Call to Worship: Hearkening His Voice

Often times what is consider to be worship is not truly what worship is. Many consider singing of hymns and praise choruses is the heart of worship. In fact, there are many who would argue that singing is the essence of worship.

As believers we are to sing praises to our Redeemer. But mere act of lift our voice in song does not mean that we have actually worshipped in a God-honoring manner.

Singing is an aspect of getting our hearts ready for true worship. True worship comes in response to the proclamiation of God's Word.

"Let us remember therefore this lesson: That to worship our God sincerely we must evermore begin by hearkening to His voice, and by giving ear to what He commands us. For if every man goes after his own way, we shall wander. We may well run, but we shall never be a whit nearer to the right way, but rather farther away from it. . . .So let us hold to this rule, that all human inventions which are set up to corrupt the simple purity of the word of God, and to undo the worship which he demands and approves, are true sacrileges, in which the Christian man cannot participate without blaspheming God, and trampling his honor underfoot."--John Calvin

Call to Worship: Priority of Worship

To being this series Call to Worship, I want to start with discussing the importance of proper worship and the priority of worship. This posting will not fully develop the each thing mentioned here, simply because much of what I will mention here will be addressed in greater depth later.

Have you spent time pondering upon the first four of the Ten Commandments lately. Read Exodus 20:1-11 (Scripture reference below). After you read the text, spend some time reflecting how these four commandments are related to worship. Re-read the text more than once if necessarily. It is crucial that you understand the significance of this passage.

Importance of Proper Worship

Exodus 20:1-11

"Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:1-11, NASB95).

Exodus 20:1-3 declares that the Lord is our God and that we shall not have any other gods. We must acknowledge God for who He is and what He has done. Because our God is the one true God, He demands that we do not worship any other gods. Are you worshiping a god besides the one true God? Are putting something in your life before God? Is it work? Is it money?

In Exodus 20:4-6 we are told that we are not to create in idols and that we are not to worship those idols. Have you made something into an idol in your life? Have you created God in your own image instead of recognizing him as the God who is as found in Scripture.

Exodus 20:7 tells us that we are to honor the name of the Lord. Are you honoring the name of the Lord in your speech? Are you are honoring the name of the Lord in your thoughts?

Exodus 20:8-11 informs us that we are to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. Are you honoring the Sabbath? Are you honoring God in how you keeping the Sabbath?

It is clear that the first four commandments of the Ten Commandments deal with the importance of proper worship. If you do not have a proper prespective of these four commandments, you will not have a proper prespective of biblical worship.

Priority of Worship

1. Our chief responisibility is to honor God above all others. See Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Mark 12:28-30.

2. God claims Lordship over every area of our lives. See Matthew 6:24 and 1 Corinthians 10:31.

3. Westminster Shorter Catechism states that man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Spend some time personally reflecting how you view worship. Are you worshipping as God demands according to these biblical passages.

Call to Worship: Introduction

In the last blog posting, I asked the question: what is your purpose in life? I briefly examined the first question of the Westminster Confession as the answer to the posed question. I have been pondering several different options for a new series of postings. Hence, a new series is on the brick. The new series is entitled Call to Worship.

This new series will look at various aspects of biblical worship. The series will also look into some of the great hymns of the faith, along with modern praise and worship choruses.

We are called to worship. Since this is our calling, we must know what biblical worship is and what it is not. Much of what is "labeled" as worship is not worthy of being called worship at all for a facet of reasons, which will be addressed in the series as well.

The purpose of the Call to Worship series is to bring about biblical worship in our lives, both privately and corporately. To God be the glory and honor.

"Doxology"

Praise God from whom all blessing flow,

Praise him all creatures here below;

Praise him above, you heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

What Is Your Purpose In Life?

Our sinful nature gets the best of us at times. Often times when we are in the flesh, we are so self-centered that we forget about others around us. And at times, we are so focused on ourselves that we totally forget about God as well. During these self-centered times, our motto is: It's all about me!

But it should not be about us at all. In fact, the believers motto should be: It's not about me! He is God and we are not.

So what is your purpose in life? Let's look at how the Westminister Confession addresses this question:

Question: What is the chief end of man?
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Read Psalm 86:9--"All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name" (Psalm 86:9, NASB95).

Read Isaiah 60:21--"Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified" (Isaiah 60:21, NASB95).

Read Romans 11:36--"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36, NASB95).

Read 1 Corinthians 6:20--"For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20, NASB95).

Read 1 Corintians 10:31--"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, NASB95).

Read Revelation 4:11--"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created" (Revelation 4:11, NASB95).

Scripture clearly teaches that the chief end of man is to glory God.

Read Psalm 16:5-11--"The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever" (Psalm 16:5-11, NASB95).

Read Psalm 144:15--"How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!" (Psalm 144:15, NASB95)

Read Isaiah 12:2--"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2, NASB95).

Read Philippians 4:4--"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NASB95)

Read Revelation 21:3-4--"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away”" (Revelation 21:3-4, NASB95).

Futhermore, Scripture teaches that we are to enjoy Him forever and ever.

