Why We Worship
The
Way We Do
We invite you to worship
and praise the Lord with us here at
Agape Christian Fellowship. Perhaps
there are some questions that come to
your mind concerning our services. Some
of the “Whys” are answered below. We
attempt to make our worship totally
scriptural. The family of God, or the
church, that meets here is the living
body of Christ. We, therefore, do the
work that Jesus did when He was here on
Earth.
Our Heavenly Father has, as declared in
His Word, poured out His Spirit upon all
mankind. When the Holy Spirit is present
or working in an individual he/she may
react or respond in different ways. The
following is a list of some of the ways
in which the Holy Spirit may manifest or
express Himself. (Read Acts 4:48;
Eph. 2:19; 1 Pet. 2:5)
Why Do We Clap
Our Hands?
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout
to God with cries of joy.”...Ps. 47:1
Why Do We Lift
Our Hands?
“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and
praise the Lord.”...Ps. 134:2
“I want men everywhere to lift up holy
hands in prayer, without anger or
disputing.”...I Tim. 2:8
Why Do We Have
Audible Praise Unto God?
“I will extol the Lord at all times; His
praise will always be on my lips.”...Ps.
34:1
“When they heard this, they raised their
voices together in prayer to
God.”...Acts 4:24
Why Do We
Shout?
“When the ark of the Lord’s covenant
came into the camp, all Israel raised
such a great shout that the ground
shook.”...I Sam. 4:5
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout
to God with cries of joy… God has
ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord
amid the sounding of trumpets.”...Ps.
47:1,5
Why Do We Dance
Before the Lord?
“Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s
sister, took a tambourine in her hand,
and all the women followed her, with
tambourines and dancing.”...Ex. 15:20
“Praise Him with tambourine and dancing,
praise Him with the strings and
flute.”...Ps. 150:4
Why So Some Run?
“Hitch up your chariot and go down
before the rain stops you… The power of
the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking
his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of
Ahab all the way to Jezreel.”...I Kings
18:44,46
Why Do We Pray
or Sing In Tongues and In English?
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit
prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So
what shall I do? I will pray with my
spirit, but I will also pray with my
mind...”...I Cor. 14:14,15
Why Do We Have
Speaking With Tongues and Interpretation
of Those Tongues?
“Therefore, my brothers, be eager to
prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in
tongues.”...I Cor. 14:39
“Now to each one the manifestation of
the Spirit is given for the common good.
To another speaking in different kinds
of tongues, and to still another the
interpretation of tongues.”...I Cor.
12:7,10
What Is
Prophecy?
Prophecy is speaking on behalf of the
Lord. When someone in the congregation
does this, it should be judged whether
it is scriptural and brings comfort,
strengthening and encouragement.
“But everyone who prophesies speaks to
men for their strengthening,
encouragement and comfort.”...I Cor.
14:3
“Follow the way of love and eagerly
desire spiritual gifts, especially the
gift of prophecy.”...I Cor. 14:1
Why Do We
Anoint With Oil and Pray for the Sick?
“They drove out many demons and anointed
many sick people with oil and healed
them.”...Mk 6:13
“Is any one of you sick? He should call
the elders of the church, to pray over
him and anoint him with oil in the name
of the Lord. And the prayer offered in
faith will make the sick person well;
the Lord will raise him up. If he has
sinned, he will be forgiven.”...James
5:14,15
Why Do We Fall
On the Floor?
“Then the temple of the Lord was filled
with a cloud, and the priests could not
perform their service because of the
cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled
the temple of God.”...II Chron. 5:14
“So I got up and went
into the plain. And the glory of the
Lord was standing there, like the glory
I had seen by the Kebar River, and I
fell facedown.”...Ezek. 3:23
“Then I heard him speaking, and as I
listened to him, I fell into a deep
sleep, my face to the ground.”...Dan.
10:9
“Jesus asked them… ‘Who is it you want?’
‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am
he,’ Jesus said… When Jesus said, ‘I am
he,’ they drew back and fell to the
ground."...Jn 18:4,6
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as
though dead. Then he placed his right
hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid.
I am the First and the Last.’”...Rev.
1:17
Why Are Some
Being Still or Solemn?
“Be still before the Lord and wait
patiently for him.”...Ps. 37:7
“But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within
me.”...Ps. 131:2
Why Do We Weep
or Cry Heavily?
