Why Do We Sing? A Case for Christian Worship through Singing

Why do we sing? Why do Christians sing in worship? What is the point? Hardly any other group, or club, or community sings together. I have thought about this lately. I love singing honestly. I have mostly all my adult life loved singing to Jesus through worship. I have lately come across more and more men (and some women) who are a little reticent to sing. It is not their thing, and or they are like most men and don’t care for singing. It seems a case needs to be made for why we as Christians sing. I have thought of fourteen reasons why Christians should sing...

1. The Bible Commands Us to
In Colossians 3:16; and Ephesians 5:18-19 it is pretty clear that the new community of Christ sang and did it in obedience. The early Church sang as a rule, and these passages command us to sing together. 

2. It Reminds of God's word
That same passage in Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” From this passage it is clear that the word of Christ dwelling richly includes admonishing, and singing. How do we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly? First teaching or admonishing and then second singing. Singing is a teaching tool. So as we sing through worship it reminds us of God’s word

3. It is Our Emotional Connection to God
First of all we are commanded to be emotionally connected to God. in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” No matter how we spin it love is an emotion. We do make decisions to love, but if you are not emotional about the object of your love, then I would say that love is lacking something integral to a healthy love. It is a total love, a full love, and what Jesus describes here is deeply emotional, and singing helps us stir our emotions.

4. It is a Way to Show Our Affection for Christ 
In the same vein as being emotionally connected, we must foster and fan into flame the fire of affection for Christ. singing to anyone is an affectionate thing. That is why people have sang and written love songs for centuries. That is why we listen to love songs together with our wives, husbands, boyfriends, and girlfriends. We love to increase affection, but why when it comes to singing to the creator of the heavens and the earth we suddenly get tongue tied? This should not be. Loose your tongue and sing your affection for Christ! You can’t love Christ too much. You can’t think about him too much, or thank him too much, or depend upon him too much, or sing to him too much. All our righteousness, is in Christ and that should make us rejoice with affectionate singing. 

5. Jesus Did
If Jesus sang then we should. He is our Lord and master. He is our Head worship Leader. You might ask, "wait, he is God what did he sing about?" Did he worship himself? No, he sang as an example to show us that singing is necessary in worship. Of course singing is not all of worship, but like Jesus, he didn't neglect it. Like a healthy diet if you only eat one thing too much, or never eat the healthy stuff you will not be healthy. We need a balanced diet in worship, and Jesus showed us how, he prayed, and he sang with the disciples. “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). The writer of Hebrews quotes scripture, and writes it as if it were Jesus speaking, "saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”” (Hebrews 2:12) In Romans Paul also writes as if Jesus were the one speaking in the scriptural quote, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”” (Romans 15:8-9) So Jesus will and continues to lead worship by glorifying God’s name through singing.

Czigány The Singing Monk

6. Generations of Saints Before us Sang 
If this is true we can join the throngs of saints who have gone before us. Augustine said, “The clouds of heaven thunder out throughout the world that God’s house is being built; and the frogs cry from the marsh, We alone are Christians. What testimonies do I bring forward? That of the Psalter. I bring forward what you sing as one deaf: open your ears; you sing this; you sing with me, and you agree not with me; your tongue sounds what mine does, and yet your heart disagrees with mine. Do you not sing this?” (Exposition of Psalm 96). Tertullian also said about the martyrdom of Perpetua, “Perpetua sang psalms, already treading under foot the head of the Egyptian;” (The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas, Schaff’s). Clement of Alexandria also noted the importance of singing, “But let amatory songs be banished far away, and let our songs be hymns to God. Let them praise, it is said, His name in the dance, and let them play to Him on the timbrel and psaltery. And what is the choir which plays? The Spirit will show you: Let His praise be in the congregation (church) of the saints; let them be joyful in their King. And again he adds, The Lord will take pleasure in His people. For temperate harmonies are to be admitted” (The Paedagogus, Book 2, ch.4). Eusebius summarizes Christian worship as "The singing of psalms and recitation of other such words as have been given us from God" (Church History X.iii.3). In Revelation John also has a vision of what will happen before the throne of God in heaven, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:8-9) Join the throngs of saints who have come before us and will follow us with singing. 

