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Article 0151 - A Study of Worship
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A Study of Worship
Jon Gary Williams
Man is inherently a worshiping creature. Through the centuries the world's greatest philosophers, agnostics included, have acknowledged this fundamental characteristic within human nature. Man naturally tends to look beyond his own physicality and into the spiritual, to something higher.
Every accountable person senses in the depth of his soul that there must be something superior to himself. It is not a question of whether or not man will worship, but rather what or whom he will worship, and why he will do so. Man's concept of worship is often distorted - - many worship the wrong things and often fail to even recognize their affection for earthly objects as actual worship.
Objects of Worship
The worship of literal idols
God made it very clear: "no other gods before me...no graven image...not bow down before them...I am the Lord thy God...I am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3-5). Such idol worship is abhorred by God and is not tolerated by God.
The worship of men
Throughout history men have been made the object of worship. Kings, pharaohs and emperors have been deified and made into gods - - this is man venerating the man. At Lystra, Paul and Barnabas were looked upon as gods (Acts 14:11-15). When Peter came to Caesarea, "Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped" (Acts 10:25). Such worship is prohibited.
The worship of angels
Angels do not hold a position for receiving worship. It was never intended that they be the object of man's reverence. Paul said man could be "beguiled" by the worship of angels and, hence, lose his reward (I Corinthians 2:18). John attempted to worship an angel. The angel told him, "See thou do it not" (Revelation 22:8.9).
The worship of material things
Most would be appalled at the thought of bowing down to a physical idol of stone, wood or metal. Yet, these very people are guilty of idolatry - in the attachment they have of their possessions! It is just as easy, if not more so, to worship possessions as it is to bow before a literal idol. This was the problem of the rich farmer (Luke12), the rich young ruler (Luke18), and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). Simply put, covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5,6).
The worship of self
Worship of self can mean one of two things. It could be a lack of humility - thinking too highly of oneself. It could also be a matter of being too concerned with serving self. Many excuse themselves from a life of dedication to God on the grounds that they are too busy with their lives, earning a living or occupying themselves with any number of things of their own choosing. This constitutes the worshiping of oneself. In Romans 16:18, Paul charged some with "serving their own belly," that is, serving themselves. (Philippians 3:19)
Will worship
This is the placing of one's own will above the will (word) of God - - substituting what God has directed with one's own personal preferences. (See Colossians 2:20-23) Will worship is seen in different forms:
Modernism - elevating human wisdom above God's word.
Existentialism - a searching of "inner-self" to find truth, regardless of what Bible says.
Denominationalism - encouraging the idea, "I know what I believe...I'm not concerned with what the Bible says."
There are, indeed, a number of distorted forms of worship which are unacceptable to God.
The Nature of True Worship
What is the meaning of Biblical worship? It is defined as: "reverence; humility; obeisance; recognizing one's inferiority and acknowledging God's superiority; homage paid, service rendered."
Worship is man's way of serving God - expressing himself to God. In true worship God is the correct and appropriate object. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Mt. 4:10). To worship something or someone other that Jehovah is to practice idolatry and is a crime against Deity. And this will cause one to be lost. "Idolaters...shall have their part in the lake which..." (Revelation 21:8).
For Christians there are several things the Lord has directed us to do in worship to him. In regards to the worship assembly, Christians sing, pray, study God's word, and each first day of week they commune in the Lord's supper and give of their means.
Qualities of True Worship
Acceptable worship to God must be "in spirit" (John 4:24). To worship "in spirit" refers to attitude, that is, worship must be sincere. Worship should have a reverent disposition. One's deepest affections must be present.
Acceptable worship is also to be according to "truth" (John 4:24). To worship "in truth" refers to worshiping the right way. That way can only be found in God's word. If our worship is to be acceptable to God, it must have His approval.
Acceptable worship must also be continuous. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually..." (Hebrews 13:15). Actually, worship is ongoing. It should be evident throughout one's life.
Acceptable worship should be joyful. A spirit of happiness should envelop one's worship. David said, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord" (Psalms 122:1). "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips" (Psalms 63:5). "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God" (Isaiah 61:10).
