Yesterday I suggested two definitions for worship. Today, I’ll unpack the first.
“Christian worship is the response of God’s redeemed people to His self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Christian worship…is different from every kind of worship because it has been made possible through Jesus Christ. ( Rev. 5:9-10Revelation 5:9-10
[9]And they sang a new song, saying,
"Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people
for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
[10]and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our
God,
and they shall reign on the earth."
)
Is the response…God has already done something outside of us and inside of us that enables us to worship Him. We are not the initiators of worship; God is. ( Acts 17:24-31Acts 17:24-31
[24]The God who made the world and everything in it,
being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples
made by man, [25]nor is he served by human hands, as though
he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind
life and breath and everything. [26]And he made from one
man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the
earth, having determined allotted periods and the
boundaries of their dwelling place, [27]that they should
seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward
him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one
of us, [28]for
"'In him we live and move and have our being';
as even some of your own poets have said,
"'For we are indeed his offspring.'
[29]Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that
the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image
formed by the art and imagination of man. [30]The times of
ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent, [31]because he has fixed a day on
which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man
whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance
to all by raising him from the dead." (ESV)
)
Of God’s redeemed people…Just as God delivered the nation of Israel from Egypt to worship Him ( Ex. 8:1Exodus 8:1
[8:1] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and
say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that
they may serve me. (ESV)
), so He has redeemed us as a holy nation to declare His praises. ( 1 Pet. 2:91 Peter 2:9
[9]But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light. (ESV)
) Worship of God is intended to be corporate, not simply personal.
To his self-revelation…we can’t know God apart from Him revealing Himself to us. He has shown Himself to us in creation, His Word, and ultimately His Son. ( Rom. 1:20Romans 1:20
[20]For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal
power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever
since the creation of the world, in the things that have
been made. So they are without excuse. (ESV)
; Heb. 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4
[1:1]Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke
to our fathers by the prophets, [2]but in these last days
he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir
of all things, through whom also he created the world.
[3]He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact
imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the
word of his power. After making purification for sins, he
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
[4]having become as much superior to angels as the name he
has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (ESV)
)
That exalts…the essence of worship is exalting - raising up, lifting high, submitting to, magnifying, making much of, honoring, reverencing, celebrating – the triune God. ( Ps. 71:19Psalm 71:19
[19]Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
)
God’s glory in Christ…Moses asked God to show him his glory and God passed before him and proclaimed his nature. ( Ex. 34:6-7Exodus 34:6-7
[6]The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD,
the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7]keeping
steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the
guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the
children and the children's children, to the third and the
fourth generation." (ESV)
) God has enabled us to see His glory in the face of Christ. ( 2 Cor. 4:62 Corinthians 4:6
[6]For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (ESV)
)
In our minds…worship involves thinking, meditating, reflecting, processing, evaluating, understanding what God has revealed to us of Himself. ( Rom. 12:1-2Romans 12:1-2
[12:1]I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship. [2]Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by
testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is
good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
; Ps. 111:2Psalm 111:2
[2]Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
)
Affections…true worship involves the heart as well as the head. We worship what we love and value the most. (Mt. 22:37-38)
And wills…If we are truly worshipping God, we will truly be transformed. ( 2 Cor. 3:17-182 Corinthians 3:17-18
[17]Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom. [18]And we all, with
unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to
another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
(ESV)
) Our choices will reflect our profession that God is supreme in our lives. ( Rom. 12:1-2Romans 12:1-2
[12:1]I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship. [2]Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by
testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is
good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
)
In the power of the Holy Spirit…We are those who worship by the Spirit of God, ( Phil. 3:3Philippians 3:3
[3]For we are the circumcision, who worship by the
Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no
confidence in the flesh-- (ESV)
) and depend on His leading and enabling.
All this to say that when we talk about worshipping God, we’re communicating something of profound significance that should humble and amaze us. Perhaps if we spoke of “worship” in a more biblical way, “worship wars” might be non-existent. Now wouldn’t that be something to worship God for?
Read Defining Worship Part 4
For more on this topic, download the following message from the Sovereign Grace site:
The Real Worship Wars by Bob Kauflin
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