Revolution Era

continued from Part 2

Part 4: A Few Examples of Worship and Praise in the New Testament:

From Jesus

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Lk 10:21

ἐξομολογέω exomologeō; “to confess, to profess”

From The Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Mt 2:1-2

“worship” - προσκυνέω proskyneō; “kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.”

From The Disciples

“Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Mt 14:33

“worship” - προσκυνέω proskyneō

“Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.” Mt 28:9

“worship” - προσκυνέω proskyneō

From Paul

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. “ Phi 2:5; 6-11*

*[Philippians 2:6-11 is considered by many scholars to be an excerpt of one of Christianity’s first hymns]

See also: Romans 11:33-36; Colossians 1:3-14; and Ephesians 1:3-14

From The Book of Revelation (John)

“Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."” Rev 4:8-11

So, from the non-exhaustive list of examples above, I believe we can find some commonalities:

1) Worship (προσκυνέω proskyneō; “kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.”) is an action. Yes, we did also discover, as Jesus and Paul taught, that it is a lifestyle. But referring to specific instances where the word is used, the ACTION that follows is the same. It is NOT singing songs, so words of praise. It is an act of bowing down prostrate before God.

Gesenius's Lexicon entry for Strong's H7812 – shachah in Hebrew, states:

“…to prostate oneself before anyone out of honour. Those who used this mode of salutation fell on their knees and touched the ground with their forehead…”
“…in worshipping a deity; hence to honour God with prayers, Gen 22:5; 1 Sam 1:3; even without prostration of body; Gen 47:31; 1 Ki 1:47.
“to do homage, to submit oneself. Ps 45:12”

2) Praise, or, express, (ἐξομολογέω exomologeō; “to confess, to profess”) as uttered by Jesus, is a VERBAL expression of admiration, adoration, and confirmation. The Hebrew, yadah, (Strong's H3034), is similar in meaning. Praise comes from our lips, and in praise we can utter wonderful things to God, be it in the language of men or the language of angels. They can be said, or sung. But context seems to indicate that praise is spontaneous, and intimate. Praise can be found in a group setting, but it is a creative expression released from an individual.

The Hebrew, halal (Strong's H1984) is also rendered “praise” by translators. It too needs strong consideration.

Literally, it means “to be clear, to be brilliant; used of a clear, sharp tone or sound.” It can also mean, “to make a show of external appearance and grandiloquent words”, and, “to praise, celebrate.”

3) Songs, hymns, odes, and psalms are music that is composed. With music comes instruments, or a cappella. There are 37 Hebrew words, and 21 Greek words, used to describe song and singing! I don’t have the space (or patience) to go through them all.

Let me simply share this excerpt from Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:

"ōdē, “a song, lay, ode” (G5603) is the generic term; psalmos, “of a striking the chords of a musical instrument” (G5568) and hymnos, “a song in tithe praise of gods, heroes, conquerors” (G5215) are specific, the former designating a song which took its general character from the OT Psalms, although not restricted to them, the later a song of praise. While the leading idea of psalmos is a musical accompaniment, and that of hymnos, praise to God, ōdē is the general word for a song, whether accompanied or not, whether of praise or on any other subject. Thus it is quite possible for the same song to be at once described by all three of these words."

Part 5: Making Sense of it All

I’ve personally learned a lot from this study. The maze of Hebrew and Greeks words affiliated with worship, praise, and singing left me dizzy at times, but in the end I came away with a much stronger understanding of the “worship” arena. But what do we make of all the thoughts and information I’ve shared above? For starters, I hope you realized that my approach was one of a fellow student, and not a dictating professor. I’ve simply presented the information the New Testament contains (not exhaustively, of course) and put it out in the open for us to look at and examine.

It is also interesting to note that, in stark contrast to the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament is almost silent when it comes to worship, singing, and praise. It makes mention of it, but has very little content in the form of instruction. But based on the teachings of Jesus and Paul, the reason for this silence becomes clear. To do a great job of worshipping God apart from the Spirit and the Son of God is nearly impossible without instruction and guidelines. As Bill Johnson once said, “You become that which you worship.” God’s heart was always to have His character, His heart, deposited within us. But apart from God, true worship was impossible.