True worship was not designed to be melancholy. Rather, it should be looked on as something that binds man closer to his God. It was this spirit that enabled the apostle Paul to "rejoice" even while imprisoned (Phil. 4:4), and to "sing praises" even while in chains (Acts 16:25). True worship is to be a joyful experience!
Failing To Worship
One way to fail at worship is to simply be negligent in attending the assembled worship - that is, to be absent. Willful absence from the assembly of the saints removes one from his/her proper place. One's attitude should not be, "Why must I attend?" but rather, "I want to be present and worship God with fellow Christians."
The writer of Hebrews plainly said, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25). Even in Apostolic days some were guilty of forsaking the worship services and were displeasing to God. God's provision of worship is not to be broken. The true Christian must grow in interest, zeal and love for God. This is shown in faithful attendance at every service.
Notice that this passage does not say, "assembly," but rather "assembling." In other words, Christian worship was a regular, ongoing practice. The true Christian sees the regular assemblies as opportunities to mature and cultivate the spiritual life.
It is also possible for one to attend worship services but never truly worship because the mind is elsewhere. One might sing but never truly praise God. One might bow the head during prayer but never actually pray. One might partake of the Lord's supper but never discern the Lord's death. One might audibly hear the words of a sermon but never really listen. It is possible to become so removed during worship that the real substance of worship is lost. We must become spiritually absorbed in each channel of worship. When worship is concluded we should know and sense that we have truly exercised ourselves in worship and that we have not merely been spectators.
Another way to fail at worship is to exhibit improper conduct. Proper conduct in worship is paramount to acceptable worship. If one's conduct is not what Lord desires, how can such worship be acceptable? When the conduct is not proper, this means one does not appreciate the fact that God is observing - - this Christian has failed to have a sense of reverence and respect.
Proper conduct is of benefit in so many ways! It leaves a good impression on visitors. It sets the right example for the youth in the assembly. It allows those seated nearby to worship without being distracted. Indeed, our conduct in worship is very important to God.
Failing to worship acceptably in the eye's of God also involves the manner of one's life. One's life itself must be in keeping with Christian conduct. The way a Christian's life is seen outside of worship translates into his or her presence within the worship assembly. One cannot live unacceptably in daily life and expect to leave an acceptable impression in the worship. If a non-Christian attends a worship assembly and sees a Christian who is known to exhibit a life unbecoming of a Christian, is it not obvious the hypocritical impression this will leave? The Christian simply cannot claim one thing and then practice something else. The wrong kind of life shows that one's worship is not genuine and that this Christian's worship is only a formality.
Meaningful Worship
It is a sad thing that with some, worship is felt to be a chore - - a dull and lifeless activity. The Christians have lost sight of the meaningful and joyful experience it was intended to be. Some look upon worship passively, when it ought to be participated in actively. With true Christians worship is a time of involvement. It must be a time of activity or it will fail to be what God desires.
Worship is made meaningful when it has direction
This is something that some fail to discern. Without direction worship becomes meaningless. What is to be the direction of true worship? Who is the object of worship? "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God..." (Matthew 4:10). "...singing & making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19).
When you assemble with saints, do you consciously direct your worship to God? This is probably something to which many do not give enough attention. Could this be because we sometimes jump right into worship without first considering that we are there to focus upon God? Have we ever spent an entire worship period without the Lord having ever entered our mind? When this occurs it means that our worship was not directed to God.
As we worship, our minds must be focused upon God. In every part of worship we must remember that He is the grand object of our praise. When we do this, our worship will be more meaningful. Every time we assemble with saints to worship, be sure to think about this.
Worship is made meaningful when it is anticipated
Recall David's words, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord" (Psalms 122:1). David anticipated worship. Christians should ask themselves, "Do I anticipate worship? Do I look forward to worship?" It is so sad that many do not do this. Failing to anticipate worship shows a lack of spirituality.
