B e c o m i n g   F r i e n d s   a n d   E n j o y   B e i n g   w i t h   H i m                                                                                     make Me a Home in Your Heart

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







O U T L I N E

• 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" ?! ]
  
  
  

G O A L

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
  
  
  

I n t r o d u c t i o n

• 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
  
  
  

E n t e r i n g   i n t o   t h e   S p i r i t   o f   W o r s h i p

• 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
  
  
  

B e c o m i n g   F r i e n d s

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

  Readings [ = Going Deeper / Sources ]   -   Notes




M y   R e s p o n s e

• creating a place of worship
• making a Sanctuary for Jesus
  
  
  

R e a d i n g s   =   G o i n g   D e e p e r   &   S o u r c e s

• Devotional readings about writers and composers of hymns:

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

  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...."

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

  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...."

  Osbeck, Kenneth W. Amazing Grace; 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories
        for Daily Devotions. 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."

  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...."

  Osbeck, Kenneth W. Amazing Grace; 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories
        for Daily Devotions. 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."

• Sources:

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

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

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

  White, Ellen G. The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan.
        Pacific, 1939.   [ = GC ]   on the Internet @ GC

  --------------------. Steps to Christ. Pacific, any edition   [ = SC ]
        on the Internet @ SC

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

Wolfhard Touchard, M.L.S.   Retired Reference & Database Librarian Andrews University - June 2014