WORSHIP

Introduction: What is Worship?

Worship comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon word weorthscipe, which means "ascribed worth." Fundamentally, it means that a true worship of God is more than an exercise of religious ritual, it is:

• a human expression of a proper value being placed on the Person being worshipped, and
• the personal cost of the practice of worshipping Him.[1]
  

True worship takes place when we ascribe or declare the Lord’s worth.


True Worship [2,3]

God calls us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24 (NIV)

Worshipping in spirit
Worship is not purely an academic exercise. It is a loving relationship with our Creator, involving our whole being (body, mind and soul – see The Expression of Worship section). Because we love Him we will do His will. The Holy Spirit inhabits us and empowers us to do His will as we release ourselves more and more to God’s control and live in constant communion with Him. If we live according to the direction of God’s Spirit then we will live a worshipful life.

Worshipping in truth
We know and acknowledge God for who He is according to the way He is portrayed in His Word. Jesus, especially in John’s gospel, is the truth. Hence, we come to the Father through the Son who is the truth.

The focus of worship should be more of our heart’s hunger for Him rather than the mind’s ideas about Him. The heart, more so than the mind, is a likely candidate to answer to the meaning of “worshipping in spirit”. “Worshipping in truth” calls an active participation of the intellect as well. Hence, worship calls the heart first, then the mind.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — these, O God, You will not despise." - Psalm 51:17 (NIV)

• Without truth, one will just worship without wisdom and understanding.
• Without spirit, worship is merely superficial.

God looks for something BROKEN, not BRILLIANT.
Our minds may behold divine REVELATION but can lack spiritual capacity for divine INVITATION a worshipping heart can handle.
The exercises of our enlightened mind may DEDUCE God, but only our ignited hearts can DELIGHT Him.


The Basics of Worship [4]

Inward Embrace
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Acceptance, acclamation, appreciation, approval, cooperation, receipt, recognition, response, ...

Worship, from man’s perspective, is primarily a matter of acknowledgement, or response. We acknowledge who He is.
Has anyone ever had the thought, "I don’t feel like worshipping today?"
Worship is not a matter of whether you feel like it or not, but a choice. We choose to worship, because God first revealed Himself to us. This is similar to the concept of God’s love. We are called to love, because we are loved by Him.
"We love because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
Love originates in God, not man. In fact, God Himself is love personified (see 1 John 4). Our love is a reflection of His love.

Why worship?
Not only is worship required of us, but there is a companioning truth: worship is God’s gift to us!
Obviously, not God worshipping man, but God designing worship as a means for His beloved creatures to know Him, to enter the abundance of His fulfilling and fruitful purpose for us, and to find the high delight of His realised will for us, in us and through us.[5] Our part, therefore, is to accept this gift.
Fallen man cannot approach a righteous and Holy God. However, God in the person of Jesus Christ made us just and righteous by His work on the Cross for us (Romans 3:21-24). The Holy Spirit of God works within us to enable us to worship (Philippians 3:3). And worship is directed to the Father (John 4:23). Worship is from God, through God, and unto God. Apart of God’s revelation of Himself and of how man can approach Him in worship, man could never worship God in a way pleasing to Him.

ADORATION
Admiration, amazement, devotion, exaltation, glorification, honour, praise, reverence, veneration, ...
Adoration, or praise, is the nature of our acknowledgement. To adore Him is to honour his rightful place in our lives.
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)
Throughout Psalms, we find the expression 'Praise the Lord' or Hallelujah, in the Hebrew. This is the spirit of worship.
"Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel." - Psalm 22:3 (NASB)

Outward Expression
ABANDONMENT
Confession/repentance, offering, sacrifice, submission, surrender, ...
Abandonment, or sacrifice, requires you to give of yourself.

• What you worship, you value.
• What you value, you will give of yourself.
• What you give is the sacrifice.

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. - Genesis 12:1-3, 7 (NIV)

• Abraham, the great man of faith acknowledged the Lord despite standing in the middle of everything that seemed to be the exact opposite of a promise (What nation? With no offspring at my age? Where? Out in the desert?)
• Canaan was an corrupted society full of the occult and pagan practices – was this a place to raise a family?
• Yet rather than focussing on the problem and second-guessing God, Abraham worshipped and welcomed God.In the midst of our situations, why don’t we raise up an altar instead of being preoccupied with the problems?

