiper are eternal and life changing. May this book bless you as you seek to become someone the Father is seeking - someone the Father finds.

Leseprobe

WorshipRefocused

HowToBecomeTheWorshiperTheFatherIsSeeking

BY

DavidMiles

ISBN123456789012345©DavidMiles2022PublishedinIndia2022byPencilAbrandofOnePointSixTechnologiesPvt.Ltd.123,BuildingJ2,ShramSevaPremises,WadalaTruckTerminal,Wadala(E)Mumbai400037,Maharashtra,[e-mail]dwideNopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinorintroducedintoaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyform,orbyanymeans(electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise),withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher.Anypersonwhocommitsanunauthorizedactinrelationtothispublicationcanbeliabletocriminalprosecutionandcivilclaimsfordamages.

DISCLAIMER:TheopinionsexpressedinthisbookarethoseoftheauthorsanddonotpurporttoreflecttheviewsofthePublisher.

TableofContents

Contents

Endorsements

1.WhereThisBegan

2.Worship'sImportancetotheFather

3.WorshipandTheOldTestament

4.WorshipandPraise

5.WorshipandtheNewTestament

6.WorshipandMusic

7.WorshipandOfferingOurselves

8.WorshipandGod'sCovenants

9.TradgedyinWorship

10.WorshipinOurDailyLife

11.WorshipinSpiritandinTruth

12.WorshipInOurFuture

Endorsements

Thispageintentionallyleftblank

1.WhereThisBegan

SohereisyetanotherbookonWorship!

Thereisaprolific,dauntingandperhapssomewhatconfusingarrayofbooksonthistopicineveryChristianbookstore.Andtherefore,whytheneedforanother?

Ifirststartedleadingchurchmusicgroupsin1976,andforthenext30yearswasverymuchinvolvedinmanydifferenttypesofchurchmusicasamusicianandasaleader.

Mtyloveofmusicstartedwithmymotherwhowasprofessionallytrainedinvoiceandpiano,attheMelbourneConservatoriumofMusic. Our homewasalwaysfullofmusicandIlearnedtoplaypianoatayoungage.Theninthe1960’sIannouncedIwantedtolearnguitar,muchtomyparentshorror.However,DadsaidthatifIlearnedtoplayguitar,hewouldbuymeone.SoIborrowedaguitarfromafriendandlearnedtoplaythatthinginafewweeks.

Iwaspartofafolkgroupinhighschool,andwepracticedalotandperformedalottoo.SolaterafterIwasmarriedandmywife,Alison,andIbecamepartofaveryaliveCharismaticChurchinSydney,itwasalogicalthingformetojointhemusicteam.  

Thatwasnearthebeginningofthe“modern”chorusandpraiseandworshipsongsera.Theywereexciting,freshandinspiringsongsandchoruses.ManyofthesongsandchoruseswesangthenwerestraightoutoftheScripture,andsowelearnedalotScripture (thePsalmsinparticular)thatway. There wasalsoatthistime,anewphenomenoninmusic.ThedevelopmentofChristianrecordingartists.AmyGrant,KeithGreen,LarryNorman,TheImperials,andsomanymore,wholeftanindelibleimpressiononmodernChristianmusic.

Astheyearsprogressed,theregraduallyaroseanewindustryaroundChristianmusicthathasnowbecomeamajorcommercialventureforsome,fuelledbyskilfulproducersandmarketers.

AlongsidethisChristianstreamofmusic,wasasecularstreamthatcapturedtheattentionoftheyoungergeneration,andalsoprovedtobeverylucrative. In ordertocompetefortheyouth,theChurchstartedtoabsorbsecularmusicstyles,productionandideas.ThismixturebecameslowlyacceptedintheChurchandgraduallyledtoashiftawayfromthepurityofmusic,andthegift,anditspurposeasdescribedinScripture.

