God’s Plan for Worship, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Guidelines of worshiping God have been laid out by the Bible and the Apostles. However, introducing these principles of worship for communities and Christian groups is still a challenge. While some authors state that worship should be shown in every aspect of a good Christian’s life, there is a need for organized and collected celebration of God’s love. The below study is based on the idea of strengthening the Biblical foundation of worship. Involving teaching, support, guidance and biblical elements in worship can make the meetings more effective, while people can get involved in more ways than by simply following the tradition of the church, without understanding what God says about what to worship, how and when.

The purpose of worship should be to understand God’s will and answer to his call to talk to us. It is not a single event but a process: a journey that can be an answer to the revelations of the Bible.

Lesson One: Old Testament Principles for Worship

The Old Testament should be the main foundation of Christian worship, as it is providing an evidence for God’s calling. According to the Biblical Spirituality foundation website1 there is a need for biblical support in every element of the worship. First of all: the book of Genesis tells us that God is not simply a supernatural entity, but also the Creator. 2 Further, God revealed his intentions, will and attitude towards people he created through the Old Testament. The stories in the book tell us how God sought contact with those believing in him and being God’s messengers. 3 He wanted to build a relationship between himself and those he created for the likeliness of himself. The creation was followed by revelation, when people would be able to understand God’s presence. His presence is not visible, but one can feel it. Therefore, when worshiping God, there is an immediate response and real time interaction between the Creator and his creatures.

Next, God revealed his power through miracles found in the Old Testament. He spoke to Moses from the burning bush, and all the prophets. He expressed his power through creation when he “said, made, named, saw and blessed” things.4

One of the main consequences of the teachings of the Old Testament being incorporated in today’s Christian worship is that people will understand that it is truly a process, not a one-time occasion. The process cannot be hurried, therefore, people who think that through one session of group meditation they would get closer to God will know that they have to get through the stages before God can be fully revealed for them. The Old Testament also teaches us, Christians that worship needs order, as creation had its own divine order.5 Further, worship requires growth and is a part of God’s cycle of life, which needs to be fresh and relevant. God tells his people in Egypt to worship him:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” (Exodus, 8:20) Carter6 also states that “

God has progressively revealed Himself and His purpose to humanity since man’s creation”. Quoting the Book of Exodus, he tells us about the guidance the omnipotent God gave his people:

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them

the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day

and night: 22He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar

of fire by night, from before the people”7

As people understood that God did “dwell in them” he could reveal himself through the Ten Commandments and the Covenant at Mount Sinai.

Lesson Two: New Testament Principles for Worship

Whaley8 also describes the New Testament principles of worship in detail. The fulfillment of God’s commitment was him sending his one Son to live among them and die for them. While people understood that God did dwell in them, they could now understand and feel his presence on Earth. As people were “born with a desire of worship”9they were also attached to their hopes and the awaiting of the promised Son of God: the Messiah. The fulfillment of the prophecy is described in the New Testament, but his presence can only be understood when looking at the messianic prophecy of the Old Testament.

Instead of an invisible God dwelling inside his people, in the New Testament we read about Jesus dwelling among us. As he is a sacrifice, he is worshiped for saving us from sin. Carter 10 states that “New Testament worship is characterized by the expression of personal adoration of God through any means that glorifies Him”, highlighting the difference between the purpose, setting and tone of worship before and after Christ. The method and rituals were not as important as before. Purpose became more relevant.

In the Gospels, worship is usually described as a “fulfillment of an obligation” or a ritual. However, the new type of worship Jesus teaches his disciples is about remembering. On the Last Supper he says: “Do this in remembrance of me”. 11
Jesus’ worship was different. He did worship God by submitting himself to his will and in a sanctuary. He worshiped in prayer, did not offer animals’ blood but his own. He worshiped in prayer, and he also taught his people “The Lord’s Prayer” to use when talking to God or trying to strengthen connection with the Holy Spirit. The connection between worship and prayer was highlighted by Jesus’ actions and practices. While prayer is one element of worship, no prayer should be said without worship.12

Lesson Three: Application of Worship to Daily Living

One of the main purposes of Biblical worship should be to submit one’s self to God’s will. This is when examples from the Bible can be used to obtain Guidance through God’s word. We find guidance to worship god in the Acts of Apostles, and some of the letters contain clear description of the behavior and worship of good Christians.

