Connected: Worship | The Reasons for Worship
Psalm 95:1-7a
Jay Haugh
Part of Sunday Notes
February 5, 2023

Connected: The Reasons for Worship
Psalm 95:1-7
February 5, 2023
Jay Haugh

Spiritual Development is the process of being formed into the image of Jesus for the sake of others.

What is worship?

Worship is ascribing value and worth to an object.

Worship is the activity of glorifying God in His presence with our voices and hearts.

We want to worship everything but the One worthy of worship.

“For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves; broken cisterns that can hold no water.” —Jeremiah 2:13

What do we worship?

The problem is misplaced worship.

They have turned from the One who gives worth, hope, life, and satisfaction.

They exchange their worship for the worship of something infinitely inferior.

There is no object outside of God that can meet your deepest desire for hope, worth, and life.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” —Exodus 20:3

Idolatry is a sin of the heart in which we love and value something else above God.

You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —Psalm 16:11

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” —John 4:14

We worship God because He is our Creator.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! —Psalm 95:6

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise [worship] you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. —Psalm 139:13-14

We worship God because He is our Savior.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! —Psalm 95:1-2

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. —Psalm 19:14 NLT

We worship God because He is our King.

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. —Psalm 95:3-5

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. —Psalm 139:7-12

We worship God because He is our Shepherd.

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. —Psalm 95:7

Big Idea:

We worship God because He is our Creator, Savior, King, and Shepherd.


STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS:

Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.


What is worship? What motivates you to worship God? How do you worship God individually? How do you worship God corporately?

Does God need to do anything for us in order to be worthy of our worship?

Do you ever place demands or expectations on God that He must fulfill before you will worship Him?


Read Jeremiah 2:5,13
What are the “two evils” the nation of Israel has committed? Share how these two things relate to our world today.

What is idolatry? Can idols be things other than “gods” (i.e. money, fame, status, position, etc.)? How do you see idolatry popularized and accepted in our culture?

Have you ever had any misplaced worship that turned into idolatry? Is there anything or anyone you are pursuing with greater intensity than the way you are pursuing God?

Read Psalm 95:1-7a

We worship God because He is our Savior (v. 1). What has God done for you that you could not do yourself? Because of the “idol of self” we can often think we don’t need God in certain areas of our life, or that we know better. Share about a time when you thought/acted in this way. What was the outcome?

We worship God because He is our King (v. 3). Which Bible verses help you remember God’s might and magnitude? If you were asked to give evidence that the Lord is a great God, what would you share? Would you share different information to a believer vs. a non-believer?

We worship God because He is our Creator (v. 6). How does knowing we are created by God draw us to worship? When you approach God, do you consider Him an equal or someone who is greater? Do you recognize your position as the one who was created? Do you ever change your body posture when worshiping (bow down, kneel, raise hands) to indicate you are submissive to God’s Lordship?

We worship God because He is our Shepherd (v. 7). What does the imagery of a shepherd and sheep convey? How does this contrast with the perspective some people have of God’s character? How have you experienced God’s goodness from grazing in His pasture? Does the way God cares for His people direct your heart in worship?