What is Worship?

Intro:

For the next 2 months … before we moving into the Gospel of John … I would like for us to spend some time studying and seeking the Lord on the subject of Worship

Psalm 103:1 - “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”

This is a call to worship … the psalmist is calling all who hear or read these words … he is calling us to put our eyes on the Lord and bless him (praise him) with all our heart, soul, mind and strength

When was the last time your heart yearned to worship the Lord?

When was the last time you could not hold yourself back from praising him?

As we spend these next weeks studying about worship … we are going to talk about the relationship between things like ...

Worship and our own transformation

Worship and sacrifice

Worship and spiritual warfare

Worship and our relationship with others

The goal is not that we would simply deepen our understanding about what worship is … but that we would also deepen our experience in worship

That through seeing worship in the Bible … through understanding why we worship … through discovering the way that worship changes our lives and relationships ...

That as we learn and study and seek the Lord in these things … he would pull us into more worship … that he would give us a deep yearning in our hearts to worship him … with worship that goes beyond our comfort zones

As we begin this series, we are going to focus first on a very important question: “What is worship?”

What is worship?

Whenever you ask that question … you receive a variety of answers

“Worship is what I do when I go to church (worship service)”

“Worship is singing songs to Jesus”

“Worship is obeying the commands of the Bible”

“Worship is spending time in prayer and reading the Bible”

Now, these are great answers … but to a different question

These answers answer the question, “How do you worship the Lord?”

But they don’t answer the question, “What is worship?”

Rather than jumping right into a definition … let’s take a few minutes to consider what worship looks like

How can you spot a worshiper? How can you spot someone who loves to worship Jesus?

One thing that I have learned over the years is that … the heart of a worship comes out when they pray

Matthew 12:34 (ESV)

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:34 (新改訳2017)

心に満ちていることを口が話すのです。

The thoughts and desires of our hearts come out in our conversation … we would like to think that we can hide what is in our hearts … but when we open our mouths … when we get into conversations … those things naturally begin to come out … (and sometime we wish we would have never opened our mouths!)

But the same is true in our conversations with the Lord … our hearts’ thoughts and desires come out when we have a conversation with Jesus

And when a worshiper prays … that desire to worship … that longing to be in Jesus’ presence … it comes out in their conversation with the Lord

Now, I’m not talking about smooth, well thought-out prayers … but prayers with words that come from the heart … whether they are thought-out or spontaneous

How do you know when a prayer is coming from the heart?

Well, often your heart will be caught and touched by the words of that prayer … your heart will cry out inside, “That’s my desire too! That’s what I’m longing for! That’s what I’m feeling!”

As we seek to find the answer to the question, “What is worship?” … let’s take a look at someone who was a worshiper

Example - Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9–14 新改訳2017

自分は正しいと確信していて、ほかの人々を見下している人たちに、イエスはこのようなたとえを話された。 「二人の人が祈るために宮に上って行った。一人はパリサイ人で、もう一人は取税人であった。 パリサイ人は立って、心の中でこんな祈りをした。『神よ。私がほかの人たちのように、奪い取る者、不正な者、姦淫する者でないこと、あるいは、この取税人のようでないことを感謝します。 私は週に二度断食し、自分が得ているすべてのものから、十分の一を献げております。』 一方、取税人は遠く離れて立ち、目を天に向けようともせず、自分の胸をたたいて言った。『神様、罪人の私をあわれんでください。』 あなたがたに言いますが、義と認められて家に帰ったのは、あのパリサイ人ではなく、この人です。だれでも自分を高くする者は低くされ、自分を低くする者は高くされるのです。」

Now, when Jesus tells this story, he is speaking against religious self-righteousness … but it also gives us a glimpse into worship

What we can see in this story is a contrast of real worship and fake worship

In this story, we see two characters: a Pharisee and a tax collector

The Pharisee represents those who believe they are more spiritual than others … those who are always concerned about following religious rules

The tax collector represents those who have completely turned away from God … those who are living lives full of sin

Notice how the religious prayer of the Pharisee wasn’t a conversation with God … or even a time of making requests to God … it was simply boasting to God

I am not like other men … I am not an extortioner ... unjust … an adulterer … I am not like this tax collector …

I fast twice a week … I give tithes of all that I get

This was not a worshipful prayer … it was a self-centered prayer … not a prayer to the Lord … but simply words boasting about himself

We need to be careful, because we can easily fall into the same religious trap … for example …

“I don’t want to sing during worship time because people might hear me” … or the opposite … “I want to be where everyone can hear me sing”

“I don’t want to pray in front of people because I don’t know what to say … I might sound stupid” … or the opposite of making sure our words sound very religious when we pray

Now, these are not the only ways we can fall into this trap … we fall into the Pharisee trap when we seek to lift ourselves up in the eyes of others … instead of seeking to lift the Lord up when we pray, sing, teach, etc...

