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Enthusiasm is a Worship Essential
Psalm 150What really gets you excited? What gets your adrenalin flowing? What gives you a rush? Webster’s says that the word enthusiasm means “to be stirred or thrilled.” Our English word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words meaning “in God.” “Theos” is also where we get our word theology, the doctrine of God. In ancient Greek culture an enthusiast was a person possessed by a god. Worship indicates that we are possessed by God.
So are you into God? Is He in you? If so, you’ll have enthusiasm about it and you’ll worship enthusiastically…you can’t help it! Many get excited at ball games or other events. Some were thrilled shopping on Black Friday. Some get excited about seeing a hot, new movie like Twilight. As God’s family, we need to be excited over the things that last for all eternity.
John Bisagno, long time pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church, tells of his coming to that church to candidate for the position of pastor many years ago. He said that as he entered the auditorium it was dimly lit, with just a few people huddled together. They were singing some old slow funeral type song that was depressing. Later that day he took a walk in downtown Houston and came upon a jewelry store. It was some sort of grand opening. There were bright lights and a greeter at the door to welcome you in with a smile. Inside there was a celebration going on. There were refreshments and people having a good time talking and laughing with each other. They welcomed him and offered him some punch. And then he said that after attending both the church and the jewelry store, if the jewelry store had offered an invitation, he would have joined the jewelry store!
Enthusiasm has been defined as “energy that boils over and runs down the side of the pot.” As we read God’s Word, we quickly notice that the worship of the saints in Scripture was filled with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is a Worship Essential. They enjoyed worship and did it with fervor.
Everyone gets excited at times…some for 30 minutes, some for 30 days, and some perpetually. Enthusiasm immediately captures the attention of others. Why? Because it glows. It radiates. It shines. It permeates. Obviously, enthusiasm must be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise it’s out of control like wildfire. If we have enthusiasm for worship, we should thank God for it. If we don’t have it, then we need to get down on our knees and pray for it.
Famous conductor, Eugene Ormandy, once dislocated a shoulder while directing the Philadelphia Orchestra. I don’t know what they were playing, but Ormandy was giving all of himself to it! And I’ve had to ask myself sadly, “Did I ever dislocate anything, even a necktie?” Of all the people on the face of the earth, Christians ought to be the most enthusiastic and if there’s anything that we should be enthusiastic about, it should be worshipping our awesome God. A.W. Tozer said, “If we evangelicals had one-third the enthusiasm of some of the cults we could take the continent.”
Psalms 150 (p. 449) is about enthusiastic worship because Enthusiasm is essential for worship. Psalms begins with God blessing man, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Ps. 1:1) and ends with man blessing God. As we come to the end of the Book of Psalms, we notice that each of the last five Psalms begins with, “Praise the Lord.”
Each Psalm increases in praise and joy until we come to the last one in this holy hymnbook, Psalm 150. For the psalmist “praise the Lord” was not some cheap cliché but an ecstatic expression of unbridled joy! In six short verses, he uses this phrase 13 times. Each sentence begins with “Hallelujah,” the Hebrew word for “Praise the Lord.” Each is very short, as if he can’t wait to get to the next opportunity to say, “Praise the Lord” again. What do we learn from Psalm 150 about Enthusiastic Worship?1. It tells us WHO we are to praise. The Psalmist first says, “Praise the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary” (v. 1). He commands us to praise the Lord. Notice the letters for LORD are all upper case. This is the Hebrew word Yahweh which means “the self-existent and eternal one.” With this name the psalmist is saying to the congregation, “Remember WHO you’re worshiping.” This is the LORD, who described Himself to Moses as the “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Ex. 34). This LORD had always been there for the Israelites. And we’re to praise the LORD in connection to and in the sphere of the sanctuary.
But the whole concept behind this word LORD tells us that God is someone who is set apart. Every time the Israelites approached God in the Tabernacle, they had to do it through a sacrifice and through a priest. They’d put their hand on a ram, a goat, a sheep, or a bull and slit the throat themselves. The priest would then take the blood of their sacrifice and sprinkle it on the altar. The Israelites were reminded with every sacrifice that God is holy, that He cannot be approached by sinful people unless they’re first cleansed. When that sacrifice was made, the Israelites were assured – “my sins are paid for. My LORD has forgiven me, for He will send a substitute to pay for my sins.” This is the key concept of worship. If we come to worship thinking, “I’ll throw God a dollar or a little song, and He’ll be happy with me,” we’ve got it all wrong. We need to understand that God is set apart from us because He’s holy and we’re sinners.
When we went to Washington D.C. a few years ago, we noticed that at the White House there’s a huge metal fence surrounding the White House. Then, there were big white barriers and police officers everywhere. I couldn’t just knock on the door and expect President Bush to come out and say, “Come on in.” It doesn’t work that way. So why should you think that you can just knock on a holy God’s door and expect him to come running to answer it? Your guilt and God’s law tells you differently.
