Here are some things people have said about worship:
William Temple : "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 Secker : "A drop of praise is an unsuitable acknowledgement for an ocean of mercy."
Voltaire : "God prefers bad verses recited with a pure heart to the finest verses chanted by the wicked."
Charles Spurgeon : "Wash your face every morning in a bath of praise."
Karl Barth : "Christian worship is the most urgent, the most glorious action that takes place in human life."
I'm with the late Karl Barth and all the others I've just quoted.
Worship is to be in a love relationship with the Most High God, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords and to be able to give Him His worth is what we were created for. To worship is the most important gift or action or ability that you and I have. Not to use our gifts, not to serve others - all vital….but to worship. The church should be a centre of worship - first and foremost. Out of this comes everything else.
On a journey - considered what worship means, considered the early corporate worship of the Israelites, especially the Tabernacle of Moses… in particular the Ark of the Covenant. We've been taught by God's word, through His spirit, that God's presence is crucial in our midst, our response of holy fear is the correct one and we should be understanding that worship is not about keeping rituals, not about outward appearance, but about an inward conviction of the heart. It is also not about a one man band -High Priest - sacrificing on our behalf - only one able to go into Holy of Holies and then only once a year.
Instead, we have in Jesus a great High Priest and because of His death and resurrection we can enter straight into the very presence of God, through His spirit.
Now we're going to move on.
Over these next couple of weeks we are going to consider the Tabernacle of David, the example of David, leading us on to look at the Temple, prepared by David but built by Solomon his son.
When you mention David - Goliath, Bathsheba - shepherd boy/warrior King or David and Saul or him and Jonathan.
None of these things are the things that God remembered.
Turn to New Testament - Acts 13 v 22 - Paul speaking to group of people who knew their Jewish history. He talks to them about the Israelites asking for a king. God gives Saul. Then he says, 'I have found David, a man after my heart.'
Instead, I found David to be the one who cares about things I care about. Here is a man whose heart was totally synchronised with mine. It beats in tune with mine.
When God look to right, David looks to right, etc. A man after God's own heart.
Now I want us to remember that as we consider the story of David and the Ark of the Covenant coming to Jerusalem and the setting up of the Tabernacle, a place of worship for people. It is the key to understanding biblical worship from David's experience.
Setting : Jerusalem. David is king - new king. Saul is dead. He compromised, he fiddled, and he was not a person of integrity. He neglected the things of God, particularly the principles of worship.
In David's day the central place of worship was the Tabernacle but under Saul's reign the emphasis on it had drifted.
Somehow the Ark had been separated from the Tabernacle; the enemy had carted it off (Philistines).
Loss of the Ark meant the loss of the presence of God; God dwelt in His gory upon the ark. Everywhere the Ark was placed, God's glory rested. This was central to Israel's worship.
When David became king he realised there was no Ark, no central place of worship; spiritual life of people was mediocre.
2 Samuel 6 : Ark coming back to Jerusalem.
But…..David got it wrong. He didn't do it properly, so one man died and David took it thick!
Then he realised, or someone pointed it out, we did it wrong. God had laid down instructions for the transporting of the Ark.
Having a heart after God does not mean you are perfect. It means you are sensitive; strive for God and His ways.
It means when you are wrong, admit it, own it. David had not done his home work. He had to care about the small things, the details, just as God did. Had to think of rings, poles and carriers.
So three months later he goes to the man called Obed-edom (got blessing).
1 Chronicles : he confessed he did not enquire of God first!
When he did, people got prepared, then excitement came because they followed the plans of God; they obeyed.
They went for the Ark, properly this time, Levites, singers, musicians, and people praising God. They brought it to Jerusalem to the tent that David pitched there.
KEY ISSUES FOR US:-
- People after God's heart; out desire as we worship, wherever, to get turned into God… experience His love, seek to hear His voice, know His ways, gain spiritual strength to walk in His way and will.
- Musical instruments : David introduced musical instruments and song to worship in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple … original biblical instruments …. Used in the Tabernacle of David; stringed instruments, cymbals, drums. The music must have been joyous and loud : choirs, song leaders, list of instruments and dancing.<
So, in this context, we need to understand that the organ is actually the modern instrument and not the worship band; it is the traditional, biblical form for worship times according to David. We have the Psalms, read Psalm 150.
- David : freedom/abandoned in worship. Challenge to us.
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History of Worship
New Testament Worship
Tabernacle Worship
Celtic Worship
The Reformation
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