However, as Jesus declared, we are now in a time where true worship is possible. And because the very Spirit and Son of God dwells in us, we no longer need forms, rituals, and instructions on how to worship God. “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (Heb 10:1,2). But now, as for us, we worship God through the intermediary agency of the Holy Spirit.

The apparent silence in the New Testament regarding worship is the same silence we have regarding prayer, and songs/Psalms. Why? Because such things now FLOW FROM WITHIN US, naturally. They are no longer taught by rituals, but by the Spirit. The constant flow of worship we read of in Revelation is Spirit driven. And that SAME Spirit abides in us, and therefore compels us and leads us into the same heavenly worship. All it takes is intimacy with God.

Intimacy cannot be taught, it can only be experienced. That’s why worship in the New Covenant is not taught by humans, but by the Spirit. Mentors can point you in the right direction. Worship leaders can help you along. But you yourself must learn to develop intimacy and a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. When you start dating, you do not have the same level of intimacy as a couple married for 25 years. It takes time. The example left to us by Jesus, by Paul, by John, serve as guideposts for developing this intimacy. Men find this harder to undergo than women. But all the individuals listed above were men. You couldn’t handle the responsibility of a direct visitation of the Lord Jesus like John had without having the same intimacy he had established over the years.

At the time of this writing, my daughter is 10 months old. To say that she is wonderful is an understatement. Now, I want to share with you some things about her that I've observed, things which I believe pertain to natural, Spirit lead worship. Michaela has always been drawn to music, since she was born it seems. But what is amazing to me is how she has developed in her response to music. First, she learned to clap. Clapping was a way for her to express excitement and enthusiasm. Soon though, she began to clap when we would play songs we knew she liked. Later, She began to lift her hands and shake them from side to side - something she will only do when listening to music. Then, if she was sitting upright, she would sway her torso from side to side during music. Mind you, she is a little ahead of schedule for her age - she learned to walk at 9 1/2 months! More recently, she has begun to stand in front of the TV when her songs are playing and sway her whole body, clap her hands, shake her arms, and sing out loud in baby language. It is a sight that only a parent can truly enjoy and appreciate.

The reason why I share these intimate moments with you is to make this point: None of the responses my daughter has to music were taught. We did not show her how to clap, sway her hands, or move her body from side to side. They came naturally to her. They were born out of spontaneous expressions from deep within her own heart.
When I realized these things, I came to a personal conclusion - That clapping, dancing, singing, moving, jumping, shouting, and anything else along those lines, when it comes to praising Jesus Christ, is as natural as it gets. Religion teaches you the opposite. It tells you to be still, somber, upright and proper, restricted, and orderly. But if you think about it, any part of the Globe you travel to, you will see that it is natural, and enjoyable, for people to laugh, dance, clap, jump, and shout, when they sing together.

Therefore, I now have a new appreciation for spontaneous songs of praise. And also, for the freedom we have to jump, clap, dance, laugh, and celebrate when we are alone or united in corporate praise. These actions are second nature to children. And thus, if they aren't second nature to me anymore, it means that life, religion, or Satan (or all of the above), has robbed me of this innocence somehow. But I want to propose to you that the Spirit of God, which is now inside you, and Jesus Christ, has not only restored these things within us, but has enhanced them as well. The corporate expression of praise the John the Apostle saw, and wrote down, depicted a scene where animated worshippers expressed praise to God our Father with song and action. This eternal event is Spirit driven. And as such, that same Spirit can drive us into animated, free, and unrestricted expressions of praise towards our Father, and Jesus Christ.

Now for many of you, this is hard to swallow. Some people do not like to do anything more than more their lips on a Sunday morning. Others think that anything along the lines of what I've described above is inappropriate, or chaotic, and unfit for praises render unto God. To this line of thinking, I have one suggestion. It is profound, in fact, so much so that one may miss the true meaning of it in it's entirety. Here it is:

Get over yourself.

