What is worship? A lot of people have an idea of worship being a group of like-minded believers getting together and singing songs on Sunday, but is that all worship is? Could there be more to it than that? The Bible has a very interesting definition of worship, which we have previously studied last year, however it also defines the proper attitude of worship. This is important because many people utter proper worshipful words but there is no real attitude or intent of worship. They view it more as a job to be completed, rather than a privilege and honor to worship the LORD and Savior.
Today we will be studying the Bible definition of worship, as well as how this attitude can become the reality in our lives, so that we can have a life filled with rich and honest worship, and not have it simply be a task that we perform on Sunday any longer.
Before we begin, we must address a common thought that is often brought-up when we study this topic, and that is “Why does God even care about our attitude? Shouldn’t He just be happy that we show up to worship Him at all?”
Believe it or not, this question is asked more than people want to admit… and the answer is that the proper attitude of worship is not for God’s benefit it all, but for our benefit! We’ll explore that a bit later in this study, but first let’s take a look at the proper attitude of worship which is found in Psalms 138:1-8:
“I will praise you with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise to you.
I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your loving kindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.
In the day when I cried you answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth.
Yes, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
Though the LORD be high, yet has he respect to the lowly: but the proud he knows afar off.
Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me: you shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O LORD, endures for ever: forsake not the works of your own hands.”
Verse 1 wastes no time in getting directly to the point. Notice that David says that he will praise the LORD with his whole heart. Most people simply do not do this. To praise God with your whole heart, means that all of your passion, all of your desire is purposefully focused on God. As we have previously studied, the human heart will always run counter to the things of God, it will always want to turn away from God and move us toward sinful pleasures and devices instead. This is why it must be a purposeful intent and willful decision on our part to purpose in our heart to praise God. Our main responsibility is to guard our heart, and always keep it in line with Christ Jesus (Proverbs 4:23), but many people are instead following their heart instead of purposing it for Jesus. There are people today who are in church worshiping with empty words and actions while their heart is actually far from Him.
The second-half of verse 1 tells us that even before the “gods” (heavenly assembly) we are to sing praise to the LORD. This is something that took me a long time to accomplish personally. This verse means that even before those who are high in glory, even if they are the very angels of God, we should never be ashamed to praise God openly, even in song. I used to be embarrassed to pray in front of others, and I used to be ashamed to sing in church because I do not sing well. However back then I had no real love for God; I had knowledge about God, but not love for God. That’s a key distinction, because before I truly knew Him, even when I did pray and sing it was empty. However when I truly developed a loving and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, then I was no longer timid regarding acknowledging Him publicly in song and prayer – and it was genuine!
Next in verse 2, we see a real pearl of wisdom… David tells us that he worships toward God’s holy temple. While we can certainly interpret this physically as he opened his windows three times a day and looked upon the tabernacle of Moses as he prayed, there is a deeper truth here: and that is there is no acceptable worship if the focus is not Jesus Christ. We must remember that the tabernacle of Moses contained the Ark of the Covenant, upon which was the Mercy Seat, which was a representation of Jesus Christ. Whenever David prayed or praised, he focused his attention on Jesus. Now David merely had the shadow and future hope of Jesus Christ the Messiah, we have the reality. All of the loving-kindness and the truth of Jesus that David trusted in is poured out upon us today.
We also see something else in verse 2, that God has magnified His Word above all His Name. This is an extremely important bit of information that many believers have yet to learn, but it would help them greatly. The Word of God governs and gives access to the use of His Name; and we cannot rightly discern or use His Name without seeing His Name through His unchanging and infallible Word. There are those who are going around using the Name of Jesus as a magic-charm or an “abracadabra” word, but they have failed to realize what this verse is saying… above signs, above wonders, above every other thing and even above His own Name, His Word stands firm as the ultimate and final authority in all matters. If you need direction, you will find it in the Word of God, if you need healing and deliverance, it is in the Word of God, if you need security, stand on the Word of God.
It is not possible to invoke the Name of Jesus without standing on Him as your foundation through the Word. The Word is the final authority (because it is Him, as we have seen countless times in earlier studies). Trying to use Jesus without the authority of the Word supporting you, will end in nothing but pain or even death. The seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:11-17 attempted exactly that, and ended up being terribly beaten by the enemy because they had empty words without the substance of the Word.
Verse 3 shows us first that God answers in the same day when we cry to Him. It may not always seem like He answers, but I have found that either we don’t know how to hear Him, or we don’t like what we are hearing because it conflicts with our personal feelings, emotions or desires.