So what is your purpose in life? Are you glorify God with your life? Are others going to see that you enjoy Him forever and ever?

"Glorify Your Name"

Lord, God, when I consider the heavens

And the work of Your hand, what is man

That You are mindful of him

Lord God, when I consider the moon and the stars

And the worlds You ordained, who can say

You are mindful of him

You put all things under his feet

And give him rule over Your creation

Almighty God, how majestic is Your name

Every knee will bow and every tongue will praise and

Glorify, glorify Your name

We will glorify, glorify Your name

And together the redeemed, all forgiven will proclaim

We will glorify, glorify Your name

Oh Lord God, when I consider Your blessing

And the gift of Your grace, I stand amazed

Your merciful eyes fall on me

Oh Lord God, You forgave my transgressions

And You restore my soul, white as snow

Lighting the darkness in me

In the shadows of the valley

I will not fear, You are beside me

Almighty God, how majestic is Your name

Every knee will bow and every tongue will praise and

Glorify, glorify Your name

We will glorify, glorify Your name

And together the redeemed, all forgiven will proclaim

We will glorify, glorify Your name

--Wayne Watson

"You're Worthy of My Praise"

I will worship with all of my heart

I will praise You with all of my strength

I will seek You all of my days

And I will follow all of Your ways

I will give You all my worship

I will give You all of my praise

You alone I long to worship

You alone are worthy of my praise

I will bow down and hail You as King

I will serve You, give You everything

I will lift up my eyes to Your throne

I will trust You, I will trust You alone

I will worship, I will bow down

I will give You all my praise

--Big Daddy Weave

Who Is This King of Glory?

Mediation on Psalm 24

"The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob.Selah. Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.Selah" (Psalm 24:1-10, NASB95).

The church today longs for a renewal in worship. But what is worship? There is mulitude of ways that this question can be answered. The Hebrew verb "to worship" literally means "to bow down, to prostrate oneself." In other words, it reveals the attitude and position of a person who is subject to a reigning king. In Psalm 95:6 we read the following, "Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." To truly worship the Lord is to submit and to surrender our entire being to him as the sovereign King of kings and Lord of Lords.

The goal of our worship, when informed by Psalm 24, is the entrance of the King of glory. As we call upon the Lord and as we submit to his lordship, we are inviting God to be present in our midst in all of his glory. Our hearts will be satisfied with nothing less than his glory.

Psalm 24:3-6 gives the qualifications for worship. In order to truly worship, we must enter his presence with clean hands and a pure heart.

Who is this King of glory? He is Jehovah. He is the Lord mighty in battle. He is almighty. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the Captain of our salvation. He is invincible.

"King of Glory"

Who is this King of Glory that persues me with his love

And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words

My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I need

Who is this King of Glory who offers it to me

Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace

Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries

My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand

Who's this King of glory, Son of God and son of man

His name is Jesus, precious Jesus

The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart

The King of glory

Who is this King of Glory with strength and majesty

And wisdom beyond measure, the graceous King of kings

the Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things

Who is this King of Glory, He's everything to me

The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things

He is the King of glory, He's everything to me

--Third Day

Be Thou My Vision

Mediation on Psalm 105:3-4

"Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually" (Psalm 105:3-4, NASB95).

Have you pondered upon God's glory lately? Is your heart seeking after the King of glory? Are you seeking the Lord and his strength? Are you seeking God's face?

Earlier today a friend reminded me about a Irish hymn that I have not heard in a few years. Take a moment to read its lyrics and then ponder upon its words.

"Be Thou My Vision"

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,

Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.

Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine inheritance, now and always;

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of heaven my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's son,

Heart of my heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Can you honestly sing those words as your words? Can you sing them to the Lord?

Do you desire to be in the presence of God? Brother Lawrence writes, "In order to form a habit of conversing with God continually, and referring all we do to Him, we must first apply to Him with some diligence; but after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty."

Read the words of Jeremiah, "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart'"(Jeremiah 29:12-13, NASB95).

The prophet Isaiah tells us to "seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6, NASB95).

Are you allowing your vision to be shaped by God?

I close this posting with a Puritan prayer. . .

My Dear Lord,

I can but tell thee that thou knowest I long for nothing but thyself,

nothing but holiness, nothing but union with thy will.

Thou hast given me these desires, and thou alone canst give me the thing desired.

My soul longs for communion with thee, for mortification of

indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride.

How precious it is to have a tender sense and clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness!

What a blessedness to be like thee as much as it is possible for a creature to be like its creator!

Lord, give me more of thy likeness; enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness; engage me to live more for thee.
Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences,

and when I feel at ease after sweet communings, teach me it is far too little I know and do.

Blessed Lord, let me climb up near to thee, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle with thee, and pant for deliverance from the body of sin, for my heart is wandering and lifeless,

and my soul mourns to think it should ever lose sight of its beloved.

Wrap my life in divine love, and keep me ever desiring thee,

always humble and resigned to thy will,

more fixed on thyself, that I may be more fitted for doing and suffering.

