The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-09-05
INVITING OTHERS TO WORSHIP
GOD

GOD
LESSON TEXT-Psalm 90.
GOLDEN TEXT-O magnify the Lord
with me, and let us exalt his name to.
eeher.-PSaIm 34:3.
Worship is not only fitting, but al
together natural to the soul aglow
with the love of God. Yet it is a
sacred privilege to which we may
call ourselves and others and in the
doing of which we may be helped by
an intelligent understanding of its
nature and preparation for it's prac-
tice.
What is worship? How does it diff
fer from prayer, or from praise
(which we studied last week.? While
prayer, praise and worship belong
together and often merge in one
blessed art of devotion, we may pos
sibly distinguish between them by
saying that in prayer we are con-
cerned with our needs; in praise,
with our blessings; and in worship,
with God Himself.
/. The Call to Worship wv. 1-3).
This psalm has to do with collec-
tive rather than individual worship.
It is not enough that man should
worship God in his own soul, there
is an added blessing which comes
to us only as we worship with 9TH
ers. So we need to be called to-
gether for worship.
True worship centers in "a new
song" that is the song of regener-
ated heart. Worship is only a for
mality without life until there is a
new song in the heart, and then it
becomes LIES greatest joy and sat-
4 isfaction.
Real worship is a 'day to day"
matter ". p, not just something
we put on like our "Sunday-go-to-
meeting" clothes. Every day we
are to worship, and as we do, we
shall declare his glory among the
heathen"; among those nearest to
us, but ultimately to all the ma
tons of the earth. Worship leads
out in a desire that its blessing
may be shared with all the people
Of the earth.
II. The Reason for Worship wv.
49,.
Why should we worship God? He
is great" and is a God so good
and gracious that He is greatly
to be praised" He made the heav-
ems. Honor and majesty stand
before Him like sentinels; Strength
and beauty" fill the holy place which
is "his sanctuary" The very words
bespeak that glorious majesty and
gracious loving-kindness which i'm,
pei the heart to worship. They en-
courage us who need and seek
strength and beauty of life to seek
communion with Him who dwells
eternally in such an atmosphere.
III. The Manner of Worship wv.
7-lO).
We have suggested that fellowship
with God prompts us to worship.
Some would feel that nothing more
is needed, but experience tells us
that, while we may worship any
where, we are helped to do so by
proper surroundings and circum-
stances. We are told to come into
his courts" ". g. and to worship
in the beauty of holiness" ". 81,
or, as the Revised Version puts it,
in holy array"
John Ruskin wisely said: at can
not be questioned at all, that, if
once familiarized with a beautiful
form and color, we shall desire to
see this also in the house of prayer;
its absence will disturb instead of
assisting devotion; and we shall feel
it as vain to ask whether, with our
own house full of good craftsman
ship, we shall worship God in a
house destitute of it, as to ask
whether pilgrim, whose days jour
ney led him through fair woods and
by sweet waters, must at eve
ming turn aside into some barren
place to pray
n We are to give or ascribe unto
the Lord praise and glory among
our kindred" ". y; that is, our
own family, as we'll as in "his
courts, His sanctuary. Note that
one of the outstanding ways of wor-
smplng is to bring an Offering ",
4 o, which means more than casually
slipping a small coin in the "collec-
ton" If our offerings" are liberal
and regular the church will be able
10 send the news that "the Lord
relgneth' to the whole world ". 10Y.
4 ". The Universally of Worship
1 wv. 1l-13).
A world which has felt the blow
OF mans sin (Rom. 1929 and has
suffered from his wickedness and
destructive violence will so rejoice
IN the righteousness of God judg-
ment that even the realm of nature
Will break into joyous worship. What
beautiful picture we see in these
verses, how Gods creation will lift
itself up in praise, the sea in tu-
multuous joy, when "the hills shall
ofeak forth before you into sing
ing, and all the trees shall clap
melr hands" lisa. 55:12).
Can man then hold his peace?
Must not mortal tongues awake"
ana all that breathe partake" in
%Aolehearted worship of God? Who
Ien will want to stand among
\ mem that know not God, and that
Tpoey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ" II Thess. II, 81, and
WIN whom God can deal only in
Judgment of flaming ii1e?
Il