The Scriptures teach us that God has been and always will be worshipped. Angels, seraphim, cherubim, and four living creatures are mentioned as those who worship Him. Since the time when days began to be numbered God has been worshipped by His creation, The stars and the planets sing His praise, the beasts of the field and the birds of the air as well as the twenty-four elders and all who have believed in Him throughout history now join with the angels, seraphim, cherubim and the four living creatures to worship He who is worthy of all honor and praise. We are even told that the rocks will cry out, the trees of the field will clap their hands, and the mountains will rejoice over their Creator.
And we know, according to Scripture that at the end of time God will still be worshipped. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The unrepentant will acknowledge His infinite goodness while in the midst of eternal separation from Him. Yet the redeemed will cast their crowns before His feet in adoration and praise, singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God Almighty.” He will be the God of all who called upon His name. He will redeem His creation, creating a new heaven and a new earth in which they will dwell. But they will not be alone. God Himself will be in their midst. And every nation on earth will come to Him to worship Him in the beauty of His holiness.
So worship is not a creation of man’s imagination, or a fountain sprung forth from his desire for something or someone greater. No, it is the Rock upon which all of life is built. It is the cornerstone laid upon the building block of life. It is the foundational principle upon which all of creation stands. God is the Creator and we are His creation. He is worthy of worship and deserves every ounce of devotion we can give Him. It has been this way since before man’s beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Worship without end. Amen.
WORSHIP IS A CHOICE
When God created the heavens and the earth and all who dwell within it, He brought worship into the sphere of time and of man’s existence. It could be no other way. Where God is, worship follows. Though God is worthy of worship He does not demand it from His people. Rather He works with them, providing incentives so they come to know Him in an intimate way. And out of this relationship comes forth a desire to worship.
When God created Adam and Eve He walked with them in the garden. They were on intimate terms with their Creator. They heard His voice speaking to them and they responded in kind. He provided a home for them, work for them to do, food and sustenance for their daily needs. He also established His authority with them and provided “commands” for them to obey to show their adoration for Him. Yet they still chose to act out their own desires rather than the desires of God. They chose to worship themselves, the creation, instead of the One who was the Creator. They strayed from their Creator’s desire for them and as a result lost the paradise they once knew, lost the intimacy of a close relationship with their Creator. God withdrew to a distance. Instead of friendship there was separation. And nearness went from being their daily sustenance to a deep longing for something they faintly remembered.
Unfortunately, like our first ancestors “all of us like sheep have gone astray, each has turned to his own way.” (Isaiah 53:6a). It seems no matter how clear the direction or how precise the command, each of us prefers to do things the way which seems right to us. Non-conformity has dogged us since the beginning of time. Of course, like Adam and Eve, we do have a spiritual enemy which is constantly tempting us to do what we want and the exact opposite of what God requires. He was successful with the first generation and has been successful in every subsequent generation. Why? Because we love to hear the words of disobedience. Our “bent” toward self-fulfillment is constantly engaged in looking for opportunities to fulfill its desires. And the devil is more than happy to provide the means by which we can find that fulfillment. And yet he is not to blame. He is only the tempter. He is not the decider. We alone are responsible for our decisions.
So we too long for something faintly remembered, a closeness never truly felt - just out of reach yet close enough to brush up against every now and then. We long for the worship that is eternal and for the One to whom eternity belongs. We desire once again to be intimate with the one who intimately breathed the breath of life into us and who intimately molded us from the dust of the earth. Yet in our quest for intimate worship we often settle for less than God has given, less than God requires. So let’s leave the land of “what-is-right-in-our-own-eyes” and go now to the land of God’s design.
WORSHIP IS A MATTER OF THE HEART
The Bible is full of references to worship. They universally speak of the Who, why, and how we are to worship. They state that worship is a response to who God is, what He has done, and what He is still willing to do for us. When God established the nation of Israel He provided laws, starting with those known to us as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). These commandments immediately established God’s personal relationship to the people of Israel and what He had already done for them: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”He then proceeded to state His requirements for worship: “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any other likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them.” He goes on to require an honoring of His name, an honoring of the seventh day, and that honor be given to one’s father and mother. He finishes His commandments by stating what we should not do - no murder, adultery, stealing, lying or coveting.
