Session 7:What is Worship?
Notes
Transcript
Anchored Life — Session 7: “What Is Worship?
Anchored Life — Session 7: “What Is Worship?
Main Text: Romans 12:1–2
Theme: Worship is more than singing — it is a whole-life response to the mercies of God.
1. Opening & Review
1. Opening & Review
Alright guys, well i want to start off by saying, that we have gone through lots of differnt sessions through anchored life.
But i want to start off by saying all of these sessions that we have gone through there is so much more that we could talk about during them, basically i want to say that these sessions are more of a majore overview of the topics we have gone through.
And so if you have any questions, or maybe somethings do not make sense, the feel free to ask Belinda, Myself, or Brandon, and we would love to answer any questions that you may have, and if we do not know the answer, we will try our best or find somene that can answer the question you may have.
Also, i May be teaching the anchored life stuff, but this by no means means that i am an expert in the Bible or on the topic that we are talking about, All i do i read the bible, and listen to scholars who are smarter than me, and try to share it in a way that you may understand.
And so to some this up, the Bible is the ultimate authority of all that i say, evrything that I say, is not my interretation unless i say it is, but the Bible is the ultimate authority of what i share with you guys..
any questions?
Last week we talked about “What is the Church and why does it matter.”
Who remembers some key things we learned?
The Church isn’t a building you go to; it’s a people you belong to.
The Church is God’s family, Christ’s body, and the temple of the Holy Spirit.
We gather to learn God’s Word, do life together, pray, worship, and live on mission.
That’s what the Church does.
But today we’re going to zoom in on one of those things …Worship …
We are goint to explore that worship isn’t just what happens during music time; it’s what happens when your whole life belongs to God.
2. Meaning of Worship
2. Meaning of Worship
When I say the word worship, what comes to mind?
(youth answer: music, hands raised, church service, band, etc.)
Most people think worship = music.
But biblically, worship is the response of the whole person to the greatness of God.
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament, shachah, means to bow down, to fall flat before a king.
and this word is often translated or it implies to the word worship in the old testament our bibles
The Greek word in the New Testament, proskuneo, means to kiss toward, to honor, to show reverence.
Both of these words show up a combined 235 times. But these words are often used in the topic of worship in the Bible.
In other words:
Worship is a heart posture of awe and surrender before a holy God.
A.W. Tozer wrote,
“Worship is to feel in the heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder.”
So before worship is ever a song, it’s a response.
3. A Living Sacrifice Romans 12:1–2
3. A Living Sacrifice Romans 12:1–2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
This is Paul’s definition of worship — not confined to a temple or a tune, but a transformed life.
Before we unpack this, notice the “therefore.”
Paul has spent the first 11 chapters of Romans explaining what God has done for us — our sin, Christ’s sacrifice, justification by faith, and the outpouring of God’s mercy.
Now he pivots: because of all that, He brings up here’s how we respond.
John Stott called Romans 12:1
“the hinge between doctrine and duty.”
Meaning what God has done for us, to now what our respose needs to be
When he says, “I urge you,” the Greek word parakaleō means to plead or encourage.
EssentiallyPaul is saying , “In view of everything God has done, the only fitting response is worship.”
R. C. Sproul put it this way:
“Sound theology (Study of God) inevitably produces doxology ( Praise) ; to know God truly is to worship Him deeply.” R.C Sproul
Then Paul describes what that worship looks like:
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”
Does anyone know what he means by that ?
When Paul says, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice,” he’s drawing from the Old Testament idea of bringing an offering to God — something wholly devoted and set apart.
But now, through Jesus, the sacrifice isn’t an animal; it’s us.
He’s saying, “Offer every part of yourself — your actions, your thoughts, your time, your energy — completely to God.”
In the old system, the sacrifice died. In the new, we live — every day, every choice, every moment, for Him.
A.W. Tozer once said,
“The true worshiper’s heart says, ‘Lord, You can have all of me.’”
A.W Tozer
So Paul’s point is simple: real worship isn’t a single act; it’s a surrendered life — alive to God, offered in love.
As Wayne Grudem says in one of his books,
“All of life is now the sphere of worship.”
But that life needs transformed by the word of God, not conformed to people and things of this earth.
“Do not be conformed to this world” means don’t let the culture around you squeeze you into its mold;
But be “be transformed” (metamorphoō) means continual inner change through the renewing of your mind by Scripture and the Spirit.
In short, Paul is saying that true worship isn’t about a moment or a melody
But guys worship is the continual, transformed response of a life surrendered to God’s mercy.
That’s Paul’s picture of true worship — not confined to a temple or a tune, or today it would be a church and loud songs..
But the Heart of worship is a transformed life responding to the mercy of God.
