Worship That Never Ends - 240112

SPEAKER A Hello. I'mike Browning. Welcome to let God speak. To worship seems to come naturally to human beings. From wooden statues to riches, everyone worships something. So what are the ingredients for true worship and what is to be gained from doing it? So today in the psalms, we will explore the nature and the outcomes of true worship. Well, folks, on our panel today, we have my wife, Ann Browning on the far side, and we have Gayl fong. Thank you, ladies, for joining us today. And we'd invite everybody to join with us in prayer before we open the scripture. Father in heaven, we thank you so much for all the good things that you do in our lives. We thank you for the scripture. May your Holy Spirit speak to us through its words. Today we pray. Please, in Jesus name, amen. SPEAKER B Amen. SPEAKER A Now, people, I'm going to start today with Psalms 104 and verse 33. So if you'd like to join with me with your bibles, I'm going to read them out. This is what it says, psalm 100 and 433. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to him. He goes on to say, so, Annie, what is the psalmist saying to us in this verse? SPEAKER C He seems to be saying that true worship just springs spontaneously and it comes from within us, and it's something we naturally want to do. SPEAKER A Yes. SPEAKER C And it's intensely personal. I know for me, even when I'm in the company of other believers, there's an inner response to what's happening. It's an inner wanting to give worship to God. SPEAKER A Now, that's nice, Annie. Thank you for that. Thank you for that. I'm going to read Psalm 134. It's only got three verses. I'm going to read them all. This is what it says. Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord, lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord. He goes on to say then he says, the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion. So the sanctuary he's talking about here provides us a public setting for worship. So, Gayl, can you describe the individual believers experience here in the sanctuary as they worship? SPEAKER B Well, there's a very personal interchange described here in the psalm. SPEAKER A That's true. SPEAKER B And it's between God and the believer. As you read out there, that verse one, behold, bless the Lord, all new servants of the Lord. So we have the believer blessing God with his worship and then in return receives blessings from God. And in verse three, there and who is it? It's the creator, the Lord, who made heaven and earth. And the verse ends, bless you from Zion. That is God blessing his people. SPEAKER A Okay, so it's reciprocal, isn't it? Yes, we bless God with our worship. He blesses us. So it's a wonderful experience that God is outlining for us here with worship still in Psalm 134. Notice in verse one there it says, who by night stand in the house of the Lord. So, Annie, what's this referring to here? SPEAKER C Well, they're doing whatever is necessary to uphold the worship of God. And it can be some of the duties they have, but they're also praising God. First Chronicles goes on in 933, and it brings up some of the things they are doing. They are the singers heads of the father's houses, of the Levites who lodged in the chambers. And it goes on. They're employed in that work day and night. So the work of God's temple and the praise of God continues day and night. SPEAKER A Yeah, and there's another one here. Psalm 42, verse eight. Along the same lines, I notice Annie, and it says, the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime and in the night, his song shall be with me, which gives the other idea of whenever we are awake. In other words, these are beautiful opportunities to praise God. SPEAKER C There's another aspect to this. It's obvious that there's a personal aspect to doing praise and worship. Prayer day and night. When you go to bed at night and you can't sleep, is a good time to pray. But there's also another aspect to it. And God is amazing, because in Zephaniah 317, it says, the Lord, your God in your midst, the mighty one, will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. So it seems like God is singing with us, we're singing with him. So there's a reciprocal thing in worship. SPEAKER A Between God, and that's coming through over and over, isn't it? Which is a lovely thing. Now in the sanctuary, talking about the sanctuary, in the sanctuary, the priests were the ones who led out in worship. But what about today? We don't have the sanctuary and the priesthood? SPEAKER B Yes, there is still a priesthood, but with a difference. And if we turn to the New Testament, first Peter, chapter two, and just reading there, verses four and five, and the Bible says, coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up, a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. So here it makes it clear that all believers today have a priestly role and begins that we are as living stones, so we're actually united to Christ and talks there about us being built up a spiritual house. So there is also a devotion of their lives to the glory of God. And that adds to our, we have a priestly role, and of course, we can all enjoy the freedom of actually coming before God. And we have access to God by the virtue of Jesus Christ and his meditorial work and holiness. And then it says, just as worship was central to the ancient priest's duties, as we read in the Old Testament, so we may come to him directly and seek him in worship. And that's that spiritual offering up those, as the Bible says, spiritual sacrifices, which is actually coming in that spirit of love and devotion to God. We praise him, we pray, we do