We have started this year looking at the essentials of our daily lives as
Christians. Very often we have found ourselves tired, worn out, depressed and even
burned out in our pattern of daily life. This stems from an improper balance and a
goal of rest somewhere in the undefined future. Instead, I propose to you a new
approach to life: making the most for the best and most essential things daily. This
would be: Rest, work, worship, prayer, play, and quality community time.
Anytime, we give too much time to any one of these categories, we rob from another
essential daily activity. And so you may say things like, “I don’t have time to rest,” or
“I don’t have time to play.” You may be right, and occasionally our work or life
demands we give more to one activity rather than another for a short time. But
unless we regain the proper balance we will end up off kilter again.
Today, I want to talk about a daily time to worship.
Humanity was made to worship. This is even evident in pagan societies where idols are made to become the focus of this natural compulsion. I have even seen this instinct lived out by those that do not believe in God who will sing, dance, raise their hands and celebrate at a music concert. We are made to worship. So, what is worship?
Worship is an expression of gratitude to God through song, word, motion,
music or movement. Even Eric Liddle, the famous Olympian who became a
missionary, saw running as an act of worship. As Liddle says in the movie Chariots of
Fire, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” In worship, we recognize who God is, what
he has done and what he will do. True worship is not just conveying our feelings or
experiences about something. That can be component, but the focus of worship is
always on the person or character of God.
So where in the Bible do we see people making time to worship in the midst
of their chaotic lives? And how did that worship help them in the midst of what they
were facing?
I want to begin with someone in the Bible that could be considered an expert
in worship. King David wrote 73 Psalms in the Bible and who knows how many
more. This is the same King David who was a shepherd as a youth, a warrior as a
young man, a refugee, a rebel, as well as a king. When we are introduced to David in
1 Samuel 16, he is simply a shepherd boy in the tribe of Judah who God has anointed
as the next king. But by the end of the chapter we see much more.
1 Samuel 16:14-18,23
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit [ b ] that
filled him with depression and fear.
15 Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling
you.
16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit
troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”
17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”
18 One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented
harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good
judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”
23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the
harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
First, I want you note how important worship is in our lives as we can see
what life looks like without worship in King Saul. Two years ago we studied 1
Samuel heavily so I won’t go too deep into understanding Saul, but put simply: Saul’s
life is all about himself and his accomplishments. He is constantly chasing fame and
approval. He is completely insecure which leads to him being driven by fear and
then ultimately paranoia. His life choices have led him to being tormented because
of his unwillingness to recognize God and give him control. Saul’s life is a warning to
us if we neglect daily worship in our lives. When we wrongly refuse to give to God
the worship that rightly belongs to him and try to refocus it on ourselves, we can
end up like Saul.
But the focus of this message is not on those that neglected worship in their
daily lives, but those that maintain it. David’s worship through playing his harp has
become well known in spite of his day job as a shepherd. We often picture David
playing his harp while tending sheep which is never stated that way in Scripture.
But knowing what we do about what it takes to be a dedicated, good shepherd, it is
likely that David did take the time to worship on his harp daily even in the fields
tending sheep. This attitude of worship is reflected in the heart of a young man who
trusted in God when everyone is afraid of Goliath. There is real life change in the
midst of worship. Just being in proximity to David worshiping calms to oppressive
spirit in Saul.
When do we worship? Sundays of course. Sometimes we listen to worship
music in the car as we travel to and from work. But do we daily make space to
worship? Many times, we don’t want to worship because we are overwhelmed with
difficulties we are facing. What we see in Scripture is that David wrote and
worshiped through the Psalms through some very crazy and troublesome times. Out
of the 73 Psalms that David wrote in Scripture we have many of them described as:
1) written as David fled Absalom, 2) he sang this song on the day that God delivered
him from all of his enemies including Saul, 3) when he pretended to be insane in
front of Abimelech king of the Philistines, 4) when Nathan the prophet came to him
after he committed adultery with Bathsheba, 5) when David was betrayed to Saul by
the Ziphites, 6) when David was hiding from Saul in a cave…And the descriptions go
on and on.
David didn’t reserve his worship to God when things were good or he was
near the Ark free to worship. He was worshiping God at all times. Many times letting
the worship express what he was thinking and feeling while his reflection on God
and his character elevated him above his circumstance and situation by giving God
the glory.
