PRAISE SETS

Ephesians 1:3-12
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will--6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. 7 In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. . . . 11 In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.

When I attended a conference on worship arts in Chicago, I learned a term that was new to me: praise sets.

A praise set is a worship package designed to bring the congregation into a session of genuine adoration and praise to God. The length varies, and the forms may range from Scripture reading and dramatization to praise choruses with a theme, solos, a worship band, testimonies, and even video cuts. But the purpose is always the same--to encourage people to engage with their heart and mind in worship of God.

Ephesians 1 can also be seen as a praise set--a biblical outpouring of praise. Note that the word praise appears three times in verses 1 through 12. Verse 3 praises God for all the heavenly blessings He has given us. Verses 5 and 6 say that God "predestined us to be adopted as His sons . . . to the praise of His glorious grace." The purpose for our being brought into the family of God is to praise and glorify God's grace.

Verse 12 indicates that the Christians of Paul's day were brought to faith as anthems of praise to God for the purpose of bringing Him glory. They were among the first believers in Jesus Christ, the forerunners of every follower of Jesus.

Paul concluded Ephesians 1 with one of the most magnificent "praise sets" ever written. Read verses 15 through 23 aloud. Sense the music of these words. Feel them rise to a crescendo of praise to the Father in heaven and to the Lord Jesus. The final picture is of Jesus as Head of the church, the fullness of the Father who "fills everything in every way" (v.23).

Read Ephesians 1 slowly. Read it aloud. Meditate on it. Use it to offer jubilant praise to your loving Father and living Savior. --Dave Egner

DESTINATION POINTS

* In what ways do I engage in worship during church services? When do I "shut down"?
* When was the last time I felt that I was truly worshiping God in my personal time with Him?

LINKS:
What Is Worship?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0902

bottom line: Worship is all about God.

soul journey