We also see in the second-half of verse 3 , the way in which we are strengthened: with strength in their soul.
Now remember that your soul is your mind and your emotions. So when we cry to God, He will answer us by prospering and strengthening our mind and emotions – and He does this usually by His Word. This is verified for us in the next verse.
In verses 4 and 5, we see that all of the kings of the earth will praise the Lord, but only after they hear His Words from His mouth. Quite simply, this 4th verse is telling us one of the advantages of reading and studying the Bible. When they see His glory, His majesty, His faithfulness, truth and love in the Word, then they will have a solid foundation where a real relationship with Him can be built.
Verse 6 expands this truth and tells us that it is not just for kings, but the Lord has mercy on the lowly as well. There is no caste system when it comes to God’s grace. We are also warned in the second-half of verse 6 that there is one thing that can stop us from a close relationship with God, and that is pride. Why is this? Because a prideful person never accepts the fact that they require a Savior. They will never see their own need or lack. They go to church to be worshiped rather than to worship Jesus.
Lastly, we have the final two verses of Psalms 138, verses 7 and 8. These verses speak of the rewards of a true intimacy with God. Genuine worship trusts in His salvation and rescue. Some people (and I used to be one of them) worship God with their mouth using all the right words, but they don’t really trust Him and so as soon as they are done proclaiming His promises, they continue worrying or trying to achieve victory through their own strength rather than trust Him as they just finished saying.
So how then do we achieve this genuine worshipful attitude? This is where I differ from many other pastors and leaders today. Many of them will say “try harder”, but this is not what the Bible says. Turn now to Romans 12:1-2:
“I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
We can all agree that verse 1 is what anyone who truly desires the higher things of God is looking to achieve, however it is not attainable through self-effort or willpower as many believe it to be. Instead, we are given the key to accomplishing verse 1 right there in verse 2… it tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Now that word “transformed” used in this verse is actually a Greek word meaning metamorphosis – a complete change of character, appearance and circumstances. This is the result of anyone who has truly accepted and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior: they will be changed. If someone claims to be a Christian but they are still entrenched in their old life living for themselves, then they have not really accepted Jesus because He will always lift them up out of their old sins, and it will be an effortless change.
Over the years I have heard many people say “it’s so hard to resist sin, I keep trying and keep failing!”, and my response to that is always the same “stop trying to resist it yourself and start receiving from Jesus.”
As we focus on Him and allow Him the central and head position in our lives, He will change us, and it will be a good change. Take a look at that word “renewing”, it is a Greek word meaning “complete renovation for the better”. When God changes, adds, removes and rearranges things in our life, it will always be for the better. And this change happens as we read the Bible and see Jesus, applying what we see about Him to our lives. How do we know this? We can read it in 2nd Corinthians 3:18:
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.”
See that word “changed” in this verse? It is the same Greek word for metamorphosis, that we read in Romans 12:2. So these verses together make it very clear that as we behold Jesus, as we behold His truth in the Word, we are transformed to be like Him. The scriptures become more than just words on a page, they become our very nature and reality.
This fact is why today we can worship with genuine passion for God. The awe-inspiring greatness of what He has done should fill our soul with gratitude and joy for all eternity. It is precisely because Jesus Christ has removed and remitted our sins by paying our debt in our place that has made all of this amazing truth possible in our lives. This is why we can say “Thank you” to Him and actually mean what we say.
Now at the start of this study today, I made a statement that our worship towards God was not for His benefit, but in-fact it is for our benefit. Let’s now see how this is so, in Isaiah 60:10-12:
“And the sons of strangers shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you: for in my wrath I smote you, but in my favor have I had mercy on you.
Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring to you the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted.”
We read in these verses some of the blessings which come upon those who are blessed of God. Pay special attention to verse 11 in-particular. Notice that it states that our gates shall be open continually, and the reason for this is so that men may bring to us the forces of the Gentiles and their kings.
That word “forces” there is actually a Hebrew word for “wealth and strength”. This verse is saying that we should always have our gate opened in order to receive more provision. So what then is our gate? And how do we open it? Look a little further down to Isaiah 60:18:
“Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.”
This is telling us today that our gate which should remain open is the gate of our praise to God, and that divine provisions will continually come to us as we simply praise the Lord.
Do you see how incredibly simple God has made it for us today? But we in our own human reasoning find it hard to accept the simple truth of the scripture.
The true attitude of worship that we have studied today does not come from ourselves or inside of us alone, but it comes from the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ, and as you see more of Him in the Scriptures, you will manifest more of Him in your life.