Let me show you what I mean. I just made reference to Psalm 34 where
David has pretended to be insane as he fled from Saul to his enemy the Philistines.
In the midst of degrading himself in order to protect his life, this Psalm and its truths
is what helped guide David through:
Psalm34:1-10
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
How might our lives be different if we included worship daily? Worship is
sprinkled throughout Scripture. Exodus 15 records the worship song the people of
Israel sang after God had defeated the Egyptians at the Red Sea. Luke 1 records
Mary the mother of Jesus’ song when she reflects on God’s promises and plans. We
should worship during good times where it is clear that God is working and has
brought deliverance into our lives but also in the difficult times.
But does God really care about music and worship and song? How important
is it to him? Well Deuteronomy 31 records a critical moment in Israel’s history. The
people have crossed the desert after 40 years and God is not allowing Moses to go
into the Promised Land. The mantle of leadership is now being passed to Joshua.
And so what does God do at this critical juncture? He writes a song and commands
the people learn it, memorize it and sing it regularly.
19 “So write down the words of this song, and teach it to the people of Israel.
Help them learn it, so it may serve as a witness for me against them.
20 For I will
bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk
and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and
become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and
break my covenant.
21 And when great disasters come down on them, this song will
stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I
know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I
swore to give them.”
22 So that very day Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the
Israelites.
It’s amazing to consider that God wrote a song and then taught it to Moses.
But it had a purpose. It was to remind the people of who God was when they would
eventually rebel and turn on Him. He didn’t want them blaming them when they
suffered the consequences of their rebellion. He wanted them to know that He knew
this was part of their nature and yet he still blessed them and loved them. He knows
us, even in our sin, and yet remains a gracious, patient and loving God.
You see worship reminds us of who God and who we are. The best worship
teaches us truths about God’s character so we learn as we delight in our Father God.
And we are not the only ones that get to delight in worshp.
Zephaniah 3:17 says that God himself delights in singing over us as well. For
The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in
you with gladness.With his love, he will calm all your fears. [b] He will rejoice over you
with joyful songs.”
I want to give you one more example this morning of the transformative
power of daily worship. Acts 16 tells us about Paul and Silas on a missionary
journey. They are beaten with whips, put in shackles and thrown into prison for
healing a demon possessed girl in the city of Philippi. Seems like a pretty tragic and
failed trip. Could things get any worse? What is their reaction to this harmful
treatment?
Acts 16:25-34
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening.
26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the
prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the
chains of every prisoner fell off!
27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide
open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill
himself.
28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before
Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone
in your household.”
32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all
who lived in his household.
33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them
and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were
immediately baptized.
34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them,
and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
Worship elevated the perspective of Paul and Silas in the prison that fateful
night. In spite of their physical pain and suffering, they did not neglect their daily
worship. Instead of being crushed by their treatment, they recognized that nothing
could separate them from the presence of God and so they worshiped right there in
chains. An added result of their worship were those in the prison that surrounded
them listened. Why? Because no one worshiped in prison! Not with that attitude of,
could it be, joy and thanksgiving?
Another result of their worship was a supernatural movement that released
their chains and opened the prison doors through an earthquake. We know this is
supernatural because maybe an earthquake could loosen doors, but not shackles.
These men were now free to leave their chains and their cells. But they don’t. Why?
Because they had just discovered something in that jail more valuable than
their personal freedom. The presence of God experienced through worship.
The jailer himself, is so moved by God’s presence that he chooses to follow
Jesus as well as the rest of his family. That prison worship service in Philippi started
a church that Paul later wrote to in the book of Philippians.
Just like our rest and our work, we also have the need, desire and mandate
for daily worship. If you are neglecting this part of your daily life, you are sorely
missing out on the proper perspective of life, a special intimacy in God’s presence,
and the opportunity for God to move in power in your life and the life of others
around you.
Today, I want to offer to you listening the same opportunity that was
afforded the jailer that night. Will you believe in Jesus today? Will you take the time
to sing to him daily and allow the truth of his love to transform how you live daily?
As we have seen this morning from these heroes of the faith that rough
circumstances and situations will happen. We live in a lost and fallen world. But we
can rise above whatever may come if worship is part of our daily process. It is a fact
as real as gravity or the Laws of Thermodynamics. Worship brings transformative
change daily if we make space for it in our lives.
Let’s pray and then worship Jesus.
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