And that echoes what Solomon who was one of the most famous and wealthiest kings of Israel realized after testing everything the world could offer. In Ecclesiastes 12:13 he concludes,
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
That’s worship—a life of reverent awe and obedience. Solomon also warned,
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
Worship isn’t noisy activity; it’s a humble, obedient heart before the Creator.
So when Paul calls us to offer our lives as “living sacrifices,” he’s describing that same wisdom—a life of reverence and Humiltiy offered before God.
4. The Motivation for Worship
4. The Motivation for Worship
Now that we’ve seen what worship is—a life offered to God—But before i go further does anyone know why we worship?
When Paul says, “by the mercies of God,” he’s summing up everything he’s already written in Romans 1–11.
He’s saying: “Before I tell you how to live, remember what God has done.”
Romans is basically a portrait of God’s mercy in motion.
In chapters 1–3, Paul shows that all humanity — Jew and Gentile alike — has fallen short of God’s glory. We’ve all exchanged the truth of God for lies.
Worship was broken. Instead of glorifying the Creator, we worshiped creation.
But then, in Romans 3–5, God steps in with mercy. Through Jesus Christ, He declares the guilty righteous.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In Romans 6–8, Paul shows how mercy doesn’t just forgive us — it transforms us. We were slaves to sin, but now we’re alive to God and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
And in Romans 9–11, Paul lifts our eyes even higher — showing that God’s mercy stretches beyond Israel to all nations. He’s weaving one great story of redemption, proving He’s faithful to His promises.
So when we reach Romans 12:1, Paul’s saying: “In view of all that — in view of this unbelievable mercy worship!”
Worship is not earning something; it’s responding to something.
John Piper says,
“Worship is what happens when the heart treasures God above all things because of what He’s done in the gospel.”
This is what ties Romans to the whole Bible story.
From Genesis to Revelation, worship is the natural response to redemption.
In Genesis, God creates people to walk with Him in worship.
In Exodus, He redeems Israel from Egypt so they may worship Him.
In the Psalms, God’s people sing His praises for His steadfast love.
In the Gospels, the God himslef comes to restore true worship.
And in Revelation, every tribe and tongue falls before the Lamb, crying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!”
So Paul is showing that the gospel restores what sin destroyed — it turns rebels and once enemies of God into worshipers again.
That’s why we worship — because mercy has found us, and grace has made us new.
We worship God not because we must, but because He alone is worthy of every ounce of glory our hearts could ever give.
5. The Manner of Worship — A Living Sacrifice
5. The Manner of Worship — A Living Sacrifice
Paul says, “Present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice.”
Again Paul is pulling imagery from the Old Testament sacrificial system.
In the OT, worship involved sacrifice — bringing your best lamb, your first fruits, your offering to the altar as a sign of total devotion to God. And you would offer it to God.
Today that would be like offering your paycheque.. And not just abit of your paycheque, but the firstfruits, or the best/ the most of your paycheque to God.
But now, in Christ, the final sacrifice has been made.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, fulfilled what every burnt offering in the OT pointed to.
So we no longer bring animals — we bring ourselves.
We are the offering!
Wayne Grudem writes,
“The entire New Testament picture of worship assumes that believers have access to God through Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, and that all of life is now the sphere of worship.”
“Living sacrifice” means your life is placed daily on the altar — your body, mind, habits, choices, entertainment, friendships, and words — all surrendered to His glory.
It’s as if Paul is saying, “Stop crawling off the altar.”
True worship stays surrendered, even when it’s uncomfortable.
“But notice Paul doesn’t just say ‘a living sacrifice’ — he adds ‘holy and Pleasing to God.’
That tells us something important: not every act of worship is automatically pleasing to Him.
In the OT they would have to bring the besto of there animals to sacrifice, it would have to be a lamb or animal without blemish, or without any defects or marks.
The sacrifcie had to be acceptable,the same goes for worship.
If there’s worship that’s acceptable, then there must also be worship that’s unacceptable.
That’s where Paul leads us next — to help us see the difference between true worship and false worship.”
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
That’s where Paul leads us next — to help us see the difference between true worship and false worship.”
6. False Worship — Pleasing vs. Displeasing Worship
6. False Worship — Pleasing vs. Displeasing Worship
If there’s true worship, then there must also be false worship.
All throughout Scripture, God makes it clear that not all worship is acceptable to Him. Paul highlights this in Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
That little word Pleasing carries massive weight.
It means “acceptable” “approved,” or “well-received.”
And if there’s worship that pleases God, there must also be worship that displeases Him.
a) Pleasing Worship
a) Pleasing Worship
Paul is showing us that worship isn’t about how it makes us feel — it’s about whether God is pleased with it.
