I had the privilege to speak at a Worship Retreat for a church in Nebraska this past weekend. I spoke on several different things and even explored several different aspects of worship but there was one that keeps standing out to me and challenges me regularly.
First even asking the question, “What is Worship” is challenging one that will have many different meanings depending on who you ask. Sadly our answers our commonly based on our own favorite personal experiences instead on what we might found biblically.
So I was challenged to ask my self what was the definition of worship.
The dictionary says this:
“giving great honor or reference to, great love and admiration, and extremely precious is the receiver (Webster)
Reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; or an other deity, the rituals or ceremonies by which this reverence is expressed. The English word worship comes from the Old English word worthship, a word which denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.
There are several different biblical definitions when you look up the word worship in the Bible but the first two uses of the word used in the Old Testament have two different Hebrew meanings.
The first means to have a face to face, personal, encounter with God. The second means to bow and show homage to God.
Then the first use we find in the New Testament in the Gospel of John is when Jesus is describing in John 4:23 what the Father seeks.
This worship that the father seeks is an intimate encounter with God, to kiss the hand and bow low.
What I find interesting about both the dictionary and biblical seems to have a theme in common. The theme is that it is ALL about who God is and nothing about me. I am to encounter God and worship him because he is God and bow before him not to get something but to Give something.
Worship, however you might do it, is all about God. I heard a quote recently that sums it up.
To pretend homage to God and intend only the advantage to myself is rather to mock God than worship Him. When we believe we ought to be satisfied rather than God glorified, we set God below ourselves and imagine that He should submit His own honor to our advantage.
Steven Charnock Discourse IV “Practical Atheism”
Our worship of God is for God and not us. Now when we encounter God it is impossible to not get something out of this experience but to come for the experience or to let the nature of experience determine to joy or passion of our worship is to completely miss worship and it robs God of the worship he deserves.
Just something for all of us to think about. Obviously different people and people groups express worship differently but ultimately less always focus on worship itself. Let’s worship God for who he is no matter whether we may like or not like about the current conditions of the worship experience.
God bless!