Thisbookseekstodescribethatshift,andtocomebacktotheScripturesfortheoriginalperspectiveandunderstandingthatworship,andpraiseshouldrightlyoccupyinourlives.

Amajorpartofthisshiftwastheassociationoftheword“praise”withtheword“worship”.Itbeganinthemid’60’sandearly70’s. Before that,praisewasnotnecessarilyassociatedwithworship.

Wehaveallheardofapraiseandworshipsession.Usuallythatmeansafewup-temposongsknownaspraise,followedbysomeslower,devotionalsongswhichareconsideredtobeworship.Theexperiencedworshipleaderknowshowtoreadtheaudienceandwhentomovefrompraisetoworship,formaximumeffect. The techcrewalsoknowshowtofollowthemood,withlightingandvisualeffects.

Thisisknownalmostuniversallyaspraiseandworshipandisnowanestablishedmusicalgenre.

Butpraiseisfundamentallydifferentfromworship,aswewillsee.Thelong-standingassociationofthosetwowordsmakesitverydifficulttoseparateonefromtheother,butitisvitallyimportantthatwecomebacktotheScriptureforourunderstandinganddefinitionsofworshipandofpraise.

Becauseofthewrongcouplingofthesewordstogether,itisanautomaticassumptionthatpraiseandworshipiswhathappensatthebeginningofachurchservice.Asaresult,manybelieversactuallydonotknowwhatworshipreallyis. Worship isasdifferentfrompraise,astemperatureisfromdirection.

AswetraveltheScripturestogetheronthistopic,wewillfindthattheworshipwhichGoddesires,andtheworshipersHeseeks,arenottheexpressionsweusuallyseeintheChurchtoday.

Wewillalsofindthatwhatweconsidertobepraise,isalongwayshortofhowtheBibledescribespraise,andthatourpraisehasbecomedilutedandfocusedalmostexclusivelyonmusic. ThisisnottheBiblicalemphasis.

ItisalsotragicthatNewAgethinkingandpracticeshavebecomethoroughlyembeddedinourchurchmusic,leadingtoadistractionfromthemainthrustoftheGospelandashiftawayfromitspower.

Thesedays,theemotionaleffectsofthe“WorshipService”arewelldocumentedandthemanipulativeeffectsof“WorshipMusic”arerecognisedasapowerfultoolforindoctrination.

Inshort,our“worship”hasbecomefocuseduponsomethingotherthanthatwhichGodintended.Infact,itisnotworshipatall. May youbechallenged,enrichedandtrulyblessedaswetakethisjourneytogether.

©DavidMiles2022 BA DipEd(InconsequentialMan’sinstitution),MastersofLifeExperience(SchoolofHardKnox), PhD inmakingmistakes(SchooloftheHolySpirit)

2.Worship'sImportancetotheFather

Agoodplacetostart,iswithwhatIregardasoneofthemostimportantpassagesinthewholeBibleaboutworship. It tellsoftheFather’sheartregardingworship.

ItisfoundinJohnChapter4,andverses4-26.(Takeafewmomentstoreadthisyourself) Here, JesusistalkingtotheSamaritanwomanatthewell,buthebeginsbyaskingherforadrinkofwater.ShesoongainsanunderstandingthatJesushassomeveryimportantthingstosaytoherandinfactsherealisesHeisaProphet,sosheaskshimaboutoneofthebigissuesoftheirday-wheretoworship.

TheSamaritansandtheJewsweregreatlydividedaboutworship,amongstotherthings.TheJewsthoughtthattheonlyrealplacetoworshipwasinJerusalematthetemple.However,theSamaritansalsohadtheirowntempleandplacesofworship,andsotheyweredespisedbytheJewsasbeingcounterfeitandmixed-raceworshipers.1 However, Jesusgottotheheartofthatdivisionanddemolishedtheargumentaltogether.Hestatedtothewomanatthewell,thatpeoplearenotgoingtoworshiptheFatherineitherSamariaorJerusalem.Inactualfact,theplaceisnotimportant.

