Worship: Style Verses Substance
Part I
Psalm 2:11
Purpose: To explain some of the main elements of biblical worship.
Aim: I want the listener to work at focusing on God more and on everything else less.
INTRODUCTION: Everybody worships. Worship is the reason we exist. Worship is a part of who we are as humans. The question is not IF you will worship, but WHAT you will worship.
Christian churches in America seem obsessed with the style of worship. There are those who will leave a church or try to split one just because they want a different style of worship. They prefer electronic keyboards to organs, individual chairs instead of pews, and they insist that they have to have music with a rock beat. All of those things may or may not be good, but they all have to do with the style, not with the substance of worship. Paul goes so far as to warn us, to avoid those who are . . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form [i.e. style] of godliness, although they have denied its power . . . . (2 Timothy 3:4-5 NAU)
The Bible does not say much about the style of our worship, but it does have a lot to say about the substance of our worship. But, before we can explore what kind of worship God requires we need to understand what worship is.
I. What Is Worship?
The word most often used in the OT for worship means: 7812.שָחָה shâchâh, shaw-khaw’; a root; to depress, prostrate (in homage to royalty or God):— bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.[Strong, J. (1997, c1996). The new Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words (H7812). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.]
The NT word for worship is similar it means: “to fall down and prostrate oneself, to kiss, or to reverence ”
✔ Biblical worship is an expression of intense love for God with a deep sense of reverence.
When Christ walked this earth, the Scribes said that there were 613 religious regulations. They agreed on the number of regulations, but they constantly argued about which regulation was the most important. One day they tried to draw Jesus into this debate. ☛ Mark 12:28-30 28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, [by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5] “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (NAU)
That is worship! This is why the first commandment is “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
II. How Can We Tell When Worship is Real?
A. Worship is not ritual
☛ Mark 12:32-34 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” . . . . (NAU)
Jesus did not give us a check list that must be completed before worship could happen. He made it clear that worship is adoring God with all of the heart and nothing more.
Many years earlier God told us what He loves: Hosea 6:6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, [i.e. ritual] And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (NAU)
B. Worship does not require a place
☛ John 4:19-21 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. (NAU)
Worship does not require a place that has soft organ music, pictures, statues, candles, nor does it require a place that has loud music, hand clapping, shouting, or instruments.
✔ Worship is an action of the heart, not a ceremony in a certain place.
Philippians 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, (NAU)
C. Worship requires a revelation of God
☛ John 4:22-24 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NAU)
We cannot worship God without meditating on who the Bible says God is.
Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in holy array. (NAU) Psalm 96:6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. (NAU) Psalm 99:5 Exalt the Lord our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He. (NAU)
✔ The truth about God must be accurate before worship can happen.
Matthew 15:8-9 8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. 9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ” (NAU) The were teaching their own ideas AS IF they were truth.
D. Worship must be through Christ alone
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (NAU) We must come to salvation through Christ and we must come to worship God through Christ.
☛ John 5:22-23 22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (NAU)
✔ God will never accept worship that is not Christ centered.
During the days of the great preacher Henry Ward Beecher, a visiting preacher who happened to be Beecher’s brother, once substituted for the popular pastor. A large audience had already assembled to hear Beecher, and when his brother stepped into the pulpit, several disappointed listeners began to move toward the exits. That’s when the preacher stood and said loudly, “All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church. All who have come to worship God keep your seats!”[Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 22. 10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas - Biblical Studies Press.]
We must think through these questions- Is God at the center of my life? Does He dominate my thinking? Am I continually grateful to Him for all He has done for me? Have I become distracted from God-centered living because of pride, greed, selfishness, or materialism?[MacArthur, J., Jr. (1993; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). God - Coming face to face with his majesty (electronic edition.). Wheaton, IL- Victor.]
III. How is Worship Expressed?
Let me just mention five of the ways that worship to God is expressed.
A. Worship is expressed through joyful praise
Luke 17:12-15 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, (NAU)
Psalm 77:14 You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. (NAU)
B. Worship is expressed through thankfulness
Luke 17:16-18 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” (NAU)
C. Worship is expressed in our self-sacrifice
We must sacrifice our bodies to Christ. Romans 12:1 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. (NAU) Every desire, every whim, every plan, every feeling must be surrendered to Christ.
We must also be willing to give of our material things. Mark 12:41-44 41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” (NAU)
D. Worship is expressed in our love for others
Mark 12:31 “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (NAU)
We can’t love God if we don’t love what God made. 1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. (NAU)
Many people ask, Why do I have to go to church to worship God? I can worship God in my living room. The better question is, Why don’t you want to worship God with those who want to worship God?
The Bible says that when groups of Christians (the church) get together it becomes a holy place of worship.
Ephesians 2:19-22 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (NAU)
E. Worship is expressed in music
Psalm 145:7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. (NKJ)
1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. (NAU)
Jesus sang:Matthew 26:30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (NAU)
Much of the so-called “Christian” music of today is light and frothy. A great deal of this music is utterly contrary to Scripture, and still more is so similar to the world’s “pop” and rock that it is a discredit to the name of Christ.[MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Col 3:16). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.]
Colossians 3:15-16 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; [There shouldn’t be different music for certain groups within the church] and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, [music should be saturated with God’s Word] with all wisdom [vain repetition is not wise according to Jesus] teaching and admonishing one another [music should teach us and motivate us to greater holiness] with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: How many times did you worship God this last week? Consistent, daily, and intimate contact with God will do more to prepare you for worship on Sunday than any thing else you could do.
