What the Word says

What the Word says

Answers to a few commonly asked questions.

1) Why do we emphasize worship of the Lord?

You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve. (Matthew 4:10)
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Psalm 95:6)
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested. (Revelation 15:4)

 

2) How should we worship the Lord?

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24)
For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9)

 

3) Why do we audibly praise the Lord?

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name. (Psalm 103:1)
Therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)
After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”(Rev. 19:1 & 6)

 

4) Why do we lift our hands in worship?

Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. (Psalm 63:4)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. (Psalm 134:2)
I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (I Timothy 2:8)

 

5) Why do we clap our hands?

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph. (Psalm 47:1)

 

6) Why do we often stand when we sing?

Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. (II Chronicles 20:19)
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10)

 

7) Why do some dance before the Lord?

Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and harp. (Psalm 149:1-3)

 

8) Why do we sing in other tongues and in English?

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. (I Corinthians 14: 14-15)

 

9) Why are musical instruments a part of our worship services?

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and the harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! (Psalm 150: 3-5)
And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. (Revelation 14:2)

 

10) Why do we pray with laying on of hands and anointing with oil?

They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. (Mark 16:18)
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14)

 

11) Why do we have speaking in unknown tongues and interpretation in the church?

Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. (I Corinthians 14:39)
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: To another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (I Corinthians. 12:7, 10)
I wish you all spoke with tongues. (1 Corinthians. 14:5)
If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. (I Corinthians. 14:27)

 

12) Why do some prophesy?

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. (I Corinthians 14:1, 3)

 

13) Why does the whole church pray at once for specific needs?

So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said; “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them. (Acts 4:24)

 

14) Why do we receive tithes and offerings?

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10)
On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. (I Corinthians. 16:2)
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work. (II Corinthians 9:6-8)