THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

1. THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES Session Nine: Worship

2. Reasons for Worship 1) We were created to worship Him 1 Peter 2:9 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 Psalm 148:5 Ephesians 1:11-12

3. For Contemplation… • I am able to leave the world at His feet when I enter the chapel for worship on Sunday in order to focus on the Lord. • I spend time on Saturday evening to prepare for Sunday morning worship. • I feel that I worship God every day in some way that pleases Him. • I see myself as a full-time worshiper disguised as a teacher, accountant, mother, carpenter, cook, lawyer, electrician, gardener, etc… • I regard every opportunity to unite with brothers and sisters in worship as practice for eternal praise and thanksgiving.

4. Reasons for Worship • We were created to worship Him • We worship Him for who He is Worthy – 1 Chronicles 16:25a Creator – Genesis 1:1, Psalm 148 Alpha & Omega – Revelation 1:8 Omnipotent – Colossians 2:9-10 Omnipresent – Psalm 139:7-10 Omniscient – 1 Samuel 2:2-3 I AM – Exodus 3:14

5. Reasons for Worship • We were created to worship Him • We worship Him for who He is • We worship Him for what He has done Hebrews 12:28

6. True Worship “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23 “We have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit. Until God touches and frees our spirit we cannot enter this realm. Our spirit must be ignited by the divine fire.” ~ Richard Foster

7. Paths Toward Worship Silence Lifestyle Praise Physical/Posture

8. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

9. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

10. Isaiah 6:1-5 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”

11. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

12. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

13. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

14. Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

15. Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

16. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

17. The Love of God “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17b-19 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

18. John 17:22-23 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

19. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

20. Isaiah 6:6-8 “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

21. Definition of Worship “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” ~ William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

22. Steps into Worship Worship is a VERB! • Practice the presence of God daily • Open yourself to different forms of worship • Prepare personally and ahead of time • Be willing to gather with others • Cultivate ‘holy dependency’ • Take in the distractions with gratitude • Learn to offer a sacrifice of worship

23. Biblical Outline for Worship I – The Gathering II – Share the Word III – Our Response IV – Going Forth

24. O Worship the Lord… O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Bow down before him, his glory proclaim; With gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness, Kneel and adore him, the Lord is his name. Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness, High on his heart he will bear it for thee, Comfort thy sorrows and answer thy prayerfulness, Guiding they steps as may best for thee be. Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness Of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine; Truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness, These are the offerings to lay on his shrine.