“While Ezra was praying and confessing,
weeping and throwing himself down before
the house of God, a large crowd of
Israelites – men, women, and children –
gathered around him. They too wept
bitterly.”...Ezra 10:1
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return
to me with all your heart, with fasting
and weeping and mourning.”...Joel 2:12
Why Do We
Laugh?
“When the Lord brought back the captives
to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy. Then it
was said among the nations, ‘The Lord
has done great things for them.' The
Lord has done great things for us; and
we are filled with joy.”...Ps. 126:1-3
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but
a crushed spirit dries up the
bones.“...Pr. 17:22
Why Do Some
Groan and Travail?
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in
our weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans
that words cannot express.”...Psalm
126:1-3
“My dear children, for
whom I am again in the pains of
childbirth until Christ is formed in
you.”...Gal. 4:19
Why Do Some
Tremble?
“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of
the Lord, at the presence of the God of
Jacob.”...Ps. 114:7
“ ‘Should you not fear me?’ declares the
Lord. ‘Should you not tremble in my
presence?’ ”...Jer. 5:22
“My heart is broken within me; all my
bones tremble. I am like a drunken man,
like a man overcome by wine, because of
the Lord and His holy words.”...Jer.
23:9
Why Do Some Act
as if They Are Drunk?
“Some, however, made fun of them and
said, ‘They have had too much wine’…
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and
addressed the crowd, ‘These men are not
drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in
the morning!’ ”...Acts 2:13,14
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads
to debauchery. Instead, be filled with
the Spirit.”...Eph. 5:18
Why Do We
Deeply Bow?
“While Ezra was praying and confessing,
weeping, and throwing himself down
before the house of God, a large crowd
of Israelites men, women, and children
gathered around him. They too wept
bitterly.”...Ezra 10:1
“I will give you thanks in the great
assembly; among throngs of people I will
praise you.” “I went about mourning as
though for my friend or brother. I bowed
my head in grief as though weeping for
my mother.”...Ps. 35:18,14
Why Do Some
Have Visions?
“I will pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, your young men will see
visions.”...Joel 2:28
“Peter went up on the roof to pray… he
fell into a trance...He saw heaven
opened and something like a large sheet
being let down to earth by its four
corners. It contained all kinds of
four-footed animals as well as reptiles
of the earth and birds of the air. Then
a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill
and eat’…. But God has shown me that I
should not call any man impure or
unclean…”...Acts 10:9, 28
Questions You
May Want To Ask Yourself When You
Observe Manifestations To Help Discern
Whether It Is of God or Not:
1. Is Jesus being lifted up?
2. Is this creating a greater hunger for
God and His Word?
3. Is this leading people to love God
and each other more?
4. Is this bringing truth and a greater
spiritual depth?
5. Is there any practical change taking
place? (Sometimes this must be judged
over a period of time.)
Some Scriptural Terminology
The Anointing – The presence and
the work of the Holy Spirit in a
person’s life. “...the anointing you
received from Him remains in you…“...1
John 2:27
To Minister – To serve or help
another by the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. “… But our competence comes from
God. He has made us competent as
ministers of a new covenant.”...2 Cor.
3:5,6
Zion – The hill in the Old
Testament ( in Jerusalem) where God’s
presence dwelt. God’s presence is now in
His Church (also called Mt. Zion). “But
you have come to Mt. Zion to the
heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the
living God… to the church of the
firstborn…”...Heb. 12:22, 23
The Glory – The manifestation of
God’s presence and splendor to man’s
spiritual and physical senses. “When the
priests withdrew from the Holy Place,
the cloud filled the temple of the Lord.
And the priests could not perform their
service because of the cloud, for the
glory of the Lord filled his
temple.”...1 Kings 8:10, 11
Revelation – Our understanding of
God’s will and purposes. “...even since
I heard about your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love for all the saints,
I have not stopped giving thanks for
you, remembering you in my prayers. I
keep asking that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may
give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation…”...Eph. 1:15-17
The Body – The Church; the body
of Christ on earth. “...For we were all
baptized by one Spirit into one
body…”...1 Cor. 12:12-15
Edify – To build up. “Since you
are eager to have spiritual gifts, try
to excel in gifts that build up the
church.“...1 Cor. 14:12
Spiritual Gifts – Supernatural
abilities given by the Holy Spirit to
believers. “...Now to each one the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for
the common good… All these are the work
of one and the same Spirit, and He gives
them to each one, just as He
determines…”...1 Cor. 12:1,4-11 & 14:1
If you have any
questions regarding Why We Worship
The Way We Do, please
contact us.
