Being as the game was so late, concentration was difficult – and my mind started to wander. I starting thinking about how passionate true supporters of sporting teams actually are. Have you ever been to a sporting event live to see the fanatics – you know, the group of people who all dress in team colours, love a good chant and seem to get really passionate about their team? I have! In fact this picture is of me at one of the earlier World Cup qualifiers that I actually got to see live.

Fanatical Supporters Know How To Celebrate

Now you would think that during the game that the supporters got as crazy as they could and then when the game finished they would all just quieten down and head home – not so! When their team scores – there is celebration, when an opposing attack is thwarted -there is celebration and when their team wins, sleeping is the last thing on their mind.

They will billow into the streets dancing and singing, being loud and uninhibiting – AND THEY DON’T CARE! They tell everyone one they meet what has happened – they can’t help it.

Do You Show This Much Passion For ‘Your Team’?

I find it funny, actually quite sad, that as Christians we can get so excited about our local sporting team. We will dance and cheer, scream and yell. But when it comes time to praise God in church, we think we are going over the top with a bit of foot tapping (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get the point).

We are a part of God’s team! And you know what?

Our Team Has Already Won!

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening
and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage,
its destructive power.
But now in a single victorious stroke of Life,
all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone,
the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

- – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (MSG)

Try and tell me that isn’t something worth shouting about? How can you stand still and not want to jump up and down and dance like crazy when you read those words!

I don’t believe people when they say, ‘That’s just not me. I’m praising on the inside.’

Personally I would consider myself very reclusive. I prefer to keep to myself and am not that out going. But, when it comes to God and singing out what He has done for me and how great He is, I cannot help but to shout. I cannot help but to jump around. It is like something inside of my sparks and suddenly I’m not dancing and shouting in a room full of people, I am worshiping and praising my God at His throne – and that is all I care about.

David Got This

This has to be one of my favourite stories in the bible, and really highlights the two types of people when it comes time to praise God corporately. It is the story of David bringing the Ark of The Covenant back to Jerusalem.

¹² Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. ¹³ When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴ David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. – -  Samuel 6:12-15 (NIV)

David had seen the power of the Ark, and how it had blessed Obed-Edom’s household. He was so excited to bring this power and blessing back to Jerusalem. (Something worth getting excited about. Wouldn’t you agree?) And David definitely got excited! He started dancing before the LORD – in his under garments! The Message versions says that David “Danced with great abandon before the LORD”

I love the picture that this scripture paints, because it takes me back to the image of the fanatical supporter after their team has won – running down the streets, dancing and shouting. Letting everyone know that they are celebrating.

That is exactly how we should be!

Acting Like This Will Upset A Few People…

As you continue to read on from that passage another person comes into play, David’s wife Michal.

Let’s take a look at how she reacts to Davids praise:

16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart… vs16

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”  vs20

Michal didn’t grasp a hold of this at all (Who knows…maybe she is a two-tapping praiser). As she watched David dancing, she couldn’t see his heart behind it all. Instead all she could think was how this was going to affect her reputation, she can already hear her friends gossiping about this.

I think that this is a major reason why a lot of people cannot give God their uninhibited praise. They are too worried about how it makes them look – but it’s not about them. This is why I love Davids reaction.

21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” vs 21

He knew that the offering of praise that he was giving was only what God deserved, and he was willing to ‘become even more undignified’ to the point of humiliation to praise his God for all that He has done.

David understood that people would not look at him strange, or considering him weird (well not those who understood). Instead they would look up to him for praising God so freely. And I think that as you step into passionate praise that you unknowingly give those around you permission to do the same.

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I was thinking about one of posts that I made yesterday about how I love that a lot of Hillsong songs focus on who God is, instead of who we are. And it made me think about a song from Hillsong United from one of my favourite songwriters Brooke Fraser – Lord Of Lords.

This song is amazing and it really paints a picture of who God really is and how He is the not just the Lord, but the Lord of Lords.

If you haven’t heard it, here are the lyrics – I will continue my thoughts about the lyrics after.

LORD OF LORDS – Hillsong Lyrics

Beholding your beauty is all I long for
To worship You Jesus with my soul’s desire
For this very heart you’ve shaped for your pleasure
The purpose to lift your name high

Hear and surrender in pure adoration
I enter your courts with an offering of praise
I am Your servant come to bring you glory
As is fit for the work of your hands

Now unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of creation resounds with the song
Worship and praise him the Lord of Lords

The spirit now living and dwelling within me
Keep my eyes fixed ever upon Jesus’ face
Let not the things of this world ever sway me
I’ll run ’till I finish the race

Singing unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of creation resounds with the song
Worship and praise the Lord
Now unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of eternity echoes the song
Worship and praise him the Lord of Lords

Holy Lord
You are Holy
Jesus Christ is the Lord

Who God Is

This song paints an amazing picture of who God is:

• Our Personal Creator (this very heart you’ve shaped for your pleasure)
• Our Saviour King (Lamb who sits on the throne)
• The Lord Of  Lords
• Holy (Holy Lord, You are Holy)

Don’t these lyrics paint such a complete view of who God is? That He not only created us and rules over everything, but He gave that up to save us. Isn’t that worth singing ‘Holy’ about?

