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WORSHIP
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THE MEANING OF WORSHIP (1Chr. 16:29); “Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of His Holiness!” Worship is different from supplication, prayer and praise (thanksgiving), though they often go together. “God protect me”, is a prayer (supplication); “God thank you for keeping me”, is a praise (thanksgiving); “God, My King, you are worthy to be adored”, is worship. Really, worship like “grace” and “love” is indefinable. It is too deep to be explained enough with words. It could be defined as a supreme devotion, reverence, honor, adoration, homage and submission expressed through thought or deep from the heart to a supreme divine being greater, higher and more powerful to the worshiper to show his total soul surrender and complete allegiance to His authority. God alone is the one who deserves this worship. (Ps. 29:2). Worship is the occupation of the heart not with it’s needs or with it’s blessings but with God Himself. It is an overflow of a grateful heart, under a sense of divine favor. The outpouring of the soul at rest in the presence of God. It is an uprising of the heart that sees God as the Father and giver of all things, The Son as the Savior and the manifestation of grace and the Holy Spirit as the energizer and the indwelling Spirit of God and the power source of life. God is worthy to be worshiped, He alone and none other is worthy of this respect. It is tragic that humans are giving worship to created things rather than the Creator Himself. (Rom. 1:21-25). Among the objects men, ignorantly ascribe worship to are, beasts, birds, trees, moon, idols, images, men, self, demons, devil, money, cars, models sports stars, T.V., stars, rivers, science, etc.. These ignorant practices continues today in greater and increasing proportions than ever in the era of human existence. Satan is poised to keep men in this great deception at all cost and with every possible means avail- able to him. If only Children of Men could even apply to proper use of the common sense God has given them, that alone could teach them the falsity and error of what they are practicing. Even creation itself teaches the truth about God. But humans have deliberately chosen to deny God. (Rom. 1:19-21). Irrespective of man’s denial, the truth still remain that God Almighty alone deserved to be worshiped and glorified. (Rev. 4:11). Worship must be in Spirit and in truth with due honor and respect deserving to God. (Jn. 4:24). Worship must be sincere and from the heart without reservations. It must be conscious and with understanding. Worship involves will, emotion and intellect. Worship is true and qualified when it is done with understanding and a completely focused mind and heart. Worship is not real when it is performed while the mind is wandering about with different earthly thoughts and not centered explicitly on God. Worship is not recitation of a creed or written expressions which is followed with no understand-ing but to keep formality or an order. If what the lips are saying does not correspond with the real thought of the mind and heart it is not worship but a mere human religious charade. Worship could be performed anywhere and in any kind of posture. There is no specified direc-tion one is to face or direct his worship toward. All such practices are empty human deceptions engineered by Satan. There is private and corporate worship. But private worship is highly important to be observed by every believer to foster more intimate fellowship with God. It is important to note also that worship does not only comprise of thoughts or words but it includes faithful services offered by a believer unto God. Our gifts and donations to God’s work is also a part of worship. We can worship God with our substances or possessions. But the greatest worship we could offer God is our lives and obedience to His will. God desires and commands our worship. For to this reason He created us: Therefore let’s with all our hears, strength and might worship Him daily and continuously in our lives. All His creations worships Him including trees, birds, seas, beasts, mountains, hills, wind and clouds, the moon and the stars including all the planets. Why should we not do much more to honor Him, we who are supposed to be the head of His creations, who were made in His image and likeness. THE EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP: (Heb. 13:15); “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips. Giving thanks to His name.” Worship encompasses thought, words, feeling and deeds, therefore we can rightly agree that wor- ship could be rendered unto God through different expressions. Worship usually includes adoration, praise and thanksgiving expressed jointly together but they could be separated in their specific meanings. But here we are focusing on worship and its’ expressions; so let’s try to take on with that particular subject without digressing to another issue. Worship could be expressed individually and privately including corporately and publicly too. One is free to express his delight and depth of love to God in the best expressions he could exercise. There exists no barrier or limitations, but the most important thing is for the heart, mind and the spirit of the worshiper to be centered on God in truth. In worship something is being given to God. Everything we do or give to the honor of God constitutes worship. So, our gift of money, service and material possessions for God’s work in the church are expressions of worship. The channeling of the special gifts and talents God has given us into His work in our support and contribution to the spiritual well-being of His church as well constitutes as expressions of worship. We are expressing worship to God when we commit ourselves to His service to be ministers and witnesses of the Gospel in reaching out to the unsaved. Any office or position we may occupy in the church in our work in building up the body of Christ and advancement of the Gospel and God’s Kingdom on earth is an expression of worship to God. However, the single most important expression of worship we may offer God is the total devotion and dedication of our heart and life with complete willing surrender and obedience to His divine authority. No expression of worship or service is more or of equal acceptance to God as this. Our whole life should be made a complete performance of worship unto God. In this he ultimately delights. REASONS FOR WORSHIP: (2Chr. 7:3); “When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bow their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: ‘For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.’ ”. Worship was the first of the Ten Commandments God commanded the children of Israel to keep. (Ex. 20:1-3, 34:14). The reasons and the importance of worship is widely stated in the Scriptures. (Acts 14:15; Rev. 19:10; 22:9; Jn. 4:24; Mt. 4:10; Ps. 95:6-7). God alone we must worship and give our life to. Because He alone is God and our maker. If we allow ourselves to be carried away in the abomination of directing our worship to any other object other than He we shall be in danger of eternal punishment. (Dt. 27:15). God commands our worship and we must obey and honor Him with our worship because by so doing we shall not only be accepted by Him as His beloved but He will also pour out His abundant blessings on us. God deserves our worship including that of all creation because He is the originator and source of all things visible and invisible and He has made everything for the single purpose of to be worship- ed and glorified by them. (Isa. 42:5; Rev. 4:11). Worship is the eternal occupation of heaven and so we God’s children on earth must surrender ourselves to Him in worship thus letting God’s will be done on earth through us as it is also being done in heaven by all the heavenly beings. (Rev. 4:8-11; Mt. 6:10). Other reasons for worship are: i. God is good. (Ps. 100:4-5). ii. God is Holy. (Ps. 93:5; Isa. 6:3). iii. God is merciful. (Ps.103:8; 100:5). iv. God is love. (Ps. 36:7). v. In Him is salvation. (Ps. 3:8; 68:20). vi. He is the source of life. (Ps 36:9). vii. He is eternal. (Ps. 90:2). viii. He is the Almighty. (Rev. 4:8). ix. He is the Everlasting Father. (Isa. 9:6). x. He is the All-powerful, All-knowing and all-present God. (Gen. 1:3; Isa. 40:28; Job 42:2; Ps. 139:7-9). |
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