7. It is a Test of Spirituality Maturity 
People who sing often to Jesus show that they are mature Jesus loving Christians. Those who make excuses not to sing should question why they would make excuses to not worship the one absolutely worthy of being sung to. Jesus said, "He who is forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47), and so when we do not return love to Jesus in song, it shows the outside world that we think very little of Jesus. Do you love him? Then you will act like a crazy person singing love songs in the shower. Well now wouldn't that would be awkward at Church on Sunday?

8. The Church is One of the Only Places in Culture Where Communal Singing Takes Place
It is a great thing and community building to sing together. Have you ever been to a concert where everyone in the whole audience was singing together every word of the songs? There is an incredible community building component when we sing together. I remember seeing U2 at the Oakland Coliseum. When it came to the time for U2 to play their very popular song “Where the Streets Have No Name," we all shouted the lyrics together! It was exhilarating, it was community, it was the way church ought to be. The one place where regular communal singing takes place is in the church, and we should engage in it for our own sake, and for the sake of the communal experience in giving God glory together. 

9. You Build up the Body of Christ with Encouragement Through Singing
In Ephesians 5:19 Paul writes, “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” In our worship through singing we "address one another" now what could that addressing do for us? It is a form of submission to each other's needs as that passage further points out “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21). So why would we as a body of Christ neglect something that  is so important for "one another." So build each other up through singing. 

10. It is a Missionary Act 
“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (Psalms 105:1-2). This passage in psalms shows us how singing is an opportunity to tell people of God's wondrous works, and it is making him known to an unbelieving world. Do you want to be a missionary and make Christ known? Then sing!

11. Singing is a Direct Attack on the Enemy
What does Satan hate more than anything? He hates God, and so it follows that he would hate anything that would give glory to God. Because Satan is ultimately a glory stealer. And so when we sing to God we give him glory, and steal it from Satan. Thus it follows that Satan hates worship through music. And it is also a direct attack on Satan's glory stealing attempts. It is very hard to sin while you are singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Satan would love to see you sin. And as a Christian, I have found it almost impossible to sin when I'm worshiping God through song. Every time in ministry where I have dealt with demonic, or enemy powers in some way, I have asked the rest of the body of Christ to sing, and pray. 

12. Singing is Preparation for and Encouragement During Trials
What did Paul and Silas do during their imprisonment in Ephesus? They sang! “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25) Saints under persecution have sung during imprisonment, torture, and trials and have taken seriously the command to "rejoice in the Lord always.” Richard Wurmbrand the founder of the Voice of the Martyrs and imprisoned in Romanian prisons for 14 years said, "While in jail, we sang. Once the director of the prison entered our cell, furious. 'I was told that you sing subversive songs here. Let me hear one,' he commanded. We sang these moving words: 'O sacred Head now wounded, with grief and shame bowed down...' He listened to the end, then turned and left without saying a word. Later he became a brother in the faith" (Jesus Freaks page 290). The current president of Voice of the Martyrs Tom White recounts his experience in a Cuban prison, "I started singing...I was no longer conscious of the cold, only of Jesus...I had entered the highest level of warfare against the enemy--praise. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits our praises...He held my shaking body in His arms. (Jesus Freaks page 259) As the saints before us have done let us sing to prepare ourselves to joyfully endure suffering and trials in the service of Jesus.

13. It Glorifies God 
How many times in the Scriptures are we commanded to sing "to him" or "unto him?” It is one of the most often commanded things throughout the Psalms, Prophets, and even on into the New Testament. It is seen as a one of the most normative act of worship in the New Community of Christ. 

14. You Increase Your Joy
James is clear that singing can and will increase our joy. “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” (James 5:13). Singing is clearly linked to our Christian cheer. So sing and increase your Joy in the Lord, or on the other hand don’t sing and you can stay in your sorrow. Never heard of 'Sorrow of the Lord?' That’s because it isn’t a thing. 

