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

Memory Verse: John 4:23.

Introduction: "To worship is to experience Reality, to touch Life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is a breaking into the Shekinah of God, or better yet, being invaded by the Shekinah of God (Shekinah denotes the immediate Presence of God).
  God is actively seeking worshipers . . . It is God who seeks, draws, persuades. Worship is the human response to the divine initiative . . . Scripture is replete with examples of God's efforts to initiate, restore, and maintain fellowship with His children. God is like the father of the prodigal who upon seeing his son a long way off, rushed to welcome him home.
  Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father. Its central reality is found 'in spirit and truth.' It is kindled within us only when the Spirit of God touches our human spirit.
  Forms and rituals do not produce worship, nor does the disuse of forms and rituals. We can use all the right techniques and methods, we can have the best possible liturgy, but we have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit. The words of the chorus Set My Spirit Free that I Might Worship Thee  reveal the basis of worship. Until God touches and frees our spirit we cannot enter into this realm. Singing, praying, praising all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them. Our spirit must be ignited by the divine fire.
  As a result, we need not be overly concerned with the question of a correct form for worship . . . We are encouraged in this perception when we realize that nowhere does the New Testament prescribe a particular form for worship. In fact, what we find is a freedom that is incredible for people with such deep roots in the synagogue liturgical system. They had the reality. When Spirit touches spirit the issue of forms are wholly secondary."--Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, pp. 158,159.

Lesson Questions:

1. What should be our first priority in worship? Revelation 4:11; 5:11,12; Matthew 22:37; Exodus 20:3; Matthew 4:10.

2. In relation to our worship, why is it important to know who God is and what He has done? John 4:23; Psalms 86:5,7-10,15; John 17:3.

3. What attitude should accompany our worship? Psalms 50:17; 19:14; James 4:10; Luke 18:9-14.

4. Why is worship referred to as a sacrifice? Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5-9; Psalms 50:14; Acts 5:41; 16:25.
Note: Emotion should never restrict or rule our worship. This is why praise and worship are considered a sacrifice--because we do what God desires, not what we're comfortable with. Statements such as, "I'm not an emotional or expressive worshiper," or "The Spirit of God came on me and I couldn't help myself," need to be reexamined in the light of biblical sacrifice.

5. What can we learn from the following examples of worship? Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Kings 8:5,10,11; 2 Chronicles 20:21-24; Acts 4:31.

6. Unlike Eastern religions, Christianity places a high priority upon corporate gatherings. Discuss the significance of corporate gatherings and why they are a necessary part of Christian living. Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.

7. Should we expect supernatural manifestations of God's power in true worship? 1 Corinthians 12:8-11; Acts 2:1-13; 2:41; 16:25-31.
Note: The fact that God can and wants to move in supernatural ways among His people should cause us to gather in a "holy expectancy," believing and expecting to hear the voice of God.

8. What forms of worship does scripture validate? Psalms 150; Colossians 3:16; Psalms 47:1; 1 Timothy 2:8; Psalms 95:6; Nehemiah 8:6.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list of worship forms.

9. While Christ is our ultimate leader into worship, does the scripture validate using a gifted human leader to help usher people into the presence of God? 1 Chronicles 15:16-24; 2 Chronicles 29:25; Nehemiah 12:44-47; 1 Corinthians 12:27-31.