The Psalm before us accents four truths about worship.

First, we see the place of worship (v.1).  Both within the “sanctuary” and without the “sanctuary” our God is to be praised.  Corporate worship is a wonderful time of coming together to praise our God, yet regardless as to our location He is to be praised.  Worship is the vehicle enabling the worshipper to glorify God.  True worship is a fruit of the Spirit.  It is not something I can do apart from Him.  God is served in the unexpected, the mundane and the routine expressions of a life humbly lived (Mark 9:41; 1 Cor. 10:31).  It is not the size of the service, but the motive of love for Christ that is worship

(1 Cor. 13:1-3).  It is safe to say that worship is more of an attitude than an action, though worship is verbal and visual.

People verbalized their worship and visualized their worship in both word and works.  True worship is an attitude that seeks expression in an action.

True worship has a result of moving the worshipper’s emotions.

Second, we see the power for worship (v.2).  God is to be praised because of His mighty deeds and His excellent greatness.  His actions and His attributes give us ample cause to praise Him. To worship God is to affirm who He is what He has done and His inherent and intrinsic right to rule over all things created.  True worship declares God’s majesty of being and manner of doing.

Third, we see the process to worship (vv.3-5).  I am not convinced the list is exclusive or exhaustive.  I believe the list is a representation of what can be used in the worship of our God.  The means of worship are as diversified as individual personalities and as limitless as our infinite God.

The only standard is God.  Our benefit from worship is unavoidable.

When true worship takes place the hurting ones are healed, the lonely are loved and the broken are anointed.  One of our problems is that we use music and worship as synonyms.  Music however is a vehicle for worship, but is not synonymous with worship.  Worship is dependent on the heart and mind of the individual, not on the vehicle used by the individual.

Worship is not dependent on music, but music can be used to worship.

Fourth, we see the participants in worship (v.6).  Every one and everything is to praise the Lord.  How inclusive is this statement?  Consider Psalm 19:1 where “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”  Also note Luke 19:40, “But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”  Friend, we could not stop the worship of God even if we wanted to.

Worship is about Him not us.  Anything that accentuates the individual and detracts from Him is to be avoided.  Herod’s tragic end highlights the folly of receiving that which is only proper for God (Acts 12:21).  It is without question that every facet of our corporate worship must reflect an accurate image of who God is what He has done and His right to rule over all things created.  Every effort should be made to downplay our role in the worship service.  We are not there to be seen, but to see Him who is God Almighty.  We are not there to be heard, but to hear Him whose voice brings healing to the hurting.

God is worshipped through our fellowship.  He is worshipped through our financial giving.  God is worshipped through our singing.  But all of these “things” are means to an end. They are tools to be used in our desire to declare to Him our pleasure in Him.    When the “things” become our focus, then to that degree God is not worshipped.  We come not to be entertained, but to affirm.

Corporate worship is the church gathered to affirm her complete and utter dependency on Him for her satisfaction through the systematic study of His Words to her and then to share that message with every tribe, tongue, people and nation.   To say to all who hear and see that Jesus Christ is enough.  He means more to me than my livelihood, my loyalties, my loved ones and my own life.    True worship is culturally relevant and though preference and personality is present it must be secondary.  Sectarianism must yield to unity in true worship.  True worship is not distracted by form or style.  The method of worship was significant in the Old Testament.  In this dispensation there is only a two-fold criterion for worship: spirit and truth.

True worship acknowledges God in our midst.

We gather to receive from Him, Him.  We give God nothing He lacks.

We get from God everything we need.

As I meditate on corporate worship my thoughts turn to worshiping with the people of WBC during the Resurrection Season.  What an absolute joy to experience with all of my senses what God is choosing to do during our time of corporate worship.  May His presence continue to be “felt” and His voice “heard” as we open up His Word and our hearts to Him.

I thank God for you and the blessing that was mine in worshiping Him with you.  May grace continue to reign at WBC.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.

Psalm 119 is an unusual Psalm.  First, there are twenty-two paragraphs within the Psalm.  Second, each of the paragraphs begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Third, each verse within the paragraphs begins with the same letter.  For example, the first eight verses all begin with the letter “a.”  The second paragraph (verses 9 – 16) all begin with the letter “b,” and so forth and so on.  Finally, the entire Psalm communicates a passionate desire for the Word of God.  The Psalmist is in love with the Word.  He uses several descriptive words to declare His passion for hearing from God.  Let us consider several of his statements.  This is not an exhaustive study, but it is accurate and does reveal for us the heart of the Psalmist.

v.10     sought (vv.45, 94)

v.11     treasure

v.14     rejoice (v.111 “joy of my heart,” 162)

v.15     meditate (vv.23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148)

v.16     delight (vv. 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 93, 109, 143, 174)

v.16     not forget (vv.61, 83, 93,  109, 141, 153, 176)

v.20     crushed with longing

v.22     observe (vv.2, 33, 34, 56, 69, 100, 115, 129, 145)

v.31     cling

v.40     long for (v.82, 123, 131)

v.42     trust in

v.43     wait for (vv.74, 81, 114, 147)

v.45     seek

v.47     love (vv.48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 159, 163, 165, 167

v.60     I hastened and did not delay

v.66     believe

v.67     keep (vv.4, 5, 8, 17, 34, 44, 55, 57, 60, 63, 67, 88, 101, 106, 134, 146, 167, 168)

v.72     better to me

v.95     diligently consider

v.103   sweet

v.161   stands in awe

The power and passion of his statements are breath-taking.  How I pray for the work of grace in my own heart so I too might treasure His Word and stand in awe of it.  We must pray for this passion and pursue hard after Him through the study of His Word.  In Psalm 42: 1, the Psalmist longs for God and illustrates for us his craving with this graphic depiction, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.”  There is a tone of despair within the Psalm, yet he is confident he will be satisfied.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:9 and 10, “God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to His good pleasure. And this is His plan, at the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.” (NLT)

Jesus Christ is the center-piece of our lives individually and corporately.  Without Him, life becomes meaningless.

It is not an idle boast that as a church family we are learning to “Find, celebrate and declare that He is enough in this life and in the life that is to come.”  We are striving to be a “Christ-Exalting, Word-Centered, Global-Impacting, Grace-Based Fellowship.”  We do this through the systematic study of God’s Word.  As His people we seek to live transparently before God and man.  We are confident that God is faithful and will complete that which He has begun (1 Thess. 5:24).  We believe this.  May you find rest in your walk with Him as you work through His Word.  May He continue to be your joy.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.