Anticipating worship makes all the difference. Our attitude should be, "I'm going to worship! This is a happy occasion for me!" Are we anxious to assemble and worship God with other Christians? Simply asked, are worship services our favorite moments of each week?
Worship is made meaningful when it is passionate
When we read about the lives of many Bible characters, we discover that their worship was passionate. Noah, Abraham, Moses and Paul, to name a few, knew they were in God's presence and so their worship was fervent, their hearts filled with emotion. They undoubtedly considered these times of worship as paramount in their lives. David, a prime example, said, "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" (Psalms 29:2). David was passionate in his worship!
Notice the intensity of the worship in the lives of the apostles and early Christians. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). One one notable occasion when the apostles were released from prison, we read, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together" (Acts 4:31). When in jail at Philippi, "At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God; and prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake...and immediately the doors were opened..." (Acts 16:25, 26).
In the hearts of true worshipers there is a heightened sense of passion and need. Such worship is not casual or routine - - rather, it is fervent. When our worship is passionate, it becomes more meaningful.
Worship is made meaningful when it is genuine
Genuine worship is authentic, true and real - - anything less is only imitation. Not only should our worship be scriptural, it must also be done with the right motivation. Sadly, some worship is prompted by an artificial motivation and becomes self-serving.
Some thrive on being energized by new and different innovations such as choirs, special singing groups or instrumental presentations. This turns worship into a time of entertainment with personal pleasure and embellishment the primary goal.
With some worship is seen as an end in itself. However, worship is not that - - it is designed by God as a means to an end. Worship was never intended to be self-serving. True worshipers realize that God is the audience. God is looking for worshipers and not for people who seek to be entertained. A man who had been converted from a Pentecostal background was heard to say, "You know, it is refreshing to be able to just calmly worship God, without all the commotion and shouting and carrying on."
Genuine worship is not artificial. It comes from the motivation of a pure heart which desires to please God. This makes worship truly meaningful.
The Challenge of Worship
God seeks people to worship him. Speaking of true worshipers, Jesus said, "...the Father seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4:23). This helps us to see how important worship is to our God.
Worship is something which is innate to humans. As man becomes more conscious of his surroundings, he becomes more conscious of a higher power. The vast majority of people worship in some way. Unfortunately most people practice a misguided worship. Millions believe in the God of the Bible but they worship Him in ways he does not recognize.
There is the possibility of ignorant worship. While in Athens Paul said, "For as I
passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23). Athens had produced such intellectuals as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, but regarding true worship the Athenians were ignorant.
People may be educated and yet ignorant of the true God. Without divine direction human efforts at worship are meaningless. People cannot worship the God of heaven they do not know. Paul made it clear that ignorance is no excuse. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). These many centuries later, ignorant worship is still prevalent worldwide.
Then there is the peril of vain worship. Jesus said, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8,9).
We must remember that the Jewish leaders were people struggling with man-made traditions that often came into conflict with God's will. In Matthew 15:3, Jesus spoke these strong words: "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" He then said, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" (Matthew 15:6).
These people were not right in their hearts. They were looking for ways to escape God's commands. This was "vain" worship. Their problem was not whom they worshiped, rather, their problem was their attitude. Vain worship is empty, worthless and rejected by God; and it is unfortunately a type of worship which is still prevalent today.
There is also the problem of will worship. Colossians 2:20-23 reads, "Why...are ye subject to ordinances...after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have a show of wisdom in will worship?"
Will worship involves the substitution of man's ideas for the will of God. It is of man's own making. It involves a self-imposed type of religion wherein man binds upon himself rigid practices in order to demonstrate his virtuous life.
The presence of ignorant, vain and will worship shows the need for people to give attention to what God says. Herein lies the challenge to us, for God is "seeking" those who will be true worshipers.
The Art of Worship
Worship to God can actually be seen as an art - - or even a craft. It may rarely be viewed in this way but there is indeed a degree of skill that is gained through continual worship. Even though man is a worshipping being, the practice of worship does not come naturally to him. Nobody, by accident alone, ever worshipped God acceptably.
