What is Worship?

Romans 12:1–2 KJV 1900

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Introduction

Throughout 2022 we have explored six different themes to help us grow in our relationship with Christ: Prayer, Evangelism, Discipleship, Fellowship, Ministry and Worship. Today our text answers an important question. What is Worship?

Though the Bible doesn’t give a formal definition of worship we can note what various words for worship mean. The English word worship comes from two old English words. Weorth, which means “Worth,” and scipe or ship, which means something like shape or quality. We can see the Old English word ship in modern words like friendship and sportsmanship - that is the quality of being a friend or the quality of being a good sport. So worth ship is the quality of having worth or being worthy. When we worship, we are saying God has worth, that he is worthy. Worship means to declare worth, to attribute worth. Put in Biblical terms, we praise God. We speak or sing about how good and powerful God is. Doing so is the purpose for which we were called

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

In the Bible there are two major kinds of words for worship. The first means to bow down, to kneel, to put one’s face down as an act of respect or submission. Our body language is saying, I will do whatever you want me to. the other kind of Biblical word means to serve. Roughly half of the time these words are translated as worship, and the other half as serve. It carries the idea of doing something for God - making a sacrifice or carrying out his instructions.

Word meanings don’t prove what worship is, but they do illustrate three kinds of worship:

Worship that involves speaking.

Worship that involves listening

Worship that involves doing.

Too often we limit worship to the songs we sing, the words we preach and the thoughts we think. In our thinking we must move worship from the four walls of our church to every aspect of our lives. All talk and no action does not show God the respect he deserves. Actions speak louder than words, and if our behavior isn’t changed by God, then our actions are saying God isn’t that important. He’s a nice idea, but not relevant to our day-to-day lives. When we really believe that God is worthy of every praise, then we will be willing to listen and to change the way we live in response to such a worthy God. We will trust him and seek him and want to please him as much as we can. Worship should affect our behavior.

In the Book of Romans Paul has been speaking to us about our faith he takes us down a road from sin to salvation to sanctification to sovereignty and finally to service. In Romans 12:1 and 2 Paul reveals 4 elements of worship. Just as there are basic elements of nature: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. There are basic elements of Worship. Let’s examine them this morning.

Body

I. The First Element of Worship is to Present our Soul to God

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

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

Paul says I beseech you, the Greek word here is Parakaleo . Paul is urging or begging them. You will notice that the premise of this begging is the mercies of God. He identifies them as brethren. What is the significance of this? He recognizes them as believers. They had to come to a personal relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

John 3:3 KJV 1900

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

This morning we will celebrate with Finn his Baptism it reflects his decision to place his faith in Jesus. He prayed and asked Jesus to forgive his sin and to be his savior.

Have you presented your soul to God? Have you been born again?

II. The Second Element of Worship is to Present our Body to God

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

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

The second component of Worship is to offer our body to God.

Romans 6:12–13 KJV 1900

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 KJV 1900

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Have you presented your body to God? Have you said yes to God and no to the sins of the flesh?

III. The Third Element of Worship is to Present our Mind to God

Romans 12:2 KJV 1900

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Are you conformed to the World or are you renewed in your mind.

Philippians 2:5–8 KJV 1900

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV 1900

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Have you presented your mind to God? Have you hid his word in your heart? Have you allowed him to control your thought life?

IV. The Fourth Element of Worship is to Present our Will to God

Romans 12:2 KJV 1900

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Philippians 2:13 KJV 1900

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Most Christian I know don’t lack a knowledge of what God wants them to do. They lack a surrender of their will to his.

Have you presented your will to God? Have you made his will yours?

Conclusion

So worth ship is the quality of having worth or being worthy. When we worship, we are saying God has worth, that he is worthy. Worship means to declare worth, to attribute worth. When we really believe that God is worthy of every praise, then we will be willing to listen and to change the way we live in response to such a worthy God. We will trust him and seek him and want to please him as much as we can. Worship should affect our behavior.

Are we really worshipping God? Not just on Sunday when we sing and preach and give and pray. But in how we live all week long.

Have we presented our soul to God?

Have we presented our body to God?

Have we presented our mind to God?

Have we presented our will to God?