Singing to the Lord is not something that we must resist, but rather submit to for our good and the glory of the Lord. A simple way to apply these truths is to sing joyfully. For instance don't skip the singing times in Sunday services, but go with gladness and focus on Jesus. Another idea is to use Spotify or Pandora as a tool to always fill your heart and mind with the songs of worship. Search for worship artists and create worship channels it's easy. Maybe these songs will soon come out of our mouths too at just the right moments. So Lord fill us with your Spirit that we would respond to you with great Joy in song. No matter how good of a singer you are, we can all sing and shout with a ragged voice because Jesus has saved us. He said, "It is Finished!" SO SING!

WORSHIP IS THE LITMUS TEST FOR SPIRITUAL MATURITY

HOW MUCH WORSHIP DO YOU NEED?

I have heard so many people over the last year or so say that they don’t need that much worship. I understand what they are saying. they don’t need all that singing and modern worship music. I have even heard someone more recently say, they "don't need that much worship music." I understand what they're getting at. They don't need that much singing in a church service. The problem with that statement however, is that it assumes that worship music is about me or us. Worship music isn't about you, it's about God! What we have done in modern worship music is distilled things down to four songs that might or might not make me feel good.

WORSHIP WARS

I can remember the worship wars back in the early 90s, we fought so hard to get drums and guitars into church we might not have been fighting the right battle. Back then we were fighting the battle to be able to express ourselves in worship. However, looking back on things now we didn't fight the battle to keep God at the center of worship. It was more about the music. I look back on that with some sadness because my generation was the one that was fighting that battle that allowed people to be more expressive through different forms of music. Music that was not previously allowed in church. I am however glad that new forms of music emerged. I have to confess my part of making it more about the music than God. I am also sad now at that outcome, and that people can say with such ease that they don't need that much worship music.

WORSHIP LITMUS TEST

I believe the depth of your worship life is a litmus test for your spiritual maturity. If you spend little time in worship and giving God worth with your words, with your life, with your body, with your music, with your song, with your writing, with your pocket book, with your heart, with your soul, with your mind, and with everything you are, then I could say with a high degree of certainty that you are a spiritually immature Christian. I come to that conclusion because the Bible is full of allusions and references to spiritually mature people who spent an inordinate and exorbitant amount of time in worship and praise. You could take almost every single biblical character, and look at their worship life, and see how spiritually mature they were according to how they worshiped. 

US SHAPING CHRISTENDOM OR CHRISTENDOM SHAPING US

What I think we do in most of Christendom is we create a Christendom that works for us. We want something that fits our lifestyle, that matches our values, and that fits into the scope of what we want to do. What we haven't done is let Christendom form us. David said it this way, "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honour.” (2 Samuel 6:22). David didn’t care that he was perceived by the people as foolish. He knew that his redeemer lived. He was worshipping a great God who deserved great worship. He was letting his love for Christ form him, and he became undignified. So in David’s eyes and so many other Biblical characters, worship was not about whether or not I liked to sing, and liked the music or didn’t like the music, it was done because JESUS WAS WORTHY! So they all brought to him their "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" to express their undying emotional love to that worthy king. David danced with all his might, and the new testament Church also worshipped daily. "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.” Does that sound like the church in the NT was saying, “I don’t need that much worship?” No on the contrary they couldn’t get enough. They wouldn’t stop. They worshipped continually. Now I know that doesn’t mean they sang all the time. But worship certainly includes that. We have lost the passion somehow to make much of God through worship. How did that happen, when God wants and asks for something more?

     WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

What does God ask of us? In the end what does God really want? He wants people everywhere to recognize him as God and Creator and worship Him. As Romans 1 points out, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t WORSHIP him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." (Romans 1:20-21 emphasis mine) So what we see from this passage is that Worshipping God, the creator, is the most basic thing that he asks of us. And I do believe that the Bible throughout teaches us that loving heartfelt worship should be a pattern of our Christian lives. Jesus said it himself, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”(Luke 7:47 emphasis mine) maybe your worshiplessness is more about realizing just how much you have been forgiven. Worship is the most basic form of EXPRESSING love because we have been forgiven much, just like Jesus said.

