Worship

We believe that all believers should have the opportunity to worship Almighty God with liberty and freedom. The congregation is encouraged to worship with lifted hands if so desired, with verbal praises that respects others worship, and with opportunities of concerts of prayer and praise.

We believe that God is a God that demands our worship in an orderly manner. Not worshipping orderly would include actions such as ungodly dancing, jumping pews, or running around the sanctuary. Godly dancing is worshipful, God-focused, praiseworthy, and congregationally edifying. Worshippers are allowed to praise God with their voices by saying Amen, Hallelujah, Glory, Praise the Lord, and other statements giving God glory. Worshipping God with voice or with lifted hands is a private choice and should never be coerced by any other individual.

2 Samuel 6:14-16; Psalm 30:11; 149:3, 150:4; 1 Corinthians 14:33,40

What is Worship?

All true worship is a matter of the heart. True worship is to value or treasure God above everything else. According to John 4:23-24, true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. So then, real worship begins in the heart and then expresses itself through words and actions.

Mankind was made to worship God. Because of the fall men often drift into worshipping other things. The Bible contains many warnings about worshipping idols. Our lack of understanding of what an idol is prevents us from addressing this common problem even among Christians. An idol is anything that we look to for help or for comfort instead of depending upon God. It is not just a wooden statue or a stone.

Worship is more than just words of a song. Through singing, we are seeking to exalt and bring glory to God. It is not something that can be done in a carefree manner. We also worship God by the giving of our tithes and offerings. God is worshipped by how we live our lives. God is glorified when we acknowledge His greatness in creation, when we are grateful, and when we humbly depend on Him to meet our needs and take care of us. True worship is a heart responding to the beauty of God.

Types of Worship

There are really only two types of worship:

1. Acceptable to God-worship that begins in the heart and is then expressed in words and actions.
2. Unacceptable to God-worship that does not begin in the heart, no matter what the external actions are.

Corporate worship is the centerpiece of the gatherings of the saints. Worship includes hearing and obedience to the Word of God. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us that we should not stop assembling together because we need to worship.

Corporate worship includes singing, praying, teaching, confession, baptism, Communion. The important thing in worship is that everything is centered around the greatness and goodness of God.