Lamp to My Feet

Mediation on Psalm 119:105-112

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances. I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, And teach me Your ordinances. My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts. I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end" (Psalm 119:105-112, NASB95).

How do you view God's Word? Is the Bible a lamp to your feet? Are seeking the Scriptures for wisdom?

Listen to the words of the Puritan pastor Richard Baxter, "it is not the work of the Spirit to tell you the meaning of Scripture, and give you the knowledge of divinity, without your own study and labor, but to bless that study, and to give you knowledge thereby. . .To reject study on pretense o fthe sufficiency of the Spirit, is to reject the Scripture itself."

Are you studying the Scriptures for yourself? Or are you relying on the Spirit solely? Do you think for yourself? Or do you allow others to think for you? "The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for this."--James McCosh

A. W. Tozer writes, "God did not write a book and send it by messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds. He spoke a Book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years." Are you reading the Scriptures from a distance?

As a teenager, one of my favorite choruses was Thy Word.

"Thy Word"

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid,

And think Ive lost my way.

Still, you're there right beside me.

Nothing will I fear

As long as you are near;

Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

I will not forget

Your love for me and yet,

My heart forever is wandering.

Jesus by my guide,

And hold me to your side,

And I will love you to the end.

Nothing will I fear

As long as you are near;

Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

And a light unto my path.

You're the light unto my path.

Can you honestly proclaim the words in the chorus? Is God's Word a lamp in your life?

Are You Seeking Holiness?

Mediation on 1 Peter 1:14-16

With all the temptations out there in the world, it is at times difficult to strive for holiness. But Christians are to strive for holiness in all things. In fact, we are called to a life of holiness. We are to be holy in our thought life. We are to be holy in our speech. We are to be holy in our business practices.

Read 1 Peter 1:14-16: "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy" (HCSB).

Are you seeking after holiness? Are you holy in all your conduct? What about your thought life? What about your speech?

Listen to the words of the Puritan Richard Baxter, “Remember your ultimate purpose, and when you set yourself to your day’s work or approach any activity in the world, let HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon your hearts in all that you do.”

Are you willing to write Baxter's words on your heart each and every morning?

“The pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely no one will attain it without effort on his own part.”—Jerry Bridges

Are you pursuing after holiness in your life? Have you sought God's help in the matter?

Note the words of Jonathan Edwards, “A true love of God must begin with a delight in his holiness, and not with a delight in any other attribute; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this."

Do you delight in God's holiness? Are able to worship and give praise to God for his holiness? For "the foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So when Christian doctrine is neglected, forsaken, or corrupted, true holiness and worship will be also neglected, forsaken, and corrupted," writes John Owen. Do not neglected the holiness of God. Do not forsake it.

Have you cried out the words of the Prophet Isaiah lately? Have you? "Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts" (Isaiah 6:5, HCSB).

Have you come to grasps with your sinfulness? Note the words of the theologian J. C. Ryle, “I am convinced that the first step toward attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin.” Furthermore, “true holiness does not consist merely of believing and feeling, but of doing and bearing, and a practical exhibition of active and passive grace. Our tongues, our tempers, our natural passions and inclinations – our conduct as parents and children, masters and servants, husbands and wives, rulers and subjects – our dress, our employment of time, our behavior in business, our demeanor in sickness and health, in riches and poverty – all, all these are matters which are fully treated by inspired writers.”

Are you willing to seek to be holy as God demands? Do you long after holiness?

"Holiness"

Holiness, holiness is what I long for

Holiness is what I need

Holiness, holiness is what You want from me

Holiness, holiness is what I long for

Holiness is what I need

Holiness, holiness is what You want from me

So, take my heart and form it

Take my mind and transform it

Take my will and conform it

To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord

Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I long for

Faithfulness is what I need

Faithfulness, faithfulness is what You want from me

Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I long for

Faithfulness is what I need

Faithfulness, faithfulness is what You want from me

So, take my heart and form it

Take my mind and transform it

Take my will and conform it

To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord

Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for

Brokenness is what I need

Brokenness, brokenness is what You want from me

Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for

Brokenness is what I need

Brokenness, brokenness is what You want from me

So, take my heart and form it

Take my mind and transform it

Take my will and conform it

To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord

--Sonicflood

Prayer Changes Me

The following poem was emailed to me today by a friend. I thought that I would share the poem with you.

Prayer Changes Me

I come into God's awesome presence.
I offer God praise and thanksgiving.
I become humble, forgiving and grateful.

I reflect on God's will for me.
I seek only God's glory in my life.
I strive to be God's faithful servant.

Prayer sustains and strenghens me.
Prayer joins me with others in action
Prayer changes me.

Prayer changes my attitude
Not my circumstances.
I move from control to trust.

I stop trying to manipulate God.
I listen quietly for God's word.
I learn to live with the mystery.

Prayer moves my self centeredness
To God centeredness and My self pity to indifference.

In prayer, I cling only to God
Not people, places or things.
In prayer, I find peace and joy.

--Author Unknown