V.   Time Alone With Jesus   =   Worship

                                                                                    becoming friends and enjoy being with HIM

                       


          Make Me a sanctuary
          that I may dwell among them.
          Ex 25:8   NKJV

          + + + + + + + + + +

          I knock.
          If anyone opens the door
          I will come in and dine with him.
          Rev 3:20   NKJV


      William Holman Hunt 1827-1910
      famous painting   " The Light of the World" 1853-1854

      "... presents Christ with a lamp in one hand knocking at a door.
      The door has no handle on the outside, and it is overgrown
      with weeds and vines.
      The interpretation posted below the painting in
      St. Paul's Cathedral in London remarks:

        'On the lefthand side of the picture is seen
        this door of the human soul. It is fast barred;
        its bars and nails are rusty; it is knitted and
        bound to its stanchions [ = upright pole ]
        by creeping tendrils of ivy, showing that it
        has never been opened...'"   Willard 243


      Outline

        • Goal
        • Introduction
          Parts of Worship
          Forms of worship
          Issues of worship
          Hymns about worship [ = hymns are also prayers ]

        • Entering into the Spirit of Worship

        • Becoming friends - and enjoy being with Him
          Make ME a home [ = a Sanctuary = ] in your heart

        • My response

        • Readings [ = Going Deeper / Sources ]
          Devotionals [ = it's supper time with Jesus - "ready or not" ?! ]

      Goal

            Learn, how to:

            • experience the fullness of His blessing
              in hearing His voice
                + + + + + + + + + + + +
            • drink at the fountain of boundless love
                + + + + + + + + + + + +
            • regard communion with God as the highest joy
                + + + + + + + + + + + +
            • feel His strength through a fulfilling
              companionship of His presence

            On becoming:

            • His shining light, reflecting His likeness?!
            • the salt of the earth
            • the tree, planted by the rivers of water
            • the stream which leaves behind the gift of fruitfulness


      Introduction

        • What was your past experience with worship = ?   !

            + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

        • For too long we have been in a country of:
          noise, hurry, and crowds
          climb, push, and shove
          frustration, fear, and intimitation

        • Parts of Worship:

          Meditation
          Bible Study
          Prayer
          Service

        • Forms of Worship:

          As you begin worship, invite your heavenly Father to
              lead, and the Holy Spirit to open His Word to you!

          1. Reading a passage and asking God to make His Word
              meaningful to you.

          2. Listen to music, a hymn, song, or even an oratory, like
              the Messiah by Handel [ = this is worship for me!!! ].

          3. Reading about the background of the lyric [ = writers ] and music
              [ = composers ] of the hymns or songs.

          4. Singing hymns / songs [ = a pastor of the Pioneer Memorial
              Church sang through the hymnal as part of his worship! ].

          5. Looking at a work of art.

          6. Being creative => doing calligraphy, painting, drawing,
              of spiritual subjects / topics; etc.

          7. Reading about the "great cloud of witnesses"
              in Heb 11th chapter.

          8. In conjunction with #7 reading and meditating about the past
              of God's people!

          9. Reflecting on God's works in nature.

          10. "Rehearsing" God's deeds [ + "His Grace was sufficient for
                you" ] in your past!

        • Issues of Worship:

          Distractions:

          "Then he employs all his cunning and shrewdness so to control
          circumstances that the message may not reach those whom he is
          deceiving on that very point. The one who most needs the warning
          will be urged into some business transaction which requires his
          presence, or will by some other means be prevented from hearing
          the words that might prove to him a savor of life unto life."
          Great Controversy 518/19

          When we don't Hear God     Eldredge 48 - 50
          A perfect illustration of distraction - looking for the car keys!

          We must learn to pray against evil

          For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
          but against principalities against powers,
          against the rulers of the darkness..... Ephesians 6:12

          praying can be learned


        • Hymns about worship [ = hymns are also prayers ]:

            "O Worship the King" #83
            "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place" #62
            = American Negro Spiritual
            "How Great Thou Art" #84

            "Give Me Jesus" #305
            "I Would Draw Nearer to Jesus" #310
            "O Let Me Walk With Thee" #554

            Selection is taken from:
            The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. Review, 1985.
                 M2131 .S48 1985     264     ISBN 8280-0307-6


      Entering into the Spirit of Worship

        • WHERE = Place
          anywhere - not restricted to holy places,
          rest rooms or even a toilet stall = in combat,
          "Closet" = if you can make a place - a Sanctuary; do it.