ALTARS

• Altars symbolise God’s covenant and also the reaffirmation of His promises. (Recall: faith – you may not see the destination yet, but you still have a journey)
• LOOK UP: Abraham was shown God’s endlessly available ability to create as he looked up at the stars. In times of strife or doubt, just look up!

1. Building an Altar

• Altars are made of broken things.
• Either we let the disappointment, resentment or hurt drag us down; or we gather them up and lay them before the Lord.

2. Sacrifice Always Happens at an Altar

• The pouring out of blood represents the pouring out of life before God.
• When we worship God at an altar, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)

3. Watch Out for Vultures

• Vultures descended upon the sacrificial animal carcasses and Abraham had to drive them away (Genesis 15:11)
• Our adversary or our flesh rebels against full surrender.
• We need to rise, resist and drive away our vultures and secure the sacrifice.

4. The Lord Keeps His Promises

• God also makes and keeps His promises. He promised Abraham that He would be His shield (Genesis 15:12-16)
• What God had planned for Abraham was of far greater consequence than merely his becoming the father of a child.
• God keeps His promises to us not only because He loves us, but because His future promises depend on it.
• God’s response to our sacrifice will bring light in our darkness (Genesis 15:17-18)

AFFIRMATION

Assertion, attestation, confirmation, celebration, declaration, gratitude, pronouncement, testimony, thanksgiving, ...
We are called not to be a hidden or a recluse group of people. We are called to be a testimony and witness of God. We are called to be the salt of the earth and light of the world.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
The reason God created the church:
"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Ephesians 3:10-11 (NIV)
In our worship, we celebrate and declare who God is. When we worship, we need to be mindful that we are pointing the way to God.

Jesus gives us an example of we should pray. In our prayers we rightfully worship God for who He is. After all, why pray and ask God for things, if you yourself aren’t willing to put God at His rightful place? Let’s take a look at how we can worship God through our prayer:
This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
(For Yours is the kingdom the power and the glory forever.
Amen.)' - Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

• We inwardly adore who He is and honour His rightful place: Our Father in heaven...
• We inwardly acknowledge His holiness: ...hallowed be Your name...
• We outwardly abandon our own agendas: ...Your will be done...
• We outwardly affirm the glory He deserves: ...Yours is the power and the glory forever...

Conclusion

At the Hillsong Conference in 2003, I managed to get an autograph from Darlene Zschech. Above her signature she wrote "Psalm 145!" When I meditated on the first few verses of this chapter I realised her heart of worship was focussed on not only reaching but uniting both the older and younger generations. Let’s worship God together!
"I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever. [ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]
Every day I will praise you [ABANDONMENT]
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom. [ADORATION]
One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [ABANDONMENT]
They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness." [AFFIRMATION]
-Psalm 145:1-7 (NIV), emhasis added.


Discussion Questions:

1. What is worship? (In general, not necessarily from a Christian perspective)
2. Why would one put a value on an object, another person, or another being?
3. What’s the difference between a general perspective on worship, and true worship?
4. Read John 4:23-24. What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? Give examples.
5. What does AA-AA mean? (Inward Acknowledgement and Adoration, Outward Abandonment and Affirmation)
6. Pick a Psalm (eg. Chapter 18) and note how the psalmist incorporates one or more of the AA-AA facets in the worship.
   

Endnotes

[1] Hayford, J. 2005, ‘Manifest Presence’, pp. 58-62
[2] Kendall, M. 1996, ‘Worship Today’, (URL: http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=773), [Accessed: 10/04/06]
[3] Deffinbaugh, B. ‘Worship (Part 2) (John 4:19-26)’, (URL: http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=439), [Accessed: 10/04/06]
[4] Deffinbaugh, B. ‘Worship (Part 1) (John 4:1-26)’, (URL: http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=438), [Accessed: 10/04/06]
[5] Hayford, J. 2005, ‘Manifest Presence’, p. 43