♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

I'm excited about the topic today as we

continue our series through <i>The Psalms,</i>

<i>Worship That Never Ends.</i>

What a great topic,

and I know you'll be blessed,

so welcome to Hope Sabbath School.

Welcome to the team,

good to be together again.

Take a look at each other and wave.

We represent the whole world,

and I'm excited that John's going

to be leading our study today.

What a great study,

<i>Worship That Never Ends.</i>

We've also got some remote team members

with us today, always happy to have them.

Heide, good to see you again,

glad you're with us.

Leeah, great to have you

on the team today.

And, Travis, always good

to have you with us.

I'm so thankful for our remote team
members

as well as the team here in the studio.

But I'm thankful for you, too,

because you are part of our global family.

And when you answer a question,

when John asks and you

raise your hand, you're part

of that in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

We're always happy to hear from you,

and here are just a few emails

we've received recently.

Kanchele writes from Zambia.

Do we get a lot of emails from Zambia?

Kanchele writes and says,

"My name is Evangelist Kanchele,"

now, that's significant as I read on,

"from Zambia, in the western part
that is Mongu.

Hope Sabbath School has changed my life

in so many ways,

and Hope Sabbath School is one

that made me to be an evangelist!"

(Team) Praise God.

(Derek) "I love the way

the Bible is presented.

God bless you, Hope Sabbath School,"
and we say...?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Isn't that amazing?

You've got an evangelist

in Western Zambia who was encouraged

to serve the Lord

through Hope Sabbath School.

Thank you for writing to us, Kanchele.

Here is another note.

This one is from Mozambique,

and the person writes and says,

Joaquim from Mazambique,

"Hello, Pastor Derek

and all the Hope Sabbath School team!

First, I want to make it clear

that I'm not good in English.

I'm from Mozambique, so the main thing

that I appreciate in the program

is how you make the Word of God

so easy to understand.

May God bless you all, Joaquim." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Well, we're glad.

We just launched

a Hope Channel in Mozambique,

and actually our Portuguese-speaking
channel

in Brazil, Novo Tempo, helped launch

the channel in Mozambique. Amen?

We're all working together,

so really exciting to hear

what God is doing.

Well, here's a hand-written note

from a donor couple in California

in the United States, and they write

and say, "We always enjoy listening

to Hope Sabbath School

and seeing your faces.

All these years we feel like

we know you all.

You all make Hope Sabbath School

flow easily, and we share your thoughts

with our own Bible class

here in California," and a donation

of 400 dollars to bless the ministry

of Hope Sabbath School. Amen?

I want to say thank you, donor couple,

you know who you are.

And thanks to each one of you,

because we're all part

of this miracle of God

called Hope Sabbath School.

It's a donor-supported ministry.

Thank you to this couple,

but thank you to you, too.

You can go to our website,

hopetv.org/hopess.

Maybe someone just left you

an inheritance, or you see

that you have 30 dollars a month

that you could set aside

for laying up some treasure in Heaven.

Go to the website, click on Donate,

and say, "Thank You, Lord,

for what You're doing

through Hope Sabbath School."

Well, one last note,

from Rosemary in Arkansas

in the United States of America.

Rosemary says, "I love Hope Sabbath School

because of the...," what do you think?

Diversity, "...diversity of the group.

I learn a great deal, every program,

and I love the Scripture songs, too.

I've been watching so long,"

writes Rosemary, "I feel like
you're family.

Thanks for all you do."

Well, Rosemary, thanks for writing to us,

and actually, you said you like the songs,

we need you to help us sing

the theme song today.

Could you do that?

But before we start the music,

I just want to give you another reminder

about a wonderful collection

of <i>Trilogy Scripture Songs</i>

from the Psalms; there are six songs

including our theme song from Psalm 105.

And you can just go to our website,

hopetv.org/hopess,

click on the Free Gift tab.

If you don't know how to do that,

ask a youngster in your family to do that,

and they'll find it there and download

that collection of six songs.

You can share those with friends.

Hide God's Word in your heart,

including our theme song, and God will

bring that to your remembrance.

The Holy Spirit will help you

when you need to remember those words.

Right now, we're going to sing

one of those six songs, from Psalm 105,

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord."

Let's sing together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) I just love that song, don't you?

Three thousand years old

but a new melody, and what a beautiful way

to begin our study.

John, thanks for leading us in prayer.

(John) Thank you, Pastor Derek.

Let's pray as we begin.

Loving heavenly Father, thank You so much

for this time You have given us as we are

coming to the tail end of our study

in the book of Psalms.

I pray, dear God, that we

will go away praising You

and singing praises to You, even now.

