How was Worship?

John 4:20–24 NKJV

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 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.”

How was worship?

Recently I read a post that said: “How was worship”? must be removed from our Christian vernacular. “How was worship?” is a question only the object of our worship can answer. Our answer then to this question is revealing of what was REALLY worshiped. Our experience has become the gauge, thus revealing that we in fact don’t worship God, we WORSHIP our experience of worship. In essence, we worship ourselves. Idolatry is a sneaky thing.

Who is qualified to answer the question, “How was worship?” The pastor? The worship leader? The worship team? The congregation? You? Me?

Are we worshiping GOD or are we worshiping our EXPERIENCE of worship?

The Object of Worship

The object of worship is to thank, praise, and glorify God.

Worship involves an ENCOUNTER with God who is holy.

We become like the thing we worship.

Psalm 115:1–8 NKJV

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

We will either bear the image and likeness of God or we will imitate something or someone else.

Worship is NOT

Singing

Instruments

Clapping

Uplifted hands

Dancing

Atmosphere manipulation (stage lights, dimmed lights, strobes, disco balls, fog machines, projection)

Hymn books

Worship can be EXPRESSED with these things.

Characteristics of True Worship

From the heart

Matthew 15:7–9 NKJV

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Worship that does not come from the heart is “hypocritical” worship. It is fake worship. It is an actor.

Sacrifice

Ancient worship involved offering a sacrifice at an altar.

Sacrifice involves

Cost

1 Chronicles 21:24 NKJV

Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”

Surrender: Laying down our life as a living sacrifice.

Isaiah 6:8 NKJV

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Romans 12:1 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Jesus is our supreme example of surrender.

Fear of God

Isaiah 57:11 NKJV

“And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me?

Worship is an encounter with God who is Sovereign, Creator, Lawgiver, Judge, and Executioner of wrath. At those moments we realize how great He is and how unworthy and corrupt we are.

Isaiah 6:1–5 NKJV

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

We will all stand before Him one day to give account of our lives in light of His commands. Are you ready?

Matthew 10:28 NKJV

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

There is no one who will stand in the presence of the LORD and will not experience the fearful reality that apart from the Person and work of Christ on the Cross, we are undone.

Isaiah 6:6–7 NKJV

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4–5 NKJV

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

As bad as life may be at times, God has been better to us than what we deserve.

God has not given us mercy and grace.

Those who feel they deserve better will never worship.

Praise

Praise is exalting God for the great things He has done.

Psalm 145:1–4 NKJV

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

Worship of God as King

Worship is honoring God for Who He is.

Psalm 99:5 NKJV

Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy.

Psalm 132:7 NKJV

Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool.

Response to the Word

Will you come to God with your whole heart?

Will you offer your life as a sacrifice in complete surrender to His will?

Will you give your heart and life to Jesus?