Worship Lesson Part 9: Worshiping God through His Word

Worshipping God- the Word Preaching (Sermon, Message) Making Jesus my King

Bible 2 Timothy Luke 11:28 Mark 7:6b-7/ Isaiah 29:13 Psalm 9:1

-review Worship definition, what did those who recognized Jesus as God make Him? King. Is He your King too? -highlight Psalm 95- in class or as take home- how and who we are worshipping -Christ is King Word Find -Cross/King Folding and Coloring -Jesus Crown Coloring

Teacher Notes:

Review Worship: could be thought of as “Worth Ship” to bring assign worth or value to. We assign value and worth to God for Who He is, and to Jesus for Who He is and What He has done. 

Could be thought of as to honor, revere, praise. A simple way to think about WORSHIP of God- to give glory & praise, honor to God.  When we are seeking God with our whole hearts, we are able to remember and CELEBRATE who God is.  On our own and each week in the Lord’s Supper. 

We worship God because of Who He is.  Our focus is on God and the Lord Jesus and who they are, what Jesus has done for us, and we respond with praise the comes from our hearts overflowing with gratitude. 

How does making Jesus my King connect to Worship? (new concept for this week)

·         We love Him. We delight (take pleasure) in Him.  (Command- Mark 12:30 Love the Lord Your God- heart, soul, and mind or in kid terms- Love God Most).

·         We choose Him to be our Authority (in charge person) to follow His commands/Obey

·         We want to celebrate, bring honor, treasure Him. (Cheer, applaud, sing, treat with importance or priority)

·         We honor him as a King- we bow down and worship Him for who He is, what He has done.

·         We know Him intimately- He is our best friend and we love to spend time in prayer, in His Word, and celebrating Him with song, adoration, praise, prayer, learning more about Him.

·         Worship is our life.  It includes: The Word, Praise/Adoration, Giving Thanks, Singing, Giving, Serving, Loving God and bringing glory to Him.  (making God look God). 

·         Worship must be done in Spirit (emotions/heart) and Truth (knowledge/head)- John 4:24

·         Worship in truth is done by knowing the Word of God (Bible) by being taught the Word of God.

·         We respond in worship after hearing, studying, meditating on the Bible because we know God better. 

What is the goal of worship? (newish concept)
bringing glory to God for Who He is or to make God look good.   God’s our priority, treasure. It’s Vertical or Up worship and it’s all about God and who He is, not horizontal or point to self and all about me.  We take delight (please Him greatly) in Him- He makes us smile- we are happy, excited, giddy to celebrate who He is.  We are created for worship.  It is our life (Romans 12)

How do we worship together as a local church?

·         Call to Worship » Calls us to seek after, worship and draw near to God » Vertical focus on God

Could be a song, scripture, prayer- but it will focus on God.  Anchor will open with scripture. 

·         Praise and Adoration » Directed to God or about His character » Expressions of love, trust, praise and thanksgiving » Focuses on attributes of God from the lesson Teaching »

·         Prayer- giving thanks or praise to God, who He is, He has done, Remembering Him

·         Singing- together bringing the focus to GOD and who He is- as one voice.  Must be songs of Truth. 

·         Word/Teaching- scripture reading, message or sermon, reading on your own your Bible. Learning about who God is through His Word and the History- alone, with direction of the speaker or pastor or elder who has prepared to help you know God better through His Word, by understanding the setting, people, place, concepts, teaching new vocabulary words, context, etc. 

·         Remembering Him and what He has done for us as He commanded- Lord’s Supper, Communion, Breaking of Bread (all names for the same thing)

 Aims:

·         most important command is to love God most of all (Mark 12:30)

·         We show God our love with Worship. 

·         We must worship in spirit (heart/emotions) and truth (head/knowledge).

·         We worship by knowing Him better- and we know Him through His Word the Bible. 

·         Preaching is a way to worship God in truth- hearing from the Word of God passionately.

·         Review: God calls His people to remember Him—to not forget what He has done- and we need to keep learning about Him so that we know Who He is- and REMEMBER. 

Review: what do you know about Worship? About Jesus as King? About who Jesus is? About who God is?

Kid Concept: How do I make Jesus my King?  (a way of loving Him the Most! And not forgetting)

·         Show Him love, honor, praise, bowing down, celebration, making Him look good, serving Him,…

·         Every Knee will bow- tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord.