What starts out as being rather clear in intent and simple in application with Moses turns into something far deeper and more inclusive in application with Jesus, for He revealed that these commands include the attitude of the heart and not just the outward manifestation of the act (Matthew 5:21-27). In reality Jesus was not stating anything new but rather turning the people back to the original purpose of the Law, restating the intent of the Father’s heart. Even though God had established the ritual of animal sacrifice for the cleansing and forgiveness of sin, He would not accept a sacrifice that did not have a ‘broken spirit and a contrite heart” behind it. The Psalmist states, “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”(Psalm 51:16-17)
Man has consistently defaulted in worship to the letter of the law rather than the intent. But God knew the heart of His creation and consistently reminded us of this truth: “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22). Keeping the letter of the Law can bring much pride to one who keeps it well, who obeys every law and everything added to it since the commands were first given. But James reminds us that, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” So those who worship God, who desire to find His grace and mercy, must examine their hearts before they enter into any type of worship. This will determine if God will receive and be pleased with their worship, or whether He will reject it as unacceptable. “To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:3)
WORSHIP IS RESPONSIVE
Though individually is how God created us and how God loves us, there is a demand for conformity when worshipping the one who created us. This does not mean God has created a straightjacket into which all must be restrained in order to enter into true worship. Rather it means that God has given instructions that transcend all expressions of worship in all ages of history and in all cultures. He provides universal truths and establishes an overarching order so that no matter the epoch of history in which we live, the nation or denomination to which we belong, or the method we use in our services, the God of the universe is worshipped in a manner worthy of His name; the kind of worship that understands His nature and acknowledges His presence among us.
This kind of worship is always responsive. It responds to the Word of God and to the Heart of God. It does not leave the Word of God behind in order to be filled with emotion, saturating itself with the traditions of men and filled with fleshly indulgences, in direct opposition to the Word of God. Nor does it leave emotion behind in order to be “Biblically correct”, holding to the letter of the law while pulling father and father away from the Heart of God. No, true worship responds to both the Word of God and the instructions on worship written in it and to the Heart of the God revealed in His actions toward us and His Spirit that resides within us.
This type of worship lifts up a song of praise in response to the love of the Father. It proclaims the wonders of salvation to those who know or need to know of His love for them. It teaches others of God’s mercy and forgiveness when all we deserve is judgment and rejection. It proclaims the universal truth of who God is, that He is love. It tells the story of how he loves us , that He sent His only Son to die for our sins. And it tells the story of why He loves us, that we might have fellowship with Him and be with Him for eternity, fulfilling the purpose for which we were made - all done out of a heart-felt response to God’s love poured out on us in abundance. (Psalm 84:10)
WORSHIP IS REACTIVE
The Word of God instructs us, guides us, and keeps us on the right path. It compels us to obey. The Heart of God calls to us, woos us to Himself, reveals His love for us, protects us, redeems us, and compels us to respond. By His Word we know what He expects of us. By His heart we know what He thinks of us. It is through His Word that we know the mind and will of the Father. But it is through His Heart that we come to experience the intent of His will, the purpose of His thoughts, and the depths to which He will go to secure us to Himself. It is through His heart that we see the truth behind His Word.
And so it is with us. By our words the Father hears our intent, our cries of repentance and our earnest pleas for forgiveness. But it is through the attitude of our heart that God sees the truth behind our words. No amount of heart-felt tears can cover over years of disobedience. And no amount of pious words or self-sanctified acts can hide behind a heart hardened to the Word of God. God calls us to respond to Him, to react to His Word and to His Spirit. “Although the Lord has given you the bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself but your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” (Isaiah 30:20-21)
Are we listening? Or are our hearts so far removed from Him that we can no longer hear the heart beat of God? “I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen.” (Isaiah 66:4b).
WORSHIP IS TRADITIONAL
Traditions are customs, rituals, practices, or habits. Traditions are God given, they are not inherently evil. God gave specific instructions for how the nation of Israel was to worship, where worship was to be held, and who was to represent the people in these times of worship. God also instituted festivals, celebrated at specific times of the year in very specific ways. These traditions were not only spoken by God Himself, but God required the nation of Israel to comply with these instructions for worship and celebrations at the appointed times. These became the traditions of worship and celebration for the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. These traditions were designed by God and required by God.
In the New Testament we see the traditions of Temple worship and festival celebrations for the Jews still occurring. Jesus Himself upheld these traditions. “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.”(Luke 4:16). “Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.’”