        • WHEN = Time
          anytime,
          Israelites = prayed at the morning and evening sacrifice.
          Jesus = "Now in the morning ... He went out and departed to a
          solitary place; and there He prayed." Mark 1:35

          David = "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You...."
          Psalm 63:1
          Luther = "I have so much business I cannot get on without
          spending three hours daily in prayer."   Bond 23

          John Wesley = devoted two hours daily in prayer,
          Adoniram Hudson = withdrew seven times a day.

        • HOW = Posture [ = reflected his / her emotions before God ],
          Abraham = prostrated himself on the ground before God,
          Solomon = knelt upon his knees with arms spread
          towards heaven,
          Daniel = simply knelt in his window in Babylon, looking towards
          Jerusalem.
          most common practice was = to stand and sing praises to God.

        • WHAT = to describe human emotions, like:
          to retreat,
          to ask God for deliverance,
          to seek guidance,
          to beg for mercy,
          to exalt, rejoice, and
          adore.   Houston 87

        • SEQUENCE = the Old Testament followed this order:
          addressing God,
          declaring our humility before Him,
          describing our distress,
          concluding with the motive for our prayer.   Houston 89

        • CONDITIONS:
          that we feel our need of help from Him,
          that as Him to help us to rid us from sin,
          that we do not take counsel with our doubts and fears,
              perplexities will only increase and deepen,
          perseverance has been made a condition of receiving. SC 98


      Becoming Friends

          • and enjoy being with Him
          • make Me a Home [ = a Sanctuary = ] in Your Heart
          • definition of Sanctuary
          • background of Sanctuary
          • it's purpose

            Readings [ = Notes - Resources - Going Deeper ]   -   Notes


      My Response

          • creating a place of worship
          • making a Sanctuary for Jesus
          • memorize Exodus 25:8


      Readings - Notes - Resources - Going Deeper

        • Devotional readings about writers and composers of hymns:

          Amazing Grace; 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions
                by Kenneth W. Osbeck. Kregel, 1990.
                "Kenneth W. Osbeck, author of the best-sellers: 101 Hymn
                Stories           and 101 More Hymn Stories.
                Each story includes a portion of the hymn itself, as well as
                suggested Scripture readings, meditations,
                and practical application."

          Crusader Hymns and Hymn Stories. The Billy Graham Evangelistic
                Association (Hope Publishing ), 1966, 1967.
                "'Hymn Studies' and 'Personal Stories' by Billy Graham and the
                Crusade Musicians...."

          The One Year Book of Hymns. Tyndale, 1995.
                "365 devotional readings based on hymn texts, along with
                stories of how they came to be written.
                Helpful indexes enable you to locate specific titles or hymn
                writers, or to look up hymns on specific topics...."

          Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers by Patrick Kavanaugh.
               Revised and Expanded. Zondervan, 1996.     ML 3909 .K23 1996
               780     ISBN 0-310-20806-8

          Spiritual Moments with the Great Hymns by Evelin Bence.
                Zondervan, 1997.     ISBN 1-56865-734-X
                "Devotional readings that strengthen the heart."

        • Readings = Going Deeper:

          The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan by E. G. White.
                Pacific, 1939.   on the Internet @ GC

          Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bond. Moody, n.d.   23.

          Steps to Christ by E. G. White. Pacific, any edition
                on the Internet @ SC

          The Spirit of the Disciplines. Understanding How God Changes
                Lives           by Dallas Willard. Harper, 1988.
                BV 4501.2 .W533 1988   248.4   ISBN 0-06-069441-6

          The Transforming Friendship by James Houson. Lion, 1989.
                ISBN 1-59145-424-7

          Walking With God. Talk to Him. Hear From Him. Really
                by John Eldredge. Nelson, 2008.     BV 4501.3 .E435 2007
                248.4     ISBN 978-7852-0696-5

      Wolfhard Touchard, M.L.S.   Retired Reference & Database Librarian
      Andrews University - February 2016