good, and we share our faith with others. So there's many ways we can worship him. SPEAKER A So in a sense, Peter's describing a spiritual sanctuary he talked about and a spiritual priesthood, which is really interesting that we're all involved with now. That's so interesting. Okay, how do you suppose God feels? We've seen some things already, but how does God really feel about us coming to worship him? Annie? SPEAKER C Well, God created us for fellowship and friendship, and so I think he would absolutely love to have his children come and enter into his presence and his embrace. And Psalm 33, verse one says, rejoice in the Lord, o you righteous, for praise from the upright is beautiful. Beautiful is a lovely word. And to think that God loves our praise and worship and sees it as beautiful, we should be doing it more often. SPEAKER A I think you get kind of encouraged to do that when you read these beautiful psalms. I noticed still in Psalm 33 that you just mentioned, Annie, verse c three says, sing to him a new song, play skillfully with a shout of joy. That's interesting. What is this referring to, Gary? What's a new song? SPEAKER B Well, the Bible says something similar also in Psalm, chapter 40 and verse three. So I'll just read that. First it says, he has put a new song in my mouth, praise to our God. Many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord. So he equates a new song with praise. And then that chapter 40 actually goes on to exactly share with us what we're praising him for. And so just reading on in verse five of the same chapter 40, it says, many, o Lord, my God, are your wonderful works which you have done. And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to you in order. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. So here we see God's wonderful deeds. His thoughts towards us are more numerous than we could ever imagine. We are always on his mind. And so for us, every day as Christians, there is fresh experiences. There are new spiritual experiences in our life. There's new appreciation for the way God is leading in our lives. And there is always something new to thank him for if we truly sit and think about it. SPEAKER A Yeah, okay. There is. Thank you for that. Still in psalm 40 here. I'd like to read verse 16, actually, and verse 60 says 16. Sorry. Says, let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say, continually, the Lord be magnified. Now, there's another aspect of worship coming through here, Annie. SPEAKER C Yes. He's wanting us to be glad and to be rejoicing, because God himself wants to be with us. He wants to be part of our lives. He says, be glad in you. It's the person of God that is with us. And that's the source of rejoicing where he says, let such as love your salvation say continually, the Lord be magnified. Lift up the Lord, increase his name, increase everything to do with the Lord in the way we do life. That's a part of worship. SPEAKER A It's a beautiful thing to think that God actually thinks about us, just us here, and he's conscious of what we're doing here this morning. I just think it's a lovely thing, and it is something to praise God for. I'm going to move now into Psalm 139. These psalms have such fabulous messages in them, don't they? That's such a sublime. Psalm 139. Going to read verse one and two here. O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down, you know my rising up, and you understand my thoughts from afar. This is emphasising his personal presence, isn't it? We've just been talking about gay. SPEAKER B It is. In true worship. God's people are in true heart worship. God's people are actually exalted to experience God being near to them. And you can experience the Lord being near to you when you come to worship on the Sabbath, as you sit in church and you soak in the beautiful song service, the hymns, the praise and just the fellowship and Bible study. So this experience is offered to all who come humbly before God. SPEAKER A Yeah, that's a lovely thing. And it's so beautiful that God is personal like that. And we mentioned before about us singing a new song and it would be our experience. What would be your new song? Would you like to suggest to hear? SPEAKER C Well, thinking about this, I am very moved by a song that's already been written and it's a new song to me every single time I sing it or hear it sung. And that's the song. How deep the father's love for us. Because it goes on to say this. I know beyond all measure his wounds have paid my ransom. But all the words going through tell the story that I want to tell God every day. So I'm really praising God. Someone wrote that song. SPEAKER A Okay, thank you, Annie, for that. I'm going to read another psalm here. I'd like to read chapter 15, Psalm 15 and verse one. And it says this, Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle, who may dwell in your holy hill. So think about this one, Gayl. Who can dwell there, who is qualified, really worthy to come into the presence of God? When you think about it, yes. SPEAKER B The psalmist answers this question in the next two verses in that chapter. Just reading on in verses two and three of chapter 15 of Psalm, he who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart, he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbour, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend. So those whose actions reveal a life being lived for God in the daily activities of life, it's expressed here. So the light of God's righteousness is shining through their lives. And this means that there's no dishonest practises, there's no lies, there's no criticisms. And then it goes on in Psalm 15 and verse four, the