When you come to worship, you realize you cannot approach God as you are. You also need to know who the LORD is. Even though He’s holy and set apart from us, He’s a God of compassion and mercy who forgives. Instead of punishing us for our sin, God provided the way for us to approach Him through a substitute. As Old Testament believers transferred their guilt to the animals being sacrificed, God transferred the punishment of the world to a future Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Why would God punish His only Son? Because our LORD is slow to anger and abounding in love. Worship then is not some favor we’re doing for God. It’s a privilege for us to approach a holy God, because of His mercy, love and forgiveness.
Sadly, some Christians don’t really worship God because they suffer from “Oatmeal Theology.” Let me explain “Oatmeal Theology.” Little Johnny and his mother were having an argument about oatmeal. Johnny’s mother was trying her best to persuade the boy to eat his oatmeal, but he wouldn’t budge. She insisted that it tasted good, but that didn’t work. She insisted it was good for him, but that didn’t work. She insisted it was the right thing for him to do, but that didn’t work. Finally, in total frustration, she said, "Johnny, if you don’t eat your oatmeal, God is going to get you and so am I." But Johnny still didn’t budge. So Johnny was sent to his room early that night. Then, came the thunderstorm. The lightning flashed, thunder was crashing, and Johnny’s mom went up to check on her boy. When she peeked in, Johnny looked at his mother and said, "You know mom, this sure does seem like a lot of trouble to go to over just a bowl of oatmeal."
Too many Christians feel that God’s purpose is to punish them, to get them. To throw lightning bolts at us because we didn’t eat our oatmeal, or we lied or stole, or because we coveted our neighbor’s wife. That’s not God. That’s not the WHO we worship. Psalm 103:10-12, “[God] does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (vss. 10-12). That’s the WHO we’re praising!2. It tells us WHERE we are to praise God. “Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.” The psalmist shifts his focus on to another name and calls Him, “God” or “El” in Hebrew which means, “Strong and mighty.” We’re to praise the eternal, strong and mighty God in “His sanctuary,” a reference to the Temple where God dwelt under the Old Covenant. But since Jesus died and rose again, God now “tabernacles” within His people, choosing not to dwell in a building. We’re His temple and should therefore live out the implications of what that means. While God does not reside in this auditorium, He does reside within us.
This call to praise also extends to the “mighty heavens.” The psalmist is calling the firmament and everything above it, to break out into a celebration of praise. Vs. 1 is really saying, “Praise God in heaven and on earth.” God’s glory fills the universe and His praise should do no less. But there’s a special focus on praising God in community, in the gathering of His people. God highly values the gathered praise of His people. Vs. 1 answers the question, “Where are we to praise Him?” Everywhere!3. It tells us WHY we are to praise God. We’re called to rave about God for at least two reasons. First, we praise Him for what He does. Verse 2 “Praise Him for His acts of power.” This is a constant theme of many of the psalms. The phrase, “acts of power,” carries with it the idea of God as a champion because of the victory He has won. His acts of power are displayed in creation and in our own lives as we enjoy the benefits of His grace, forgiveness, and salvation. Some of you have great reason to praise the Lord for some recent ways in which He’s demonstrated His acts of power in your life. You’ve seen Him restore a relationship, give victory over a sin, renew your health or answer a specific prayer request. You’re praising Him today for what He’s done in your life and you should.
Sometimes we neglect praising God because we forget how great He is. Last week I received a call from Jane’s brother-in-law, Fred Froman. They just learned Fred’s twenty-one year old niece has leukemia. Her parents are staggered but are trusting God. But as you go through something like that, it’s tempting to question how great our God is.
Do you have a big God or a little God? A little girl listened attentively as her father read the family devotions. She seemed awed by her parents' talk of God's limitless power and mercy. "Daddy," she asked, placing her little hands on his knees, "How big is God?" Her father thought for a moment and answered, "Honey, He’s always just a little bigger than you need."
Secondly, we’re to praise Him for Who He is. The second part of vs. 2 says, “Praise Him for His surpassing greatness.” This is particularly evident in the last group of praise psalms. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” Psalm 147:5: “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” When we praise God for who He is, we’re recognizing His surpassing greatness, or as the Hebrew literally says, for His “muchness of greatness and abundant magnitude.” What a wonderful reminder! When we praise Him, we should do it for what He’s done in our lives and we should praise Him simply for who He is.4. It tells us HOW we are to praise God. In vss. 3-5 we learn how to praise God. Many of us would be very unsettled if we worshipped the way the Israelites did. Their music was loud, lively and boisterous. The leader of a band at a Christian concert said, “We love Jesus, we like rock and roll, and we like loud music.” Psalm 150 describes that kind of praise band. All of the instruments in the orchestra sounded out their praise to God. Large choirs and worship teams sang their anthems heralding God’s greatness.