That is not worship … it is a self-centered attempt to grab some of the Lord’s glory and bring it to ourselves

But look at the prayer of the tax collector … he wouldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven … instead he was beating his chest

‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

It was a simple prayer … not many words … no boasting about how great he was … rather he recognized his sin and sought for mercy

‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ … his prayer was simple … but it was deep … because it came from the depths of his heart … his heart was crying out for mercy

Look at Psalm 103:2-5 (We sing vs. 2 in 主は良いお方)

The psalmist reminds us to be careful we don’t forget the good things the Lord has done for us … look at the list:

He forgives all our iniquity … He heals all our diseases … He redeems our lives from the pit … He crowns us with steadfast love and mercy … He satisfies us with good … He renews our strength …

And the psalm continues with talking about how good the Lord is to us

The prayer of the Pharisee didn’t remember the Lord’s goodness … he was focused on his own goodness … and worship never happens when we are focused on ourselves

But the prayer of the tax collector … he remembered the Lord’s goodness … he had heard about the Lord’s mercy toward sinners … and his heart longed to receive that mercy

So he responded to the Lord’s goodness … he cried out for the Lord to give him that same mercy … to forgive the iniquity of even someone like himself

So what is worship?

Worship is not a specific action … singing songs … obeying God’s word … going to church … etc

Worship is a response

We respond to who God is … because he is worthy to be worshiped

Revelation 4:11 ESV

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:11 新改訳2017

「主よ、私たちの神よ。 あなたこそ 栄光と誉れと力を受けるにふさわしい方。 あなたが万物を創造されました。 みこころのゆえに、それらは存在し、 また創造されたのです。」

We also respond to God’s word - his promises

2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (新改訳2017)

神の約束はことごとく、この方において「はい」となりました。それで私たちは、この方によって「アーメン」と言い、神に栄光を帰するのです。

We worship the Lord because he has given us promises that we can trust … promises enduring to eternal life

Finally, we respond to God for his good works

Psalm 103:2 - “Forget not all his benefits” … we worship the Lord because he does good to us

There are 3 words in the Bible that give meaning to the word “worship”

The Hebrew word ‘shachah’ - it means “to bow down” - physical bowing before the Lord

The Greek word ‘proskuneo’ - it means “to show reverence or obedience” - respecting and obeying the Lord

The Greek word ‘latreuo’ - it means “to serve or minister” - serving the Lord and doing his will

All three of these words come into play when we worship the Lord … because worship involves our attitudes as well as our actions

Worship involves our Attitudes and Actions

When I was growing up … my main chore at my house was to mow the lawn

I didn’t really enjoy mowing the lawn … so I often had to be reminded by my parents to get it done

Now, as a teenager … I had various emotional responses to the phrase, “Go mow the lawn”

I would often say, with a good attitude, “Ok, I’ll do it in a few minutes” … but then not do it, cause I didn’t really want to

That’s a good attitude with no action

After a while, I would again be told to go mow the lawn … sometime numerous times … so I would finally go out and get the mower … start mowing really fast … and really angrily

That’s action with no attitude (or really, a bad attitude)

All that my parents were asking for was that I have both a good attitude and quick action … to mow the lawn without complaining

Worship also involves our attitudes and our actions … and worship can’t take place when one or the other is lacking

Worship also involves our mind, our emotions and our will

When you look at a guitar … there are three things necessary for the guitar to make a beautiful sound

You need the guitar body … you need the guitar strings … you also need hand to play the guitar

A guitar sitting on a wall … it has a body … it has strings … it looks very nice … but notice … it makes no sound

Worship that only involves the mind and emotions is lacking … we may understand deep things about the Lord … we may be moved by his grace … but we still need to take that opportunity to worship him … and that involves our will

A guitar body and hands to play it … but no strings … will make a sound … but it won’t be beautiful … it will be noisy

Worship that only involves our mind and will … it is hollow … it is noisy to the Lord … because it doesn’t bring the beauty of the heart

A guitar with no body … but strings and hands … you might be able to get those string to make a sound … but the sound will have no depth

Worship that involves only our emotions and wills … it is shallow … it is lacking in depth … lacking in understanding … lacking in know the who and why we are worshiping

Just as a guitar need a body, strings and hands to play it to make beautiful music

Worship must involve our minds, our emotions and our wills …

Our wills lead us to actively worship … our emotions bring the beauty and the heart to our worship … and our minds bring depth and understanding to our worship

But more than that … worship involves our minds, emotions and wills because worship involves the whole of who we are

Warren Weirsbe said it this way: “Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.”

As we respond to God in worship … responding to who he is … responding to what he has said … responding to what he has done ...

We bring to him, in attitude and action … our minds, emotions and wills … and we submit ourselves completely to him

Conclusion:

As we spend the next few months studying about worship ...

We don’t want to simply gain a better understanding of what worship is ...

We want to be encouraged to do … and do often … what the psalmist is exhorting us to do :

To “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”