by Samantha Jones
Intro
Psalm 95:1-2
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song“
Merriam Webster defines worship as “reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power.” In worship of the ultimate Power, our reverence is shown. More specifically in the religion of Christianity, it is the act by which Christ-followers glorify God’s name in singing praises to Him, and in dwelling upon and in His presence. I believe that the subject of worship remains top of discussion among church doctrine, and therefore we must ask ourselves the question: What is the standard for which we offer our praises to the One who created our very minds?
What is Worship, Why Do We Do It, and How?
What is Worship?
Worship is the act of praising the Maker of all things—not merely something found in a church on a Sunday morning. To say that one can only worship in congregation with like minded believers is to mistakenly limit the freedom Christ offers. As Scripture states, the praise of the Lord should forever be on our lips, “all day long” (Psalm 71.8). Nevertheless, we are to glorify the name of God with every heartbeat He orchestrates—and we must worship Him even within the quiet, solitary moments. Therefore, freedom in Christ—in the specific sense of worship—is not to be taken for granted.
Why Do We Worship?
First—Worship is a command. Chapter 2 of Kristin and Keith Getty’s book, “Sing!” discusses the concept that humans are commanded to sing God’s praises back to Him. As the Getty’s write, “Not to sing is to disobey”—we sing because God commands us to, and because we know that His commands are always for our good (Getty 13) (14). In the same way that Christians practice the disciplines of the study of scripture, prayer, communion, and acts of service, God’s people practice the disciplines of singing “in the assembly with the saints” (Ps. 149.1) because He commands it.
Second—We worship the Lord because we love Him. Scripture tells us in 1 John that the reason we love is “because he first loved us” (1 John 4.19). It is the overflowing love of God that enables us to love Him in return, as well as one another. Earlier on in the chapter, John concludes that those who do not know love do not know God, for “God is love” (1 John 4.8). God, the Almighty Creator of the world and King of our hearts, loves us selflessly, sacrificially, and unconditionally—so we shouldn’t hesitate for even a moment in loving Him back.
Third—we worship because God created us to enjoy His glory. The book of Psalms urges Christians to serve the Lord with “gladness,” and to enter His presence with singing; for we are God’s people—”the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. 100.2-3). We sing because we are God’s handiwork, “created in Christ Jesus for good works,” which God has “prepared beforehand,” (Eph. 2.10) that we may walk in Him. Not only that, but we are also to enjoy His glory. Worship is our response to God’s character, and our belonging to Him is a fundamental reason for worship. Ultimately, worship is integral to our existence and purpose on this earth.
We worship because God created us to enjoy His glory.
How Do We Worship?
As Christians, we are called to worship with every fiber of our being—with “every breath in our lungs” (Psalm 34.1). Wholehearted surrender to the Lord is where I believe worship is most effective—for if we have divided hearts, we have divided attentions. This being said, we worship with our hearts, as well as our talents. I bet the first thought that comes to mind as you are reading these words is the gift of music, whether that be instrumental or vocal. While these are common gifts displayed weekly in the leading of worship, they certainly are not the only ones we have the ability to worship with. Every talent that God has given us, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, can and should be used to glorify His name.
How Did Jesus Model Worship?
In His Obedience to the Father:
Jesus consistently emphasized that He came to do the will of His Father. In John 6:38, He says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” This shows that true worship involves aligning our will with God’s will.
He Encourages Us to Worship in a Specific Way:
In His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus explained that true worshipers will worship the Father “in spirit and truth” (John 4.23). This highlights two key components of genuine worship: In spirit, worship isn’t just about physical actions or rituals but involves the heart, soul, and spirit. It is about a true connection with God, acknowledging His presence and engaging with Him on a deeper, more intimate level. In truth, worship must be grounded in the truth of who God is, as revealed in Scripture.
Worship should be based on the true nature and character of God, free from heresy or pretense. Together, worshiping “in spirit and truth” means approaching God with a sincere heart and in accordance with His word. This dual emphasis ensures that worship is both heartfelt and doctrinally sound, fulfilling “the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4.24).
Worship is NOT…
Worship Is NOT Defined by a Musical Experience!!!
Worship goes way beyond mere music. Paul urges us in Romans to “offer [our] bodies as a living sacrifice,” which is satisfying to God; “this is [our] true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1). Consequently, we must be dedicated to living a life according to God’s will. When worship is seen merely as a musical experience, it risks becoming self-centered—seeking personal enjoyment rather than honoring and praising God. Matthew warns not to “practice righteousness” in order to be seen by others, as it will result in “no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). This verse reflects the danger of seeking personal glory rather than truly worshiping God.
Worship Does NOT Begin and End—We Are ALWAYS Worshipping the Creator.
Paul continues to urge Christians in 1 Thessalonians to never cease in rejoicing, prayer, and thankfulness; “for this is God’s will” in Christ (1 Thess. 5.16-18). This Scripture reinforces that our actions, attitudes, and our gratitude are all forms of worship that extend into every moment of our lives.
Our Worship Is NOT Necessary to God
Bob Kauflin comments on this subject in his article, titled “Worship Isn’t About You,” that God is inviting us to “join him in what he is already doing.” This relates to Scripture in Philippians, which states that “it is God who works” within us to “will” and “act” in order to “fulfill His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Thus, God presents worship to us as a way of joining in His work, in recognizing His will, and in acting according to His purposes.
John Folmar discusses a few common practices of worship in the world that contradict God’s will in his article, titled “Why Christians Can’t Stop Singing.” He includes festivals, sacrifices and rituals—ironically all attempting to earn or contribute to God’s acceptance. This is concluded by Folmar to be one of ultimately two kinds of religion: “the religion of Do.” To discover the second kind, keep reading—I promise it’s coming!!
Conclusion
For the sake of conclusion, I will end with a discussion of John Folmar’s second kind of religion: “the religion of Done” (Just as promised!!). The book of Hebrews examines Christ’s efficiency, in that He has no need to make daily sacrifices for his sins, or for those “of the people,” because he has already made the ultimate sacrifice— “once and for all” (Heb. 7.27). How deep the Fathers’ love runs for us—that God would send His only Son down to earth, in the form of man, to dwell among us as an example for His will on our worship. This information alone is sufficient that we in return have no response other than to be in complete awe and wonder of every aspect of God—all the more surrendered to worshipping His holy and precious name with everything that we are.
To what standard must we hold for which we offer worship to the One who orchestrates all things? Our worship should be a Christ-like fragrance “rising up to God,” (2 Corinth. 2.15) and His praise must remain “forever on our lips” (Psalm 71.8). We are to welcome the quiet, solitary moments of our lives as personal worship opportunities.
On the other hand, we must remember that God doesn’t need us for worship. He allows us to take part in it out of our gratitude for His love and mercy. We sing for the glorification of God—that it may be of a sweet-smelling fragrance before His throne. We must sing with wholehearted surrender in obedience to the Father, both in spirit and in truth, reminding ourselves that communal worship is not defined by the talents of those leading or the song selections each week, but by our heart posture during, before, and after worshipping the Lord. We have been chosen by God to be a part of His amazing rescue mission for mankind, therefore we must recognize that if our worship is lacking these standards, it will quickly result in callous, meaningless, empty and distorted worship.
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