Look at how they praised the Lord, “Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals.” The Israelites used three types of musical instruments; wind, string, and percussion. All three are used in this pinnacle of praise in Psalm 150. This list of instruments appears to be in some random order. It’s likely each one was played when it was mentioned and continued to be heard through the last “Praise the Lord.”
The first is the trumpet. This was also referred to as the shophar, or ram’s horn. It was the greatest of the Jewish instruments and could be heard from a long distance away. A shophar is still used in Jerusalem to announce the beginning of the Sabbath. The sound of the trumpet in the Old Testament is associated with the grandest and most solemn events, such as the giving of the Law, the proclamation of jubilee, the coronation of kings and the raging of war. The trumpet will also be heard again when Jesus comes back, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
After the blast of the trumpet, verse 3 calls us to “praise Him with the harp and lyre.” We go from an explosive expression of praise to the sweet sound of strings. The harp is mentioned more than any other instrument and was played proficiently by David. Scholars believe the harp and lyre were similar in function and design, though the harp was probably larger.
Verse 4 gives us the next instruments of worship; the tambourine and dancing. Associated with the deliverance at the Red Sea, this form of praise was jubilant and expressive. Exodus 15:20-21 describes the scene, “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.’” The playing of the tambourine was often accompanied with dancing. The Hebrew word for “dance” indicates a “twirl or a twist” and was done in an attitude of protracted praise and adoration. The hands and the feet were both set in motion and the entire body moved in response to God’s greatness and mighty acts of power. Are there not periods of life when we are so happy that we could dance for joy? There’s enough in our faith to create and justify the highest degree of euphoric delight which breaks forth into melodious movement.
Verse 4 combines the joyful sounds of the tambourine with strings and the flute. Strings refer to instruments similar to the violin or cello. The word “flute” represents the whole class of wind instruments and is translated “organ” in some Latin translations. Verse 5 kicks up the volume, “Praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals.” These instruments were used in religious ceremonies and played by the priests. They made a loud, distinctive sound when banged together. When the walls of Jerusalem were dedicated in Nehemiah 12:27, “the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.” The phrase “resounding cymbals” can be translated “the clamor of joy.” I like that. God wants us to clamor with joy. Music in the church though has always been a source of controversy. Why?
a) Music is powerful. Music is a powerful way to get God’s Word into our hearts. In our sports focused world, we overlook the power of music. Teaching Scripture and theology via music is a powerful way to help our children remember those truths into adulthood. And they’re going to have music. Ever met a non-musical teenager? Let’s direct some of that music.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “My kids don’t like music and don’t like to sing.” I haven’t met many kids who liked going to bed or eating vegetables or even going to school. There are a lot of things that kids don’t like that are good for them. Learning Christian music is good for them and us. An example of this power of music is found in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14: “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: ‘He is good; His love endures forever.’ Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.” When music is filled with praise, God’s glory is very evident!
b) Music is personal. What I like is different from what you like. We all tend to prefer certain styles and types of music. Because it’s so personal, we can take things personally if someone criticizes what we enjoy. We can also hurt others when we belittle what they like.
Related to this, music has a way of penetrating our hearts and is used by God to impact us in multiple ways. Some have come to Christ as a result of listening to Southern Gospel music. Others have been rocked by Christian rock and still others have their hearts warmed by hymns. Let’s just say that for the most part, this is a non-moral issue. It’s not a right/wrong kind of thing. Just because you like or dislike a certain type of music doesn’t necessarily make you right and someone else wrong. And because music is personal we need to avoid provoking others over musical preferences. Romans 14:5-6 offers some great guidelines in this regard. Though the topic is what day we should meet or whether it’s okay to eat meat, the principle applies to music: “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”
c) Music is pervasive. We can’t go anywhere today and not hear music. Our culture is saturated with songs in elevators, grocery stores and malls. Harold Best writes: “Music is virtually omnipresent, so much so, that, as to intrinsic significance, it has become absent.” With the advent of iPods we can have music with us all the time. Actually, we can have exactly the kind of music we like now that individual songs can be purchased. No longer do we have to suffer through tracks of songs we don’t care for. The problem is that we expect to hear exactly the same thing in church that we’ve trained ourselves on, in our own personal lives. We find that we are happiest when the songs in worship agree with our preferences and conditioning. Thus, we are easily set up for disappointment when they don’t.