Worshipping is doing something our Creator recognizes. It is something He responds to and accepts. God takes note of the way we worship. This is what we mean when speaking of the art of worship. Following are three ideas that help us see this more clearly.
1) The art of worship involves us, the worshiper, God, the object of the worship, and a relationship with God. Without this relationship worship is void. Jesus spoke of God as the grand object of our worship. He is to be the sole affection of our worship. When we worship do we have this affection or is this understanding sometimes clouded over by the material things of life? Is our worship ever hindered because we do not truly appreciate the God we are worshiping?
Jacob said, "God was in this place and I knew it not" (Genesis 28:16). Have we ever left a worship service without even recognizing the time we spent with God? Our collective worship should be a time when we are truly close to God - - a time when we are at awe because of His promise to be in our midst.
A man who was unfaithful in his attendance once said to me, "I feel close to God when I'm out in nature." I told him, "Yes, you may feel close - - and that's your problem. You are relying on your feelings." God never promised to be closer to us "out in nature" more than in any other location. Imagine intentionally missing worship with fellow Christians, taking a hike in the forest and rationalizing the decision by saying, "I feel close to God." God has certainly never required us to avoid spending quality time in nature, but He expects us to recognize when we are essentially avoiding true worship which He has prescribed to us.
Jesus said that by keeping His will we know the Father and have a relationship with Him. When we worship, we are keeping God's will, and it is here that we fulfill that inward need to be one with Him - - not by picking and choosing our own preferable occasions for feeling acceptable to God.
2) The art of worship also involves understanding. "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17). Every child of God begins in spiritual infancy and may not understand the full significance of worship. But a Christian is not to remain in their infancy - - God wants the Christian's understanding to deepen.
If the worship of Christians is not growing, it adversely affects their life of service to God and they will obviously become weaker. This problem is such a common one in the Lord's church today. Do congregations make every effort to instruct and admonish new Christians to grow in their understanding?
A Christian's life should be influenced by worshiping with the saints. But if a new Christian never takes steps to enhance their worship, we can see why they may become weak and even fall away. The fact is, ignorance and genuine worship are incompatible. Proper understanding is an art to meaningful and rewarding worship.
New Christians should be taught the significance of praising God in song, in Bible study, in praying, in partaking of the Lord's supper and in giving. As they grow and mature in their understanding of worship, their worship will take on a greater depth of meaning.
Encouragement (exhortation) is another part of the art of worship. "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24,25).
Through our worship we inspire one another to practice "love and good works." Our collective worship helps to motivate us. In our worship we exhort one another to be always "abounding" in the grace of Christ. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord..." ( I Corinthians 15:58). Without this encouragement, true worship will be lacking.
Worship and the Spiritual Nature of the Heart
Worshiping God is the highest and most noble thing man can do. However, for worship to be truly spiritual and acceptable to God, it must be from the heart. "Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). "Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16). When worship is truly from the heart, it will be spiritual.
What does this mean? It means that the heart must be in harmony with the will of God. We should continually ask ourselves, "Is my worship truly spiritual? Is it from the heart? How can this be determined?"
1) We must distinguish between form and faith. The Pharisees were strong advocates of religious form in their religion. They emphasized keeping the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees. However, Jesus said of them, "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" (Matthew 15:7.8).
Christians cannot allow themselves to fall victim to this. Form in worship is of no avail if it is not done in faith and from a pure heart. It is possible to engage in worship with faith being completely absent. Any act of worship that is not motivated by genuine faith and from the depth of the heart is unacceptable. God is not pleased with worship that exists in form only.
2) We must distinguish between show and sincerity. The Jews desired to be seen and heard for their worship. Jesus rebuked their crude display of worship because they gave their alms and uttered their prayers only to be seen of men (Matthew 6:1-6).
Christians cannot allow themselves to be like this, for it indicates a motive which is impure and lacking sincerity. Beware of worship that stresses outward show and pride to the neglect of worship which is done "decently and in order" (I Corinthians 14:40). We are not to attend worship services for the purpose of displaying the newest clothing or the latest hairstyles. Our worship should be simple and unpretentious - - to be seen by God rather than by others. Does your worship flow from a heart that is sincere, desiring only to please God?
