Worship, what it is?
I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. I was born again when I was seven years old and was faithful to my home Baptist church until I was eighteen and called to preach. At that point I went to serve as Youth Pastor and Music Director at another Baptist church.
After answering the call to preach, I went to Bible College and Seminary. I have now been serving the Lord for forty years. I have a pretty good understanding of worship but it is continually being amplified by the Holy Spirit.
Worship is the attitude and acts of reverence we give to God Almighty. The term “worship” from the Hebrew means to bow down or prostrate oneself. The posture indicates reverence and extreme esteem given to God.
The concept of worship is expressed by the word ‘serve’. In general, the worship given to God in Old Testament times was modeled after the service given to human sovereigns and kings.
As is pointed out in the Old Testament, God cannot be worshiped only externally. To truly honor God as an Israelite, it is necessary to obey His laws, moral and ethical standards and ritual laws.
The ideal Israelite worship is depicted in the instruction of Exodus, Leviticus and Number. The most prominent feature is sacrifice.
The most important part of any animal sacrifice was the presentation of the blood on the altar. The life is in the blood.
Many New Testament references reiterate the importance of sacrifice and blood. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says,
“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
Again, 1 Peter 2:24, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
And, 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”
True worship demands that the worshiper relinquish something to the God he esteems. True worship involves the body, mind and spirit of the individual. True worship is total surrender to the God of the Bible.
Jesus left us the example we are to follow. He gave His all for us. He gave His life’s blood for us. True worship demands that we be willing or want to be willing to give our all to Him.
Paul put it this way in Romans 12:1-2,“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
True worship is not the outward form which is expressed by the individual but the inward attitude and adoration the person feels for God Almighty. The outward expression may take on many Biblical forms.
One of the greatest conflicts in the church in recent years has been over the “forms” of worship. The kind of music, the worship dance, the different instruments played, the loudness of the sound system.
None of these in themselves are “wrong”. As I have traveled around the world, I have seen and heard some very interesting forms of worship. I have been able to “plug in” with each culture as it became evident to me and the Holy Spirit showed me the individuals loved my God and were worshiping Him in a form that was suited to their culture and time.
I believe the key is found in Romans 12:1 cited above; “To present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” I can do this in any sincere atmosphere of worship.
My desire is to lay myself on the altar of God and surrender completely to Him. This is my desire in my private worship at home and it is my desire in my public worship with other believers.
It is not my external self that is going to please God. It is my internal attitude, brokenness and humility before Him that pleases Him. Pride and showmanship have no place in the worship which God desires. All the glory and honor is for Him.
Now, let me ask you. Can you worship God with believers who don’t look, act, dress, smell, and express themselves exactly like you do? If not, why not?
Pastor Mike Padgett