The phrase “living sacrifice” goes beyond singing or attending church. It means your whole self — mind, body, actions, desires, habits — is laid down before God every day.
And here’s what’s sobering: God sets the standard for what He accepts.
We don’t define what worship is — He does.
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
That’s Paul’s way of saying, “Don’t give your life to sin anymore — give it to God!”
Your body, your mind, your choices — they’re no longer yours.
They belong to the One who raised you from spiritual death.
Paul continues a couple verses later to say
Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
So if your life is offered to sin — even if your lips sing songs to God — your worship is misdirected.
True worship begins when your daily obedience becomes your act of praise.
The believer’s life is meant to be one long offering of righteousness.
True worship, True relationship comes from the heart.
one of my favorte verses in the bible is this verse in Samuel, when Samuel is looking fior the next king of Israel, and Samuel is looking on the outward appeance of what na king should look like but God says these words.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
That is the same for worship, we sometimes thinking worship needs to look a certain way, but what really matters is the way sees. God sees the authenicay, or the reallness of your worship.
b) Displeasing Worship
b) Displeasing Worship
So that leads to this next subpoint, there is a displeasing ways to worship God
We see this all over Scripture.
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4): both brought offerings, but only Abel’s was accepted — because his heart and his faith were right before God (Hebrews 11:4).
Israel in Amos 5: God says, “I hate your festivals… let justice roll down like waters.”Their songs were loud, their gatherings were full, but their hearts were corrupt.
Isaiah 1: God tells His people, “Your hands are full of blood. Bring no more vain offerings.”
What was the problem?
Their lives didn’t match their worship.
They were offering God the right words but the wrong hearts.
And that’s the danger for us too — we can show up to sing songs, raise our hands, and say all the right things, Pray to God all the words that we know sounds correct…
yet live in a way that contradicts the worship we claim to give.
God doesn’t want performance; He wants purity.
He doesn’t want applause; He wants obedience.\
It Comes down to again God wants your heart..
c) The Call to True Worship
c) The Call to True Worship
So what does pleasing worship look like in real life?
It’s living as one who truly belongs to God —
renouncing sin, denying yourself, taking up your cross daily (Luke 9:23),
and following Jesus Christ, the perfect embodiment of living, holy, and pleasing worship.
Think about it — Jesus is the ultimate example of Romans 12:1.
He gave His body — literally — as a living, holy, pleasing sacrifice to God.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
That’s the pattern for our worship.
We worship by following His example of obedience and surrender.
This means every decision, every conversation, every moment becomes part of our worship.
How you work.
How you forgive.
How you serve others.
How you treat your family.
How you handle temptation.
Each of these is an altar where worship happens — or doesn’t.
Summary:
Summary:
To truly worship God means to live in a way that He Himself finds pleasing —
a life surrendered, holy, and transformed,
where every part of you declares His worth.
Anything less — no matter how passionate or emotional — is false worship.
True worship isn’t measured by how loud we sing,
but by how fully we live for Him.
7. The Heart Of Worship
7. The Heart Of Worship
True worship begins in the heart — not on the stage, not with a song, but with surrender.
Jesus said in Matthew 15:8–9
‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
That’s one of the most sobering statements in the Bible.
It means it’s possible to look like a worshiper and yet completely miss God.
You can sing every lyric, lift your hands high, and still be far from Him.
God isn’t after performance, God wants your Heart. He wants you to know Him, to live for Him
He doesn’t want perfect notes; He wants a repentant heart. A heart that Hates Sin. And is thankful for mercy he showed us.
For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.
David, after his deepest sin, realized what real worship is — not bringing God our strength, but bringing Him our surrender.
When our hearts are broken over sin and burning with love for Him, that is the kind of worship that moves heaven.
Because that’s the kind of worship God’s Spirit produces — genuine, humble, and holy.
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Because worship is always born out of remembrance — not of who we are, but of who He is.
Conclsuion
Conclsuion
Everything we’ve talked about tonight leads back to one simple truth:
Worship is not something you attend — it’s something you live.
Paul said, “In view of God’s mercy…” — that’s where worship begins.
Not in what we do for God, but in remembering what He has already done for us.
Jesus gave His life as the perfect sacrifice, and now He calls us to give our lives in response —
not to earn His love, but because we’ve already received it.
Worship is when your heart says,
“God, You can have all of me — my time, my thoughts, my words, my actions.”
It’s living every day with the same posture you’d have on your knees — surrendered, grateful, and in awe.
Because true worship isn’t measured by how loud we sing, but by how fully we live for Him.
So as we close, remember this:
Worship is my response to God’s mercy —
a surrendered heart, a transformed mind, and a life that says,
