Talks

On Sunday we had a special guest speaker!  Alex Stibbard (Anchor Point Church and also Betel Nottingham) spoke in the fifth part of our “Worshipping Church” series, on the “Worship of heaven.” Referring to the imagery that is seen in Revelation chapter 5. Here the author (John) describes a picture of unceasing, awe-filled worship centred entirely on Jesus who is “the lamb” —where countless voices declare His holiness, worth, and glory.
Alex reminded us that God always had a plan, and still has a plan today.  Jesus (who has a number of different names – the Lion of Judah and the ancestor of King David) is still on the throne today, and the worship of heaven is not just forward looking but also today.  He reminded us of the superiority, power and worth of Jesus – the reason that all of heaven worships Jesus – at the centre at it all, who has conquered the death.
Alex shared some of his personal and vulnerable stories from his own experience, with encouragement and application for us too.

In the fourth part of “Worshipping Church” series, Jools Bingham talked about “Worship and Warfare” emphasising that the Christian life involves a real spiritual battle. The Bible authors make it clear that the devil is real and active, seeking to undermine and destroy, and that our struggle is not merely physical but spiritual.
In this context, worship becomes a powerful weapon. Rather than focusing on fear or opposition, we are called to fix our eyes on God, even in uncertainty. The phrase, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” (2 Chronicle 20) captures this posture of our trust (and our worship) in Him.
Jools shared some personal stories where he could see the ongoing spiritual battles in his day-to-day life. He also told 2 stories from the Old Testament where King Jehoshaphat and Joshua both led the people of Israel into physical battles.  On both occasions, God told them to send the worshippers out at the front.  It wasn’t a prescriptive formula for every battle, but a reminder for us, that in our lives, our praise and worship can be a powerful weapon again the spiritual forces in our world and active around us.
Jools encouraged us to wholehearted devotion—living faithfully and doing what is right before God. Like positioning a ship in battle, our posture should be we stand firm, recognise that our worship is powerful, and engage effectively in spiritual warfare.

This week Bob Goody explored Jesus’ powerful words in John 4, where He explains that worship is not something tied to a geographical place but as something deeply rooted in relationship. True worshipers, Jesus says, worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. It is not about performance or routine, but about a heart that is fully present and engaged with Father God. Whether in corporate worship or in everyday life, worship is a genuine response to who God is.
We also reflected on how we can worship God in every season, not just when life feels easy. Anchored in the truth that God is faithful, good, and unchanging, even when our circumstances are not good. Like Paul and Silas worshipping in prison, they made a choice to still praise God even despite their circumstances.  The challenge for us all is this: to become the “true worshippers”, as Jesus described. Understanding more about the truth of who God is, and bringing our full selves to Him when we gather together and in all the circumstances of our lives.

In the second part of the series “Healthy Church is a Worshipping Church”, Paul Bell looked at how we bring not just our singing as worship but we should “Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” as the apostle Paul encouraged the church in Romans 12 verse 1.
The Apostle Paul’s call to offer ourselves as “living sacrifices” comes after the rich truths of the preceding chapters 1–11.  That God loved us first, saved us through Jesus, and brought us into His family. Worship, therefore, begins with God—not us—and is our response to His grace.

Because everything we have comes from God, our worship is like “regifting” back to Him what He has already given.
NT Wright says: “The word ‘body’ doesn’t denote a particular part of the human being; it denotes the whole human being as a material object within the present space-time continuum of the world, an object which is present to itself, to the world and to other people”
Our body is therefore both a physical entity that we bring in worship (see message last week on “How we worship”) as well as denoting the whole of our lives.  True worship (as Paul describes) is offering our entire lives—our everyday, ordinary activities—as holy to God. This includes work, play, routine activities, our relationships, and even mundane moments.
Ultimately, whole-life worship is both a response to God’s mercy and a pathway to transformation, where we see even the ordinary as holy and giving back to God what He has so kindly given to us.

Matt launched a brand-new series on Sunday morning, he explained that one of the qualities of a healthy church is: a WORSHIPPING Church.  His message was titled: “No other gods – A Biblical Foundation for Worship”
Every person worships something! It’s not a question about whether we worship but what or who we worship.  In Exodus God spoke to Moses and gave him guidelines for how to live.  He told Moses “You must not have any other gods but me”.  Not because God needs our worship or because he’s insecure or a sycophant! He gave Moses the instructions a guidelines for healthy living! Replacing God as the object of our worship either means we are in danger of wasting our lives, or worse we harming our lives and God wants neither of those, because He’s so passionate about us!
Matt talked about idols in the bible and idols today.  An idol is anything that we elevate ABOVE or substitute FOR God.  Matt gave us 3 questions (“Idol Checker”) to check whether we could have any idols in our lives.  (Watch again to see the list)
Finally, we looked at “HOW WE WORSHIP” specifically in our corporate gatherings.  Matt shared the 7 alternative Hebrew words for praise, all with a different facet of how we physically express our worship to God.  Maybe you’ve sometimes wondered why people sometimes dance, clap or shout – they are all rooted in our response to God for Who He is and All He has done. Here they are again:
Yadah – To extend or throw the hands upward in worship or thanksgiving
Towdah – A sacrifice of thanksgiving. Praise offered in advance even before the victory comes.
Barak – Means to bless God by kneeling or bowing down in reverence.
Halal – To praise enthusiastically, celebrate, or even look foolish in joy!  We should be the most joyful people in the planet! We know the Good News about Jesus and the hope He brings!
Zamar –  to praise God with musical instruments and singing To make music to God.
Shabach –  to address God with a loud voice or triumphant shout! Expresses confidence in God’s power and victory! 
Tehillah – Refers to spontaneous or heartfelt singing to God
Every time we gather to worship, we should ask ourselves the question: How can I bless God today? Maybe there’s a new or different way we should express our gratitude, reverence, honour, obedience and love for Jesus.