But Jesus was quick to point out how the traditions of God had been usurped by the leaders of the day. “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' But you say,'Whoever says to his father or mother,"Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,"he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'” (Matthew 15:3-9)
WORSHIP IS COMMUNAL
In addition to the devotion to the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, God provides other instructions for worship through his apostles.
Worship is communal, that is it involves a community of believers directing their praises and their individual gifts in praise to God. Though worship is required of each individual, and individually we come to God in worship-filled response to our personal salvation, the worship of God has always been a communal experience. The Israelites came to worship God at the tabernacle, the temple, or at synagogues. Christians came together at gathering places such as homes, schools or churches.
In his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians Paul tells us to speak, teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, to sing and to give thanks (Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:15-17). Paul also tells us that God gave gifts to men ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”(Ephesians 4:11-12). He then instructs us on what the outcome of having these gifts is to be: “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” (2 Corinthians 14:26b)
In his first letter Peter provides a broader meaning to the purpose of these gifts of service – the glorification of God. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
So we see that the admonition to “not forsake the gathering of yourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25a) is key not only to personal growth but also to the growth of the body. Each member has been given a gift to share with his fellow believers for the encouragement of all and for the glory of God Himself. No member is dispensable, all are needed for the body to function as God intended (1 Corinthians 12:14-27). Communal worship is necessary if this is to occur.
WORSHIP IS SPIRITUAL
God looks at the heart of man and sees that “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Genesis 8:21b) and that “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6b). The unrepentant heart of man could never approach a Holy God. “Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 53:3). A contrite heart is needed if God is to look upon our heart and see a reflection of Himself in it. It takes a contrite heart to acknowledge sin, and a broken spirit to admit the weakness of our flesh.
God calls each of us to repentance and requires holiness from all. But holiness comes through acceptance. Not acceptance of ourselves as sinful, though that is required, but rather acceptance of God’s solution to our sin. It is through the shed blood of Christ that we can be made holy in the sight of God. And when we become holy He sends His Spirit to dwell within us. This same Spirit is our Comforter, our Guide, our Teacher and a seal of God’s promise of salvation and eternal life for all who call upon Him in Spirit and in truth.
Once we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us then we can know the very thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:11-16). Once the thoughts of God are known, our hearts begin to understand the purpose of God’s commands and the benefits of following them. And we begin to understand, since God Himself is Spirit (John 4:24a), that communion with God happens when our spirit joins with His. There is no room for the flesh in worship. True worship puts to death the deeds of the flesh and crucifies its passions and desires. Worship is spiritual.
WORSHIP INCORPORATES BOTH SPIRIT AND TRUTH
Jesus taught us that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24b). There have been many times throughout history where worship has been either truth or spirit, but rarely both. This has frequently occurred in response to some error or misdirection occurring within the church.
But worship is not an “either/or” experience. It is a “both”experience. Worship must consist of both spirit and truth. Truth alone can keep us from error but can also lead to a stale and regimented relationship with God. Spirit alone can be exciting and emotional but can lead to error and wandering from the truth. Both practices can experience a relationship with God, for God Himself is Truth and God Himself is Spirit. But He is both Truth and Spirit. Separating truth from spirit causes us to experience only one of His attributes, rather than experiencing His wholeness. In the same way we give only part of ourselves when we give Him truth or spirit only. God is looking for men who worship him fully and He wants to be fully known in worship. God must be worshipped in both spirit and truth.
IN CONCLUSION
Worship is eternal – something that has always been and will continue into eternity. Worship is a choice - something we can choose or not choose to do.
Worship is a matter of the heart - God is not pleased when the heart is not involved.
Worship is responsive – it responds to the love of the Father and the sacrifice of Christ.
Worship is reactive - it hears the Father’s voice and reacts appropriately to His word.
Worship is traditional – it understands the timeless principles God established for true worship, that which is acceptable in His sight.
Worship is communal – it incorporates all the individual gifts God has given to His people and uses them to build up the body of Christ to the praise and honor of God.
Worship is spiritual – it is not a fleshly attempt to gain the approval of God. Rather it puts to death the desires of the flesh and seeks to respond to the Spirit of God.
And worship incorporates both spirit with truth – it is not an “either/or” experience. Both spirit and truth must be present for our worship to be acceptable to God.
