Worship Biblically

Chuckle: “I hooked up my accelerator pedal in my car to my brake lights. I hit the gas, people behind me stop, and I'm gone.” --Steven Wright

Quote: "There is only one perfect act of worship ever offered and that was the life of Jesus Christ himself. From His conception to His ascension, He ever offers that life to the Father as the perfect act of worship in Heaven, and when we worship all we do is join Him." --Fr Peter Ball

BE BIBLICAL IN WORSHIP

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (John 4:23 NIV). "Do not worship any other gods besides me" (Exodus 20:3 NLT)

The Biblical vocabulary for worship is extensive. However, I think the primary components of worship are summarized in adoration and service, with special emphasis on service. As we look at these two acts of worship, we should always do so in light of what the Scriptures tell us about God and what it means to truly worship Him. We must exercise great care that we worship God only as He has instructed us in His Word. Basically, worship is always pictured as human response to God's revelation of Himself.

Adoration is the foundation of worship and pictures the redeemed person contemplating the grandeur of God and loving and praising Him in his holy perfection. The Biblical picture of worship is to prostrate oneself on the ground before God in adoration, awe, and reverence.

Of course worship can be perverted and directed to false gods. In Biblical times people often fashioned gods out of stone, wood, gold, silver, etc. We Christians are quick to say we are beyond such fallacious worship of idols. However, If possessions (cars, houses, boats, jewelry, money, etc.) become more important to us than our worship of God, we have in reality bowed down to false gods. In worship, we are to seek after the God of Scripture and walk with Him and worship only Him in spirit and in truth.

The other Scriptural essential concept of worship is service. I’m told by Greek scholars that a Greek word in the New Testament (latreuo) is particularly helpful in our understanding of worship. This word is sometimes translated "to worship" (Philippians 3:3), and is often translated "to serve" (Matthew 4:10).

There is no doubt that reverent adoration and faithful service are both Biblical expressions of worship. However, both must be directed only toward pleasing God and bringing Him glory. We see in Isaiah 6 that both concepts, adoration and service, were combined beautifully. Isaiah was brought to a reverent recognition of God's holiness and his own sinfulness before God could purify and use him for His service (Isaiah 6:1-9).

Prayer, music, confession, adoration and service are all actions of Biblical worship. However, these actions must be performed with attitudes of love, reverence, humility, faithful submission, obedience, thanksgiving, and rejoicing. It is through both individual and corporate worship that believers discover their God-given purpose in adoring (loving) and serving God.

Love, Jerry & Dotse