SIX PRINCIPLES FOR WORSHIP

Text- Nehemiah 9:1-3

Introduction

This morning our text is found in Nehemiah 9:1-3 and the topic of my sermon is "Worship".

What is worship?  For some it is setting quietly and piously in church.  For others it is a structured system to be followed at a time in a specified place with the proper atmosphere and just the right words and music.  Still others equate worship with emotion. To them, feelings and loud noise are essential for fervent worship.

The word "worship" comes from the old English word "worthship" and means, "to ascribe to God the worth due him; to adore, reverence or venerate".

From this description we can see that worship is not passive, but is something which requires our active participation.

In his book, Worship is a Verb, Robert Webber describes worship as a "celebration".

"For so many people today", he says, "worship has become dull, intellectual, cold formal and alienating; or it has become, consciously or unconsciously, a form of emotional exercise which ultimately has little affect on what goes on in a person's life during the rest of the week."

This morning I would like us to look at six principles that are essential for worship that are found within our text.