Worship of our Creator and Saviour is one of the highest privileges we can ever have. It is definitely something that all of us should be doing! ’It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High’, Ps. 92. 1.
What is worship?
- Worthship - what I say and give to God, and my attitude, because of the worth I appreciate in His character and actions
- ‘Obeisance and obedience’ – to bow down and serve
- Giving praise, honour and adoration to God
- Giving of our whole lives, Rom. 12. 1
Why do it?
- God is looking for worship, John 4. 23
- It is very precious, Mark 14. 3
- Every Christian is a priest so has it as a responsibility, 1 Pet. 2. 5</li
- It is the inevitable consequence of appreciating how great the Lord Jesus is, and being amazed by what he has done, Ps. 107. 8
- Not to worship genuinely and sincerely is to show contempt toward God, Mal. 1. 12-14
- ‘None shall appear before me empty’, Exod. 23. 15
- ‘Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name’, Ps. 96. 8
How to do it?
- There are principles as to our worship, but few details so that it does not become stale and routine.
- Worship has been defined as giving back what I have been given from Christ. So we will need to quietly read the word of God and think about how great He is, and the wonderful things that He has done. ‘When they saw … [they] worshipped him’, Matt. 2. 11
- Cheerfully, with genuine warmth and love, Mark 7. 6
- Reverently, Ps. 89. 7
- With holiness, Ps. 96. 9; 1 Cor. 11. 28; 1 Pet. 2. 5
- In truth, being guided by the Spirit, John 4. 24
How to do it: practical advice?
- Worship takes effort, sacrifice and time, ‘Will I offer that which cost me nothing?’ 2 Sam. 24. 2.
- Our appreciation for people should go beyond what they do, to include what they are as persons. So, our worship of God should go beyond what He has done, to include His character
- It may bring criticism, John 12. 5
- More mature believers should be able to worship more deeply – God expects our appreciation of Him to continually develop
- ‘Think and thank’: consider a characteristic or action of God, then praise Him for it
Every believer will worship during eternity. Are you worshipping today?