“Thehourisnowhere”,Jesussaid,“whenneitherinSamariaorJerusalemwillyouworshiptheFather…thetrueworshiperswillworshiptheFatherinspiritandintruth,becausetheFatherisseekingpeoplelikethattoworshipHim”. (My slightparaphraseofJohn4:23)

TounderstandthattheFatherHimselfisseekingworshipers,isagiganticrevelation. Becoming aworshiperandbeingfoundbytheFather,issomethingthatGodtheFatherHimselfisactivelyseeking.TheimportanceofsuchastatementfromJesuscannotbeoverstated. Here istheheartoftheFather,Hisplainlystateddesire. This providesafocusandagoalforourlivesthathaseternalconsequences,aswellasanoverwhelmingrichnessinthepresentlife.

ItisverymotivationalthatGodhimselfistellinguswhatHevalues,andsoweshouldbewantingtoenlistinthatcompany.WecanbefashionedintothesortofpeopletheFatherislookingfor. This isindeedforeveryone! Therefore itisofsupremeimportancethatweunderstandexactlywhoandwhattheFatherislookingfor.Heisseekingworshipers,butwhatdoesthatactuallymean? It isnotpossibletoachievesomething,ifwedonotknowpreciselywhatweareaimingat.

Tobecomeagoodtranslator,youmustworkhardatknowingthelanguagesfluently; to becomeagoodracingcardriver,youneedtodevelopdrivingskillswithahighdegreeofprecision; to becomeagreattennisplayer,youneedtotrain,learnandpractice formanyhours.Therearesomanyillustrations.

Tobecomeagreatworshiper,youneedtounderstandexactlywhatworshipisandpracticealot.Noonebecomesanythingbyaccident,itmustbeadeliberatefocus. And weneedtoknowwhattheendpointlookslike,inordertoaimforit.Thereistheoldsayingthatifyouaimfornothing,youaresuretohitit.

Jesussaidsomethingquitesurprisingtothiswomanatthewell. He toldherplainlythathewastheMessiah.2

ThisisthefirsttimeJesusactuallydeclaredthissoclearlytoanyone,andHewasdeclaringHissupremeauthoritytobespeakingthesetruthstoher. She listened,andwetooshouldbelisteningwiththesameattentiveness.

SowhatreallyisitthattheFatherislookingfor? The answerisofcourse,peoplewhoworshipHiminspiritandintruth. It mustbesomethingreallyimportantiftheFatherisseekingthesepeople.

Really,really,important.

Essentially,whatisworship? Who exactlyareworshipers? What doworshipersdo? How doIknowifIamaworshiper? Do IwanttobeonewhoissoughtandfoundbytheFather?

Thatisthetopicofthenextfewchapters. We willhavealookatworshipintheOldTestament,andthenexploreworshipintheNewTestament.ButIbelieveweareinforsomesurprises,andsomeofthesesurprisesmaybeuncomfortable. There weremanytimeswhenJesuscorrectedtheScribesandPhariseesbecauseoftheirbaddoctrine,shallowunderstandingoftheScriptures,ortheirtraditionandbias. Jesus madethemfeeluncomfortable,andevenattimes,rebukedthem.3 Perhaps aswejourneythroughthistopictogether,therewillbesomeofthosemomentsforyoutoo. There wereformewhenIwasfirstexploringthistopic.

Worshipissoimportant,becauseweneedtounderstandwhattheFatherisseeking. Oncewehavethatunderstanding,wecansetoursightsonpursuingthatgoalwiththehelpoftheHolySpirit.

TherearedozensofreferencestoworshipintheOldTestament,butstrangelyonfirstglance,notsomuchintheNewTestament. We willseewhythisisso,andhopefullyseethatJesus,ourexampleineverything,actuallymodelsworshipforus.

TheNewTestamentisaworshipmanual,poweredbytheHolySpirit.