I pray these things

in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Derek, Team) Amen.

(John) In the book of Psalms,

we have been looking at how these psalms

have been used in worship services

of the sanctuary back then.

And even here at Hope Sabbath School

we put new tunes to these psalms

and we sing them.

And in our study, we're going

to look at worship itself.

While psalms are being used

in worship services, today we're going

to be looking at worship itself.

And here at Hope Sabbath School,

we consult the Bible for what worship is,

and not culture in general,

and we praise God for that.

So before we begin, we want

to define what worship is,

and so the question to you:

What is worship?

What do you think worship is? Jason?

(Jason) When I think about it,

it really just comes

to how we conduct ourselves.

In the way we conduct ourselves,

whether through thought, actions or words,

we're basically honoring God

in all those aspects

and giving honor to His name.

(John) Giving honor to God's name. Yes.

(Scott) Ultimately worship is God-focused

and not self-focused.

(John) God-focused, not self-focused.
Pedro.

(Pedro) It's the way that we can

respond to God and His love.

There is nothing I can give to God

other than to worship Him.

(John) A response to God's love.

(Derek) So, we're all talking about God,

but people worship all kinds of things.

Some people worship idols,

some people worship movie stars,

some people worship themselves,

so I think at the very fundamental level

worship is ascribing worth,

value, to something.

And supreme worship, of course,

only one Person deserves that,

and that is God Himself.

We ascribe worth to Him

when we worship Him.

And I certainly agree

that can be in our words,

in our actions, in our thoughts.

But we need to, like you said, focus

on worship of God, because people

can worship other things.

(John) And just to follow your thought,

Pastor Derek, there is someone

who said that worship is

to see what God is worth

and to give Him what He's worth.

(Derek) Beautiful.

(John) To see the worth of God

and to give all that is worthy to Him.

So, at the University of Denver,

they released a study about communication,

and this is what they said.

They said, "Communication consists

of 55 percent body language,

38 percent paralanguage,

and 7 percent verbal content."

So, there is a lot

of nonverbal communication

that happens when we speak,

and so with worship, gestures and posture

also play a role in worship

because they communicate to God

what we want to express.

And so, we're going to look

at one of the gestures

that the Bible talks about

which is lifting up our hands in worship.

Now, we're going to see what the Bible

has to say about it.

If I can have Lilica please read to us

from Psalm 134 and verse 2,

Psalm 134 and verse 2.

What does the Bible mean when it talks

about lifting up our hands to God?

(Lilica) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Psalm 134, verse 2:

(John) Okay, thank you, Lilica.

So, here in this text, what does

lifting up the hands mean. Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) To worship God, to bless Him.

(John) Okay, to worship God,

to bless Him. Scott?

(Scott) I was going to say the same thing.

Verse 1 says, "Come, bless the Lord,"

and that gives us the context of verse 2.

(John) That's right, to bless the Lord.

And in talking about context, Scott,

here the context is those who are

ministering in the temple are called

to lift up their hands and bless God.

Now, this gesture expresses adoration,

and this gesture indicates the object

of praise is God and not ourselves,

and that the entire person is involved

in worshiping God

or giving praises to God.

Let's look at another text,

Lamentations, chapter 2 and verse 19,

Lamentations, chapter 2 and verse 19.

And if I can have Jason please read that
for us.

(Jason) It will be my pleasure.

Lamentations, chapter 2, verse 19, says:

(John) Okay, thank you.

So, here what is the meaning

of lifting ones hands toward the heavens,

in Lamentations? Yes, Jason?

(Jason) It seems like a cry out,

like desperation, like, "Lord," you know,

giving up yourself, surrendering

in a sense, I'm taking from that text.

(John) Okay, so in Psalms we're seeing

that lifting up our hands means

to praise God, to give Him glory,

but here in Lamentations we're seeing

out of desperation

we're crying out to God,

and we want to receive help from Him.

And so, what we are beginning to see

is that lifting up hands

means different things

in different contexts, but all of that

is focused toward God.

To Him we praise, and He is

the object of worship, and He is

the giver of all blessings

and the answer to our prayers.

Let's look at one more verse,

in the New Testament, 1 Timothy,

chapter 2 and verse 8, if I can have

Scott please read that for us,

1 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 8.

Paul is instructing his, if I can use

the term, young intern Timothy

how one ought to conduct himself

in the house of God.

(Scott) Yes, it says:

(John) Okay, so we see,

not only in the Old Testament

but also the New Testament, in the church

we find that lifting up of hands

is being allowed.

Lifting up of hands is being allowed.

So, question, is it fine for us

to lift our hands in worship? Yes, Scott.

(Scott) I was raised in a setting

where people were rather skeptical

of lifting hands.

