How Often Do We Worship?

Exodus 23:14-17; Acts 2:46-47

And they continued daily; with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did each their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such should be saved.

Our scripture text provides the answer to today's topical discussion by saying daily worship was being held in the homes of the people as well as in regularly scheduled temples. It is noteworthy to say that regular worship of God has taken place throughout man's history whether in altar format, in the temple, private homes and one-on-one. Worship takes on many forms such as prayer, singing of hymns, the reading of scripture, lifting up hands to the Lord and or bowing before His holiness.

The Bible records several feast days that were to be kept at regular times of the year as they held significance in worship to the Lord. Keeping of these feast days is in addition to regular worship because God is worthy to be worshipped at all times. His presence and blessings are a constant in our lives; therefore, worshipping God should be a constant in the lives of believers. It is noteworthy to say, worshipping God is an expression of gratitude while expressing thankfulness for His saving grace.

Worshiping God must be expressed daily as well as on the Sabbath as God set this day aside for rest and worship.

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Who Do You Worship?

Exodus 4:31

And the people believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel; and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Today's topical discussion poses an interesting question that every person should answer honestly because throughout the history of man he has always worshipped a god, but the only one worthy of our worship is the one true living God who created both heaven and earth and all things upon the earth.

Before Adam and Eve sinned against God they regularly worshipped God, Cain and Abel brought their offering to God as a tribute or form of worship (Genesis 4:3-4), Noah built an altar to the Lord as a form of worship after the flood (Genesis 8:20). When the young nation of Israel crossed the Red Sea they worshipped God for His deliverance.

Throughout Biblical history and today worshipping God has been a core of man's faith as worship is practiced in churches, homes and one-on-one between the worshipper and God.

All believers worship the one God who is our creator, sustainer and deliverer. The one God who has no beginning or ending. We worship the God who breathed the breath of life into mankind and we became a living soul. We worship the one God who can destroy both body and soul, the One who will harvest all souls in the end times. Whether we spend eternity with Him or apart from Him depend on our acceptance of His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Worship the one true God.

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What is Worship?

Nehemiah 8:5-6

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people) and when he opened it, all the people stood up; And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Student Bible Dictionary (P. 250) defines worship as adore, obey, reverence, focus positive attention on (Exodus 34:14; John 4:23). Enjoy the presence of God, any action or attitude that expresses praise, love, and appreciation for God. That being said, from our scripture text we see the nation of Israel worshiping God by offering praise and displaying expressions of gratitude to God for His love, grace, mercy and goodness.

Our lesson text also speak of the lifting of hands and bowing faces to the ground in expressions of worship as the people reverenced God as He is to be feared in reverence for His holiness.

Today's study also depicts true worship of God as this worship is one of the highest forms of praise that can be expressed to God as the nation of Israel displayed as must believers today. This is because the entire nation sincerely worshipped God.

When we worship God honestly He is pleased. He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:23) because God looks at the heart.

Sincere worship of God by a nation can heal the nation.

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Reverence God

Hebrews 12:28

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

What does it mean to reverence God? We reverence God by honoring Him in our worship services, serving Him and others, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices unto Him, loving Him with our total being and giving Him first place in our lives as He is the essence of our being. This is our reverential fear of God our heavenly Father who is worthy of all honor, praises and glory.

Additionally, we reverence God by holy living according to His Word and commandments, because each is given for our benefit which is designed to draw us closer to Him and establish an intimate relationship with Him.

It is noteworthy to say, when we look at the term grace as it relates to God's righteousness then we fully understand why we must worship and serve God in holy adoration. Our churches are holy temples of God and must remain a sacred place for worship; just as believers' bodies are temples of God. That being said, God set aside the Sabbath for  worship and a place to worship Him; therefore, both should remain sacred. Please note, we cannot say we reverence God and defile His temples (church and our bodies).

Allow me to pose these questions, Do the world see God's holiness in your daily walk? Are we really reverencing God for His holiness, sovereignty, love, grace and mercy?

God's goodness surrounds us; therefore, reverence Him.

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"Honor Thy Father And Thy Mother"

Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1-3, Colossians 3:20

Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord the God giveth thee. Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.

In God giving of the law did not leave out parenting skills as noted in our study texts in that children are under their parents guidance, teaching and remain until they become part of another family through marriage. I was taught that a man and wife becomes one family unit as they are joined together by the Lord in holy matrimony and are no longer under the directions of their parents. This is because at some point they too will become parents.

Small children must be taught to honor  their parents just as they must be taught to honor the Lord God our creator and sustainer. This relates to the issue of Biblical Training for all believers and especially our children because must be trained up in the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:7).

It is noteworthy to say, older children still must honor their parents in respect, godly wisdom, care, love and support if needed. In many instances older children are pressed into providing medical care for their parents. This is not out of the realm of God's provisional care as He made provisions for all. Older children should look at this as God's blessing them to be able to provide for their parents. God promises to bless our children with a long life if they honor their parents. God always keeps His promise.

Parents honor God, children honor your  parents; all is blessed and God gets the glory.

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Be A Living Testimony

Acts 14:3

Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of His grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

What does it mean to be a living testimony? To be a living testimony is to testify or give an account of some truth as you know it to be. In regards to salvation every believer has a personal testimony to give because the believer knows what God has done in his or her life. In addition to being saved every believer can testify of God's goodness, His grace, love and mercy as He touches us each morning giving another opportunity to testify of His grace. Justice was demanded but mercy took its place and in doing so God sent His only begotten Son to pay man's sin-debt.

Every believer can testify to God's indwelling Spirit-the Holy Spirit who leads, teaches and directs our paths in the way God will have us to go. Every believer can testify to God's deliverance in the time of trouble and His presence when we call on Him in prayer.

Every believer can testify to the truth of God's Word and the power therein. There is saving power in the Word of God as it contains God's commandments that lead to holy living as these commandments are obeyed by His people (Psalm 119:6). Every believer can testify of the many blessings from God for being members of His royal family of priests.

Believers are living testimonies of God's grace.

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"Hunger And Thirst After Righteousness"

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

Today's topical discussion is taken from Christ's Sermon on the Mount and carries a profound message for all believers in that believers hunger and thirst for the true Word of God. Believers' hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God is fundamental to his or her happiness in the Lord as there is an unquenchable desire to be in His presence, to worship and praise Him, to live in total obedience to Him while pleasing Him as well as being in fellowship with Him. Believers enjoy communing with God through prayer, scripture reading and meditating on the Word. Believers hunger and thirst for the return of the Lord to establish His earthly kingdom where God's perfect peace will have been restored to its original state (2 Timothy 4:8). Upon the return of Christ and His established earthly kingdom all the wickedness of this world that now exist will have been destroyed. Believers currently enjoy and are blessed to be living in the righteousness of God while being a lit candle in a sin darkened world.

Believers are encouraged to constantly feed upon the Word of God while yielding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit as He works in our lives (John 16:8-13; Romans 8:5-16). This is to prevent Satan from derailing our spiritual growth and continued desire for God's Word.

There is no food like spiritual food; therefore, stay hungry and thirsty my friends.

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