Worship-Continued

As we contiue our introduction to worship at Hill Crest it may be helpful to clarify our terms.  What do we mean when we say the word “worship”?  The word “worship” comes from the word “weorthscipe” and simply means “to ascribe worth to something.”  It is the worth-ship of that person or object.  Thus when we worship God we are expressing how much He is worth to us.  It is evident in speaking to so many people that the majority believes worship to be synonymous with music.  However, this is not entirely correct.  Music is an aspect of worship, but it is not “the whole bag”.  We must recognize other areas of church life as worship as well.  Preaching/teaching, music, fellowship, Bible study, and giving are all acts of worship.  In fact, worship is a 24/7 event that should take place in a believers life.  The Bible indicates that all areas of a believer’s life should portray a life of worship (Romans 12:1-2).

In order to worship God, we have to know who He is.  Jesus calls us to worship Him “in truth” (Jn. 4:24).  The better we understand Him the better we will respond to Him in worship.  We must also know who we are.  According to God (Genesis 1:26-31) we are made in His image.  What does it mean that we are made in His image?  It means that we are eternal creatures.  We are made for eternity, to worship Him forever.  Every person worships something, but God alone should be the true focus of our worship.

For the believer, worship should occur constantly, not only on Sunday mornings.  Worship throughout the week is a prerequisite for worship on Sunday.  We should worship at all times, not only when we “feel like it”.  The bleakest situations look brighter through the lens of worship.  Thus, worship is a choice and not so much a feeling.

The primary goal of the church should be to worship God.  There is nothing more powerful than meeting together to proclaim who God is and what He has done.  Just as public worship is fueled by private worship, so private worship demands gathering together as the body of Christ.  How else are the “one another’s” of Scripture accomplished if we are not meeting together to encourage, exhort, rebuke, sing, and pray?

As God’s people we were created to worship.  Unfortunately, many people do not come before God in order to yield their life, to give thanks, or to tell Him he is worthy.  Believers often worship God because they want something in return.  Although it is true that God is concerned for our needs and wants us to present them to Him, He does not want to us to stop there.  His greatest desire for his children is that we need him.  R. G. Letourneau used to say, ‘if you give because it pays, it won’t pay.’  The principle applies to worship; if you worship because it pays, it won’t pay.  Our motive must be to please God and glorify Him alone.”  When worship becomes pragmatic, it ceases to be worship.

As New Testament believers, we need to realize that God desires a life of continuous worship.  Worship should not end simply because we have exited the church building.  In fact, worship should never end!  It should be a way of life for us.  Why did God tell Moses to take off his shoes?  Moses was on holy ground.  What made the ground holy?  It was God’s presence.  When do we enter into God’s presence?  We are always in God’s presence.  Worship should encompass every area of our life.