They associate it

with Pentecostalism or other things,

but when I read the Bible,

I don't find that there.

Lifting hands is biblical,

and so it's not a habit I was raised with,

but it's something that's biblical.

(John) Yes, Tendi.

(Tendi) Like you said,

lifting up your hand

depends on the context.

If you're in church, and the pastor

is preaching, for example,

you cannot lift your hands;

you need to be reverent.

But if there is worship, if there is

a song that compels your spirit

to lift your hands, then you can.

(John) Okay, you used

a very important word.

Here actually in Timothy, Paul talks

to Timothy about the importance

of reverence in God's house.

And so, lifting up hands

is not supposed to be irreverent.

It should not be irreverent;

there should be reverence

that should be entailed

along with that. Pastor Derek?

(Derek) And also in the Sermon

on the Mount, Jesus says in anything

to do with worship, whether it's

prayer or fasting or whatever,

don't do something

to draw attention to yourself.

I'm thinking of the my wife's grandmother

who was from China, and she would

kowtow when she prayed.

You know what kowtowing is, right?

But she wouldn't do that on a platform

or in front of everybody.

She would do that when she

went to her closet to pray,

because it was part of her culture.

It was her way, actually,

of showing reverence to God
in her culture.

But I think the principle

in the Sermon on the Mount is that we

are sensitive that we're not just becoming

the center of attention,
drawing attention.

Jesus talks about praying

on street corners so that you

can be seen by people.

(John) That's right, and we'll go

to that verse, Pastor Derek,

but I want to take a few comments.

Pedro and then Travis.

(Pedro) I see the importance here

of giving blessing and receiving blessing.

Obviously, God is inviting us,

I found it fascinating, inviting us
to bless Him.

It's a practice we might not partake of

with our hands and our actions.

I see our hands as surrendering,

and when I look at Timothy here, there is

the aspect of lifting up your hands

in a negative way,

There is a positive way

of lifting up our hands

and a negative way.

And we should say,

"My works are of the Lord," as I think

that's what we're seeing here.

[Paul] is saying, "I'm worshiping You

by saying my actions are Your actions."

And that is important for us to understand

the context that we're in,

like drawing attention to God

and not to ourselves.

(John) Exactly, something

that Pastor Derek said,

and you are repeating, Pedro,

which is important, is context.

We need to know where we are

and what we're doing,

and why we are doing it.

And not just because everyone is doing it,

but the reason why it's

being done. Travis.

(Travis) I was just going to say

what Pastor Derek said.

If we're praising God and not trying

to draw attention to ourselves,

I don't think there is anything wrong

with lifting your hands to heaven

in adoration to God.

(John) Okay, so the Scripture is clear

that lifting up our hands

to God in prayer is fine.

And one Bible scholar writes

that it's not a prescription,

but the Bible is describing

that it is allowed.

But if a person doesn't do that,

that doesn't mean that God

is not being praised or that God

is not answering their prayers either.

And so, there is room for both.

Now, there are times

when lifting up our hands to God

is inappropriate, or other ways

of doing it, and, Pastor Derek,

you alluded to it.

Let's go to Matthew, chapter 6,

verses 5 and 6; if I can ask Puia

to please read that for us.

(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Matthew 6, verses 5 and 6:

(John) Thank you, Puia.

So, question: Are there times

when lifting up our hands

is not appropriate?

What do you think? Yes, Scott.

(Scott) Worship is one of those things

that has a significant cultural element

to it, and with a worldwide audience,

there are different people

who feel different ways about it.

And I think, as Derek mentioned,

sometimes if we insist on expressing

worship the way we're comfortable with

in a setting where the people

around us aren't comfortable

with that same expression, it can cause

distraction, even if it's not intentional.

And it can cause trouble

that doesn't need to be caused.

(John) Okay, a distraction, a distraction

where the focus is not so much on God

but more about what I am doing.

And that's what these Pharisees

were doing; they would stand

on street corners, and they

would pray aloud because they wanted

others to know, "See how righteous I am."

And if those kinds of attitudes are

what we have when lifting up our hands,

that is to be avoided. Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) And I see the importance

for us to care for others; Jesus told us

to love others as ourselves.

And drawing attention to ourselves

in a room and saying, "Well, I'm

doing this for God,"

is not about the people around me.

And God says to care for those around us.

We are our brother's keeper.

In the same way, if we're

seeing someone doing it,

remember it's your brother, your sister.

Don't rebuke people for no reason.

If they are adoring God, allow them

to worship God with their hearts.

(John) Exactly. Yes, Stephanie,

you seem to have something to say?

