Old Testament: Psalm 96 NKJV
New Testament: John 4:1-26 NASB
What is worship? What does it mean to worship God, or any other person or thing? What is God's expectation for how we are to approach Him in worship? Does worship just mean sitting in a church for an hour or two, or does it mean something else? During the sermon that I will preaching today (10MAY2014), I will be addressing these topics. I will also examine them here in this post. However, do remember, whole books have been written on the topic of Christian worship. A blog post cannot encompass all of that, but I hope to bestow some clarity upon it.
Having grown up in the Presbyterian Church (USA), I had the opportunity to learn about various church writings in what we call the Book of Confessions. They are not Scripture, but are used to help explain what Scripture means to us as Christians. One part of our Book of Confessions is the Shorter and Larger Catechism. They are written in a question and answer format to help Christians better understand what they believe and why. I will be quoting from a PDF version that I downloaded onto my computer a while ago. And, yes, it is written in King James format.
Shorter Catechism Q1 & A1 (PC USA Book of Confessions, 2014, page 245)
7.001 Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God,1 and to enjoy him forever.
7.002 Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.
7.003 Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
I am starting off with this quote from the Shorter Catechism because it encapsulates, I believe, what worship is all about. That is, God created us to have a relationship with Him, a personal relationship. With God being the Creator and we being the product of His creation, our relationship with Him is to be one of awe, reverence, and of thankfulness. All of which, as we will see here shortly, are all aspects of worship.
The on-line Definition of Worship (from www.merriam-webster.com)states:
- The act of showing respect and love for a god, especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god;
- the act of worshiping a god; A form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
- extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem (worship of the dollar) or person
In other words, worship is holding something dear to us, that we pay homage to, that we greatly esteem. One example would be a hero that a person has, like a soldier, a firefighter, a particular movie star, etc. In holding such a person in high esteem, we strive to imitate that person, the take on the characteristics of him or her that we respect. Holding a person in high esteem can be a good thing. Children learn by imitating the people they see around them. They learn what is good about certain people and what isn't.
However, though we learn from modeling others, there is a difference between having a person as a role model and actually worshipping them. From a scriptural standpoint, we are called to respect and love those around us (which includes having people as role models) and worshipping God who created the heavens, the earth, and all that is included. Some people might just see things as mere semantics. From my faith perspective, there is a huge difference.
Through out the Old Testament, there are many examples of people giving sacrifices to God, to idols representing all sorts of deities, and ways that they went about worshipping their Gods. One of the things that really stands out to me is that, through out the Old Testament, having a personal relationship with God was an exception, not the rule. Adam and Eve initially had perfect fellowship with each other and with God, walking and talking with Him, in the Garden of Eden. But, after the Fall, all fellowship/relationships became broken. Between us and God, between all people, between us and the world around us, etc. In spite of that, God still sought out people who would fellowship with Him. However, because God is a holy God and we are a sinful and broken people, that fellowship usually had to include various kinds of sacrifices in order to 'cover' our sins and enable us to be in God's presence. Different people like Moses, Abraham, Joshua, David, etc., related to God in unique ways. And, unfortunately, all of them made some very bad decisions while seeking to 'walk with God' (a way of worshipping Him). But yet, because of their attitudes, God would accept their repentant hearts and fellowship with them again.
But yet, even though all people were called to worship God. Not everyone was able to fellowship with God, to enjoy a deep and intimate relationship with Him. People like Moses, Abraham, Jeremiah, etc., all enjoyed a very unique walk with God that most other people were only able to watch. Such a relationship was a rarity. Though many people genuinely sought to love God with all their heart and sole and live a life of obedience, it was most often at a distance.
As time went one and the Nation of Israel became established, the ways in which God called His followers to approach and worship Him became much more detailed and specific. To be able to come into God's presence at the Temple required a sacrifice to be made of some sort, depending on what the reason for approaching God was. God was very detailed with what He expected to be done. Though people could seek God in prayer outside of the Temple at any time; at the Temple, very specific requirements had to be made.
One of the things that was emphasized in the worship at the Temple was that, in order for us sinful human beings to approach a holy God, a sacrifice had to be made. Usually it was a form of an animal, grain, drink, or a combination there of. This continued on for generations until the time of Christ.
