John 4:23 (NKJV) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
The Hebrew word for worship means to bow down or prostrate, to fall upon our knees and touch the ground with our forehead. Therefore, worship is the act of paying honour to God. It is a feeling and expression of high adoration and love towards God, and reliance on Him.
Worship is not foreign to the Jewish people because God raised up King David to set up worship. There were worship leaders, choirs, and musicians during David’s time, and it was hardly a quiet worship session. David composed many of the Psalms and Solomon has written more than 1005 songs.
1 Chronicles 6:31 (NKJV) Now these are the men whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark came to rest.
1 Chronicles 15:22 (NKJV) Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful
We often take for granted how privileged we are as New Testament saints. We no longer have to kill animals or go through a high priest in order to come into the presence of God because Jesus has become our High Priest and our Mediator, and He has dealt with the sin issue that separated us. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice so that no more sacrifices, or dead works on our parts, is necessary. We now have an unbroken and direct access to God. Therefore, our worship is spirit to Spirit.
To come into praise and worship, first and foremost, we need to be a worshipper of God in our own quiet moments. We don’t need to invite God into our midst because we are the ones who have been invited into the presence of the King.
Think of the privilege we have to worship the God who made us and this universe. When God created man, His primary purpose was so that man would worship Him, but He also wanted to create beings that would worship Him with all their hearts, out of love and choice, and not out of duty or necessity. This why the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was placed in the Garden of Eden.
James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
This is a spiritual law governing the relationship between God and His worshippers. Any true worshipper whose mind is stead on God would also love the house of God. The spiritual realm is created to operate on this principle. As we draw near to God, He will draw near to you, and when you seek Him, He will be found by you. God gave us free will, so while our spirit may long for God, the soul, which includes our emotions, might decide otherwise. Therefore, we need to initiate to ascend into the presence of God, and the way we do that is through praise and thanksgiving.
Sermon Series: ICS Worship Culture (Part 2)
上到祂的同在里
约翰福音4:23然而，时候就要到了，现在就是了！那时真正敬拜的人，要在灵里和真理中敬拜父，因为父就是想要这样的人来敬拜他。
希伯来语中敬拜的意思是鞠躬或匍匐，跪在地上，用额头触碰地面。因此，敬拜是向上帝致敬的行为。这是一种对上帝高度的崇拜和爱，以及对上帝的依赖的感觉和表达。
敬拜对犹太人来说并不陌生，因为上帝培养了大卫王来设立敬拜。大卫时代有敬拜领袖、唱诗班和乐手，这不可能是一次静悄悄的敬拜。大卫创作了许多诗篇，所罗门也创作了超过1005首诗歌。
历代志上 6：31 自约柜安放妥当以后，大卫指派在耶和华殿里负责歌唱事奉的就是以下这些人。
历代志上15:22利未人的首领基拿尼雅，因为他有技巧，所以作了掌管音乐的导师
作为《新约》圣徒，我们总是以为这特权身份是理所当然的。我们不再需要杀死动物或通过大祭司才能来到上帝面前，是因为耶稣已经成为我们的大祭司和调解人，祂已经搞定了使我们与祂隔绝的罪的问题。耶稣成为了终极的献祭，所以献祭的事已经止息，我们也不再需要宰杀动物。如今我们与上帝之间有了一条不间断且直接的通道。因此，我们的敬拜是灵对圣灵的敬拜。
要进入赞美和敬拜，首先且最重要的，我们需要在自己的灵修时刻成为上帝的敬拜者。我们不需要邀请上帝来到我们中间，因为我们是已经被邀请来到王的同在之中的。
想想我们能够敬拜创造我们和这个宇宙的上帝，这是何等的荣幸。当上帝创造人时，祂的主要目的是让人敬拜祂，但祂也想创造出一种造物，会因为出于爱和选择，而不是出于责任和必要，来全心全意地崇拜祂，这就是为什么那分辨善恶的知识之树被放置在了伊甸园中。
雅各书4:8 你们亲近神，神就必亲近你们。
这是一条决定上帝与敬拜者之间关系的属灵法则。任何一个真正的敬拜者，如果他的心思意念都灌注于神，就也会爱上神的家。灵界就是按照这个原则被创造而运行的。当我们亲近上帝时，祂就会亲近你，当你寻找祂的时候，祂会被你找到。上帝给了我们自由意志，所以，当我们的灵渴慕上帝时，而我们的魂，包括我们的情感，可能会作出不同的决定。因此我们需要上到祂的同在之中，方法就是藉着赞美并献上感恩。
讲章系列：ICS 的敬拜文化 (第二部分)
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