(Stephanie) I was just thinking that it's

really a principle; it's a matter

of principle that whatever we do,

we do it to honor God in worship.

That's the principle.

(John) Exactly. And Leeah.

(Leeah) I think it's very true

that sometimes how we conduct ourselves

physically in worship can be

a distraction to others.

But I've also found that sometimes

it can be an encouragement to others.

Sometimes people are ashamed

that, you know, maybe they want

to lift their hands,

but they're uncomfortable doing so.

So maybe sometimes our expression

can give other people the freedom

to express themselves

before the Lord as well.

(John) Amen. Yes, Nancy?

(Nancy) It has to do with our attitude.

If we have an attitude of worship,

then yes, I think it will be noticed

by those who are around us.

But the most important thing is for us

to truly be honoring God in our worship.

(John) Amen. Travis, I saw your hand.

(Travis) I was just going to comment

on what was mentioned earlier

about principle, and I think John

the Baptist clearly held this principle

in high regard, and it's John,

chapter 3:30, and he says, "Jesus

must increase, and I must decrease."

So understanding who God is

is really essential

and I think is the principle.

It's not about us; it's about Jesus.

(John) Right. Pastor.

(Derek) I just want to affirm

what Leeah said, because if a person

is leading worship and they're frowning -

you talked about body language -

and it's like, "Let's rejoice
in the Lord."

And people are like, "I don't believe you.

You don't <i>look</i> like you're rejoicing."

So, I don't want to be the focus

of attention, but I do want,

as Jason said earlier, my whole body

to communicate how great God is.

And I think that's where we're just asking

the Holy Spirit to guide us

as to what is an appropriate way

with our words, with our body language,

with the way that we say those words

to really honor God.

(John) Exactly. What's amazing

is that the Bible is very balanced.

It's giving room for...If you want

to express your praise to God,

your prayers to God,

using your hands is absolutely fine.

But on the other hand, it is

important that we don't have

a self-centered attitude

or even at times borrow from culture

the practicing of waving hands

and lifting up our hands

and saying that we're praising God,

but it's really coming out from culture.

But it ought to come

from the sole purpose of praising God

and offering to God our praise.

Puia and then we'll go to the next point.

(Puia) Yes, I just wanted to highlight

also the point from Matthew 6

where we read, Jesus, I believe,

differentiated the way

you worship God individually

versus in a group, right?

So, I think it's important to be mindful

about how we worship God

when we come as a group.

But when you go into the closet,

and you pray before God,

lift up your hands, and maybe you want

to move around as you pray.

Sometimes I pray while walking,

so I think you can differentiate

between individual worship

versus group worship as well.

(John) Thank you, Puia.

So we're having a lively discussion here

about lifting up our hands. Stephanie?

(Stephanie) Something else

that came to my mind is, really, we're

the only ones that know

if our relationship with God

is allowing us to truly honor Him

when we're doing anything in worship.

So, it's very difficult to be able

to judge someone's motives.

And that's hard, right?

But really we need to pray that God

will use that person,

wherever they're at, and trust

that God will lead them.

(John) Sure. Thank you all

for your comments.

And maybe those of you who are watching

either on YouTube or on TV, you know,

write down what you think

about this topic on our YouTube channel

or Facebook page, or email to us

what you think about this topic,

because you are also part

of this discussion.

Let's go to our next topic here,

praising the Lord with our whole hearts.

If I can ask Nancy to please read to us

from Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2,

Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2.

(Nancy) I'm reading

from the New American Standard Bible:

(John) Okay, thank you.

So, here the psalmist is saying

that he will give thanks to the Lord

with his whole heart.

So in contrast, is it possible

to give thanks to God half-heartedly?

(Team Member) Sure.

(John) For sure, right?

What does it mean, actually, to praise God

with our whole heart?

What does that look like practically?
Stephanie?

(Stephanie) I feel like it means

a full surrender to Jesus.

We're fully surrendered to Him,

and so we're giving Him praise

with all of our heart.

He has everything of us.

(John) Okay. Heide?

(Heide) I think that he's answering it

right here in this verse

because he's telling you, "I will tell

of Your marvelous works."

In other words, share what God

has actually literally done in your life.

And he's also telling you,

being glad, that's a way that we are

praising the Lord with our whole hearts,

just by continuing to be full of joy

amidst the trials of life.

We're also praising the Lord by singing;

he's telling us this is another way

that you can praise Him and worship Him.

So he's telling us right here

what we need to do.

(John) Okay, thank you, Heide. Puia.

(Puia) I just wanted to comment

that sometimes life can be difficult,

and we may not be able to give praise

to God with all our hearts

and with joy and gladness all the time.

But I think the key point is

to just come to God.