GAINING A PASSION FOR WORSHIP

My hope for you is that you might gain a passion for singing through worship, or gain a passion for prayer through worship, or gain a passion for listening to God through worship, or whatever other form making much of God takes on for you. Be open to God, and however you do it make much of God in every aspect of your life! Don't be immature. Grow up! Don't be a spiritual weakling! Worship God in whatever form consistently, wholeheartedly, affectionately, bodily, authentically, enthusiastically, passionately, unreservedly, and zealously. Then you will grow up to maturity in Christ. “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28). Blessings to you on your journey to a fuller maturity through worshipping a very worthy Christ. 

Adoration of the Magi: Celebrating 'Heilige Drei Könige'

Adoration of the Magi By Leonardo da Vinci 

Today Baden-Württemberg Celebrates Heilige Drei Könige. It is a day in the Catholic Liturgy that is celebrated on January 6th. They celebrate the day that the baby Jesus was visited by the Magi from the east. At first I thought this might be a bit odd to celebrate the day three wise men came, Like we ought to revere or worship them, but then I thought about it. It is totally appropriate that we just remember these men who made a huge sacrifice probably travelling for up to two years to make their way to Jesus in Judea. What did they say when they arrived in Israel? we read in Matthew 2:1-2 "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to WORSHIP him.” How did they worship Him when they finally met Him? They brought him precious gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These were very costly gifts, and probably were what sustained Jesus, Mary and Joseph while they lived in Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. I find it very interesting that they said, "We saw His star and have come to worship him." Notice they did not say that, "we saw a star written about him in the prophecy" or, "we saw a star that showed us the way", but rather, "We saw His star." The star that belongs to him. The star that God had appointed to shine brighter at His birth. The star that is and was from Him, for Him, and could not help but to shine brighter at his birth. He was after all the creator of the heavens and the earth (Colossians  1:15-17).

Procession of the Magi Basilica Sant' Apollinaire Nuovo 5th Cent.

This brings me to the reason that I write today. It is not about the Three Kings, Wise Men, Magi, or whatever you want to call them. It is about worship and what these men knew to do. They had only three things, A Star, A Prophecy, and Insight (lets call it Spiritual Wisdom), oh and some camels. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this new baby that was to be born would be the "King of the Jews", and so they dropped their lives for several years (to travel there and back again might have taken up to 4 years) to worship that newborn king. Like these men they brought a sacrifice of worship, and we should also daily "come to WORSHIP Him" So this holiday is perfectly appropriate so that we can also remember men who sacrificed a lot to come and worship the one who was born King of the Jews. Here is a pretty accurate depiction of what it might have been like (although I think they visited Jesus maybe a couple years after his birth. Nonetheless this is a very nice dramatic portrayal of the nativity). It might help us also come near to the one who was born King of the Jews.



So take time today and worship with your gift of Gold for the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), and with Frankincense worship the Great High Priest who makes intercession for us (Hebrews 4:14-16), and with your offering of Myrrh worship Him for His precious sacrifice in which you were buried with Christ, but raised like him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4 Colossians 2:12). This is a nice rendition also of the famous hymn "We Three Kings." Blessings as you come closer, like the Three Kings did, to the true and majestic King of Kings, High Priest, and perfect sacrificial Lamb of God.

Alabaster Worship

Have you ever had a terrible experience of worship? Why do you think is was terrible? I have! I have had awful experiences. I have felt disconnected, I have felt lackluster, I have felt many times like the songs were not my style. I have felt depressed, sad, proud, sinful, and otherwise disengaged. Many of these times in worship were definitely when I should have humbled myself even though I was feeling something else and taken the opportunity to worship with abandon. That is why the story of the woman who anointed Jesus with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume is so refreshing and inspiring to a worship-less person like me. It makes me believe a person as disengaged, judgmental, and harsh as I am might be capable of authentic worship. Worship is for the needy. Please take a moment and read or re-read the passage in Matthew 26:6-13 that describes the story where this woman anointed Jesus with her costly perfume.

 

"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”"

 

Here's what I observed in the passage.