next verse, in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honours those who fear the Lord, he who swears to his own hurt and does not change. And so here we see swearing to your own hurt. So he's keeping his promise. SPEAKER A It's a vow, actually, isn't keeping his. SPEAKER B Vows, no matter what. And by so doing, even if it's against himself or herself, they will still carry that through. SPEAKER A That's really good. That's holiness being described here, Annie, isn't it? SPEAKER C Yes. Holiness is an extremely practical thing. It's not an airy fairy sort of thing to me, it's practicality. But to be in the presence of a holy God is a pretty awesome thought. And I think we need the covering of the robe of Christ's righteousness to go before God. Whenever we go before God. And I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that can't be uttered because he takes my feeble words and presents them in that frame where God can really take notice. SPEAKER A Okay, so, holiness, we're seeing that holiness, even practical holiness, is very important here. So I think we should explore it a little bit more. So, have you noticed in the psalms, Gayl, that the psalms says very much about holiness and holy living? SPEAKER B The psalm says a lot, actually. And just reading on, in Psalm 24, verses three and four, says, who may ascend into the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully. So comes through those with clean hands and a pure heart. So it's to do with the actions, with what is the life showing? What is the life revealing? Am I serving God in how I'm living and with this pure heart? So the motives, the attitudes of the heart, a heart of integrity, a heart of honesty, we cannot have that in our own strength, but all our actions spring from our heart. SPEAKER A Yeah, that's good. Thanks, Gayl. I noticed in Psalm 101 and verse two, David has some things to say about him personally. He says, I will set. Sorry. Psalm 101, verse two. I was about to read verse three, verse two. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart he's talking about. So what is this perfect heart he's talking about here? SPEAKER C Well, that's a big one, isn't it? In verse three and four, it says, I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away. It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness. I think the psalmist is trying to help us to see that we need to remove wicked stuff. It's practical, it's necessary. But if we put that aside, then we have a heart that's perfect towards God. We're focusing on him rather than the things of the world. SPEAKER A Okay. And he makes a particular point about saying, I'm not going to look at anything that's not good. Now, in today's environment, where we have anything and everything at our fingertips on a screen, this becomes very relevant to us. And I hope that, folks, we can deal with that. Very important indeed. Look, Psalms 96 and verse nine also has this to say. Psalms 96, verse nine is describing something here about the beauty of holiness. Psalm 96. Nine. O, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Tremble before him all the earth. What is he saying to us here? Go. SPEAKER B Well, practical holiness is a lovely thing, and God himself is holy. We can never be holy without him having full reign of our heart. And so looking here in Psalm 99, actually in verses three, five and nine, it says, let them praise your great and awesome name. He is holy. Verse five says, exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool. He is holy. And verse nine, exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill. For the Lord our God is holy, so he is our security. And every day Santa said, it's important we must be clothed in that garment of Christ's righteousness. I must surrender my life to him. And how wonderful the beauty and holiness of Jesus Christ can be seen in our lives. SPEAKER A Yeah, no, it's beautiful. Thank you. So let's move on a little bit more now and talk about how we express our worship. And so if you've got some things you can share. SPEAKER B Yes. SPEAKER C Psalm 96. One says, I sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord all the earth. So singing is a part of worship. SPEAKER A Yes. SPEAKER C And then verse two says, proclaim the good. Oh, sorry. Sing to the Lord. Bless his name. Proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. So proclamation is part of worship. Sharing the good news, sharing the story. And then verse ten says, say, among the nations, the Lord reigns. The world also is firmly established. It shall not be moved. He shall judge the peoples righteously. So this is about telling. So worship is more than just praying and singing. He's telling us to sing, to proclaim, and to tell, which is all part of worshipping the God of the universe. SPEAKER A Yes. And that's interesting, isn't it? So you're actually worshipping when you tell, by telling and proclaiming the story of Jesus, of God's love for us and his sacrifice through Christ, that's worshipping. That's an interesting thought, isn't it, Annie? I'm still in Psalm 96. I'd like to read verse 13. It says this, for he is coming. He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth. What's he talking about? What's this coming that he's referring to here? God. SPEAKER B Well, clearly, it's Jesus second coming, his second advent, when he comes to judge the earth and deliver his people. And this has always been the great hope of believers. It's meant to bring great joy to our hearts. SPEAKER A Okay, that's good. No, I'm glad that it's there right in the beginning. Annie, can you summarise for us now what it means to worship God? What