Welcome – Why We Worship The Way We Do

WHY WE WORSHIP THE WAY WE DO!

In this page we will explain WHY WE WORSHIP THE WAY WE DO, basing our convictions on what the Word of God teaches (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

SINGING

“Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His” (Psalm 30:4).
“Oh Come, let us sing to the Lord” (Psalm 95:1).
“Sing praises to our King, sing praises!” (Psalm 47:6).
Additional Scriptures: Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Psalm 27:6: Psalm 81:1

STANDING

“Behold, bless the Lord all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 134:1).
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 135:2; Deuteronomy 10:8

CLAPPING

“Oh, Clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph.” (Psalm 47:1)
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 98:8; Isaiah 55:12; 2 Kings 11:12.

LIFTING UP HANDS

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary … “ (Psalm 134:2).
“Therefore I desire that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands … ” (1 Timothy 2:8).
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 63:4; Psalm 141:2; Lamentations 3:41; Exodus 17:8-13; 1 Kings 8:22; 2 Chronicles 6:13.

SHOUTING

“Let them shout for joy and be glad … “ (Psalm 35:27)
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 47:1; 27:6; 32:11; 98:4; 132:9,16; 2 Samuel 6:15; Joshua 6:10,16,20.

KNEELING

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” (Psalm 95:6).
Additional Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 6:13; Luke 22:41; Acts 9:40; Acts 20:36.

DANCING

“Let them praise His name with the dance … “(Psalm 149:3)
“Praise Him with the timbrel and dance …”(Psalm 150:4)
Additional Scriptures: 2 Samuel 6:14-16; Jeremiah 31:4,13; Judges 11:34; Judges 21:21-23; 1 Samuel 18:6; Exodus 15:20; Psalm 30:11; Ecclesiastes 3:4; Luke 15:25.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

“Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbre! and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with high sounding cymbals!” (Psalm 150:3-5).
“Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments …” (2 Samuel 6:5).
Additional Scriptures: Genesis 4:21; Psalm 33:2-3; 71:22; 144:9; Isaiah 38:20.

BANNERS, FLAGS AND STREAMERS

In the Bible, banners are symbolic of the protection and provision of God, waving them as an act of worship, and also as a rallying point for the people to gather together before God. We wave flags, banners and streamers in our worship service as tools to express our worship to God.

“He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.” (Song Of Solomon 2:4).
“Moses built an altar and named it ‘The Lord is My Banner’.“ (Exodus 17:15).
“You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth.” (Psalm 60:4).
“The priest shall then wave them before the LORD as a wave offering …” (Numbers 6:20).
“Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner…” (Numbers 10:18).
Additional Scriptures: Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 62:10.

SINGING A “NEW SONG”

At some point during a worship service, a member of the music ministry or an individual in the congregation may sing out with a spontaneous “new song” from the Lord.

At times the entire assembly may even join in and sing this “new song” to the Lord.

“He has put a new song in my mouth … “ (Psalm 40:3).
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song“ (Psalm 96:1; 98:1).
“Praise the Lord] Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the congregation of saints.” (Psalm 149:1).
Additional Scriptures: Psalm 33:3; 144:9; Revelation 5:9; 14:3.

PROPHECY

The Old Testament prophet Joel predicted:

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy … ‘” (Joel 2:28).

This gift of prophecy was first given to the Church on the day of Pentecost (30 A.D.), when the 120 disciples of Jesus were Baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-8), and is still a vital part of the Church today.

Therefore, during our worship service an individual in the congregation may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak out a word of prophecy to be heard by the entire church assembly. (1 Corinthians 14:31).

The purpose of this inspired word from God is for our edification (to build us up), our exhortation (to stir us up), and our comfort (to cheer us up) as is shown in 1 Corinthians 14:3.

TONGUES

Jesus said that one of the signs that would follow believers would be speaking in new tongues. (Mark 16:17).

This was fulfilled when believers in Christ were Baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke with tongues. (Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:1-6).

Paul the Apostle desired all Christians to speak in tongues and was grateful to God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone in the Corinthian Church. (1 Corinthians 14:5,18).

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF TONGUES:

1 – Whenever a tongue, during a worship service, is distinctly heard above the rest of the congregation, it should be followed by an interpretation in the known language (English, in our case – 1 Corinthians 14:27), thus building up the Church.

2 – In our individual prayer life, a tongue spoken to God edifies (builds up) the believer. (1 Corinthians 14:2).

SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Many times, when we enter the House of the Lord, we may feel enthusiastic about coming to worship God. At other times, the prospect of praising and thanking God seems to be the last thing we would like to do. It is at these uninspired times that we can be drawn into the very presence of God by offering a “Sacrifice of Praise”.

The Bible teaches us that we as priests before God (Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9) are to offer a spiritual sacrifice of praise to God.

This is to be done with our lips (voice), and truly becomes a sacrifice in that it is done whether we feel like it or not.

We should praise God for who He is, and thank Him for what He has done.

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15).
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5).
“… His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1).
“Giving thanks always for all things to God …” (Ephesians 5:20).
“The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: ‘Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever’ — and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.” (Jeremiah 33:11).

Additional Scriptures: Jeremiah 17:26; Psalm 50:5,14,23: Psalm 107:22, 116:17.

OUR GOAL IN WORSHIP

‘Indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord saying: for He is good, for His mercy endures forever’, that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).
“But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.” (Psalm 71:14).

As we seek to glorify the Lord according to the Biblical pattern, it is essential that we never permit our worship to become a mere ritual or religious form. Therefore, we must continually allow the truths of worship to be maintained under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Only then may we become the true worshippers Jesus described who would one day “worship the Father in spirit and in truth”. (John 4:23-24).

OUR WORSHIP MISSION STATEMENT

Through worship we desire to provide an atmosphere that is so much like heaven, that God cannot help but come and dwell in our midst.