HALLALUJAH!

3.WorshipandTheOldTestament

Havinglookedatwhywearediscussingthistopicandhowwegothere,weareatthebeginningofananalysisofwhattheBiblereallysaysaboutworship. What werepeopleintheOldTestamentactuallydoingwhenthey“worshipped”?

Onewayofdoingthis,istodialupallthereferencesto“worship,worshiping,worshipers”inanyconcordance,andreviewthemallintheircontext.ThisiswhatIhavedone,andIwouldinviteanyonewhohasthetime,todothesame.ItisaremarkablejourneyandIwillsummarisesomediscoveriesinthefollowingfewparagraphs.

Wewillfindthattherearecommonelementsinalltheinstancesofworshipmentioned,butIhavechosenafewtoillustratesomeimportantthingswehavetoofrequentlyoverlooked.

Abraham

LetuslookfirstatworshipasportrayedbyAbraham,whenGodaskedhimtosacrificeIsaac. The storyiswellknown,andcanbefoundinGenesis22:1-14,ifyouhavenotreadityet. It isanextraordinaryexampleofworship.

IsaacwasthesonthatGodpromisedtogiveAbraham,sothathisoffspring(whichisIsrael)wouldbesonumerousthattheycouldnotbecounted,andwouldblessallnations.ThenGodtestedAbrahambyaskinghimtosacrificeIsaaconanaltar.AbrahamcompliedwithGod’srequest,butwhenhewasabouttokillIsaacwiththeknife,Godtoldhimtostop.ThenGodsuppliedaramcaughtinabush,fortheactualoffering.

Thisstoryisremarkableonmanylevelsandhasmuchdepthandsignificance,butIwanttopointoutsomethingAbrahamsaid,inverse5ofChapter22inGenesis. Abraham hadjourneyedforthreedayswithhissonIsaac,andacoupleofservantswithadonkeycarryingprovisionsforthejourney. When AbrahamreachedtheplacewhichheknewGodhadshowedhim,Abrahamsaidtohisservants:

“Stayherewiththedonkey;Iandtheboywillgooverthereandworship,andcomeagaintoyou”. (Gen 22:5) Now thisisextremelyimportant,becauseitisthefirsttimeworshipismentionedintheBible. The principleof“firstmention”4isofparamountimportance,becauseallofthegreatthemesoftheBibleareintroducedinGenesis:Salvation,Baptism,TheBrideofChrist,TheChurch,TheSecondComing,TheTrinity,andaswehavejustseen,soisWorship.Thereareotherthemesanddoctrinesandtheyneedtobediligentlysearchedout,butitisnotthedomainofthisbooktoexploreallthosehere.

NoticethesefourthingsaboutthisactofworshipthatAbrahamdidfortheLord.

First,itseemslikeAbrahambelievedGodallthewayupthemountain,becausehesaystohisservantsthathewouldreturnwithIsaac.Abrahamcouldnothaveknowtheoutcome,buthetrustedGodthoroughlyandcompletely.AbrahamhaddeterminedtoobeyGodandsacrificeIsaac.

AlsotheNewTestamenttestifiestothis:ForwhatdoestheScripturesay?"AbrahambelievedGod,anditwascountedtohimasrighteousness.”(Romans4:3)

Second,Isaacobservedthattherewasnotananimalfortheofferinginthethingsthattheycarriedtogether,andIsaacbelievedwhathisfathersaid.

AndIsaacsaidtohisfatherAbraham,"Myfather!"Andhesaid,"HereIam,myson."Hesaid,"Behold,thefireandthewood,butwhereisthelambforaburntoffering?"Abrahamsaid,"Godwillprovideforhimselfthelambforaburntoffering,myson."Sotheywentbothofthemtogether.(Genesis22:7-8)

Third,Isaacsubmittedwillinglytohisfather,eventothepointofbeingboundonthealtarwhenhecouldhaveeasilyoverpoweredhisfatherifhewanted.Isaacwouldhavebeenapproximately20whentheywentupthismountain,andAbrahamwasprobablyover120yearsold.Allthistooksometime,becauseAbrahamhadtobuildthealtarfirstandIsupposeIsaachelpedbuildit.