we've been saying, worship, is really. SPEAKER C Acknowledging that God is great. He's huge. He's bigger than us. And there are a lot of things about God that help us to do that, to remember that he's our creator, our king, our judge, the holy one. He's prayer, hearing and answering. He's our saviour. Worship acknowledges all of that. He's so much bigger than enough. And if we keep those things in mind, that helps us in our worship experience. SPEAKER A Okay, thanks, Annie. Yes, it does. That's beautiful. Still, in that same psalm 96, verse nine says, I worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. And we've already seen the importance of that. And then tremble before him. All the earth tremble before him. Gayl? Yes. SPEAKER B So worship involves both confidence and holy fear and awe. SPEAKER A Who he is the almighty that we're approaching. SPEAKER B Absolutely. Yes. We're in the presence of the great monarch of the galaxies, the great. I am the self existent one. And this is an awesome place to be. SPEAKER A Yes, it is. And it's our privilege to be there. It's fantastic, isn't it? Back in Psalms 40 now, and I'm going to read from verse six there. Psalm 40, verse six it says, and this, by the way, is a prophecy, as you'll see. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire. My ears you have opened burnt offering and sin offering you did not require. Then I said, behold, I come in the scroll of the book. It is written of me, I delight to do your will, o God. Your law is within my heart. Now, what is he talking about here, Annie? What's he mean by sacrifices are not required? SPEAKER C Well, the big sacrifice has been done and it's repeated. That same scripture is repeated in Hebrews ten, five to seven. It does apply to Jesus. The externals of religion, all the sacrifices, all of the offerings and things like that, they are important. But the most important thing is to have this relationship with Jesus. Because it's a heart thing. That is the most important thing. Everything else is important, but the most important thing is that relationship with Jesus. And unless our hearts are really in tune with God and wanting that relationship, sacrifice is meaningless. Offering is meaningless. SPEAKER A Okay, so the externals, the things that we do which are appropriate in our worship, they're not the object of the worship. God himself is the object of the worship. Absolutely. That's the point. And of course, this is a beautiful psalm of what? Jesus'incarnation? Actually. All right, John chapter four. Going up to what Jesus says here, and he says something interesting we need to just quickly look at together John chapter four and verse 23 and 24. It says Jesus is talking and he says the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. So what does Jesus mean here? SPEAKER B Well, worship is to be from deep in the heart or the spirit. So that's the attitude and mind of the heart, which is energised by the Holy Spirit. That's in harmony with the teachings of Jesus. And a knowledge of the truth of the scriptures makes our worship meaningful. And as Paul writes, I know in whom I have believed. He knew from personal experience. SPEAKER A He did, didn't he? SPEAKER B And we can know by personal experience. SPEAKER A And all of us can have that privilege of knowing by personal experience these things. All right, now one final practical question to you, Annie. On another matter, practical matter. If God doesn't dwell in man made buildings, and I think we're all clear that he doesn't need to do that, if he doesn't dwell in man made buildings, why do we talk about churches as being God's house and reverence God's house and so on? Why do we do that? SPEAKER C Well, Matthew 1820 has a very interesting text. It's amazing, actually. It says there, and this is Jesus speaking. He says, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. So if he's prepared to come and worship and be part of a group of two or three people, how much better it is when there's a group together, a bigger group, it just tells us how important fellowship is to God and being together to bring praise and corporate worship. SPEAKER A Okay, so God doesn't need our buildings to dwell in, but he graciously comes and shares with us when we gather in his name, where two or three are gathered in his name. So that's a wonderful thing that he does that you've probably all heard someone or wondered even in your mind, well, can't I worship God anywhere? Well, of course, we do worship him privately and individually. That's something that we all do. But there's a special time together with two or three others or more, of course. SPEAKER C Plus it's like coals in a fire. SPEAKER A Yes. SPEAKER C If the coals are removed from the fire and they're on their own, they go cold. SPEAKER A Yes. We need. SPEAKER C We need each other and we need to be together. SPEAKER A We need corporate worship. Yes, that's true. Okay, well, thank you very much for sharing with us today, Annie and Gayl. We really appreciate that. Worship we've seen, I think is a great privilege because Jesus'blood was shared for us. We may approach the very presence of the almighty God himself. We may worship him and praise him who gave his life to save us. That's our privilege. Finally, soon we're going to see him face to face. What a time of rejoicing and worship that will be. Well, we're glad you joined us today on let God speak. Past programmes and teachers helps are on our website, threeabenaustralia.org au. You can send us emails on [email protected]. Au and we'd like to invite you to join us again. God bless. SPEAKER D You. You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from.