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The scriptures make a clear distinction between praise and worship even though in everyday speech we tend to think of them as being the same. In this study, I want to highlight the scriptural methods to praise God, but also something that you hear a lot less about: the scriptural method to worship God! Both praise and worship are very important to living for God.

Let's look at some scriptural methods of praising God:

1. Singing

2. Musical Instruments

3. Actions

With Clapping - Ps 47:1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

With Dancing - 2 Sam 6:14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

With Leaping - Acts 3:6-9 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. 8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

With Lifting of Hands - 1 Tim 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

4. Speaking and Shouting - You do not have to be able to run or shout or even sing to worship God.

It is very clear that praise is always associated with outward action. You cannot praise God and be still or quiet! Now here are scriptural reasons about when and why we should praise God:

1. Because we are Thankful- This is giving thanks for what God has already done for us. Does not have to be at the time of victory, but can be years later.

2. Because He has given us a Victory - At the times when God has delivered you and just blessed you. Ex 15:1, Moses and the children of Israel worshipped God for Delivering them from the Egyptians! I Sam 2:1-2, Hannah rejoiced when God gave her a child! II Samuel 22, David rejoiced that God had spared his life at the hands of Saul.

3. Because of God's Wonderful Attributes - This is praising God for who he is to us. Praising God for being a friend, a healer, a saviour, a counselor, a mighty God, a listener, etc... If God has revealed Himself to you as a friend, then praise Him for it!

4. God’s mercy - "Grace" is when God gives you something that you did not deserve. "Mercy" is when God does NOT give you something that you did not deserve! For instance, God is merciful when He does not bring judgment in a situation where we deserved it. Something about God's mercy should cause you to want to praise Him, and, in fact, the most praises of any type mentioned in the Bible are for God’s Mercy!

Before we move on from praise to worship, remember that everyone is commanded to praise the Lord:

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Most people understand praise, but let's look at some scriptural principles of worship. All of these principles can be learned by careful study of three stories in the Bible: the wise men at the birth of Jesus, the ten lepers that Jesus cleansed, and Abraham offering up Isaac. Abraham offering up Isaac is the first mention of worship in Old Testament and the wise men are the first mention of worship in the New Testament.

1. To truly worship, you must be in the presence of the one who you worship.

They could not worship Him afar off! This is the main difference between praise and worship. Praise can be given from afar off, but true worship only happens when you are in the presence of the one that you are worshiping! That is why praise is so important:

That is, God inhabits the praises of those who are in a covenant relationship with Him! So our praise is an invitation for God to come down among us, and when His presence is here, our praise becomes worship because we are with the one whom we are worshiping!

2. To truly worship, you must realize the identity of the one who you worship.

The wise men knew that they were coming to worship the "King of the Jews!" The reason that Herod and his wise men had not been searching for Jesus to worship Him is because they did not realize who He really was! Abraham, although living in a time where God was not greatly revealed, knew God in a way that no one else alive at the time did and so he immediately knew who was speaking to Him! The story of the 10 lepers also illustrates this principle:

Notice the difference in response between the nine lepers that did not return and the one that did: the one turned back and "glorified God, and fell down on his face at HIS feet, giving him thanks!" I'm sure all of the lepers rejoiced and said "thank God" when they realized that they were healed, but only the one leper realized that Jesus Christ was that God! There is power in knowing that Jesus Christ is the God that you worship because the one leper was not only healed but "made whole!"

3. True worship must be unselfish and take priority over your personal agenda or motives. True worship takes time!

The ten lepers were in a hurry to show themselves to the priest because the faster that they were pronounced clean by him would be the faster that they could return to a normal life! But the one leper did not care that he might be the last one to get to see the priest or that it might be the next day before he could return to his home, he wanted to worship Jesus Christ! The wise men were willing to leave their own lives and take over a year off to simply worship Jesus! Likewise Abraham did not wait around after God commanded him to offer his son, but left the next morning. When God calls "come worship" it must supercede everything else! How many people have missed out on a deep move of God in their life because they were in a hurry to leave church or talk to someone and to focused on their priorities!?

4. True worship must cost you giving God something precious.

Once you get past pride, praise really does not cost you anything. In fact, it will make you feel better. But too many Christians praise God to their level of comfort and leave church without their praise really costing them anything. If your praise and worship does not cost you anything and has not moved you beyond the point of your normal level of comfort, then you have not truly worshipped God!

When Abraham was called to worship, he went with the intention to give his only son! When the wise men came from afar, they brought expensive gifs to give to Jesus. The scriptures say the one leper who returned was a Samaritan. For a Samaritan to bow to a Jew cost the man a lot of pride plus getting over a very racial and prejudice background!

5. True worship is not based upon what God has done for you but must be simply because of who He is!

When the wise men came and bowed down to Jesus Christ, He was still a little baby. He had never performed a miracle, taught a sermon, died on the cross, or touched their life in any way! Yet they came on a long and dangerous journey to worship Him simply because of who He was! The highest form of expression to God is to worship Him simply because of who He is!

If you only praise because of great victories or in times of extreme miracle working, then you will rarely be inspired to worship Him, but if you make up your mind to come and truly "worship" Him it will not be predicated upon what God has done for you lately!

6. Every time you truly worship God, you will NOT leave unchanged!

The one leper who came back and worshiped Jesus left having been made whole! The wise men were warned of God to leave by a different route than they came. I know that it was partly because of Herod wanting to kill the child, but I also think that God wanted to teach us a principle: if you truly come and worship me, then you will never leave the same way that you came! Abraham and Isaac's life was never the same after his "worship" upon the mountain and it was the final test that unleashed the mighty blessings of God in their life!

7. To truly worship, outward expression must be matched by inward fervor.

You must worship God with YOUR spirit and by being real with God! It is easy to give half-hearted praise but impossible to give half-hearted worship! It is more than outward expressions, but should be a burning desire to draw closer to God with everything within you!

You can come into this place and praise God until you feel better and go home really unchanged, or you can come and worship and never be the same! It will cost you something: time, and effort. You must be willing to get beyond some inhibitions from your past and perhaps give up something that is precious to you. You've got to get beyond simply praising God for what He has done and worship Him because He is worthy! In the words of our text: