 Alright, welcome back to the next session. We'll resume from where we left off. Hope you had a good break. Those online, I hope you had a good one too. Alright, let's go back to our notes and continue from where we left off. So we saw that Christian worship is the response of God's redeemed people. Christian worship is different from every other kind of worship. It is our response. That means we are responding because of what God has done for us. And the next, it goes on to say, Christian worship is the response of God's redeemed people to His self-revelation. To His self-revelation. We can't know God apart from Him revealing Himself to us. We can't know God apart from Him revealing Himself to us. He has shown Himself to us in creation. He has shown Himself to us in His Word and ultimately His Son. Let's go to Romans chapter 1 verse 20. And as we are turning to Romans chapter 1 verse 20, tell me what is the meaning of revelation? What is the meaning of revelation? What does revelation mean? Something hidden that is revealed. If you say the wrong answer, no, I'm not going to throw something at you. So please say loudly. Prakash. Prakashan. Something to do with light. Prakash means light, no? So it brings, oh, okay. From dark you come to light, yeah, okay. Understanding, okay? Revelation, revelation. Everybody say revelation. One more time, revelation. Okay, cool. Yeah, please talk to me. What is your understanding? Whatever comes to your mind, just tell me. Revelation, what else? An idea. Ting! No? It's like, ah! What an idea, Satji. What else, what else, what else? Something? Yeah. Just go, okay. Yeah, very similar to what Charisma, Charisma, Charisma, Charisma. Okay, what else? Francis. What is revelation? Revelation. Sean, do you know about things yet to happen? Okay, whoa, that's deep, all right. That's another level of revelation, bro. Okay, yeah. Okay, let's see anybody here. Something is revealed, okay? To know the truth. Thank you, Charisma, Krisha. Something is revealed, okay, yeah. So we get this word revelation from reveal, okay? Revealing or unveil. Unveil. What is an unveil? That means, okay, so, you know, again the book of Exodus, when Moses meets with God and he comes down, his face is shining, right? So what he does, he takes a cloth and he covers it, covers his face. Yes or no? Yeah, that's covering, right? He's put a veil, right? Veil over his face. And the unveiling is what a revelation is, right? So you remove something, okay, now you see, okay, that's what it is. We read in the Gospels when Jesus was crucified, when he took his last breath, we see that the veil in the temple was torn, right? From, yeah, it was just torn and that means, now because the veil has been separated, there is an unveiling opposite, right? There's an unveiling, it's like this is the new car, the unveil, right? So there's an unveiling, a revelation that has happened. It's okay, he's made a way. So this definition here says that to his self-revelation means that we can't know God apart from him revealing himself to us, right? So now that we have a little bit of understanding of what revelation is, and let's look at Romans chapter 1, very quickly, verse 20. Romans chapter 1, verse 20, right? It says, from since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature has been clearly seen, right? Why is it clearly seen? Because he revealed. Yes or no, right? Being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse. Okay, so what Paul is trying to say is, okay, because there's been a revelation of who God is from, you know, from the time of creation, we don't have an excuse not to worship. You can't say, oh, I don't know what I'm worshiping, because I do not have any revelation. You and I, all of us Christians, believers, have this obligation to worship because he's revealed himself to us, right? You guys with me? Any questions? Okay, any questions from people online? Right, so Christian worship is a response of God's redeemed people to his self-revelation that exalts the essence of worship is exalting, raising up, lifting high, submitting to, magnifying, making much of honoring, reverencing, celebrating the triune God. So many things, right? Everybody say exalt, one more time, exalt. Okay, so Christian worship is a response of God's redeemed people to his self-revelation. All of this has happened for us to exalt. Okay? The essence of worship is exalting, raising up, celebrating. We jump around, dance around this God, okay? Just adore him and show off that, hey, this is my God. There's one word there in your notes that says magnifying. Everybody say magnify. Okay, what does magnify mean? Another question, making big magnify. What do you say in Hindi for that magnify? Wait, in school, have you used a magnifying glass? Yes. You have that one glass, you focus and you say, small things become big. Yes or no? So that's what magnifying, so in Hindi, what is it? Magnify. Badkar, Jeevan se badkar. Magnify, anything? Any other language? To magnify. Okay, as you're thinking, while you're thinking about it, let's go to Sam 71. Don't stop thinking. Anybody online? Guys Rohit, Krisha can say in whichever language what does magnify means magnify. Okay, let's quickly read the verse, Sam 71 verse 19. Your righteousness reaches to the skies, oh God. You who have done great things, who, oh God, is like you. Okay, it's a simple verse of praising him. Focusing something, Krisha says, focusing. Thank you, Krisha. Okay, so that is making small things big. Okay, but here's a simple question for us. Time and time again, we read in the Psalms, David says, my soul would magnify you. My soul magnifies you, Hannah's prayer. My soul magnifies the Lord. David says, I will magnify you, oh Lord, with my mouth I will lift your name on high. So the question is, with what you just said, we all know that magnifying is making something small big. But how do you make someone so big, bigger? According to the revelation, yeah? Okay. But the question still stands, how do you make someone so big as God? We don't even know, not physical size, but we know he's big. He's great. How do you make someone, how do you magnify someone? But the revelation in that is very simple. When we begin to praise him, when we begin to magnify him, God becomes bigger in our lives. Over our situation, over our circumstance, he becomes big. Joshua and Caleb and all the other spies who went to this land and they saw these giants. Yes or no? They came back and gave this report saying, no bro, it's not happening. We can't go into that land. They're just too big people. But what does Joshua and Caleb say? Yes, there are giants, but God is bigger. Just by saying that, what did they do? They magnified God and God became big in that situation. Amen? Right? And as we study this course, we learn about the power of praise in detail and whatnot. But our worship is powerful, guys. Right? Your worship is powerful. Okay? Don't take it for granted. When you just say, I love you Lord. You know this old song, it's an English song. I love you Lord and I lift my voice to worship you. It's a very old song and I love that. It's one of my personal favorites. Just a gentle reminder that when you magnify him, he becomes big in your life and David realized that. Anna from the Bible realized that. Okay? And I want you to realize that. I want you all to realize that. Right? So to a self-revelation that exalts God's glory in Christ. Okay? Moses asked God to show him his glory in God's past before him and proclaimed his nature. We're going to go to the chapter in just a second. God has enabled us to see his glory in the face of Christ. Okay? Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. I want to read from the beginning of the chapter all the way down to verse 6. I know the note says only verse 6, but 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 1 onwards. Just for us to understand the context. Okay? Everybody's there? 2 Corinthians chapter 4? Yeah? Okay. It says, therefore, anytime you see the word, therefore, you need to ask yourself, why is it therefore? Okay? So that means something has happened in chapter 3. So therefore, since through God's mercy, we have this ministry. We do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use deception nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth, plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Verse 3. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the revelation of the glory of Christ. You see the words? They're interesting, isn't it? It's veiled. That means it's covered. There's no revelation. Okay? And like what Wimel said, light. Okay, verse 4 again. Sorry. The God of this age has blinded the minds of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Who is the image of God? Verse 5. For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Okay? Just like God called out the light to shine in darkness, He has called out the light to shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Okay? So in Exodus chapter 33, 34, it's beautiful chapters of the Bible. You see Moses crying out, show me your face. Show me your glory. If I have found favor in your eyes, show me your glory. Okay? Actually, let's go to Exodus 33. Okay? If you haven't read this chapter, you should. It's beautiful. Exodus chapter 33, verse 12, it says, Moses said to the Lord, you have been telling me, lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, I know you by name and you have found favor with me. Verse 13, if you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Okay? I don't know what other translation says. Exodus chapter 33, verse 13, it says, if I have found favor in your eyes, show me your ways that I may know you. New King James might say that. Show me your ways that I may know you. Okay? And then we know the rest of the chapter because of time. I'm not going to read the whole chapter. I would love to. Moses' prayer is once again, everybody say, show me your ways that I may know you. Okay? Show me your ways that I may know you. And we see that his prayer being answered. And let's go to Psalm 103. Psalm 103, okay? Psalm 103, verse 7, verse 7. Psalm 103, verse 7. It says, he made known his ways to Moses, his actions to the people of Israel. Okay? Everybody there? Psalm 103, verse 7. Can someone read that in Hindi? Hindi, yeah. You have Hindi? And does anybody have Hindi Bible? Keep all the languages out there. Yeah. Thanks. I just wanted to hear that. Okay. So he made known his ways to Moses. So this is a response. This verse is saying that God answered Moses' prayer. He's saying, God showed him his ways. And then the second line it says, his deeds to the people of Israel, his actions. Okay? So let's just pause there. So the people of Israel were living in supernatural era, right? The time of miracles. They saw water coming out of the rock. Let's see, part bread coming from heaven, meat coming from heaven, falling down all, you know, bitter water being made sweet. They were seeing, these were all the actions, right, of what God was doing, his deeds. But then it says here, God showed his ways to Moses. But his deeds to the people of Israel. But something tells me that there's something more to this God than the things that he does. Okay. There is something more to this God, more than the healing, the miracles that he does, the breakthroughs that he does. There is something more to him. And Moses realizes that and say, okay, you know, yeah, I've seen you part the Red Sea. I've seen you do all these beautiful, amazing things. But I know there's something more to you. I want you for who you are. I don't want you for the things you can do. Are you with me? I don't want you because I want my healing. All that is good. He will do all that. It is necessary, right? He's a good father. He will give you the breakthrough. He will heal you. He will do all the miracles, the impossible and whatnot. Do we want him for our benefits? Or do we want him for who he is? And Moses recognizes that. And it's very clear. This line doesn't have to be there, isn't it? Psalm 103 verse 7. He made known his ways to Moses verse 8. Could have moved on. Why does the writer have to say, God showed his ways to Moses, but he showed his actions to the people of Israel? That means there is something more to this God than the things that he does. And you and I now, in the New Covenant, how much more do we need Jesus? Do we need Jesus because of the things that he can do in our lives? Or do we need Jesus just so we can say, I love you, Lord? I love you. I want you for who you are. I don't want you so that I can benefit of all these things. That's all the fruit. That's all great. But that's worship, isn't it? Are you guys with me? Yeah, so very quickly, I don't want to go through this whole thing of the definition, but I want to just pause there and just go through the definition one more time. Christian worship is the response of God's redeemed people to his self-revelation that exalts God's glory in Christ. That whole definition right in the middle, right in the middle says in Christ. Everything after and before is hanging on that. It's balancing on Christ. So if Christ is not part of the revelation, the revelation is pointless. So God's glory in Christ, in our minds, affections and wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to encourage you to just go through the rest of the definitions by yourself when you can in your free time. But now let's move on to the next page if you can, just for the sake of time. We'll just move a little faster to the last section. Everybody online, are you guys with me? Any questions that you have so far? Feel free to express. Type it in the chat section. But any questions, guys, so far that you have? Are you learning something? One person, okay. It's okay. Jesus said, where two or three are gathered, he is there, but yeah, that's cool. Are you learning something? Yeah, okay, cool. So the next section is, now that we've understood a little bit of what worship is, remember this is chapter one. And this is just an introduction to praise and worship, okay. So we have a little bit of understanding of what worship is. Let's take time to learn a little bit about what is praise. Praise, what is praise? What is praise? Stuti, correct, no? Sri Radha, what is praise? Beg your pardon. That's a fancy word for Stuti, isn't it? Nice, thank you, okay. Yeah, all right, what is, what is this praise? And just casual thing. Lifting up, okay. Mahima, all right. Nikhil's got a smile. Awesome, yeah, thank you. What else? Yes, Sean, sorry. To appreciate, okay, thank you, Sean. To say what God has done for you. Okay, to testify what God has done for you. Yeah, okay, what else? Anyone else, imagine? Admiration, okay. Vijay, lift God up, okay. We are being two spiritual guys, come on. Let's not be little, okay, let's get a little, I'm just kidding, okay. Karin, any other answer? Put you in the spot. Vimal, giving thanks, okay. All right, simple question. Okay, let's see if anyone's respond. To speak about God's goodness and qualities, yeah. To honor God, all right. Thank you, Surya. Thank you, Krisha, all right. To testify, okay. Do we, do you praise, have you praised another person? Praised, have you spoken of well of another person? Right, even if the person, if you've never met one person, you've spoken of the person, right? Oh, Virat Kohli is amazing. What did we just do? We just praised him, isn't it? Yes or no? God is, okay. I don't want to disappoint Dhoni. Dhoni is amazing. We do that all the time, isn't it? Okay, hey, this person is amazing. This person is wonderful, okay. You should spend time with this person so and so, it's awesome, right. We praise someone or something also, remember, right. Guitar brand is amazing, that iPhone. Even if it costs one lakh, it's amazing. Right. It is kind of amazing, slightly, not too much. So that's what praises. We do that all the time in our lives, right. We appreciate, we acknowledge someone's greatness, right. So this is what the definition here says, to commend, to applaud, okay. We applaud means applause, we clap, right. To applaud, to express. One more time, underline, highlight that word express. Okay, expression, okay. It's an action, it's a verb, right. To express approval or admiration. Praise is the verbal declaration, underline that as well, verbal declaration. What is verbal declaration? You're saying it, okay. You can't just think in your heart and say, you know, what are you doing? I'm praising in my heart. How is Vimal ever going to know that if I just say, you know, what are you doing? I'm praising Vimal. It's all in here, right. But praise is a verbal declaration. You have to declare, say it, okay. Of adoration and thanksgiving for what God has done and what he has promised to do. For what he has done and for what he has promised to do. Okay, that's why we praise him. We praise him for so many reasons, right. There's one point I just want to make now and I'll say it again in the later classes. One of the best investments that I've made investment, you know, buy something is by this book called Thousand Praises. Have you had that book, Thousand Praises? Ten rupees. Go to OM bookstore or ELS, whatever. Invest ten rupees by this book called Thousand Praises. It has full, you know, all of praises. I praise you for this, I praise you for that. We also have a song called Ten Thousand Reasons. Yes, here's the thing. We praise him for so many other reasons, right. We praise him because he's a protector. We praise him because he's our friend. We praise him because he's a provider. He sustains us. He's faithful. We praise him for so many reasons, right. But heaven has only one reason. Do you know what that is? Heaven has only one reason to praise him. Close. He's worthy. All of heaven worship and praise him simply because he's worthy. He doesn't provide clothing and shelter and food for the angels. We thank him and praise him for all that. It's like thank you for the shirt, the pants, the house, the roof over our head. We thank you for the bikes, the what not. Yes or no? We have all these reasons, which are all good reasons and it's a good thing to thank him. But just imagine that heaven has only one reason and that he is worthy. And that should be enough for us to praise him, right. Yes, Sean. Yeah, in the book of Revelation, yeah. So let's go to the book of Revelation. It's all over chapter 4 and chapter 5, really. Okay. So we're in chapter 4. There's two chapters, right? Chapter 4 and chapter 5, when you read it, you'll see that resonating there. But the first vision that we... In chapter 4, we see that John having this vision. He is in the throne room of God. Chapter 4 verse 7 onwards is talking about the living creatures, singing, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. And then from verse 9, it says, Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him to who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever. The 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, worship him, who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power for You created all things and by Your will, they were created and have their being. And as you read chapter 5 as well, it will resonate again. So I would encourage you to do that when you can. And I think that should encourage us to praise Him, to applaud Him, to commend and whatnot. So that is praise. And next thing in your notes, it goes on to say praise is the spiritual sacrifice that we offer to God. Praise is the spiritual sacrifice. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15. So I see that your hand is raised. Do you want to ask a question or you can put it in the chat section? Because I see that your hands are raised. So Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15. It says, through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. The fruit of lips that confess His name. Okay? You can dissect that verse and study on that for an entire semester or more. But the first thing it starts off by saying, through... Roshan, through Jesus, through Jesus, therefore, that means with the revelation of who Jesus is, and what He has done for you and me. Okay? Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15, guys. Okay? Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15. That's where we are. Okay? Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually, that means non-stop, without stopping, continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice of praise. The fruit of lips that confess His name. Okay? Question time. Ding, ding, ding. Okay? Sacrifice of... Sacrifice of... Everybody says sacrifice of. So you have two words here. It's kind of strange. Sacrifice and... Praise. What is it? Sacrifice and praise. So what is the meaning of sacrifice? Giving. Okay? Laying down. Okay? Yeah? Yeah? Okay, yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Nina. What else? Sacrifice of praise. Now, we just give a few examples, right? Of how we praise each other. They say, Vimal is amazing. Sheerah is awesome. Koli is this, blah, blah, blah, and whatnot. Does it cost me anything to say that? The simple question. Does it... Do I have to take one loan from the bank and tell it's like, you know, say, you're amazing. No, I have to pay EMI's. Is there any sacrifice there? No, isn't it? But here, why is the Hebrew writer saying this is continually offering praises to Him is a sacrifice of praise. Now, just some time ago, I said, we have so many reasons, right? And heaven has only one reason. That is, He is worthy, isn't it? A sacrifice of praise. Where does it cost us? Now, we go through life every day. Yes, we're all alive. We go through life every day. In life, we have ups and downs. We have good days. We have very, very good days. And then we have Britannia, good days. Just kidding. Then we have very bad days. Yeah, anybody had bad days before? Yeah. He's like, no, yeah. I'm studying in Bible college. I never have a bad day. Thank you, Krisha, to give something that has value. Yeah. Our situation, our circumstances, it changes. Right? It changes for the good. It changes for the bad. One day you're doing awesome. The other day, you know, and so one day you're feeling like, I praise you because you're amazing and I'm having a good day. The other day is like, where are you? I want to know if you're true. Are you real? Where are you? I've done that. I have done that. So what I'm trying to say is, our situations, our circumstances, they change for the good, for the bad. But his worth never changes. He remains worthy regardless of our situation or our circumstances. And so when you're going through a deep dark time and then you choose to say, I praise you, that becomes a sacrifice of praise. And that is the fruit of our lips. Right? As it says in the definition just before it says, it's a verbal declaration. Right? That verbal declaration becomes so precious to him. Are you with me? Right? So very quickly in your notes, it says, sacrifice involves giving up something that we have a right to or taking on something that we don't necessarily have to. Okay? Giving up something. I'm going to sacrifice this for so and so so I can be with you. So giving up something. Another example. Can anybody think of any examples? I'm just trying to think, giving up something. Okay, I'm going to give up a time of me playing football with my friends so I can be with my family. That's kind of a sacrifice. It doesn't. But it would mean something to my family. Oh, I thought you had this football thing. Like, yeah, no, but I wanted to be with you. Will that make them feel special? Yeah, kind of. Hopefully you have a good family. Right? But you've sacrificed something just to be with them. Yeah. What do we do when we fast? When we fast? Yes, Sean. Yeah. Sean, you were saying. Okay. Yeah, we don't eat. We don't eat or drink or whatnot when we're fasting in prayer. What do we do? You're sacrificing that to say, God, I love you more than this food. Yes or no? That's giving up something. Isn't it? That's a sacrifice and God honors that. But then it goes on to say taking on something that we don't necessarily have to take. Taking on something. That means taking on a responsibility, saying yes to say, for example, okay, it's raining heavy, which is happening a lot these days. And you have to go to your house and you don't have a ride and whatnot. But then I'm like, okay, I have to get to my home. I'm late and whatnot. But I decide choose to say, okay, I'm going to give you a lift. My house is this side, but your house is that side. But I'm going to say it's okay. Hop along. I'm going to drop you at your place and then go to my place. I don't have to do that. But I'm taking on a responsibility, right? The gospel says is like, if a friend asks you to go with him a mile, walk with him another. That's sacrifice, isn't it? All of that is like a beautiful sacrifice of praise. And then next, the second point says, death to comfort, self-pity, fleshly desires, pride. Another image of sacrifice is what? In the Old Testament, people used to sacrifice. This offer up innocent lamb animal on the altar of sacrifice. Yes or no? When Abraham wanted to sacrifice his son, I mean, God told him to sacrifice son. He was laid on the altar. Sacrifice simply means death, isn't it? To put to death that is not of God. Anything that is that is not of his kingdom and like self-pity, fleshly desires, lust. Like we did the series last week on laying the axe to the root, right? Jealousy, lust, what else? Pride, self. Okay, so God is calling us. Let's go to, excuse me a second. Let's go to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. We all know this verse, verse one. Romans chapter 12, verse one, it says, Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Now you can close your notes and keep it aside. Really you can close your books, Bible, whatever it is, and keep it aside. Offer yourselves up as living sacrifices. Now in the Old Testament, when people would want to sacrifice, the animal would already be dead and then they will place it on the altar and then, you know, barbecue. But here, Paul is saying, offer yourselves up as living sacrifices, right? The Gospels, we see that we are called to carry our cross every day. Not once a week, only on Sundays, you know, but we're called to offer ourselves up as living sacrifices. So again, coming back to the point, what are the things in your life that God has told you to offer it up as a living sacrifice? Have you put to death the things of lust and pride and jealousy and whatnot so that you can offer yourself up as a living sacrifice because that is an act of worship. You with me? Yes? So two things, very simple, this chapter. Introduction to worship and praise, right? So let's bring the section to a close. People online, I hope you've been following with me and I've learned something. So I'm going to bring an end to the session. Let's pray and we'll close. So Father, we thank you for this time that we have that we were able to learn from your word. Lord, I pray that in everything that we do, we will offer up our lives as living sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to you, God. Thank you. Thank you for everything that you are doing in our lives. Thank you for everything you are doing through us, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you everyone for joining. Thank you guys online for joining us. I'm going to stop the recording now. See you all next week.