 

1. Worship is costly (or at least should be).

 

Notice this woman brings two things into the dinner meeting at Simon's house. First, she brings an alabaster jar. This item in that culture would surely have been very expensive. The Mark account says the woman broke the jar! It's as if the perfume meant for Jesus could not be contained in any vessel, and it must be let out so it can perform the worship and fulfill its purpose. Mark and Matthew also noticed the vial/jar contained "very costly perfume." I have noticed in my own life when I was really giving Jesus everything in worship, those were the moments when giving worth to God usually cost me something. It cost me something in money, time, position, plaudits, social standing, reputation, or something even more valuable. But true worship is finding value in the one who is only supremely valuable. The woman here gave a beautiful gift in the alabaster which was very costly by human standards, but pales in comparison the how costly our master is in His majesty. He alone is supremely valuable, and no gift no matter how valuable could begin to show His supreme worth, but we can and should try. Nothing is ever wasted which is bestowed on Jesus, but the disciples cry "Foul." They say "what a waste!" And Jesus rebukes them.

 

2. Worshiplessness is often disguised in religiosity.

 

Notice as the disciples cry "Foul," they say this perfume could have been sold and "the money given to the poor." These guys are thinking along great religious lines, but they are just probably mad they didn't have the idea to anoint Jesus, so they make a super religious comment. They firstly call this act of worship a "waste"; again nothing is ever wasted that is bestowed on Jesus. Jesus hears our faintest cry, and receives our greatest gifts. Whatever those gifts may be, none are wasted that are given in a true heart of gratitude. The disciples cry against the waste of worship, and in the same breath give a religious antithesis to worship: works. This woman finds it easy to worship, and the men find it difficult. I have found that women many times are more capable of high praise. Please do not get me wrong; men can be found also to praise God with great affection, but that is what we as men have to tap into. We need to tap into our affectionate side. This woman tapped into a deep affection for the Lord and unashamedly, unabashedly, and publicly showed her affection. Sometimes I have found liturgy within religion masks an affection the original authors of that liturgy experienced as they wrote those words. How can you strip down the trappings of religion through dead works to authentically, affectionately, and passionately worship the living Christ?

 

3. Worship is the point of the Gospel.

 

Since Jesus is greater than all things in the universe (Colossians 1:15-29; 2:2-3) and His death is the greatest thing that has happened in human history, then it makes sense that such a great act of worship by preparing Jesus for burial would be mentioned "wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world." I asked myself what was so special about this one act that it would be mentioned in all the world hand in hand with the gospel? The answer is that worship is the point of the Gospel. Proclamation of the Gospel exists because worship does not exist yet in every place in the world. Where worship does not exist, then Gospel proclamation must happen, and what is the message of the Gospel? Receive Christ and worship Him! He is Lord and he's worthy of your alabaster jar, and much, much more than you could ever give Him. Jesus' rebuke of the disciples was this: "She has done a good thing." Christ has done a good thing to us on the cross by receiving us as brothers and making God our Father. So what good thing can we do to Him in response? You cannot clap loud enough, shout loud enough, sing beautifully enough, dance hard enough, or play skillfully enough. As David said, "I could become even more undignified than this." My deepest and most undying affection should only and always be reserved for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

So clap, shout, sing, dance, play, weep, kneel, lay prostrate, raise hands, bow, meditate, smile, laugh, rejoice, and break your alabaster jar on the feet of our Lord. Know that nothing is ever wasted which is bestowed on Jesus out of love. This song "Alabaster" by Rend Collective might assist you in pouring your perfume on Jesus. If I worshiped this way every time I had opportunity, then I would never have a bad experience in worship because it's more about Jesus than me!

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Are Tithes a New Testament Mandate?

I am going to start off stating my opinion to that question. Are we meant to obey the Old Testament mandate to give to God 10% of our income? YES! I believe that in the Church we should be practicing this Old Testament principle. I am believing it stronger and stronger these past days. I am coming to be aware that it is more deeply spiritual than I have ever imagined, and I pray that it will become that for you too. I have been studying Hebrews, and I came across Hebrews 7 in my study. I commend the whole chapter for you to read. If there is any question that Hebrews belongs in the Bible then this chapter should clear things up for you. It is an incredibly eloquent argument that Jesus is our High Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The story of Melchizedek is very cool. Abraham gave Him a tenth of the spoils of war. He was the King and priest of Salem which would become Jerusalem.