In our second Scripture passage, we see Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman. As the passage hints to, there was a deep prejudice that Jews had towards Samaritans. Jews avoided them whenever possible, looked down at, and derided them, etc. But yet, here was Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman. Not just any Samaritan woman who strove to live by God's standards, but who had numerous husbands and was currently living with a man who wasn't married to her. The text doesn't go into detail about why she had been married so many times, but it is clear that it wasn't something that God approved. Such a woman of 'loose morals' would have been the subject of a righteous Jew's great derision. But yet, here is Jesus (as John 1 states, was 'God in the flesh,'), talking with her, inviting her to have fellowship with Him. Jesus corrected several misconceptions she had of worship, and did it in a way that called her to not just change her heart, but to excitedly invite others to meet Him!
Upon dying for our sins and being raised for our justification (as Paul writes extensively about in the first several chapters of Romans), God provided a way for us to come into God's presence as we are. Having been put to death as a criminal and traitor, He paid our penalty of rebellion against Him. Now, through the Holy Spirit, each and every one of us is able to come into God's presence and have a personal and intimate relationship with our Creator. He is still a holy and righteous God, and we are still broken and sinful. But yet, because God is also loving and forgiving, He provided a way for us to have a personal relationship with Him that satisfies His holiness.
Now, when we think of worship today, things like liturgical services, grand cathedrals, small town churches, organ music, amongst many other things, often come to mind. All of these things are vehicles for enabling us to worship God. However, organ music, praise and worship music, a grand cathedral or even a small country church, are not necessary to enter into worship with God. They are not essential.
What is essential is one's attitude. No matter what denomination a person affiliates themselves with, no matter what kind of worship style one prefers, or the kind of music one loves to listen to, they are not essential for worship. What is essential for worship is knowing who God is (which is a life long process and journey!), knowing who we are in relationship to Him, and seeking Him in love, awe, thankfulness and with obedience.
As our Creator, God deserves our worship. As a loving and forgiving God, in spite of what any of us have done in thought, word, and deed, God is even much more deserving of our adoration and love. Think about it... The same holy God that created the vast universe, all of the stars and planets, all that we know, not only created you and me, but enabled a rebellious creation to come back into fellowship with Him. How incredibly wonderful and awesome is that!?
God calls us to approach Him with a thankful heart. One that is thankful for not just creating us, but through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, to daily recreate us. He loves us so much that He not only calls us as we are, but then calls us to be changed and become more like Him. God calls us to come to Him wanting to learn more about Him. Not just that, though, but to take what we have learned and teach it to others.
God's intention for the Nation of Israel was to use them as a light and beacon of home to the world around them. God's intent was that, though Israel's love for God and service to Him, the people of other nations would be drawn to God through them. That is God's intent through the Church. By that, I don't mean any particular congregation, Bible study group, etc. What I mean by Church with a big 'C' is the whole Body of Christ. That means, all of us who follow Christ, past, present, and future.
Worship isn't just about coming together, hearing Scripture read and expounded upon, singing songs, etc. For us to truly worship God, we need to allow Him to change each and every one of us. If we truly worship God, we listen to what His Word says, as is found in the Bible. Upon hearing His Word and allowing it to take root in our hearts, we open ourselves to being changed by God into the person that God wants us to be. Just as when we have a relationship with a fellow human being, if we truly have a relationship with them, things they do and say change us. Just the same as the things we say and do change them. The change can be for the good, or for bad. But, as we interact with others, change will happen. The same is to be with our relationship with God. But, it just doesn't end there.
What is awesome is that worshipping God can be doing personal devotions or Bible reading, it can be while walking around your neighborhood, it can be done while doing acts of service for others, it can be done while praying for or even with people, etc. Worship is an act, it is an attitude towards God and others. The means to enable you to worship (the building, use of liturgy, type of music, etc.) not as important as the attitude you bring to God and to others. An attitude of "God, here I am, use me and change me according to Your will" is much more meaningful and wonderful in God's eyes than any fancy song, building, etc. God wants us to come together, to fellowship with Him, to fellowship with others, and to be changed so that, through us, God can change others.
Just as God intended Israel to be a light to the world around them, God calls us to be His witnesses. Through the hearing of God's Word, through prayer, and through listening for God's guidance, God wants to teach and prepare us. Not just fellowship with Him, but to become His ambassadors to the world around us. And, it is not a 'one time deal.' God calls us to this kind of living worship through out our journey in this world and with Him. Let us, then, prayerfully seek not only to know who God is, but to know Him personally. And, in knowing Him personally, to be changed and, by His Grace, be instruments of change to the world around us.
RC
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