Want to learn more about Worship? Use these Bible Studies for personal devotion, group Bible studies, or teaching a church class. Below are links to the lessons in this 13-part series.
I’ve noticed a shift in culture as I’ve grown older.
When I was growing up in rural Christian America, people were either
Christians or rebels, and the rebels generally acknowledged it. The
rebels did not claim to be good, they were what they were. These
days all sorts of people claim to be “spiritual.” People, who in
the old days were simply rebels, now claim that they have a personal
moral code that is superior to that set out in the Bible. Our lesson
this week is about claiming a spirituality outside that sanctioned
by God. Since we find this starting in Genesis, perhaps the “shift
in culture” I previously mentioned, is merely a shift in my
understanding. Let’s jump into our study of the Bible and learn
more!
The Ten Commandments start out with the statement that
we must have no other gods before our God. I’ve generally thought
that idol worship (which was a big thing in the Bible), was idiotic.
Why would anyone worship something that they made with their own
hands? If the practice is idiotic, why is God so concerned about the
practice? Why are fake gods addressed in His first commandment?
Are the gods of the past nothing, or impostors? If Satan wanted to
be like God, is it possible that fallen angels are the false gods of
the past? (See Revelation 14:11.) If some false gods are not a piece
of wood, but an intelligent being, would they try to keep us from
properly worshiping God? Would they try to steal our worship? If so,
this would explain why our God puts the issue up front. Let’s dive
into our Bible to see what it teaches us about true and false
worship!
Imagine a terrible divorce involving children. The
mother hates the father, feels like she is in competition with him,
and wants to erase his memory from the minds of the children. What
diabolical things could the mother do to hurt the father? The first
thing would be to try to keep the father from seeing his children.
Second, she could tell the children the father did not love them or
even care about them. Third, she could suggest that he is not their
father. The father’s goals are just the reverse: to reinforce the
fact that he is the father, that he loves and cares for his
children, and that he regularly wants to see his children. Now
consider the conflict between God and Satan. Isn’t it logical that
Satan would have the same goals as this mother? Satan wants us to
believe that God does not love or care for us, God is not our
Father, and we should not be concerned about meeting with God. Let’s
dive into our study of the Bible learn more about the specifics!
When I was in school, I spent a summer working for a
small construction company. It was not a great job. The work was
dangerous because the owners seemed uncertain about some fundamental
rules, like gravity for example. One of the owners cut off a board
that he was sitting on and fell eight feet onto a cement sidewalk. The
owners were hardly alert to danger for their employees since they did
not seem to notice matters involving their own safety. Another problem
involved giving directions. One owner would quickly state what he
wanted me to build, and when I did not understand, he would take his
pencil and draw on the ground what passed for a picture. He would then
announce that he had told me, and even drawn me a picture, and
therefore I had plenty of instruction. Our God has drawn us a picture
about His plan of salvation. Unlike the pictures drawn by my former
boss, God’s picture is full of details. Let’s dive into our Bible to
see what picture God drew for His people about salvation!
Last week we looked at the sanctuary built during the
exodus of God’s people from Egypt. From the sanctuary, and the
original in heaven, we learned several lessons about God’s desire to
be with us and to save us from eternal death. This week we turn our
attention to the beginning of the practices and procedures connected
with the sanctuary to see what more we can learn about God’s plan
for us. Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible!
When I was young, I used to wonder about the oddest
things. For example, my parents told me that dogs see things only
in black and white, they do not see in color. That made me wonder if
I saw things just like other people? Could people see colors
differently, and no one would know? These days, I wonder the same
about worship. Do all Christians understand true worship? I recall
in college the wonder and power of the singing in Pioneer Memorial
Church. Get a couple of thousand people together, a pipe organ
worth (I guess) hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Dr. Becker
playing, and you could feel the power of praise! These days I feel
it in much smaller groups with contemporary praise songs. King David
felt it too, although we do not know exactly what kind of music he
used. Let’s jump into our study of the Bible and learn more about
King David and his understanding about worshiping God!
Have you noticed that our recent worship studies are
focused on our personal reasons for worshiping God? We worship Him
because of what He has done for us! These personal reasons for
worship bring tears of joy and gratitude to my eyes. But, are these
personal reasons for worship “selfish?” After all, Satan told God
that Job’s worship was for selfish reasons. (Job 1:9-10.) What if
you believe that God has let you down? What if life has not gone
right, even though you think that you have been faithful? Let’s
plunge into our study of the Bible to explore worship beyond our
personal reasons!
Hillsdale University student David Wagner researched
the history of the use of the pipe organ in church worship. Wagner
reports that Thomas Brattle, a New England Puritan, died in 1713. He
left his pipe organ to the church, but the church rejected the gift
“believing it improper to use musical instruments in worship.” Was
the decision by the Puritan church a refusal to conform to the
world, a determination not to compromise its worship of God?
Apparently, in 1713 there was controversy over what kind of music
constitutes proper worship! Three hundred years later, the same is
true. Let’s dive into our study of the Bible to find out what it
means to “compromise” in worship!
Many years ago, I was in the Michigan area to meet
with a group of teachers who had religious objections to supporting
the teachers’ union. Most of the teachers were very anxious to have
me help them because they were convinced that it was displeasing to
God to remain in a union which opposed Godly principles. One teacher
was concerned about his obligations to God, but he was also
concerned about his union-connected car insurance. He wanted to know
whether, if he resigned from the union, he would be able to continue
to insure his car through the union. When I told him, “No,” non-members did not have the right to continue with union-sponsored
insurance, he replied that it would be too expensive for him to
raise a religious objection. As we left the meeting, I noticed that
he was driving a brand new Cadillac. His faith could be valued by
the amount he saved with union insurance. What about us? Does our
faith make a difference in our life? Should it? Or, does
righteousness by faith relieve us of such concerns? Let’s dive into
our study of the Bible and learn about faith that makes a
difference!
Does it sometimes seem that God is not real? Or, if He
is real, He is not very concerned about us? Or, if He is concerned,
that He is falling down on the job for reasons we do not understand?
When this happens, who do we blame? All the questions I just asked
put the blame on God. Pinning blame is a complex issue that
generally turns on the facts. But, we should always question our
attitude if we blame God. Let’s dive into the our study of the Bible
to learn more about the exile of God’s people, their attitude, and
the attitude we should have towards God!
Imagine being able to ask Jesus what He thought was
the most important points of worship. Would that not be grand?
Well, it turns out that we have exactly that already recorded in the
Bible. Let’s plunge right into our study of the Bible and find out
more!
How did the people who lived with Jesus worship? The
early church was filled with people who had the opportunity to hear
Jesus teach. Did they receive some special insight from our Lord?
Can we import into our worship what they used in their worship?
Let’s dive into the Biblical account and see what we can learn!
Revelation is an amazing book! Not only does it give
us churches, aliens, creatures and battle, but it tells us of final
victory. I don’t know about you, but when I win something in life,
I feel good. God gives me my victories, and this knowledge makes me
feel like praising Him! Imagine how much praise we will feel when
God gives us the ultimate victory over sin, death and sadness!
Let’s plunge into our Bible study to see how those in heaven enjoy
this victory worship!