3) We must distinguish between hypocrisy and holiness. The Jews of Jesus' day were masters of hypocrisy and the Lord did not hesitate to tell them so. Of those who painted their faces to appear to be fasting, Jesus said, "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward" (Matthew 6:16).
We ought never to allow ourselves to be hypocritical. The word "hypocrite" originated as a theatrical term which meant "to play a role." Eventually it came to refer to anyone pretending to be something they were not. Hence, hypocrisy reveals an impure heart, lacking in holiness. An impure heart shows that one is not spiritual. We are not to pretend to be a Christian through the act of engaging in worship and yet fail to be a Christian in practice.
What About Preparation For Worship?
Preparation is something God has always emphasized. Consider God's own preparation in the Creation week. He used five days in preparing for the creation of man and woman.
God expects those who serve Him to be prepared. This was seen in the lives of such men as Noah, Abraham, Joseph and Moses. God gave them time to prepare for the work they were to complete. God likewise allowed Jesus thirty years to prepare for his three years of preaching.
When we come before God, we should prepare ourselves. This is especially true when Christians meet together for assembled worship. When we meet to praise our Maker our minds are to be prepared for due reverence. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him" (Psalms 89:7).
When we assemble we cannot shortchange God. We cannot offer worship that is ill-prepared. When we meet for worship, certain people are expected to be prepared - - the preacher, the song leader, those who direct our minds in prayer, the scripture reader and those assisting with the communion.
And while we expect preparation from others, what about our own personal preparation? Much of what has been said in this article points to this: Do we prepare our hearts and minds for solemn worship? Do we anticipate worship and look forward to it with zeal and enthusiasm?
On various weekends we look forward to special events which have been planned - - family outings, a special meal, a visit with friends or a sporting event. There is nothing wrong with these things, but how often to people actually generate more enthusiasm for such occasions than they do for worship to God?
Could it be that in the hearts of some there is no real enthusiasm for assembling and honoring God? We are reminded of Zechariah's words concerning the joy of Judah's return from captivity. "Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts" (Zachariah 8:21). This reminds us of David's earlier exclamation, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psalms 122:1).
There is a need for genuine mental and emotional preparation for the worship we offer to God. Many rush through personal grooming, eating breakfast, dressing and driving to worship, with little time devoted to preparing the mind. With some, attending worship may be nothing more than keeping a tradition, following a habit or engaging in worship as if they are flipping a switch on and then off.
Preparation is so vitally important for genuine worship. Only when sufficient preparation is found in one's life can true worship be fulfilled. This leads to another important feature of worship.
Participation in Worship
Why do we participate in worship? This question requires careful attention. One answer might be, "I worship because worship is an obligation." Though worship is certainly an obligation, it is more than this. It is an activity involving sincere love and devotion. We must be careful that our worship does not deteriorate into mere obligation.
The Pharisees held the unacceptable attitude that they were fulfilling their obligation to worship. Christians ought not this Pharisaical attitude toward worship. We can avoid this by remembering what worship involves - - a correct attitude of mind and a correct attitude of heart.
Worship involves a degree of emotion. This includes adoration, thanksgiving, penitence, love and praise. In worship we learn to appreciate these emotions, and to express them in ways that please God. We must concentrate on the meaning of worship while we are involved in it.
Much of our worship involves listening. It may be listening to a scripture being read, a sermon being preached, a song being sung, or a prayer being led. Good listening means that a person is alert. We are to keep our attention on what we are doing. This helps us to be better participants.
This, of course, means that we should avoid doing or thinking things that would tend to distract us. So easy it is to let the mind be drawn away from a sermon, a prayer, a song, or the communion - by even trivial matters. Likewise, we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by our surroundings. In short, we need to always keep our participation genuine. Pure and positive participation helps to increase our character and develop our hope. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13).
As Christians, we should all practice the following: Pray that you will worship God more effectively, arrive early and spend time preparing your mind, remain alert and think carefully about the different avenues of worship.
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