Psalm 100:4 (NKJV) 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Yesterday we began discussing the relationship between praise and worship and the ability to believe that all things are possible. We took some time to look at the condition of praise and worship today and some of the misconceptions that the devil has caused to creep in relating to this very important topic. Our church was given a prophetic word over 25 years ago and I believe that word applies to the whole church as well as to us personally. When praise and worship is high, the church will be high. If praise and worship declines, the church will decline.
A decline in praise and worship is not the same as a decline in the quality of music. Praise and worship is a matter of the heart. I have experienced wonderful praise and worship in places that had no instruments or just a drum. I have been left with no more than entertainment in places where the musicians were wonderful, the sound impeccable and the productions professional. The opposite has also been true. Praise and worship has nothing to do with the quality of the music. Praise and worship is about the heart of the worshiper.
Yesterday we started looking at this scripture. One of the popular misconceptions is that worship, as defined by singing slower quieter songs, is somehow superior to praise, defined as excited, louder and faster but less intimate. There is nothing that I know of in the bible to support that idea. The closest scripture might be Psalm 46:10 which tells us to “be still and know that I am God.” I believe the church needs to rediscover the art of being still, but that does not minimize praise.
The Psalms are full of clapping shouting and dancing. All of these are elements of praise. Praise is usually more exuberant while worship is usually more quiet and intimate. Again, both are matters of the heart and not of form.
What is praise. According to Strong’s it is defined this way.
Literal to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands);Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
It is interesting that praise seems to contain some aggressive ideas such as throwing a stone. I believe praise is the expression of gratitude for what God has done in our lives. It is declaring his mighty works in a way that releases (throws) our faith at whatever situation we may be facing. It is bringing to remembrance all that God has done to stir up gratitude as well as the faith that he can do it again.
It is easy to see how important this would be in cultivating the mindset that all things are possible. The only qualification Jesus puts on what God can do is that we can believe (Mark 9:23.)
Worship has a different definition and a different function. The actions and attitudes of worship are different. Again let us look at Strong’s definition.
A primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive in homage to royalty or God) :- bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship
Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
Whereas praise is aggressive worship is passive. Whereas praise stirs up our faith in what God has done, worship cultivates intimacy in who God is. There is no question that worship is a deeper expression. The intimacy of worship is also vital to building the sense of God’s possibility. After all, that sense must flow from relationship and worship is an expression and a deepening of relationship.
Does this mean that worship is more important than praise? I do not believe it does. I believe each has a vital function in our relationship with God and each is necessary to the process of building a sense of expectancy that is at the heart of believing all things are possible.
The scripture we have been looking at contains some interesting language. It uses the terms gates and courts. These refer to parts of the tabernacle God instructed Moses to build in the wilderness. The pattern for the construction of this place of worship was very specific and given directly by God to Moses. It is meant to be a type or shadow of many New Testament realities. I believe this scripture connects it to praise and worship.
Let us examine what it says more closely. We are to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving. The tabernacle, which was the dwelling place of God’s presence, was surrounded by a wall. There was only one gate by which you could enter the tabernacle complex. You could not enter any other way but by that gate.
Although the word for “gates” here is translated plural, it is not always so. It can also mean one gate. I believe that God is letting us know that if we want to come into his presence, we must first enter a gate. To come any other way will not lead us to the presence of God in praise and worship. That gate is called thanksgiving.
If I am going to find the place of God’s presence I must begin with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is appreciating God for what he has done and who he is in our lives. If we try to enter the presence of God with an unthankful heart, we will find we have a very difficult time finding our way in.
I tell our people that the entry doors to the church are gates of thanksgiving. I ask that they kindly leave their grumbling and complaining at the door. That does not mean there will be no time to express their concerns and hurts to God in our time of praise and worship. However, that is not the gate by which we enter. We must enter with thanksgiving. This puts us on a path where we will ultimately find the solution to our hurts and problems instead of just feeling better about them.
Thanksgiving also puts us on the road to believing all things are possible with God. Grumbling or complaining simply reinforces the negatives in our lives making us that much more certain that all things are not possible for us. It is impossible to underestimate the effectiveness of entering his gates with thanksgiving.
I have 14 grandchildren, most of whom live near me. If they come through the door of my house complaining about their lives, their parents, or how I have not done enough for them, I am not all that pleased to see them. When they come through my door with thankful hearts, give me a hug and telling me what a great grandpa I am, there is not much I will not do for them. More than that, they make my heart glad. I want to spend time with them cultivating our relationship. Is that not what we want to do for our heavenly Father?
Next it says we must go into his courts with praise. The tabernacle sat in the center of a complex that included courtyards that only certain people were authorized to enter. In the center stood the actual tabernacle. The first room of the tabernacle was called the Holy Place and the inner room the Holy of Holies.
There was only one door to the holy place and one door to the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of holies was the ark of the covenant upon which sat the visible presence of God. You could not enter the holy of holies unless you went through the holy place. You could not enter the holy place unless you went across the courts. What are these courts. They are called praise in Psalm 100. To get to God’s presence you had to enter the gate of thanksgiving and go through the courts of praise. Then and only then could you access the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. More tomorrow.
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