"Worship, Up Close & Personal"

Psalm 54 April 21, 2002

Intro: Interacting with the Invisible

In the movie "Fiddler on the Roof", Tevye is a Jewish peasant in Russia who delivers milk to the village using a horse and cart. Out on the road, he often talks to God aloud about his work, his horse's foot, his daughters...If we came up quietly behind Tevye on the road and heard him talking to someone invisible, we might think him a little strange, if not nuts. But from a spiritual point of view, engaging the invisible is what faith's all about. "Faith is being...certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) To the person who believes in the God of the Bible, walking along and talking to Him is as natural as breathing. For at the core of our being, where soul meets spirit, there is no one closer to the Christian than the person of Jesus Christ; we are "in Christ". This consciousness of His abiding presence transcends and infuses all our other activities and awareness.

             As we look at the topic of "worship" over these three weeks, before getting into corporate worship - what we do when we're all together - it's important to start with personal worship - what we do when we're by ourselves. In our worship life when we gather as a church, God's not interested in how many bodies we cram into one room, or the volume of our singing. He's listening to each of our hearts. So the strength of our corporate worship depends on whether we've cultivated our private worship life during the week. Suppose you've got a wagon hitched up to harness for a team of horses. You can put a team of little Shetlands in the harness, or a team of trained mature Clydesdales. Daily personal worship is the secret to becoming spiritual Clydesdales - so that when we assemble Sundays we're able by God's grace to offer true worship, rather than remaining tiny underdeveloped ponies whose prayers don't get past the ceiling.

             Karl Barth said: "Christian worship is the most momentous, the most urgent, the most glorious action that can take place in the Christian life."

Inspired by the Experts: Examples from Biblical History

Consider a handful of heroes from Scripture who demonstrate for us the need for personal worship. Each in their own way was obeying God's command to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to have no other gods before Him. Abraham, a nomadic herdsman, was always building altars wherever he went so he'd have a place to worship God. We read in Gen.12(6-8) & 13(18) that he built an altar first at Shechem, then Bethel, then again at Hebron. Have altar, will travel! Interestingly, Abraham's servant picked up on his master's worshipful lifestyle. When sent to find a wife for Abraham's son Isaac, the servant prays for success, thanks God for leading him to Abraham's relatives, and blesses God when Rebekah's marriage is arranged (Gen.24:12-15, 26f,52). For Abraham's servant, the spiritual life is interwoven with carrying out business in the daily work world.

             In 1Sam.1 we find the prayer of Hannah, Samuel's mother; for many years she could not conceive, and was cruelly mocked by her husband's other wife. Verses 9-18 relate her personal appeal to God at a time of heartache. It says "In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD..." Eli the priest saw Hannah's lips moving but heard nothing, because she was praying in her heart. Challenged, she explains, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled...I was pouring out my soul to the LORD." What a good description of personal worship: "pouring out my soul to the Lord." No doubt some of Hannah's piety rubbed off on her son Samuel, who became a great prophet in Israel.

             The story of Job goes back to a very ancient time, but even here we find a deeply ingrained habit of regular personal worship. We're told in Job 1(3-5) that after his children completed a period of feasting, "Job would send and have them purified.Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them...This was Job’s regular custom." Job's habit stood him in good stead when the crisis came. In a single day, through a direct attack of the Accuser aimed at testing Job's faithfulness, Job loses all his possessions (flocks, herds, servants) and his children. What's his response upon hearing the tragic news? "At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.'" (Job 1:20-21) Because Job made it a priority to worship God when times were good, he was able to keep on trusting even when everything went wrong. His habit of regular worship became his ballast steadying him in time of crisis.

             But the person in the Old Testament who drives home most the importance of private worship is Daniel. He was one of three chief administrators high in the court of the King of the Medes and Persians. When his jealous rivals couldn't find any corruption in him, they determined to get the king to pass a law stating that appeal to any other king or god for a period of 30 days would be punishable by being thrown into the lions' den. Now, how would you or I respond to such a regulation? Would we shrug our shoulders and say, "Well, I guess God's given me a month's holiday from daily devotions"?

             Daniel's response reveals that, to him, personal worship was more important than life or death. Dan.6:10-11 states: "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem.Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help." As a result, they got Daniel thrown into the lions' den. Over what? All this was just over Daniel's commitment and desire to enjoy daily personal worship.

             The New Testament also offers examples of devoted believers who can inspire us to worship God daily. Luke tells us of Anna, a widowed prophetess, who "never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." When Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus to the Temple, Anna was clued in spiritually to the significance of what was happening; we're told, "Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:37-38) Ongoing personal worship prepared her to have spiritual sensitivity, awareness of what God was up to.

