Principle #9--Psalms of Discipleship

True, biblical worship is never about us; but always about Him.

Hello my friends. Greetings to you again.

I was thinking out loud earlier today and pondered why I do what I do. For example, do I serve others so they will like me more? Do I l attend church in order to be seen by others? Do I love the Lord because He first loved me or do I love Him in order to get Him to bless me more?

Motives....Motives...Motives....Why do we do what we do? Why do we worship the Lord, really?

This week's Psalm of Discipleship explores what it means to worship God. I believe that all of us will agree that worship of God is a life time commitment and great joy. May our worship be pleasing to the Lord this week.

Keep on pressing on!

Denny


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #9

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. Psalm 5:7

Core Value: Worship

“Few individuals deny the importance of worship, but relatively few understand what it means or have a passion to engage God through worship” (George Barna). What does it really mean to “worship” God? The general meaning of the word “worship” is pregnant with meaning. To worship means that we are to bow down, to give reverence to, to adore, to pay homage to. In the New Testament, the English word worship comes from the Greek word, proskuneo. It is where we get the English word, “prostrate.” In the Old Testament, there are two primary meanings of the word worship. One meaning implies a devoted servant. The other meaning suggests a bowing down to. Combined, the Old Testament concept is more than a ritual or an academic exercise—it is a vibrant story of God coming down and telling His people how He wanted to be approached; how He wanted to be worshiped. William Temple illustrates what it means to worship God when he said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”

Principle #9 & Personal Application: The quality disciple of Jesus Christ has a keen and reverent respect for the Lord.

A heart that seeks to worship God:

• Is aware of the Lord’s abundant lovingkindness.

• Will do so in a holy temple. (The disciple is His Temple; see 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20)

• Will be Christ-centered and not man-centered.

• Will bow down and be reverent to Him.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I seek to worship the Lord am I often distracted by other people around me, beside me, in front of me?

What can I do to make my worship of God not a hollow and ritualistic obligation, but an authentic and meaningful way of life?

Is my heart in the right condition; where it is a holy temple, a place where a proper worship of God can take place?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I so desire that my worship of You count for something more than just an emotional feeling and superficial high that flames out when the moment fades. I want to know You more, to love You more, to worship You more; and to worship You in the way it pleases You.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

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