Just come to God and come to Him

with your trouble, and as Stephanie

pointed out, surrender

your troubles to Him.

And I believe that's the key point

about praising God with our whole heart.

(John) I want to focus on something

that you said, Puia, "Just come to God."

You know, sometimes when we recognize

that we are not wholehearted

in wanting to worship God

or wanting to follow His truth,

the amazing thing about God

is that you can be honest to Him about it.

And we can say, "God, I don't feel

like I'm doing this wholeheartedly,

but please help me do it,"

and God will help you do it.

And those moments when you are

vulnerable with God are when you

can get closer to Him. Pedro.

(Pedro) It is important

to also look at the context here.

David is praising God

amidst the death of his son.

I'm not sure if it was Bathsheba's child

or Absalom; I believe it was

Bathsheba's, her son.

And look at ourselves.

Imagine, I'm willing to say,

"God, You are worthy,

even in my most tragic moment,"
wholeheartedly.

There are people today

who have sentiments, "Why did God

allow my child to go through this,

or someone that I love, or the pain

that I'm suffering right now?"

And God says, "Come to Me."

(Derek) Wow, that's so powerful,

because my whole heart

could be a broken heart,

but I come to Him in total surrender.

That's a beautiful thought,

and it's something I long for, John.

I long to just let go of all of my fears,

not worry about what people think,

and just worship God with my whole heart.

(John) Powerful. Lilica?

(Lilica) The very thought

of being vulnerable before God

is worship Him with your whole heart,

because you open your heart.

You're being naked before Him.

David is the one that is called

a man after God's own heart.

Every single time you see

in the Old Testament...

I have in the back of my Bible, written,

the times where David is mentioned

during the kings of Judah,

and it says that, "This one followed God

as David did follow God

with all his heart,"

something like that; I'm paraphrasing.

But it mentions that the king

followed God as David followed God

with all his heart.

It's being open; tell God,

the One who only can see.

I love what John Bunyan,

if I'm pronouncing it right, who wrote

the book <i>The Pilgrim's Progress,</i> said,

"It's better to have heart without words

than words without heart."

When we come before God, speak it,

whatever it is, say it.

And that is what He is concerned about.

(Derek) Praise God.

(John) Amen. Tendi and then we'll

go to the next verse.

(Tendi) I learned today

that when you trust,

a hormone called oxytocin is released

into your system, and it's

the same hormone that's released

when you're in love

or when you do something with a purpose.

And I believe worship, when you worship

God with your whole heart,

that hormone is released in your body,

and it shows in your countenance

that you're worshiping God.

So, that's what worshiping

with your whole heart means to me.

(John) Okay, so there is

a deep connection with our spirituality

and even our own bodies, right?

And there are studies which say

that people that attend religious services

are actually much more happy,

and they are able

to overcome negative thoughts.

And so maybe there is someone

who is watching, and you don't care

about God or the Bible, but you are

in a quandary in your own life.

I want to assure you that if you

begin praising God,

attend church services, that your life

will completely turn around.

(Team) Amen.

(John) Let's go to another verse,

Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.

If I can have Heide please read that

to us, Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.

(Heide) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(John) Okay, there is a lot of praising

going on in these verses,

and in verse 3 the psalmist says,

"From the rising of the sun

to its setting," that's

pretty much our whole day, right?

And, I mean, you're at work,

you're at school, maybe you're

a homemaker, you're just doing
different things.

How are we, twenty-first century
busy people,

supposed to praise God

from the morning until the evening?

How does that practically happen? Lilica.

(Lilica) As a Pathfinder, we have one

of the laws that says

to have always a song in your heart.

You may be singing, even if you

are not expressing it aloud.

(John) Okay. Yes, Nancy.

(Nancy) It reminds me of my grandmother

who used to always be singing hymns

as she was cooking.

I have that memory of her, as a child,

and, yes, she was a very positive
and gentle person.

And I think when we fill

our hearts and our minds

with the words of God, it helps us.

It helps us through anything.

(John) Singing, singing whether you

are working, doing schoolwork

or humming a song.

You can probably memorize

the Scripture songs that we play here.

What do you think, Pastor Derek?

(Derek) Well, I think so, and God

has given us the ability to do

more than one thing at the same time.

Nancy gave an example,

while her grandmother was cooking.

You can be driving to the office

or driving to school, and you can

be praising God at the same time.

You're still watching the road,

but God has given us that ability.

And I think when the psalmist says

in Psalm 16, "I've set the Lord

<i>always</i> before me.

When He is at my right hand,

I will not be moved," will not be shaken,

that tells me I can praise God

at all times, like the text says,

while I'm going about my regular day.

