Episode 268 -War Stories – Necessity of Worship

Disciple Up # 268: War Stories #1
The Necessity of Worship
By Louie Marsh, 7-20-2022

Intro – Wayback Machine (Mr. Peabody & Sherman). My early lack of understanding of worship.

6  And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6 (ESV)

 Hands Raised = WORSHIP

 Some Components of Worship:

 1) Music –  No such thing as WORSHIP MUSIC.

 2) PRAYER

8  I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)

 3) Blessing God – PRAISING GOD

 4  So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:4 (ESV)

21  And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21 (ESV)

4) DEPENDENCE on God

7  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 (ESV)

5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (ESV)

5) RECEIVING from God

6  I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah Psalm 143:6 (ESV)

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul! Isaiah 55:1-2 (NLT)

6) Blessing OTHERS:

50  Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Luke 24:50 (ESV)

  • Worship is a LIFESTYLE!

33  Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35  “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. 1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 11:33 -12:2 (ESV)

Three Critical Questions:

  • Is what I’m doing truly HELPFUL & SCRIPTURAL?

 10  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:10 (ESV)

 Who or what am I FOCUSED ON?

17  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

  • What kind of ATTITUDE DO I HAVE?

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

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Episode 232

Disciple Up # 232
Should Worship Make Me Comfortable?
By Louie Marsh, 10-13-2021

Intro.

https://www.quora.com/Going-to-Church-makes-me-uncomfortable-but-I-want-a-good-relationship-with-God-Should-I-just-go?share=1

Going to Church makes me uncomfortable, but I want a good relationship with God. Should I just go?

 

Nathaniel Ziegler  Answered May 6, 2019

If I were you, I would start looking into other churches and other denominations to see if I could find one where I was more comfortable. The discomfort you feel might be God’s signal that this particular church is not right or good for you.

 

God meets people where they are at and tries to guide them down the path toward His Kingdom. Sometimes, a congregation, pastor, or church is focused on a spot where an individual is not. In such a case, it is best to find another church.

 

It helps a relationship with God to attend a church. However, it is possible to have a relationship without church. If you decide not to attend church, you will need to be open to God in other ways. You will, also, need a support system outside a congregation (good to have, anyway, but vital if you are not getting any support from a congregation).

 

Best wishes! I hope you find what you are looking for soon. Let your sense of discomfort/comfort be your guide. And, stay open to messages from God in other areas of your life. If you want a relationship with God, you will have one. Peace!

 

Barrie Davis  Updated May 7

If going to church makes you uncomfortable. then stop going.

 

You cannot “buy” a relationship with God by enduring discomfort.. otherwise you would be able to buy a better one by scourging yourself..

 

… (whipping your body with a chain that’s got spikes on)..

 

… and that idea is not on trend any more, even amongst the most devout.

 

My advice is, get back in your comfort zone, give the religious rituals a rest, and then see what happens to your relationship with God. It may improve, it may stay the same, it may even disappear altogether…

 

Whatever it is, you will not have been forced into it by the expectations of other church-goers.

 

You were talking about YOUR relationship with God, after all.

 

Shawn Murphy, Studied over 18 religions   Answered May 7, 2019

This is what Jesus tells about prayer and worship.

 

Matt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 

Jesus did not say to go to church to find God, He taught that we need find God in our heart and soul, not wear our belief on our sleeve. The best way to discover God and His Laws is in nature – studying His creation. If you study His creation, you will find few churches that teach His Laws.

 

Religion and churches are man’s creation, not God’s.

 

There is one important thing that Jesus told us about community to remember. When two or more are gathered in my name, do this in memory of me. (Matt 18:20) So, it is good to get together with like minded people, who believe the Jesus is our King, and remember Him. You do not need a church to do this. You can remember the Last Supper every time that you sit down to eat with your family.

 

*****

20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”” (Matthew 18:20, ESV)

 

13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13–15, ESV)

 

1Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:1–3, ESV)

 

24Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,” (Acts 16:24–25, ESV)

 

10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:10–18, ESV)

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Episode 125

 

Disciple Up #125

Nostalgia Isn’t Worship

By Louie Marsh, 9-11-2019

 

Update on Live Streaming on International Podcast Day

September 11th – Never Forget

Background to today’s episode:

Links:

https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/8492/nostalgia-and-faith

https://www.zachicks.com/nostalgic-worship-disorder-and-getting-worship-my-way/

https://churchleaders.com/worship/worship-articles/334133-is-worship-nostalgia-kililng-your-church.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/08/when-nostalgia-was-a-disease/278648/

1  “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. 2  For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3  ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4  Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5  Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? 6  “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9  Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, Isaiah 58:1-9 (NIV)

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Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


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