Lord Of Lords – Hillsong Lyrics

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Today I want to take a quick look at a few You Are Hillsong Songs: (including excerpts of lyrics)

You Are – Hillsong Albums Hope

You ask me who do I
Say that You are and I
Say that You are the Christ
Son of the Living God

For Who You Are – Hillsong Albums Mighty To Save

I will worship you for who YOU ARE
I will worship you for who you are
I will worship you for who you are
Jesus

You Are My Strength – Hillsong Albums Saviour King

YOU ARE my strength
Strength like no other
Strength like no other
Reaches to me

YOU ARE my hope
Hope like no other
Hope like no other
Reaches to me

You Are My World – Hillsong Albums You Are My World

YOU ARE my world
YOU ARE my God
And I lay down my life for You
YOU ARE my Lord
The one I love
No one could ever take Your place

Such a great selection of worship songs that turn the focus back onto God by using the phrase ‘You are’. Hillsong are continually writing songs that allow our worship to be directed to God instead of focusing on ourselves and who we are. I think this is why Hillsongs music has become so popular.

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Here is a link to a YouTube video of it if you havn’t heard it: Click Here

And here are the lyrics:

You’re the God of this city, You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation, You are

You’re the Light in this darkness, You’re the Hope to the hopeless
You’re the Peace to the restless, You are

There is no one like our God, there is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here

The one bit that is constantly getting stuck in my head is:

Greater things are yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!

What an statement of faith, and something that we need to continually take ahold of. We can’t see our city, our nation and our world as being hopeless – because God is the hope to the hopeless! GREATER THINGS ARE STILL TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY!

Whenever I sing this lyrics I think if greater things are yet to come, then God, can I be a part of the greater things? Can You use me to impact my city? Can I be the one that sees Your greatness revealed through my life?

This song is constantly on repeat on my iPod and I encourage you to catch a hold of what it’s saying, and ask God for Him to use you!

Greater Things Are Yet To Come – Chris Tomlin.

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Let’s take a quick look at a couple of verses that mention praise and worship, then we will discuss them as well as a few dictionary definitions to try and find the difference between praise and worship – when we look at it from a music perspective in church.

The Difference Between Praise And Worship – Verses On Praise:

By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, this is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. – Hebrews 13:15

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. – 1 Chronicles 16:8-10

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the LORD your God.” So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king. 1 Chronicles 29:19-21

The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud. 2 Chronicles: 5:12-14

You can see from these 4 verses how large the scope of what praise really is. We have:

• A sacrifice of praise
• Singing
• Telling of his wonderful acts
• Bowing – being prostrate
• Musical instruments

That is from4 verses on praise. However praise is mentioned 351times in the Bible and gives us a lot more ways to praise God. The reason for this is because of our English language. The english language has one word, praise, for 7 Hebrew words – each giving a different definition for praise. They are:

• Hallal: “to laud, boast, rave, to celebrate” – It is used approximately one hundred times in the Old Tes tament.
• Yadah: “to worship with extended hands, to throw out the hands” – It is used over ninety times in the Old Testament. (Yad means “hand.”)
• Barak: “to bless, to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, and fertility” – It is used approximately seventy times in the Old Testament as praise to God.
• Tehillah: “to sing or laud” – It is derived from hallal and is generally accepted to mean “the singing of hallals.” It is used over fifty times in the Old Testament.
• Zamar: “to pluck the strings of an instrument, to praise with song” – It is used almost exclusively in the Psalms and occurs approximately forty times in the Old Testament.
• Todah: “to extend the hands in thanksgiving, a thank-offering” – It is used only a few times when trans lated “praise” but occurs many other times in connection with thanksgiving.
• Shabach: “to commend, address in a loud tone, to shout” – This is the exclamatory form of praise in a special sense and is found only about seven times in the Old Testament.

You will notice ‘Yadah’ which actually means to worship with extended hands. Does this mean that worship as we know it is actually just a form of praise?

As we continue to discuss the difference between praise and worship lets take a look what the Bible has to say about worship.

The Difference Between Praise And Worship – Verses On Worship:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. – Romans 12:1

Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD. – Genesis 24:25-27

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-25

I guess when we are looking at the difference between praise and worship from a worship service perspective that praise seems to be more an outward showing with hands raising, clapping, dancing, bowing and singing. Whereas worship is something much deeper. It is where we are offering our bodies, and ourselves, giving them to God to have his way.

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Listening to the praise and worship programs on internet radio stations makes the peace of mind and dedication towards god much easier for people. In fact, radio stations playing this genre of songs are one of the most sought after stations on the internet these days. With the emergence of many internet radio stations, people are finding it easier and easier to practice their faiths and beliefs. There are many advantages of listening to such radio stations. Some are.

• Stay Connected With God:
  As we plug into the internet, we become connected to the world in terms of information and sharing of data. In this tough era of competition we often end up ignoring our faith and religion. However, this advancement in technology has not really left religion behind either. Internet praise and worship radio stations allow the busy disciple of god to stay in touch with him.
• Say No To Worldly Tension:
  The worldly tensions accompany us wherever we go but if we tune into something like a praise and worship station we suddenly feel that we need to leave all the tensions and rely on the powers of God. Hence, whenever a person listens to such radio stations, he or she is bound to feel a kind of serenity that is unmatchable to anything else in the world.
• Free of cost:
  Religion has never been restricted. This fact also applies to most praise and worship radio stations, despite the fact that they are online. In order to listen to some of the most profound quotations from the Bible and heartfelt songs of this genre, all a person has to do is to type the website address of the radio station and tune in.

Many such stations have a great collection of praise songs so you can actually place a request for your favorite praise songs on the website and listen to them. Praise and worship is now online and it is now even easier to get closer to god.

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