What does it mean to worship God?

In the Christian life, worship is one of those terms that we’ve all heard of, but we rarely define. There are different pieces of it and definitions for it. From the start, we need to have a grasp a clear definition of the term.

In a general sense, Worship is: “An act of acknowledging and praising the greatness of God in ways that He sets forth for us.”

(adapted from Gregg Allison- Dictionary of Theological Terms) 

Quite simply, worship is a godly response to what God has done in our lives. Proclaiming to ourselves and to others that God is who He says he is.

On one hand, worship is a lifestyle, a transformed heart for God that leads us to praise Him.

Perhaps this is best expressed by Paul in Romans 12:1.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship”

The idea is simple, because of what God has done for us, because he is the king and creator of the universe, we present ourselves, every part of us, as an offering back to him. We give him praise everywhere, and in every part of our lives we proclaim his character back to Him and to others.

Not only a lifestyle, worship is also an activity. Our gathering on Sunday morning, all that we do each week is a specific expression of worship.

Worship is both:  

Personal and Corporate: Worship as a lifestyle and on Sunday morning is about our personal relationship and growth in Christ, but also about our interaction with others.

Inward and Outward: Worship begins with our heart and reflects itself in our actions. Worship is in inward response. As God changes our hearts, our motivations change, and we worship him when we desires those things that glorify him. But worship is expressed outwardly, like a mirror that reflects the glory of God to others. The same is true for Sunday morning worship. Our gathering together is meant to transform us, but also display God’s glory to those around us.

Ordinary and special: Worship is ordinary in the sense, it’s about the habits and routines of our life. As we worship together each week, it is a routine, a rhythm of our week. But, we also must understand that worship is special and unique. Our Sunday morning gathering is unlike anything else. 

How do we develop a heart of worship?

This week we looked at a powerful passage in Hebrews 10:19-25 that shows us how we can glorify God through worship as a lifestyle and a Sunday morning gathering. The first step in cultivating a heart of worship: 

• Always remind yourself of the miracle of salvation. We have unlimited access to God's throne through our amazing Advocate, Christ Jesus. 

Unlike the priests in the Old Testament who made continual sacrifices, Jesus' one-time sacrifice paid the price of sin and death forever. Only Jesus' work secures the payment for our sin. 

Recounting and reminding ourselves of the gospel means we celebrate and rejoice in what he’s done. Our confidence to come before God does not arise from our accomplishments or circumstances, but only from our advocate. 

We must rehearse the gospel over and over again. All week you were told to beleive another gospel message: We hear things like: “You are the most important person in the World.” “your worth is connected to what you do or don’t do." "What people think of you matters most.”

We sing on Sunday morning to proclaim where our hope is found as we push out the other voices we hear the rest of the week.

To cultivate a heart of worship:

• We must also remember that God calls to respond to Him with our whole hearts through all the highs and lows of life. 

In the Bible, the heart represents the whole inner life. Our soul, mind, and strength, all that we have, must wholeheartedly follow him. This truth means that worship can never be just a physical exercise.

We must give him our hearts. In church, it can be so easy to fake it. We can show up here on Sunday; we can say the right things; we can sing a little bit, but that’s not true worship.

As we think about worship as something we do together, we must:

• Embrace God’s second great gift: your church family. Spiritual growth is meant to happen together, as a local family of God.

The passage says, "Let us not neglect meeting together." (10:24). My prayer is that anytime you miss church on Sunday, you feel it. There’s an emptiness, because it’s a part of your life that you can’t replicate anywhere else.

Sure, you can listen to Christian songs on the radio or sermons online, but in no other normal space and time can you gather with other believers to proclaims the gospel message through song, by listening to God’s Word, and intentionally encouraging others. Those, who like you, strive to live for God in a lost and broken world.

Nowhere else can you sing praises with friends who have walked with you through the hard times and the good.

As I consider our church family at CrossWay:

Let's imagine what this could look like for CrossWay in 2020. 

I imagine what God could do in our midst. I imagine the type of community, the type of culture and DNA that could define us as a church. 

• Let’s be people who worship God with a passionate heart in all that we do on Sundays.

Every part of what we do on Sunday morning is an act of worship. I pray our singing, our prayers, our preaching, our listening, our giving, our serving, may it all shout God's glory. May our worship flow from our hearts. Let us engage and serve not as an obligation but as a joy.

• Let’s be a family who loves our Savior and cares for each other.

I pray our desire to worship God compels us to care well for each other. When we don’t see someone for a while; we reach out to them because we miss them. We rally around those who are hurting, and we celebrate with each other during the good times.

• Let’s be a church where bold and dependent prayer define us.

Let’s be a place where passionate prayer abounds. I pray that people will know us as a church who is on our knees in prayer. Praying for the needs of each other. We pray for sickness, for hurt, and pain, but also make bold requests to God. 

Let's pray that God would see fit to use us in mighty way to impact this city and region with His gospel. 

Let's pray for that co-worker. Might we have an opportunity to share our hope in Christ with them.

• Let’s all long for others to know the same God who is transforming us.

Developing a heart of worship means that we long for others to know the mercy, grace, and redemption of God. We long that others will worship Him too. Our gospel is made to spread, not keep to ourselves. 

As your pastor, I’m excited for 2020 and beyond! I pray that God would create a culture and a hunger in this place to worship God with all our hearts. May our life and our Sunday gatherings reflect this heart. 

See you this Sunday! 

Pastor Sam