Read Revelation 4, 5, 7, 11, and 19. Watch children sing along to songs. Observe other cultures when they engage in celebrations that date back hundreds of years. It is natural for us to be glad, to be noisy, and to be active when we sing and dance and celebrate. Allow the Spirit of God to manifest Himself through you in praise and adoration towards Jesus Christ. Let go of your hinderances and self-consiousness, and embrace God-consiousness. It will revolutionize the way you praise God. And I truly believe it will allow you to worship in Spirit and in Christ.

Afterthoughts

So, what about Sunday mornings? What about conferences? What about worship leaders? What about “harp and bowl”? I will offer these thoughts:

1. The type of gathering will call for a different setup when it comes to songs and praises. A 5000 person rally will look different than a 10 to 12 person home meeting. The intimacy will differ. The focus will differ. Therefore, how you worship will differ.

2. We live in a culture that is greatly different than the Judeo-Christian culture 2000 years ago. Music, back then, was sung or played by someone in your midst. You had no personal music devices, no studio perfection, no sound systems able to carry music to the ears of 20,000 listeners at one time. Music was naturally more intimate than it is today. In a sea of thousands, you can be isolated. With your iPod, you can be isolated. Music today has been made to be individualistic.

That said, I believe it is necessary for there to be individuals who can help lead people who are conditioned to be alienated from each other in corporate settings, and used to a “me” experience when they listen to music at home, into unity of song and worship. People simply don’t know how to worship God on a corporate level because society doesn’t teach us how (2000 years ago, in the Mediterranean regions, it did).

Likewise, in a small group setting, many people are embarrassed to sing in front of each other. Many only listen to music by themselves, or with one or two other friends. And even then, those who sing out loud with others are few and far between. Many people seem to be more comfortable singing in the shower than they do in a small group setting. So again, it takes leadership to teach people how to sing and praise God with other people, and to get them to the point where they are comfortable enough to sing without any help at all.

Also, because we are not used to singing corporately (outside of church), a cappella is foreign to most. And not everyone is able to play an instrument well enough to provide music for themselves and others to sing to. So again, it is delightful to have musicians who can provide music for others to sing along to.

3. “Intercessory”, “Davidic”, etc, are all Old Covenant based. That is a fact, whether you accept it or not. “Harp and bowl” is based on the visions of John the apostle. I would strongly caution you to not base your doctrine of worship on a prophetic, symbolically charged vision had by a fellow brother in Christ. “Prophetic” worship comes from Paul’s descriptions of “spiritual songs”. I think this ‘style’, as it were, of corporate worship is a good way to introduce believers to the experience of singing spontaneous songs and songs in the language of angels (tongues) in the Holy Spirit. Sadly though, like so many other good things, it has been abused, exploited, and taken to wrong extremes. So, just be discerning and test what you see and hear by the Word and the Spirit if you participate.

Finally, I think we need to re-define some of the terminology we have grown accustomed to in church circles:

Worship: By Jesus’ and Paul definitions, it is a life lived in Christ. It is yielded living to the Holy Spirit. And it is also an ACT of bowing down on one’s knees in honor to God. Technically, we don’t have “worship services”, or “times of worship”. It is 24/7, and it is not specifically singing.

Praise: This is the noun we should employ when describing the times saints come together to sing songs to God. We come to shout, clap, sings, jump, play instruments, make noise, and have fun. All of these verbs encompass the essence of the Hebrew and Greek words used to describe “praise”.

Worship Music: technically, it doesn’t make sense. Perhaps “songs of praise” or “praise music” would more accurately describe what is meant. It is music – lyrics that are sung and most often accompanied by instruments – that is created and used for the purpose praise admiration, and adoration towards God.

Now, don’t go to your pastor with this new list of terminology! I’m not trying to make a big deal of it. But just keep it in mind as you move forward.

That’s it! I know I didn’t answer all the questions I raised. But I really don’t want to make laws and rules here. These are simply guidelines, to help you consider these matters and think for yourself. The same Spirit that is in me is in you, and He will lead you into all truth, so long as you are willing to accept it!

Glory to Christ Jesus our Lord, and to God our Father!