It says his lineage was not able to be traced. and so he is the quintessential priest. Some even believe that he is one of those mysterious Biblical characters that might be a pre-incarnate Christ. I am one of those people. I believe that this passage at the very least links Melchizedek and Jesus in their eternal roles as priest, but I do think the passage goes further and that the character here is further presented as a pre-incarnate Christ. I was struck by 7:8 mostly that says,"In this case mortal men (Levitical Priests) receive tithes, but in that case one (Melchizedek=Jesus) receives them of whom it is witnesses that he lives on." Verse 17 also points out that Jesus is, "a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek". Meaning Jesus is now and forever more will be a priest! He is also, as Hebrews so clearly shows, performed our atonement "once for all", and He continues to perform the role of priest. So our atonement is an ongoing thing that will be eternal. We also know from Hebrews that the temple that was on earth is only a shadow and copy of the true temple and tabernacle in heaven. Jesus performs his priestly ritual continually in heaven, and sits down at the right hand of the Father. We will know him by His scars. So he stands in the Holy of Holies in Heaven to perform the office of the Priesthood perpetually and to continue to make atonement for our sins until the day of the redemption of our bodies. As the Perpetual Priest He also performs other roles like receiving the tithe. Now a logical question comes up why would he need the tithe? The Levitical tithe was received for the livelihood of the priests. Jesus doesn't need the tithe to survive. We can draw from this and many other passages that he receives the tithe for three specific reasons
1. He receives the Tithe as worship. If he is perpetual priest he is also Holy, Innocent, Undefiled, Separate, and Exalted above heaven. The act of worship is calling someone greater, as it says Abraham did to Melchizadek. He saw him as greater and thus his tithe was given. As Hebrews 7:7 says, "the lesser is blessed by the greater", and make no mistake Christ is greater than us, so only he has the right to bless us, and only we have the duty to worship him. Our tithe is a way to worship him as High Priest. We give to him because in that act of giving something of value to Him, it shows the world, us, and Him that we believe that he is greater.
2. The Tithe displays His greatness to the world. As High Priest Jesus is perpetually standing in the gap and making intercession, advocating, and pleading to the father for us.  He has this office forever! He will continue in it. Hebrews 9:12 describes how Jesus entered the Most Holy place in heaven making redemption with his own blood once and for all. Our tithe to Him is not necessary He does not need it, but it displays His greatness as the one and only all sufficient atoning sacrifice for sins. It is a sign of his High Priestly role to a lost world needing redemption and atonement. It is first a sign and remembrance to me as I give it, of what he has done as my High Priest. Second it is a sign to the world of what he has done as High Priest, and third it is a sign to Him and to Heaven of his great role as Perpetual Priest!
3. The Tithe is a sacrifice. As it was in the Old Testament the Priests took portions of real animal and food from the sacrifices and lived off of them. Jesus doesn't live off our tithe, but he does actually/spiritually in the Church. If the tithe is given to Him and used by the Church here on earth His real spiritual body is benefiting.  If we as a Church (universal) tithed there would be no lack in the ministry initiatives that we could do. I crunched the numbers for you. If the average salary of a churchgoer were $30,000 then the annual tithe would be $3,000 if the average church of 200 people tithed that portion of their salary they would take in $600,000 a year. That is actually a low number because the median income level of the City of Columbia, where I live, is $40,000 and the median income of the San Francisco Bay area where we just moved from is $80,000. The Church I came from had a weekly attendance of 450-500. That would be a $3,600,000 yearly intake. The numbers are really not the important thing, the important thing is that the giver of tithes makes a sacrifice. It is not easy to take 10% of your income away before you even touch it, but it is joyful (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) because you are worshiping a good and faithful High Priest!

The tithe is not the issue here it is the perpetual work of Christ as High Priest! Jesus continually performs the priestly duties because HE LIVES as Priest forever. He lives now as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. So in His scars he continues to perform all atoning work. It is a present progressive act that he does on our behalf.
Jesus receives our tithe as a sign to us, to the world, and to He Himself of the atonement that he perpetually makes for us. The tithe is a sign and witness to a world that, Jesus, as the Great High Priest is greater than we could have ever imagined. His continual life is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. So how could we withhold something that makes Jesus so great? Every time I am presented with such truth I have a deep desire to worship Him for His greatness. King of Heaven Below can assist you in worshiping the High Priest!

