Worship Matters

Worship, according to Webster, is “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for God.” We express our adoration or reverence in so many ways. Today we are looking at worship through the lens of singing. We sing and worship both corporately and individually.

Acts 16:22-34
22 The crowd joined in attacking them and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

1. Worship is both a choice and a response.
• v. 25a “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God…”
• Paul and Silas had a choice in how they were going to respond to the trial and the injustice done to them. They chose to worship.
• You can be walking in obedience to the Spirit’s leading but still face trials.
• How do you respond when the Spirit leads you to a place where the outcome is not what you expected?

2. Worship leads to breakthrough.
• v. 25b-26 “…and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.”
• Paul and Silas did not know what the outcome would be. They didn’t wait on a breakthrough to worship. They were worshipping before anything happened. They worshipped despite their suffering and God responded to their worship with breakthrough.
• Worship is a pathway that leads to a breakthrough. When we arm ourselves with worship, we confess the “Word of God,” set to music, and we declare it out of our mouth. We are declaring the greatness and mighty power of God, which reminds us He can do anything.

Questions:
1. When was the last time you experienced an unexpected trial? What was your response toward God?
2. During difficulty and unexpected trials, what role has worship played in your life?
3. How are you choosing to worship today?