The Power of Worship

Summer at Christ Fellowship

Todd

July 10, 2023

The weekend doesn't have to end. Keep Talking on your own or with a group.

Has there been a moment during a time of praise and worship when you had a particularly memorable moment with God? What was that like?

Read these Scriptures out loud:

Acts 16:16-34

This is the narrative of Paul and Silas being beaten and imprisoned for casting a demon out of a young girl.

Take a moment to read this passage. If this is a familiar passage to you, make a point of reading it as though you’ve never read it before.
What stands out to you the most regarding Paul and Silas’ response to their situation? What do you think would have happened (or not happened) if Paul and Silas chose to complain instead of praise?

Colossians 3:16b

…teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

1. The Purpose of Worship

Worship reminds us who Jesus is. When we worship God, we reorient our focus, our perspective, on God. God is worthy of worship because of who He is.
Interestingly, when we worship God, something happens to us too. When we worship God and place our attention on Him, we gain a greater perspective on what we’re dealing with in life. Suddenly, problems don’t seem so problematic.

2. The Power of Worship

Praise and worship is actually a powerful spiritual weapon that God has made available to us. Many times we wait to praise and worship God when things are going well. Yet, as we see in the story of Paul and Silas praising God while in prison (Acts 16), they praised and worshiped God BEFORE they saw or experienced breakthrough or victory.
Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. When we praise God, the Presence of God is there, and when God shows up, there is no prison or problem that can hold us back from what God has for us. Think of an issue you’re dealing with right now; have you been praising and worshiping God in the midst of that issue, or have you been complaining?

3. The Place of Worship

The Place of Worship has two nuanced meanings. First, we must give praise and worship a place in our daily lives, not just on Sundays. We have to cultivate and integrate praise and worship into our lives. Secondly, it is vitally important that we come together to worship God with other believers in Jesus, what we call corporate worship.
Is praise and worship a regular part of your daily relationship with God? If not, what is a step you can take this week to build intentional praise and worship into your day? Also, do you make joining with other believers in corporate worship a priority? If not, why not?

4. The Posture of Worship

Posture can be defined as an approach or attitude. Our external posture communicates our internal perspective, approach, and attitude. Throughout Scripture, we see many different postures and approaches to worship: lifting our hands (Ps. 63:4), clapping our hands and shouting to God with joy (Ps. 47:1), bowing and kneeling before God (Ps. 95:6), dancing before the Lord and using all kinds of musical instruments (Ps. 149:3), and so on.
The point of these examples of the postures of worship is that worship is dynamic – it involves and engages the emotions because we are worshiping the One who created us, who loves us, who sacrificed Himself for us so that we might have eternal life. Worship is not just a spiritual or intellectual pursuit – God created us as spirit beings with a soul and a physical body. It is only right that we should use the entirety of who we are to return worship to Him. What is one aspect of worship that is maybe unfamiliar or uncomfortable for you right now that you can press into in worshiping God with more of your whole being?

Make a point of building praise and worship into your daily life.
Pick one of this week’s key Scriptures and make it a reminder in your phone. Spend a few minutes repeating it and thinking about it each day.
S.O.A.P out the Scripture this week.