(John) Okay, and song plays a huge role,

singing and music play a huge role,

which we will come to in a bit. Puia.

(Puia) You asked, John,

about the practical application

in the twenty-first century.

For me, in the morning

when I get up, what helps me is

listening to gospel music,

and before I go to bed I read a Bible text

or listen to a podcast,

and I fall asleep with it.

And I believe that sets the tone

for my morning and evening.

(John) Okay, so you begin the morning

praising God, focusing your mind on God.

You think through what you read

in the Bible or what you listen to 
in a sermon,

and you go to bed, falling asleep

thinking about God, you know,

that constant communication
with God. Pedro.

(Pedro) I see the importance here

as well for actions.

God says in the fourth commandment

"In six days you shall labor

and do all your work," but the labor

is continuing to be reflecting

the character of God.

Everything I do; I drive on the road;

am I reflecting Jesus?

It's worship, my actions.

We talked about hands earlier;

my actions can be put into worship,

how I treat others;

that's an act of worship.

"If you have done it others, you have done
it to Me," is an act of worship that God

is inviting us to do, so actions
play a huge role in that.

(John) ...In whatever we do,

we can worship God.

You know, if there is a job given,

and you do that job well,

you do that job with integrity,

that is worship to God.

That is praising God.

I mean, the Bible says

that whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God, right?
Yes, Tendi.

(Tendi) You could also worship Him

with your personality.

Be a loving and lovable Christian

to be around; that is worship.

(John) Okay, being a loving
and a lovable Christian.

Now, some of you talked about singing

through the day or using music

through the day, humming a song,

singing a song, listening to songs.

And let's see what the Bible

has to say about the role of music

and singing in worship.

If I can have Tendi please read to us

from Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3,

Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3.

(Tendi) And I'll be reading

in the English Standard Version,

Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3:

(John) Okay, we see that when the psalmist

is writing, there is a lot of happiness

surrounding him, right?

And it says that musical instruments

are being used in worship.

There are lyrics being used in worship.

You know, music plays an important role

in worship, and specifically the types

of music we listen to enhance

our frontal lobes, and it has

biological implications, too, right?

It has both negative and positive effects.

Songs that are based on Scripture

and music that is based

on the principles of Scripture

truly help us to worship God

in the right way, right?

And, Stephanie, you seem like

you have something to say.

(Stephanie) I just saw in verse 3,

it says, "Play skillfully

with a shout of joy."

There's this sense of peace,

of contentment and satisfaction in Jesus,

so again, pointing to Him.

(Derek) John, you know my wife

likes to write Scripture songs

and put them to a melody so we can sing.

Sometimes she'll see maybe a CD

of Scripture songs, but they

plug in the harp, and they crank

the decibels up so loud that you

can't hear the words,

and it's hurting your ears.

I think the principle there again

is the instrument and the volume of it

and maybe how it's played

also pointing to God,

or is it a distraction.

A person says, "Well, no instruments;

we just sing a cappella."

Well, like you said earlier,

we certainly have permission

to use the 10-stringed instrument, right,

but we always make sure that the product

of that is glorifying God.

(John) Exactly. Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) And I see in the text here, Derek,

it says, "Play skillfully,"

even, "with a shout."

You know, I'm not just going to yell.

It's skillfully use your shout, and I see

choruses from different parts of the world

that give that emphasis

on that beautiful voice tune

that God has given us.

(John) Puia?

(Puia) A few years ago, I had

the privilege of doing evangelism

in India, and I was invited to preach

in a prison, and I was a bit unsure

about what I was going to face.

And so the guards escorted us

inside the prison, and they

seated us in the chapel.

And then the prisoners started coming in,

and as we started singing I was surprised.

These prisoners had given their hearts

to Jesus, and they praised God

with all their hearts.

We sang songs that we

normally sing in our churches,

but the level of commitment

or the level of joy that they expressed

as they were praising God with the songs

just moved my heart.

It tells me that when we

talked about freedom, it's not

really where you are at, is it?

It's where your heart is.

(John) Powerful. Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) I just mentioned

wholeheartedly singing, right,

that they are praising God, and I had

a similar experience as well going

to visit a very high facility
near my house.

And I saw men singing with their hearts,

hugging each other, praising God

because God has changed their hearts,

and a heart change, praise God.

(Team) Amen.

(John) Let's look at two more verses

in the book of Psalms,

and I want you to observe,

there is a phrase that is repeated,

and I want you to observe that phrase.

If I can have Stephanie please read to us

Psalm 40 and verse 3,

and after which if Leah can please read

Psalm 98, verse 1.

Psalm 40, verse 3,

and then Leeah Psalm 98, verse 1.

