Psalm 150

Psalms 150:1-6 (KJV)

• 1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
• 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
• 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
• 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
• 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
• 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
• John Piper stated, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

“Jesus *said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. “But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”” (John 4:21-24, NASB)

What is the most important thing for the Church to focus on? Evangelism? Discipleship? Education of youth? Having a youth program? Something else?

The following voices remind us that worship should be at the top of our list:

As important as we regard God’s work in salvation, we reject what might be called “redempto-centrism,” the idea that the most important thing in Scripture is God’s work in man’s salvation.

God’s glorious work in the redemption of fallen humanity is not an end in itself; it is part of the larger picture of God’s work in eternity, which centers in the display of His transcendent glory.

• Allen, R. B. (2001). The wonder of worship: a new understanding of the worship experience (p. 21). Word Pub.

In the very first chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he describes what it means to be “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm in Christ.” In one long sentence in the Greek beginning in verse 3 and extending through verse 14, he describes God’s great provision of salvation for us. According to the apostle, God has done these things:

• To the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:6)
• To the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:12)
• To the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:14)

Salvation is not an end in itself. The praise of God is the highest good. God’s work in the lives of His people, according to Paul, is centered in the context of the praise of His glory. In other words, God’s worship is the divine goal of His redemptive work.

• Allen, R. B. (2001). The wonder of worship: a new understanding of the worship experience (p. 21). Word Pub.

Worship is the most important ministry of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Her worship to Him must come before her ministry for Him. Worship helps us individually and corporately to keep God first in our priorities. It helps us focus on Him and remember that it’s all about Him—not about us. Worship helps us to stay centered in a world that is constantly out of focus with what is important.

• Edwards, D. M. (2011). Worship 365: the power of a worshipping life. B&H Books.

And I don’t’ hesitate to say that the Almighty God would rather that His name be hallowed before all the myriads, all created intelligence, than sinners should be saved or that a world should be redeemed. It’s in the mercy and wisdom of God that He so arranged things that He can redeem the world and magnify His glory.

Our first duty and obligation is to honor God, not to help people. Helping others is something every Christian should endeavor to do, but this cannot be our first duty and obligation. Shoving aside God as our primary focus and purpose is a form of Modernism. “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

Dwell for a minute on what the Bible says about the glorious and fearful name of Yahweh: “Will not His excellence make you afraid, and the dread of Him fall upon you?” (Job 13:11). With God comes a terrible Majesty: “He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies” (Psalm 18:11). And “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). Honor and majesty, strength and beauty—throughout the Bible we see God coming out from behind the cloud, or He’s bringing us out from behind the cloud to show us how great and glorious He is, reminding us that the glory of the Lord will endure forever.

• A. W. Tozer, Authentic Worship, p. 70

We worship when we evangelize, disciple Christians, reach and teach the youth, and when we live our lives in tune with God and His will for our lives. It must be our highest priority! It informs and affects everything else we do.