Fall on Your knees
Introduction
A few minutes of introduction about myself. I am a music teacher, trained at music college to perform . Performing excellence is something that has been tutored into me. I have led many worship groups over the years. What comes with that background are complexities of what is worship and what is performance? I’ve learnt how to overcome this. Gods presence, worshipping upward rather than outward. Worship of the heart not of head. The combination of singing divine truths to each other and vertical worship to adore God. Matt Redman description of the difference about talking about love and saying I love you. Adoration in the first person is essential.
Reflection: As the Deer - Psalm 42
Pause to reflect on Psalm 42 in music ‘As the deer’ by ‘Shane and Shane. Let us enter in to a quiet time to be still before God, in God’s presence.
As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart's desire…
I Invite you top focus on those words of yearning, longing for God. Panting for refreshment for the water.
Set the scene
Outline of the session ‘Fall on our knees.’ A heading taken from Ephesians 3:14 - NLT
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,”
We will be looking at engaging in worship that feeds our souls.
Asking two questions
1. Why do we worship?
2. What happens as we worship?
Let us begin with a definition of worship from Systematic Theology by Wayne Gruden
“Worship is the activity of glorifying God in his presence with our voices.”
Why do we worship?
We acknowledge God’s greatness as creator and sustainer.
Worship is not specifically about sung worship. Iona ,show grey book.Household chores, young mum and washing machine.
We are commanded to worship by Jesus (1st commandment)
’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
We are instructed to worship in scripture
Psalms, the bibles song book of worship .
Psalm 33,1 let the Godly sing for joy
Psalm 29:2. Give unto the lord the glory due to His name; Worship the lord in the beauty of holiness.
Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Exodus 7:16b Moses to Pharaoh, ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness.’
We were born to worship something or someone
Nature of Praise: CS Lewis believed that all enjoyment overflows into praise, comparing it to how people naturally praise things they love such as nature or art or games.
Pause to ask for e.g., to be put on flip chart
Football ,sport, big bands and big stadiums for gigs, nature & the world, dogs, babies birth of child, houses, holidays, makeup…. Self! All can be Idols.
Worship is not about me. It is about yearning for something more.
Give the example of running at Lee Abbey. Valley of the rocks. Praising as I run and stopping to express praise and worship.
I am joining in already what God is doing in the heavenly realm.
Having looked at why worship let us look at
What happens as we worship?
We enter Gods presence
Quote from CS Lewis: “It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates his presence to men.”
Engage with the creator. Mind blowing
How easy is this? What prevents us from worshipping and not just in sung worship?
Flip chart. Ask for suggestions ( minds too busy, life’s difficulties,fears of what others think,fear of what if HS touches me or what if I don’t feel anything)
Look at scripture
Moses fell to the ground Exodus 34:8 when God revealed his glory and name.
True worship is costly - Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac on an altar (Genesis 22).worship is a sacrifice.its not passive.
In 1 Chronicles 22:19, Solomon is told by King David to ‘devote his heart to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God.’
Requires abandonment
King David dancing before the Lord. (1 Samuel 6:22).Mike in Durham.Dance like nobodies watching.
Empowering
Engaging with the Holy Spirit and his presence. Astbury park,2023 Kentucky America. Student revival
John 4:23-24 ‘Spirit and Truth.’
Steering
Guides us through life’s difficulties (Job 1:20). 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
Mum dying (Grace of GOD)
His love is like the mighty ocean
His love for me will never stop
Oh, His arms are strong enough to carry me
Through it all, by the grace of God
When breath grows still and night draws near
I will not be afraid
I know the plans He has for me
Don't finish at my grave
It was like Balm to me as I drove along the Solway Firth to sit with my dying mother in Silloth, Cumbria.
Worship requires Integrity and Reverence.
It is an attitude of the heart.
God doesn’t need our worship. as CS Lewis says in Reflecting o the Psalms, Praise and worship completes us as human beings. We were made to worship.
Worship is already going on in the heavenly realm as the Angels and Saints surround Lord God Alighty and we are joining the heavenlies in worship when we praise.
I will end with this quote of A.W. Tozer: “We must never rest until everything inside us worships God'."
Ellie Baker will sing a solo: By the Grace of God written by Brian Johnston, played by Jenn Burke
When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold, Through life's fearful path
For my love is often cold, He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast
For my Saviour loves me so, He will hold me fast
