Why do we even have a time of singing before the sermon? In this message opening Ephesians 1:3, Dr. Abidan Shah asks the question directly: why worship? He defines worship as a time of wonder — marveling at the majesty, power, and grace of God — and traces the biblical pattern of blessing God all the way from Melchizedek and Abraham to David's 4,000-person choir of Levites.

Dr. Shah makes the case that worship together with God's people has never been optional, then walks through the difference between physical blessings (which God gives to everyone, believer or not) and spiritual blessings (which belong only to those in Christ) — election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit. The message closes by unpacking Paul's mysterious phrase "the heavenly places," and what it means that believers are already seated with Christ even while still in the middle of a spiritual battle.

0:00 – Why Do We Even Have a Time of Worship?
5:43 – Blessed Be the Lord: The Old Testament Pattern
9:04 – David's Army of 4,000 Worship Leaders
13:56 – What Heaven's Worship Looks Like (Revelation 19)
17:09 – Every Good Gift Comes From God — Even to the Lost
21:41 – What Are Spiritual Blessings?
26:00 – Paper Assets vs. Real Assets
31:02 – What Does "Heavenly Places" Actually Mean?
39:35 – Seated With Christ, Yet Still at War
44:41 – Why Church Isn't Optional
48:04 – How You Can Help Someone Else Worship