             The Master Himself, our Lord Jesus, had a lifestyle of personal as well as corporate worship. Mark 1:35 records that "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Luke 11(1) notes, "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray...'" They must have sensed that this regular personal habit gives believers spiritual power and meaning. This was in addition to weekly synagogue attendance which was also Jesus' custom (Lk.4:16). These daily personal "times apart" were the means by which Jesus kept in touch with the Heavenly Father, and which empowered Him to overcome the most potent forces of evil (Mk.9:29). So when it came to the time of crisis, whether choosing disciples or choosing the cross, Jesus naturally went to his knees in prayer to sort out what was the Father's will (Lk.6:12; 22:41).

             Just as Abraham's servant picked up his worship habits, the apostles followed Christ's example. Peter and John were on their way to regular afternoon prayer when the healing of the man crippled from birth took place in Acts 3. Again, in Acts 10, when Cornelius' messengers are on the way to invite him to preach that ground-breaking sermon to Gentiles in Caesarea, Peter goes up to the roof to pray. It's there that he's given the vision about not calling unclean what God has made clean. Consequently he's willing to go to Cornelius, and Gentiles are accepted into the church's fellowship. I wonder, what would it have taken for God to get the message through if Peter hadn't been in the habit of giving God air time? It's Peter who later writes, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

             While sharing his account of Paul's missionary journeys, traveling companion doctor Luke mentions Paul's habit of personal worship even where there's no established faith community or synagogue. In Acts 16(13) Paul and his companions make their way to the river where they hoped to find a place for praying. Later, Paul and Silas are thrown into prison for no crime; Luke notes that "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25) Would it be your or my first inclination to worship God out loud in a dingy jail cell in a foreign country with our feet fastened in the stocks? Remember, this is before the earthquake miraculously sets them free -- all Paul & Silas knew was that though they hurt real bad from the flogging, God was still with them. By worship they were locating themselves in Christ, realizing they were sharing in His sufferings "down here now" so they might share in His glory "up there later". Personal worship set them free spiritually long before their physical chains fell off. Remember Paul is the same guy who, just before a shipwreck, pauses to say grace for the food they're about to eat! (Ac.27:35) His worship-space became the buffer between him and the cruel realities he encountered day after day. It was that spiritual side of his life, his fellowship with Christ, that recharged him to cope with the worst that could be thrown at him.

             From cover to cover in Scripture, from Abel presenting his offering to John exiled on Patmos, worship sets God's people apart to rise above their circumstances. Their personal daily walk with God makes the difference when the going gets tough.

             AW Tozer said, "I am going to say something to you which will sound strange...We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end."

Psalms our Primer

Did you know that right plunk in the middle of our Bible the Holy Spirit has placed a "primer" or training guide for our personal worship life? It's the Book of Psalms. Besides being the hymn book of the Jews, the Psalms offer real help for us; they're privileged insights into the private worship journal of David, called "a man after God's own heart" (Ac.13:22). If the idea of a daily quiet time is new to you, try reading a psalm a day to prime your worship pump. You'll find yourself relating to the psalmist's appeals and exclamations to our heavenly Father.

             13 psalms (mostly between numbers 3 and 63) have subtitles attributing them to some sort of crisis or situation in David's life, which gives you an idea what kind of problem they may be addressing. Out of these dilemmas come verses that resonate still with us today, expressing our anxiety and promising hope.

             For example, Psalm 3(1,3), in which David has lost everything and is fleeing from his usurping son Absalom: "O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!...But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." In Psalm 7(9,10), David has an enemy from the same tribe as the current king: "O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure...My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart." In Psalm 57(1,2,10,11) he's fled into a cave; yet you get the feeling he's hiding more in the INvisible than the visible: "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge.I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed...I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me...[And even though David's holed up in a cave, catch the expansive insight of this:] For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth."

             There are Psalms from happier circumstances, such as when he's delivered from all his enemies. Notice he doesn't boast "I did it MY WAY" in Psalm 18(1-3,30), but credits the Lord as the real Strong One: "I love you, O LORD, my strength.The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge...I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies...As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."