WhentheycametotheplaceofwhichGodhadtoldhim,AbrahambuiltthealtarthereandlaidthewoodinorderandboundIsaachissonandlaidhimonthealtar,ontopofthewood. (Genesis 22:9)

Fourth,afterwards,theLordrestatedHiscovenantwithAbraham,whichwastomakehisoffspringasnumerousasthestarsintheheavensorthesandontheseashore.

AndtheangeloftheLORDcalledtoAbrahamasecondtimefromheavenandsaid,"BymyselfIhavesworn,declarestheLORD,becauseyouhavedonethisandhavenotwithheldyourson,youronlyson,Iwillsurelyblessyou,andIwillsurelymultiplyyouroffspringasthestarsofheavenandasthesandthatisontheseashore.Andyouroffspringshallpossessthegateofhisenemies,andinyouroffspringshallallthenationsoftheearthbeblessed,becauseyouhaveobeyedmyvoice.”(Genesis22:15-18)

Thebigthingtonoticefromthisstory,isthatAbrahamcalledsacrificinghisson, “anactofworship”.

Job Now let’shavealookatoneoftheoldestheroesoftheScripture,theenigmaticJob.

JobispossiblytheoldestbookintheBible,andwaswrittenbeforetheLawwasgiven,beforetheExodusfromEgyptandbeforetheestablishmentofIsrael.

JobisanuprightandblamelessmanwhofearsGodandishighlyregardedinhiscommunity.

ThebookisarecordofSatanchallengingGodaboutJob’suprightness. Satan tellsGodthattheonlyreasonJobisuprightisbecauseGodhasprotectedhim. So SatanchallengesGodtoremoveHisprotectionaroundJobandthenseeifJobstillservesandrespectshim.

GodgivesSatanpermissiontoafflictJob,butnottotouchJob’slife.5

Withinaveryshortspaceoftime:6 -  Job’slivestockarestolenbyvillainswhoalsokilledJob’sservants. -  ThenafirestormkilledallJob’ssheepandtheshepherds. - Next,anotherbandofrobbersstoleallhiscamels,killingmoreservants. - Asifthatwasn’tenough,his10childrenwerefeastingtogetherintheiroldestbrother’shouse whenaviolenttornadohitthehouse,destroyingitandkillingallhischildren.

Job’sreactiontothisphenomenallossistheamazingthingtobenoticed.

“Jobaroseandtorehisrobeandshavedhisheadandfellonthegroundandworshipped.” (Job 1:21) What anincrediblereactiontothiscalamity.Wedon’tnormallyassociateworshipwithtragedy,butthisisJob’sheartresponsetothelossofeverything.

Jobofcoursehadnounderstandingthroughthewholedramaofwhatwenton“backstage”intheconversationbetweenGodandSatan,buthisbeliefandtrustinafaithfulGodneverwavered. Job learnedsomegreatanddeeperthingsaboutGodthroughallthis,andattheend,GodrestoredtoJobtwiceasmuchashehadatthebeginning.

OfcoursethereissomuchmoretothestoryofJobandmanyotherimportantlessonstolearnfromit. But Job’sreactionofworshipingGodinthemidstofallthelossandsuffering,isfornow,theimportantthingtofocuson.

KingDavid

NostudyofworshipcouldeverbecompletewithoutmentioningKingDavid. However atthispoint,IwanttohighlightsomethingwhichisoftenoverlookedaboutaworshipincidentinDavid’slife.(Youcanexplorethisstoryin2Sam11:1-27,12:1-23)

Therewasatimewhenthisgreatking,amandescribed