Worship is the End Game of Missions

Worshipping Worship Music?

I have experienced Church music in almost every genre possible and I have seen how it can become the icon that we worship.  However, music is a means to an end; and worship is that end.  We do not have music every Sunday in whatever style fits us for our own enjoyment.  That is when it can become abused.  Our music must be for the enjoyment and praise of HIS glory. I have been an outspoken proponent of that, but I have learned recently that it does not matter whether I like the music or not from week to week in church.  I must worship and give him glory and honor because HE is worthy not because the music is worthy.  I could not sing loud enough, dance hard enough, lift my hands high enough, clap loud enough, or bow low enough to give him the honor that is due Him.  I have been convicted lately by “O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. (emphasis mine)(Psalm 47:1, 2 NASB) If it is I who don't like clapping and shouting to God in worship and say "it's not my personality" maybe my personality needs to change, and be conformed to how scripture would have us worship (This has nothing to do with style of music).  We are commanded to kneel, lay prostrate, dance, shout, clap, raise hands, bow.  These several commands display to us that there is a definite posture of worship. It is tough to do it all on Sunday but our hearts must be willing!  If they are not willing then we need to look at our love/affection that we have for Him.  If I was never affectionate with my wife (which I do struggle with) we would have a pretty loveless relationship.  So I need to practice affection with her.  How much more then should I practice affection in worship with the Most High God! I have found when that truly, really, honestly happens it is hard not to idolize the certain musical style because you find that certain style of music helps you connect with God, and tell Him how great He is.  The Gospel should be holding us together, and worship should be gospel immersed and if that is the case we will have a posture of worship that fits and fills up the gospel in our hearts.  I am recently just noticing in my own life my tendency to withhold from the King of Kings what rightfully belongs to him, namely my bodily adoration of Him! Which I am finding is the worst type of sin. Lord help us worship you in spirit and truth with a glad heart, never ever idolizing the music that helps us find worth in you! 

Sing with Us, The Meaning of Missions

Worship as Worth-Ship

Somehow these days I like Hyphenating words that don't belong together. Like Michael Scott of The office TV Show. He is credited with such clever hyphenations such as superstitious and its antonym Little-Stitious, or turning the word Disgruntled into "Extremely Gruntled". So taking a page from His book I am making my own word. I want to turn Worship into Worth-Ship. I want to view Worship of Christ as Worth-giving. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let is fix our Eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith". Why do we fix our eyes on something that we do not give worth to? That is why worship is Worth-Ship or Worth Giving.
So what does worth giving look like in your life? I don't know about you but I give worth to things that I give my time, energy, money, hope, care and concern, love, dreams, life, and my physical posture to. This is worth giving at its best. I think the Accuser of the Brethren, the great enemy of God; the Devil wants us to think that posture is not important in worship. We are wrong to think that. The word for worship in the Biblical texts usually has a physical posture in mind and it is a posture of prostration. This does not mean we need to lay prostrate every time we go to Church. It does beg the question would you not bow so low in his presence that you would if he called you to lay prostrate do that as His best Worth-Giver?
Jesus in his conversation with the woman at the well alluded to this type of worth giving "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. "But an hour is coming, and now is, 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." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."
Wow we must worth Him in Spirit Jesus says God is Spirit. So if you are not worshiping him and Giving God worth privately and corporately; as he explains worship is not bound by place, then we are not worshipping. He also says worth giving is to be done in truth. God is also truth so the closer you come to Him the closer you will come to truth. Seek Him and you will find truth, seek something else and all you come up with are lies and half-truths. The other thing I notice about what Jesus says is that God the Father is seeking Worth Givers. Such kind of worth givers the Father is seeking. When we come to God we think we have sought Him, but come to find out over and over again He has sought us to be His highest worth and glory givers! WOW! We are his prize and He is our portion. I pray this helps you become a hyphenated Worth-Giver!