Incidentally, using music to praise God should be pervasive in our lives. The psalmist tells us that we should never stop, “I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 104:33).
d) Music must be used for praise. The challenge for us today is to not just have music as background noise but to actually praise God in singing. It’s so easy to treat music as entertainment, or something to be performed, rather than something to be experienced and entered into by every member of the congregation. We don’t come to watch or listen to singers; we come to worship as singers. Psalm 150:6 declares that everyone who is breathing should be busting out in praise: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” Psalm 30:12: “That my heart may sing to you and not be silent.” Music as part of our praising is imperative, not optional. And we’re to be joyful about it in Psalm 98:4: “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” It should also be pointed out that playing instruments to God is also a requirement as stated in Psalm 150:3-5: “Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals.”5. It tells us WHO is to praise God. The last verse pulls it all together, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Not just the priests and Levites, not just the congregation…all living creatures are included in the choir of choirs. God has given each of us breath; we’re called now to breathe His praise. God is not looking for “professional praisers,” He’s looking for men and women that have been transformed from the inside out and who really want to praise Him for revealing Himself to them. People who will let praise flow out of them like a mighty stream of living waters. God is looking for a people who aren’t ashamed to praise Him. People like King David, who weren’t worried about what other people around them thought if they praised God. If you don’t want to praise Him, God can make the stones, rocks and creation shout out praises for Him. I don’t know about you, but I ain’t about to let no rocks out praise me or give my God, the praise that He deserves in my place. I’m a child of God, I’m saved, I’ve been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. That’s enough for me to praise God everyday of my life for evermore.
This Psalm begins and ends with the command to praise the Lord. We’re to praise Him everywhere, with every means possible because of His mighty acts, and because of who He is. And, we’re to praise Him with a wide variety of instrumentation and with triumphant expressions of worship. God desires for you and for me to live a lifestyle of spontaneous praise because the best instrument of praise is a man or woman, teenager or child wholly committed to Him. We are to be a people of praise.
There is nothing more majestic or more beautiful in the entire book of Psalms than this brief finale, “Praise the Lord!”Conclusion: All of our faculties are to be engaged in praising God. The breath is used to blow the trumpet and flute; the fingers are used with the harp and strings; the whole hand hits the tambourine; the feet move in rhythm; and the arms are used to clash the cymbals together. Corporate worship is not just meant to be active. It’s not something we just watch or listen to. We’re to be fully engaged in active worship, lifting our praise to God by engaging our head, our heart, and our hands. And the plurality and variety of instrumentation gives us freedom to worship God in different ways. There’s not just one way to worship or just one musical style that’s acceptable to God.
There’s a diversity of musical preferences and interests here at Grace. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Our challenge is not to prove which style of music or worship is “right,” but rather to grant grace to those who may choose to worship in different ways than we do. The key is to create corporate worship experiences that allow for both rejoicing and reverence.
God can speak to our hearts through every part of our worship service; music, prayer, Children’s Church, the message, the offering, even through the announcements. But in order for us to hear His voice, we have to listen. We have to be ready to hear His voice when He speaks to us.
President Franklin Roosevelt often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, "I murdered my Grandmother this morning." The guests responded with phrases like, "Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir." It wasn’t till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, "I’m sure she had it coming."
In our noisy world we’re bombarded with various stimuli from all directions. We’re experts in multi-tasking. We can watch TV, listen to music on an IPod, play a game and read the newspaper all at one time. And when we come to church we try to do the same thing. We’re thinking about what’s for lunch, what we’re going to wear to work tomorrow, who is playing football this afternoon. And like all those people who didn’t really hear what Franklin Roosevelt said, we miss God when He speaks to us.
Vance Havner said, “Don’t ever come to church without coming as though it were the first time, as though it could be the best time, and as though it might be the last time.”
Sadly, too often we have spiritual ADD, yet there’s no magic spiritual Ritalin that we can take to solve our problem. We just have to make a commitment that at least to start with we’re going to take one hour out of our week on Sunday mornings where we’re going to concentrate on nothing but listening to God, so that we can hear His voice. We’re going to think about the words of the songs we’re singing and how they express what God is like and how we respond to Him. We’re going to do more than just mouth the words of the Scripture when we read them. We’re going to think about the message and specifically how God wants me to apply that message to my own life. We’re going to respond to God when His Holy Spirit brings conviction.
Obviously, an hour a week is not nearly enough to have a relationship with God, but it’s certainly a good place to start. Worship doesn’t just happen. I have to prepare my heart before I ever step into this building on Sunday. I need to come in great anticipation, understanding that I’m entering into the presence of God. I need to expect that I am going to interact with God. I need to believe that God is going to speak to my heart and I need to anticipate that I am going to respond to Him. I have to commit that I am going to be part of “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.”
Enthusiasm in worship is essential, not optional. Would enthusiasm describe your worship? If it doesn’t, change…and start today!