(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(John) Okay, a new song. Leeah?

(Leeah) I'm reading

from the English Standard Version,

Psalm 98, verse 1:

(John) Okay, what is the phrase

that is being repeated?

(Team) A new song.

(John) A new song, a new song.

And so, while it is good that we use

the book of Psalms to make new songs

or give new tunes to them

with the same old lyrics,

but the Bible also tells us

that we can write new songs.

And in the last study,

we talked about journaling.

Pastor Derek, you talked about how you

were inspired to journal.

And maybe God is calling some of us

to write of our experiences

with Him in songs. Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) I find it fascinating,

I'm originally from Brazil,

and recently in Brazi,l in our church,

changed the hymnal.

They updated the hymnal

with new songs, and it was

a very exciting experience

because now we have different songs

that people have been singing

that now have been added to the hymnal.

So it's easy access to people,

and they have added

a little section just for the kids,

and my daughter sings them.

So, she loves to go through that section

of the kids songs inside the hymnal,

and she feels part of that book as well.

It's not just, "Oh, the old hymnal,"

it's now, "It's my hymnal."

(John) One thing that I love

to do with hymns

is to see the story of the hymns,

as to why this hymn came about.

And the famous song <i>Amazing Grace,</i>

the back story is really powerful

of John Newton as to why he wrote

the story and what is his experience.

And the Bible also talks about singing

a new song because of a new experience,

and let's read about that

in Isaiah, chapter 42.

If I can have Scott please read to us

from Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12.

Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12,

talks about singing a new song.

(Scott) And I'll be reading from the ESV:

And verse 12:

(John) Okay, and if I can have Lilica

please read to us from Revelation,

chapter 14, verses 1, 2 and 3,

Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3.

And we find that not only here

on this earth are we to write

new songs of experience,

but in the end, when everything

is said and done, there is going to be

a new song that is going to be sung.

(Lilica) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3:

(John) Okay, now why is it that no one

was able to learn the song

but the 144,000? Yes, Pedro.

(Pedro) I think when we sing songs,

we want to sing songs

that relate to our experiences, right?

And we see in the world today

people are attached to the songs

that relate to their own experience.

And there in Heaven, we are singing

a song that relates to our redemption

and how God saved us from our sins.

And we're celebrating

that beautiful victory, that God

has conquered for us.

And the angels have never

experienced that, so they will be silent.

They're not going to sing something

that they have not experienced.

So, it's important for us to also learn

that as we go on our journey,

seek songs that elevate God and bring us

closer to Him into our journey.

(John) Okay, so music and songs help us

express our experience in words

and also our emotions.

And here the 144,000 are expressing

their emotions and their experience

through the music and the lyrics
of that song.

And the text actually kind of hints

as to what the theme of that song will be.

If you see towards the end of verse 3

it says, "No one could learn that song

except the 144,000

who had been redeemed from the earth."

So, it's going to be a song of redemption

that the 144,000 will sing.

Lilica and then we'll move on.

(Lilica) As we speak about the new songs,

like, what is wrong with the old songs?

People ask us, "What is

your favorite song?"

And you say, "It's this, but it was

the other one before,"

depending on the context.

In the Pathfinder Law, when you study

about having a new song in your heart,

we learned that singing, as praying,

is an act of worship.

So, a new song, why?

Because of the new experience

I'm living with God.

I'm expressing it into words as I pray,

I don't go praying and repeating

the same prayer every single day,

right, as with singing.

A new song is a new experience.

(John) A new song and a new experience.

Alright, let's move on,

but before we move on, maybe you are

looking for good quality Christian music.

And as Pastor Derek said, you can claim

our free offer with this study,

but also check Hope TV where there is

going to be singing

and good quality Christian music

that can enhance your worship towards God.

Let's go to the next part of our study,

declaring God's glory among the nations.

And if I can have Leeah please read to us

from Psalm, chapter 96, verses 1 to 13,

Psalm 96, verses 1 to 13.

It has some very interesting phrases

which parallel with the book of Revelation

which we will see.

(Leeah) And I'll be reading

from the English Standard Version,

Psalm 96, verses 1 through 13:

(John) Alright, powerful.

There is a lot going on in this passage,

but I want to ask, what message

is the psalmist calling us to proclaim

to all nations here? Scott.

(Scott) Yeah, he's telling us to tell

the other people about God,

who God is, what He's about,

His righteousness, His justice,

His judgment, His glory,

all these different things.

Tell people about God.

(John) Okay, tell people about God,

and he is inviting the entire nations,

he is inviting the entire earth

to do so. Travis.

(Travis) I'm thinking of Revelation,

chapter 18, and it says

that the whole earth

was filled with His glory.

