Author : Keith Sharp
Introduction
Amazingly, although the Word of God tells us Whom to venerate and how to do obeisance to Him, it never commands us simply to worship. man, in each age, civilization, and location, with a spirit in the image of his Creator and with a yearning for fellowship with his Maker, naturally worships something (Acts 17:22-23).
Christians properly recognize that one Being alone is worthy of our homage – God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe (Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10). But, how are we to worship God?
Definition
We must first define “worship”. The Hebrew word commonly translated “worship” in the Old Testament “essentially means ‘to bow down.’… It is the external action of an internal attitude” (Mounce, 810). Thus, the psalmist exhorted:
“O come, let us worship and bow down:
let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6).
The Greek word commonly rendered “worship” in the New Testament is parallel, signifying to “(fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to” (Arndt & Gingrich. 723; cf. Revelation 11:16). Thus, to worship God is to humble oneself before Him in recognition of the Lord’s infinite greatness while seeking communion with the Father in acknowledgement of the fact that we are His offspring.
True Worship
In John 4:19-24 Jesus taught an adulterous Samaritan woman the principles of proper worship to God. Acceptable veneration is offered by “true worshipers” (verse 23), i.e., those who render homage to “the Father in spirit and truth” (verses 23-24).
What is worship “in spirit”? The apostle Paul urges us to be “fervent in spirit” (Romans 12:11). This means to have an attitude of zeal. Thus, to venerate God “in spirit” is to do so with the right attitude, from the heart. As the sweet singer of old proclaimed, “…I will praise the Lord with my whole heart…” (Psalm 111:1). It is a useless farce to sit in an assembly and mindlessly day dream or irreverently whisper and pass notes while others engage in worship around you. Such is an insult to the divine majesty and a thoughtless distraction to others trying to worship acceptably. One’s intellect and emotions must both heartily enter into the obeisance.
What is worship “in truth”? The Word of God “is truth” (John 17:17). it is our standard of acceptable veneration. We must do homage to God in the way He teaches in His Word. It is wrong to reason “we all worship the same God, but in different ways.” We must all worship the same God in the way He has appointed. When one worships according to his own desires, rather than in harmony with the New Testament, he is guilty of “self-made religion” (Colossians 2:20-23, NASB, ISV, ESV). He actually venerates his own desires rather than God. To worship the Father in truth we must do obeisance to Him in the way He teaches in His Word.
In Spirit
True worship is “in spirit,” i.e., with the right attitude, from the heart. What are the characteristics of worship that is truly “in spirit”?
Such veneration is “with understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:14-15). To so worship we must comprehend what is said and done, appreciate the significance of each act of worship and think about what we are doing. For example, the sermon should be in language simple enough to be understood, and the hearers should realize it is being spoken for their edification and listen attentively and critically.
Homage in spirit is orderly. Some worshipers seem to place a premium on confusion and disorder. Many members of the church think worship should be “spontaneous,” the order of worship is constantly varied, if, indeed, any order at all is maintained. The majority of those in the assembly have no idea what will happen next. Some advocate just doing whatever comes to mind whenever it comes to mind. But, the inspired apostle, Paul, warns, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33). He commands, “Let all thins be done decently and in order” (verse 40). It is wrong to bind a certain order of worship, but it is equally sinful to stagger through the assembly in a sloppy, slovenly, slipshod manner. Order is not bad. It is commanded of God.
Proper worship is reverent, i.e., respectful to God. “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all those about him (Psalm 89:7; cf. Hebrews 12:23-29). We should act and speak respectfully before God.
This obeisance is sincere. We should assemble out of love for God and desire to commune with Him. David was glad to worship God (Psalm 122:1). Is the hour of worship a drudgery or an occasion of joy for you? We should not engage in items of veneration just to be seen and praised of men (Matthew 6:1,5). Do you worship to be seen of men or of God?
The beauty in the worship the Lord demands is “the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2). To be “holy” is to be set apart from sin. Christians are a “holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God does not require that you possess a beautiful voice in order to sing His praises, but He does command that you possess a beautiful life. One cannot live a sinful life and offer holy homage unto God. You cannot live for the devil six days a week and expect the Father to accept your worship on the first day of the week.
Worship in spirit is instructional. One major reason Christians assemble is “to stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24-25). In our assemblies, “Let all things be done for edifying” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Every act of obeisance in the assembly should instruct and build up the saints, not entertain us.
Finally, when we venerate the Father in spirit, we put pomp aside. The vain show of beautiful sounding choruses, the appeal of expensive decorations and ornate buildings, and the worldly lure of liturgy and ceremony have no place in simple, devout New Testament worship. Such pomp and circumstance is an appeal to the flesh of man, whereas true worship is a spiritual sacrifice to God (Romans 8:5-8).
True Worship
With Understanding
Orderly
Reverent
Sincere
Holy
Instructional
Pomp Aside
In Spirit
Do you worship the Father in spirit?
In Truth
True worship, homage which pleases God, is to be in “truth” as well as “in spirit”. To be in “truth”, our veneration of the Father must be in harmony with His word. What acts of worship does the New Testament authorize for Christians?
God approves the teaching and preaching of His word. When the disciples at Troas had assembled for public worship, “Paul preached to them” (Acts 20:7). The evangelist is required to “preach the word,” not his opinions, humorous stories, personal testimonies, human philosophy, or denominational creeds (2 Timothy 4:1-5). We are to be edified, not entertained.
The Lord authorizes “laying by in store”, i.e., the contribution, as an act of public veneration in the first day of the week assembly of the saints (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). This passage reveals five essentials covering the contribution and how the church is to solicit the money with which to perform its work. When are we to give? “Upon the first day of the week.” Who is to lay by in store? “Every one of you.” What should we do? “Lay by in store”, i.e., give as stewards to receive blessings from our Lord for serving Him. How should we give? “…as God has prospered him…” Why should the contributions be taken? “…that there be no gatherings when I come…”, i.e., so that the congregation may discharge its mission without an emergency contribution.
True homage includes partaking of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This memorial feast is to be eaten by Christians in the assembly on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Just as the command to the Jews to “Remember the Sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8) meant each Sabbath day, even so the approved example of breaking bread “upon the first day of the week” includes each first day of the week.
We should also pray in our veneration of God. Prayer is an essential part of public worship (Acts 20:36).
Finally, the will of Christ teaches singing as a proper act of worship (Acts 16:25; Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5: 18-19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; James 5:13). God has specified the kind of music He desires – singing (vocal) (Ephesians 5:19). This eliminates the only other kind of music – playing (instrumental). He has also made known the types of songs we are to employ – “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ibid).
Conclusion
Our Father will accept only one kind of veneration, “true” worship. Such homage is “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). Is your worship acceptable to God? Do you worship the Father in spirit and truth?
Works Cited
Arndt, W.F. and F.W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.Mounce, William, Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
