I. Functions of a Christian: Discipleship, Worship, Fellowship, Mission, and Generosity

II. Worship is a Continuous outpouring. God continuously pours out his love, mercy, and blessings onto us. That’s the way it was from the beginning. We were created in His image, continuously worshiping.

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV)

And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…He is the one you praise; he is your God…. Deuteronomy 10:13,20 (NIV)

Worship is the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become… Harold Best, Unceasing Worship

III. Everyone Worships something.

1. Making what is good our god is sin. Sin is when we worship something other than God. In Genesis 1 we read that after God made everything he declared it good, very good. We sin when we make what was good our god and worship that above the creator God

25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Romans 1:25

2. “ If you idolize one thing you demonize the other” Jonathan Edwards. The Nature of True Virtue

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13

3. “Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped.” Jack Hayford

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:8-10

IV. Old and New Testaments described worship with words for bowing down, awe and reverence, and service. In context praise to God is synonymous with worship

1. Continual worship is marked by physically, awe and reverence, service, and praise

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

2. Worship is a lifestyle not an occasion.

21 …Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem…. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:21, 23-24

3. Worship assemblies are about God, not us. When we gather for our worship we do so as disciples who have lived their week in a state of continual outpouring of worship and join our outpouring in a state of praise to God and service to each other. When we do so whether or not there is a preacher, slow or fast, old or new songs, long prayers, crying babies…all immaterial

4. God is awesome. He continually pours out his love, and grace, and mercy onto those he loves. We are image bearers, we pour out love and reverence and praise to Him and to through Christ. That means we

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17

V. We weren’t created to worship we were created worshiping. It’s our choice to worship God. There was a time after creation where there was a mutual outpouring of love, compassion, and respect. Through Christ we can enter into that kind of worship again.

Extra Notes
Hebrew words for worship in the Old Testament

H?wâ. (verb) Willingly “to bow down” to God (also human beings or idols in context)

“Come, let us bow down (h?wâ) in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Psalm 95:6

“Then David said to the whole assembly, ‘Praise the Lord your God.’ So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate (h?wâ) before the Lord and the king” (1 Chronicles 29:20)

Y?r?’. (verb) awe and worship of God

“fear (y?r?’) the Lord your God, [and] serve him only…” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

‘?bad. The verb ‘?bad means essentially “to serve” and is used in both public and religious life.

“You will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve (‘?bad) God and those who do not.” Malachi. 3:18

Greek words for worship in the New Testament

Proskyne?. Te key Greek verb for “to worship.” It means “to fall down and/or worship someone or something”

Latreu?. The verb latreu? is used 21 times to denote religiously oriented service, whether to God or idols.

Seb?. The verb seb?, also meaning “to worship,” is found 10 times in the New
Testament; it includes the ideas of reverence and awe.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped (seb?) and served (latreu?) created things rather than the Creator.” Romans 1:25

B?rak. (verb) to bless. It has to do with people blessing others, God blessing His people, and people blessing God.

Psalms
63:4: “I will praise (b?rak) you as long as I live, and in your name will I lift up my hands.”

Hal?l (verb) most often in the Psalms, means “to praise, boast, [or] exult,” and usually refers to praise of God, often in conjunction with music and singing.

“I will praise (hal?l) the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalms 146:2; cf. 149:1; 150).

Y?dâ. (verb) to praise, (give) thanks, [or] confess as an acknowledgment of His person and work.

Psalms 106:1: “Praise (hal?l) the Lord. Give thanks (y?dâ) to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (cf. Psalms 107:1; 136:1-3,26).

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