Do you believe that university life is about more than classes, assignments, studying and weekends? Are you interested in finding more meaning and purpose in your life? Do you enjoy listening to and sharing ideas with others? Then, please join our weekly Bible discussion group.

Campus Bible Talk meets every Monday during the school year (except during holidays and during Reading Week Breaks) at Athabasca Hall, Heritage Lounge, at 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

You may also email us anytime at campus.bible.talk@gmail.com

Monday, March 5, 2012

Worshiping God

"Worshiping God" was our topic last Monday.  We saw how God has specified a certain pattern in which we must worship Him.  It is crucial for us to seek and to find this unique pattern, in order to please God through our efforts to worship Him.  Finally, we talked about the notions of worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.


February 27, 2012
The Purpose of Worship
Opening Question: What is the purpose of someone attending a university and what is expected of them?
While one may strive toward many goals while attending the university, the main purpose is to learn on the area of your studies, to obtain a degree that will help you in your career later on in life.
Today, we are going to study the purpose of worship toward our God.
What does it mean to worship?
To worship means to glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God.
What does the Bible says about this worship?
1.         God has set a certain pattern on how we must worship Him
In John 4:23-24, we read: 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Note that Jesus used the word ‘must’.  God has determined how we must worship Him.  We are not at liberty of change, modify, add or take away from what God has asked us, from the way in which he wants us to worship Him.
Why should we not do these – changing, adding, modifying?  What happens if we do those things?
If change starts, no one knows when it will end.  If one person suggests something, the door is open for other suggestions and everyone has an idea or a thought on how to do things, how to improve or enhance them.  But God alone is the one whose pattern we should follow.
In Genesis 4:3-5, we read: 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Abel and Cain were trying to worship God.  While Cain’s worship was not accepted, Abel’s was.  This tells us that for Cain’s worship to be wrong, it had to be a right way, the way which Abel had followed.  And of course God would have made it clear to Abel and Cain the way to worship Him.  God would not hold us responsible for something we did not know.
This example illustrates once again the importance of us knowing what is the right pattern in which we must worship our God.
2.         We should learn this specific pattern
If it is important for us to worship God only in the pattern which He commanded us, then it is equally important to learn what that pattern is.  And how do we do that?  How do we find out how God wants us to worship Him?
Hebrews 1:1:  1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
We learn about God by listening to the one through whom He has spoken to us.  Jesus Christ is the only one God used to communicate His will to us in these last days.  We learn the words of God and how we can worship God in the pages of the Bible, which is the Word of God.
Like learning other things, learning how to worship God properly takes some times.  We can make mistakes, but we are expected to keep learning and to fix those things once we realize the errors of our ways.  God expects us to come to Him in a certain way and we must do that.
3.         We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth
Worship is directed toward God, not the people who participate in the worship, the people who lead the worship from the front or the people who are sitting in the pews of the building.  The object of our worship is God and God alone.
The way in which we worship God should be in spirit and in truth.  We will study these two elements in details later on, but for now let us mention that in spirit means that our worship to God should come from our heart.
What does this mean?
It means that our will is there, that we are not forced to worship God, we do not attend church on Sunday morning because we are obligated by someone or by something, or there is nothing better to do, but because we want to do that, our heart is in what we are doing, i.e. worshiping God.
In truth means worshiping God in the right way, in accordance with the Bible.  That means that we accept nothing else as the guidance in our worship toward God but what is written in the pages of the Bible.


No comments:

Post a Comment