             David wasn't perfect; like us, he blew it from time to time. So his worship journal also records confessions, such as Psalm 51(1,2,10), after he'd committed adultery: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

             So, if you're not sure where to get started in your personal worship life, check out the Psalms. Grab a modern translation; underline the verses that speak to your own situation. With over 150 to choose from, they cover the whole gamut of human emotions and concerns. For those who want to dig deeper, often there's an amazing structure to these poems when you really look at them. For example, Psalm 54 (called by one commentary "one of the most typical" of the Psalms), is very short - only 7 verses - but completely symmetrical in structure. It's centred on verse 4, a confession of confidence in God despite the current "fix". We might paraphrase it, boiled down, to this: "Help, Lord! (vv1,2) Don't You see what these people are trying to do to me? (v3) I know You can help.(v4) Give those who bad-mouth me some of their own medicine.(v5) I will honour You, good Lord, for You've saved me from my troubles.(vv6,7)" Can you relate to that? Of course, as New Testament folk we'll need to adapt the more vengeful Psalms to Jesus' way of love and grace as well as truth. Anyway, you may well find the Psalms give you a boost to get praying to God with your own words about your own day-to-day situations. Like 150 free pushes with a pair of training wheels!

Practical Tips for Personal Worship

Church growth coaches Bob Logan & Tom Clegg offer this advice to help us cultivate our personal worship:

set aside time for personal worship. Prayer and worship can feel like a waste of time when items of business are pressing. Making worship a priority in your schedule will not only ensure there is time for worship; it will also begin to transform you as you guard your time with the Lord.

The first step is recognizing the Lordship of Christ in your life and allowing God to shine His life into your life. Anything you hold back will be a stumbling block to worship. Invite God to transform you.

Include times for repentance, forgiveness, praise, thanksgiving, and intercession.

Spend time in listening prayer. Worship is not just about you exalting the Lord - it is also about hearing His voice.

Discover the images and 'aids' that enable you to enter into the presence of God: for some it will be a mental image, such as the throne room of God; for others it will be music, an icon or the reading of scripture; the Lord's Prayer can help you focus on various aspects of worship; a lit candle or lamp may signify the presence of Christ as you worship, or incense may communicate the aroma of God's presence; dancing before the Lord is a way to involve your whole body in worship (Ps.30:11; 149:3); drawing may help you see what the Lord is speaking to you.

Experiment to discover what will be meaningful to you as you come to worship God. Don't allow the form to bind you. If form becomes only ritual, ask God to show you fresh ways to worship Him.

             Last week we considered Worship as an acrostic. Ron Jenson and Jim Stevens offer an acrostic of "P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E" to rate our personal worship:

Praise God continually

Rejoice in negative circumstances

Experience God even during trials

Seek the Lord

Experience the miraculous

Need the Lord

Confess your sins immediately

Enjoy the Lord

Do this, and the Holy Spirit will delight to usher you into the Father's presence!

             Facing some stubborn problem in the middle of the day? Take a moment out to pray and worship silently. Someone (FL Accardy) has said, "A rowboat in the sand is hard to move. But when the tide comes in, it is easy. The church is like that. When genuine worship is absent from the church she struggles to do her work, but when a tide of praise uplifts her heart, everything goes better."

Wrap Up: Find Time for What's Most Important

It's a real temptation to suppose that busy-ness in our occupation or daily commitments might excuse us from spending personal time with God. Lord Earl Cairns was Lord Chancellor of England - quite an important post! He admitted, "If I have had any success in life, I attribute it to the habit of giving the first two hours of each day to Bible study and prayer." William Wilberforce, another political heavyweight, warned: "The shortening of private devotions starves the soul." EM Bounds observed: "The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway."

             But it's not always easy to make the time in one chunk. Ruth & Billy Graham's daughter Gigi was a busy mother of 7 small children. She found herself unable to take an hour or a half-hour a day for sustained devotions, so she recalled her own mother's example. She writes: "My mother had 5 children and often didn't have time for long devotions. But I remember her Bible always open in a convenient place - the kitchen counter, her bedside table, beside the sofa, or even on the ironing board. In this way, she could quickly glean a promise or memorize a verse as she continued her work. Following her example, I often pray for each child as I iron a dress or fold a shirt. I find myself thanking the Lord for their healthy bodies as I bathe them at night. I praise the Lord for their beds and hot running water as I change their sheets and scrub the tub. I find I can worship Him as I sweep the terrace or trim the hedge or dust the living room. I can meditate as I take a walk or rake the leaves...These brief snatches of spiritual refreshment have often served as my spiritual lifeline. On days when my nerves are stretched to the limit and I feel myself drowning in confusion, slipping off for 5 minutes with the Lord buoys me like a life preserver."

             Praise the Lord for making Himself available to us whenever we make the time for Him!