In Romans, we read:

“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.”13

Further, the importance of sacrifices, offering and worship is emphasized by Peter:

“you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”14

The Acts of Apostles and the New Testament teaches us through Jesus’ example and parables how God expects us to live. Worship should be extended to one’s whole life, and rituals without the true following of Jesus are worthless in the eyes of God. Our Body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are not our own.15 All of us should submit to God’s will through worship and living by example. Jesus tells us to worship God in spirit and truth.

The Book of Revelations tells us that there is a reward for worship and commitment:16 that is Heaven, the perfection of worship itself. We need to worship in eternity in a pure way: that is what the Book of Revelations tells us. The book is nothing else but the vision of worship and the revelation of God’s world reserved for us.

Lesson Four: Principles Learned about Worship from the Psalms (1–4 pages). Include overarching theme of Psalms, organization, and subjects identified in the five sections (also called books).

Different psalm themes have been studied by various scholars, based on the level of gratitude, love and care expressed in them. According to Allen17, “the psalms are love songs to the living God”. Some of the psalms are built around a topic or a call for God. In worship, according to the purpose and theme of the communal prayer, the most adequate one can be selected by the pastor. Some of the communal lament psalms are directly addressed to God calling for protection of his people. These all include a confirmation of faith and a petition, like Psalm 44, 60 and 123.

Thanksgiving communal psalms start with praising God, his creation and revelation, a summary, and a renewed wow. These thanksgiving psalms are suitable for giving thanks for a communal church achievement. Some examples are Psalms 124 and 129.

“Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.”18

There are, however, some messianic psalms as well to be used in worship, strengthening the feeling of the fulfillment of God’s word by Jesus.

There are some generally used psalms that simply praise the greatness and justness of God, and these are suitable for strengthening people’s faith in learning the goodness of God who interacts with his people and answers their prayer. Psalm 135 states: “God has done great things” and is suitable for community worship and prayers to strengthen the church, community, faith of the people, just like Psalm 148: “All Creation Praises the Lord”.

1 Ten Ways to Improve Your Church’s worship service. Web, <http://biblicalspirituality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TEN-WAYS-TO-IMPROVE-YOUR-CHURCH.pdf>

2 Whaley, 2009 p. 4.

3 Gen 1:26 NLT

4 Gen, 1. Quoted in: Whaley, 2009 p. 7.

5 Whaley, p. 10.

6 Carter, 2009

7 Exodus 13:21-22

8 Whaley, 2009, p. 227.

9 Ibid.

10 Carter, 2009, p. 14.

11 Luke, 22:19

12 Whaley, 2009, p. 244.

13 Romans 12:1-3

14 1 Peter 2:4-6

15 Corinthians 6:12

16 Whaley, 2009, p. 312.

17 Allen, 1994

18 Psalm 124

Works Cited

Allen, R. (1912) Reprinted by Worship Leader, 1994, Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? A Study of the Church in the Four Provinces. London: R. Scott, 1912; New York: Rev ell, 1913; New York: S. R. Leland, 1930; Grand Rapids, MI: Herdsman, 1962; 1983.

Whaley, V. (2009) Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call. Thomas Nelson Inc 2009

Carter, J. (2009) God’s Special Presence in Worship. Biblical Theology. 2009

Biblical Spirituality Website. Online. “Ten Ways to Improve Your Church’s worship service” http://biblicalspirituality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TEN-WAYS-TO-IMPROVE-YOUR-CHURCH.pdf