The glory is the goodness of God.

In the psalm that was just read,

we see that, in all its attributes,

whether it's His creative power,

His redemptive power, His mercy,

His grace, that is what God wants us

to proclaim to the world.

And that story will be told

in its fullness before Jesus comes.

(Team) Amen.

(John) Heide.

(Heide) Oh, when I was looking

at this psalm, it just really reminded me

of Revelation, chapter 14,

the three angels' messages where I see

that he is proclaiming to everyone

centuries before the Apostle John,

John the Revelator, ever wrote,

that we have a Creator

and He is worthy of our worship,

and that He is going to come,

and that He is going to judge the earth.

And I see him calling us to worship

this mighty powerful Being.

(John) Amen. Stephanie.

(Stephanie) I was thinking

that this psalmist, when they

were writing it, understood

the character of God.

They had experienced it.

It's that new song.

They knew Him, and therefore they were

able to tell of His glory.

It wasn't an old song.

(John) And talking about glory,

we want to just see what this glory means.

If I can have Lilica please read to us

Exodus, chapter 33, verses 18 to 23.

You know, this glory that God wants us

to proclaim to all the earth,

what is the glory of God that we are

called to share as an act of worship?

(Lilica) Exodus 33?

(John) Verses 18 to 23.

(Lilica) 18 to 23, I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

I will add chapter 34, verse 6.

(John) Alright, so chapter 34 and verse 6.

In the next chapter, Moses continues

to expand on what this glory means.

Alright, Lilica, chapter 34 and verse 6.

(Lilica) Verses 6 and 7

from the New King James Version:

(John) Okay, to glorify God

is to glorify His character, right?

So, through our singing, we ought to let

the world know about the character of God.

But moving on, Jesus talked

to the woman at the well,

and He told something really powerful.

And if I can ask Scott to please read

to us in John, chapter 4, verses 23 to 24.

And Jesus is talking to this woman

at the well about worship

and what worship should entail.

(Scott) Okay:

(John) Okay, so if a person says

that "I'm worshiping God," or if a church

claims that they are worshiping God,

they ought to worship God

in spirit and in truth,

but what does that mean, to worship God

in spirit and in truth? Puia?

(Puia) I believe it's important

to make sure that our reasons

for worshiping God is in line

with the way the Holy Spirit works.

It's not just an outward performance

or vain repetition,

but it's an inward alignment

with the Holy Spirit, allowing

the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts

and worshiping Him according to the Word.

Because, according to Jesus,

the Word of God is the truth,

so worshiping in spirit and in truth.

(John) Okay, so if a person says,

"I'm worshiping God," they go

to a worship experience,

but they are not moved by the Holy Spirit

to make changes in their life,

if they are not prompted to obey

the Word of God, then that is something

to be doubted, right?

And so, our worship experience

should always be in alignment

with the truths of the Word of God

and also in following the promptings

of the Holy Spirit.

We're not only going

to be singing songs now, but also forever,

and let's read about that.

Let's go to Isaiah, chapter 66,

verses 22 and 23.

Stephanie, if you can please read to us

in Isaiah 66, verses 22 to 23.

(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(John) Wow. I have experienced

one of the most amazing experiences

of listening to Handel's <i>Messiah</i> music.

I once went for a sing-along;

it was glorious, you know,

so many instruments, so much singing.

But imagine going to Heaven,

it's your first Sabbath there,

the angels are singing, and they are

playing musical instruments.

And voices from around the world,

different languages - there is nothing

to compare to what is going to happen.

You know, God is calling us

to worship Him and Him alone, where we

take our focus from ourselves

toward God, now and forever.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Thank you so much, John.

That's a powerful study,

<i>Worship That Never Ends.</i>

And I appreciate the fact that we realize

that in different cultures

people may worship in different ways.

They may sing different songs,

but the common thread is it's all

pointing to God, glorifying God,

praising God, and telling other people

about the awesome character of God.

That kind of worship is worshiping God

in spirit and truth.

Let's pray together.

Father in Heaven, we know the psalms,

down through the centuries,

were used in worship,

both before the coming of Messiah

and since the coming of Messiah,

reminding us that worship

is something that You deserve.

You are worthy of all of our worship.

And I pray that in all of our worship,

we would be guided by Your Spirit

and guided by Your Word and set free

from all of those traditions

and past experiences that hold us back

from worshiping You in spirit and truth,

is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

You say, "Derek, that's challenging,

to look and say, 'What of my past

is just tradition or habit,

and what truly honors God

and glorifies His name and shows

His glory to those around?'"

Let's worship like that

and go out and be a blessing

to those around you.

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