Concepts:

·         Glorify God by Knowing Him: To make God look Good- I need to know Him.  His Word the Bible- is His letter to me.  So I need to learn about Him by reading, studying, being taught, and meditating on the Bible.  And when I know Him- my heart is full and I long to worship Him! 

·         Preaching, Message, Sermon- all the same word and meaning—Synonyms.  Defined: Hearing from God’s Word.

·         Preach= Herald, Announce, Proclaim (like the Town Crier did for a King- public exultation over good news/truth) and Jesus is My King, bringing the best news of eternal life!!

·         Why do we need preaching (teaching, sermon…) Why not just read the Bible on my own? Word of God

·         What does God say about preaching?  

·         Worship in Spirit and Truth (John) – the Word helps us See God and allows us to Savor Him. (enjoy)

o    Emotions and Knowledge

2 Timothy 3:16-17 …. Have all he needs for good work.

·         ICB: ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. ¹⁷ Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs to do every good work.

·         ESV ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

What does God say about preaching?

2 Timothy 2:15- Using the truth of God correctly      (awana verse)

·         ICB: ¹⁵ Do the best you can to be the kind of person that God will approve, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who is not ashamed of his work—a worker who uses the true teaching in the right way.

·         ESV¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.  (approved means being tested)

2 Timothy 4:1-5 Preach the Word!  Emphasis verse 2.

·         ESV 4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

·         ICB 4:2 ² Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times. Tell people what they need to do, tell them when they are wrong, and encourage them. Do these things with great patience and careful teaching.

Luke 11:28

·         ESV “But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

·         ICB ²⁸ But Jesus said, “Those who hear the teaching of God and obey it—they are the ones who are truly blessed.”

Why is the preaching of the Word so important? …. Review last semester’s discussion of the Word- the Word is God- the Word is Jesus- The Word is the Bible- God’s message to us- His love story.

·         Worship-In Spirit and Truth (twofold) always understanding with the mind (truth) and feeling with the heart (spirit) .Piper calls it: Seeing God and Savoring God.   Expository and Exultation-

·         Preaching-“faithful exposition of God’s Word”  exposition is telling about.  Passionately- in spirit and truth!

How do I respond to the teaching of the Word?

Choice:  Mark 7: 6b-7 or Isaiah 29:13

·         ICB ‘These people show honor to me with words. But their hearts are far from me. ⁷ Their worship of me is worthless.  The things they teach are nothing but human rules they have memorized.

·         ESV “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁷ in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Choice: Psalm 9:1

·         ICB I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.     I will tell all the miracles you have done.

·         ESV I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Handout Created: (in class or take home)

Today we will practice worshipping God by studying His Word. 

Psalm 95:1-7  What does it say about who God is?  Highlight that. 

What does it tell me about how to respond? Underline that.  First Verse is done for you. 

95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord.
    Let’s shout praises to the Rock who saves us.
² Let’s come to him with thanksgiving.
    Let’s sing songs to him.
³ The Lord is the great God.
    He is the great King over all gods.
⁴ The deepest places on earth are his.
    And the highest mountains belong to him.
⁵ The sea is his because he made it.
    He created the land with his own hands.

⁶ Come, let’s bow down and worship him.
    Let’s kneel before the Lord who made us.
⁷ He is our God.
    And we are the people he takes care of
    and the sheep that he tends.

I count 7 things for us to do. 

I count 11 lines that tell us about God. 

Are these ways that you can show honor, praise, worth, value to your King? For His gifts to you. Yes they are! 

Notes for the teacher to consider: Theological Matters Preaching is Worship

Quotes:  Preaching is re-presenting the God of the Word by faithfully explaining how He represented Himself in a way that we are lost in ever wonder, love, and praise of God. If worship is the missing jewel of the church, then preaching is its setting; a setting by that its theological parameters so that God can be glorified and worshiped to the highest. Jesus said in John 4 that true worship was to worship Him in spirit and in truth. I think applied to preaching that means at least three things.

 First of all it means that preaching as worship must always be God-focused. Preaching is the act in which we explain the text of Scripture, and in the explanation of Scripture the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ points to Jesus, and Jesus always points to the Father. Preaching in its essence is a Trinitarian act. Second, preaching must always be text-driven. Preaching is not invention it is proclamation. Third, preaching can never showcase man. Someone said no one can at once think the preacher is clever and at the same time think God is mighty to save.

Notes for the teacher to consider: Desiring God the Place of Preaching in Worship  info adapted from.