I heard a sermon on worship and began thinking about what worship is, how we should worship and why. As I started searching the Bible for answers I came up with quite a lot of answers. Here are the notes I kept:
Who: Worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Rev 14:7)
Worship the Father (John 4:21)
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God...(Luke 4:8)
....to worship the King. , the Lord of Hosts. (Zech. 14:7)
Who is God that we should worship Him?
God is self-existent
God said to Moses, "I Am Who I Am". (Ex. 3:14)
God is self-sufficient
If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
God is eternal
The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deut 33:27)
Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. (Ps 90:2)
God is infinite
"Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the Lord. (Jer. 23:24)
But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. (1Kings 8:27)
(infinite) - without limits or bounds; endless; boundless; immeasurable; unlimited; immense.
God is omnipresent
Where can I go from the Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Ps. 139:7-10)
God is omnipotent
"Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord." (Gen 18:13,14)
God is omniscient
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I set and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. (Ps. 139:1-4)
Surely the nations are like a drop in the bucket; Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge or showed Him the path of understanding? (Is. 40:13-15)
God is wise
By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; (Prov 3:19)
Now to the King eternal, immortable, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen. (1 Tim. 1:17)
God is immutable
But you remain the same and your years will never end. (Hebrews 1:12)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
(immutable) - never changing, unchangeable, permanent.
God is sovereign
"I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times. What is still to come, I say: 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; What I have planned, that will I do.(Is 46:9-11)
(sovereign) - king, supreme ruler; greatest in rank or power; independent of hte control of other governments; above all others; supreme, greatest; very excellent or powerful, paramount, chief.
God is incomprehensible
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out.
(Rom. 11:33)
Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Alighty? They are higher than the heavens - what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave - what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. (Job 11:7-9)
God is holy
"Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
God is righteous and just
Righteous are you, O Lord, and your laws are right. The statues you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy. (Ps. 119:137-138)
God is true
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
A faith and knowledge on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. (Titus 1:1-2)
God is faithful
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.(Deut. 7:9)
God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful(1 Cor. 1:9)
The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it
(1 Thess. 5:24)
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it.
(1 Cor. 10:13)
God is light
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
God is good
Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Ps. 107:8)
God is merciful
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; (ps. 103:8-13)
God is blameless
"I am God Almighty; (El Shaddai) walk before me and be blameless."
God is our deliverer
I watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I promised to bring you up out of your misery...
(Ex. 1:16-17)
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God---through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24)
God is creator
You alone are Lord. You made the heavens, and all their starry host, the earht and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. (Neh. 9:6)
Through Him all things were made; (John 1:3)
God is unprecedented
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. (Is. 64:4)
God is forgiving
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression. (Micah 7:18)
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. (Rom. 4:8)
God is our redeemer
...the Lord willredeem you out of the hand of your enemies. (Micah 4:10)
...because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life set me free. (Rom 8:2)
God is peace
He will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.
I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Ps. 4:8)
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)
God is jealous
Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Ex. 34:14)
God is comfort
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; (Is. 66:13)
...And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev. 7:17)
God is judge
But, O Lord Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind... (Jer. 11:20)
And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)
God is our refuge
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge' my shield and the horn of my salvation. (2 Sam. 22:2-3)
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7)
(refuge) - shelter or protection from harm;
God is our avenger
He is the God who avenges me... (Ps. 18:47)
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble and you and give relief to you who are troubled. (2 Thess. 1:6-7)
God is our shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want... (Ps. 23:1)
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
God is perfect
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
(Matt. 5:48)
He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong. (Deut. 32:4)
Whew!!! After reading all that again, I feel very insignificant. Now isn't that what worship is all about. First, acknowledging who God is and that we are nothing apart from Him. In my next post I will include what I found out about who should worship, when we should worship and how the Bible tells us to worship.
