The Truth about Worship

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

Paramount in your constitution must be the truth that every thing in God flows from and goes through the Person of Jesus Christ. For His holy pleasure were we created and unto the Almighty Word of God Himself be all glory, honor, and power now and forever (Revelation 4:11; 5:12).

John 4:22. Ye worship ye know not what:

The meaning of the New Testament Greek word most often translated “worship” (proskuneo) is “to fall down before” or “bow down before.” Worship is a state (an attitude) of spirit.

Worship is an internal, individual action, it should be done all the time in our lives, regardless of place or situation (1 Chronicles 16:11; John 4:21; Colossians 3:17).

Therefore, Christians worship all the time, seven days a week.

When Christians formally gather together in worship, still the emphasis should be on individually worshiping the Lord. Even in a congregation, participants need to be aware that they are worshiping God fully on an individual basis.

The nature of Christian worship is from the inside out and has two equally important parts. We must worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

Worshiping in the spirit has nothing to do with our physical posture. It has to do with our innermost being. The Holy Spirit within us is the one who energizes worship because He is in essence glorifying Himself, and all true worship glorifies God.

Second, worshiping in truth requires a mind centered on God and renewed by Truth. Only when our minds are changed from being centered on self and worldly things to being centered on God can we worship in spirit. and in truth. Distractions of many kinds can flood our minds as we try to praise and glorify God, hindering our true worship.

When we consider the worshiping of someone or something other than God Himself, we think of idolatry.

When we think of idolatry we usually have some form of tangible image or idol in mind that people bow down to and worship.

Modern day anti idolatry messages may (and rightly so) cite such things as television, computers, cell phones and money as such tangible objects that we spend more time with than we do with God, or as things that distract us from our time with God.

Although these tangible objects may be used, in forms of modern day idolatry, it is not those objects that are actually being worshiped.

In the Bible, “idolatry” was not limited to or associated with physical idols or images and this often resulted in, and does today relate to, people not knowing what they actually worship.

>>1 Samuel 15:23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

>>Ephesians 5:5. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

>>Colossians 3:5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

When we rebel against God’s commandments and stubbornly refuse to obey, such as thou shalt not covet, steal or kill, who are we doing it for and who’s rules are we exalting over God’s ?

Who are we worshiping when we are involved with sexual immorality and greed, both of which speak to fulfilling our own lusts,?

>>1 Corinthians 10 :7-10. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

No matter what we may be seemingly worshiping (bowing down to and exalting) other than God, we may not be fully aware of what we are actually worshiping. Or as Jesus said, “Ye worship you know not what”.

In reality, we have exalted ourselves above God and worship ourselves.

Sound familiar ?

>>Isaiah 14:11-15. 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

>>1 Corinthians 10:11-15. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

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