We all know that worship is one of the most important things we do as Christians. But what IS worship really? Most of us attend a worship service regularly. The words, actions, and style of our particular service probably feel comfortable and natural to us. Perhaps our church is relatively formal, with printed liturgy and classical hymns. Or we may participate in a more spontaneous style of worship, singing modern choruses with very little liturgy. Is one form better than another?
I believe worship has very little to do with outward style. Worship is a matter of the heart. It is coming face to face with the Living God and recognizing him as God. It is possible to truly worship God through a wide variety of worship service styles. And it is likewise possible to fail to worship, no matter what kind of church you attend, no matter what its worship style. The question is not how to worship but whether the worshipper really comes into the presence of God in the service.
One of the best Biblical pictures of worship is found in Isaiah chapter 6. The prophet had a vision of God, which he described this way: "I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew. In a great chorus they sang, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty! The whole earth is filled with his glory!' The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Isaiah 6:1-4, New Living Bible)
Isaiah's vision captures the essence of what worship is about. Every time we go to church we should expect to share at least a part of the same experience Isaiah had. Do we really expect this? Many people in Isaiah's time came to the temple every day. They went through the motions of their religious observance faithfully. Their worship probably had some meaning to them. But they failed to see what Isaiah saw. Most of them saw only the temple; Isaiah saw the Lord. Things are much the same today.
In the book of Revelation chapter 4 we find a picture of worship similar to Isaiah's experience. There John sees a door open into heaven and a vision of God's throne. Four creatures which remind us to the seraphim in Isaiah 6 surround the throne and cry "Holy, Holy, Holy." But John also sees 24 elders around the throne, joining in with the song of the angels. These elders seem to represent the people of God who have been redeemed - all of us. John is showing us not merely a picture of what heaven will be like in the future, but the reality of how we should be experiencing life here and now as well.
God is on the throne! The purpose of John's vision was to encourage the churches in their time of persecution and trouble. No matter what may be happening on earth, there is a deeper reality. When we join in with songs of heavenly praise, our spirits are lifted above the ordinary and into the presence of God. In the spiritual sense, our lives are centered around the throne of God just like the 24 elders. Every time we gather for worship on Sunday, it should be a confirmation of all the praises we have been lifting up to God throughout the week.
I can see three major reasons for why we should praise God. First, it is the right thing to do. God is worthy of our praise. Does the Psalmist express the desire of your heart? "The one thing I ask of the Lord - one thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his Temple." (Psalm 27:4) Once we see the glory of God, we are drawn to praise more than anything.
Second, where people are praising God, God's presence is more evident. Certainly, God is always present. But the manifestation of that presence, our experience of it in tangible form, is more likely in an atmosphere of constant praise. Many of us are familiar with the statement of Psalm 22:3, which can be translated: "God is enthroned on praise of his people." When we exalt God, God’s presence becomes more evident to us. In 2 Chronicles 5:7, 11-14, we see what happened when Solomon had finished building the temple. The people gathered to pray, sacrifice, and worship God. In response, a great cloud filled the temple, a reminder of the presence of God similar to what they had experienced during the exodus in the desert.
Third, when God's people are united in praise, God responds and acts to deliver them. The story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:18-22 is very instructive. The king was facing an impossible military situation. God instructed him to send a choir of people singing praise at the head of the tiny army he had. As they began to praise, God went to work and gave great victory to His people. Why does praise set God free to work? I think it works because worship shifts our attention away from ourselves and onto the truth of who God is. We are designed to live in relationship with God, not to be adequate in ourselves. Praise affirms the truth of our inadequacy in the light of God’s perfect adequacy.
Worship is much more than simply reciting words in a formula. Psalm 145:1-5 is a good example. The Psalm describes God's character and expounds on what He has done. Worship is a way of looking at the truth which lies deeper than our immediate circumstances. Remember when Paul and Silas were in prison and were heard singing praise in the midst of their trying circumstances? Praise is not something we do because we feel like it. It is a response to the truth of who God is.
It might be helpful to look at some of the Hebrew words which are translated as "praise" in our English bibles. One of the most common is Halal. The root meaning of this Hebrew word is "to shine" like sun. From that root, it came to mean boasting, to brag about the good qualities of something or someone. So Halal means to brag about God. A good synonym would be to rave. Halal is a radiant kind of praise. It is like what we experience at a football game, when we are exuberant in our expressions of enthusiasm for our team. God is the greatest!
The word halal is also used in other contexts. When Abraham told the Egyptians that Sarah was his sister, the text says Pharoah’s officials "praised" her. I can imagine what they said: "This is the most beautiful woman in the country, you really need to take her into your harem." It is the same concept in our worship of God. God is the greatest, the most wonderful. This is the way many of the halal Psalms speak of Him. We are commanded to praise God in this way, to shine out about His glory. Hallelujah is a Hebrew word combining halal with the name of God. It can be translated as a command, "Praise God!"
Another great Hebrew word for praise is Yadah. At its root it means to confess. Literally, it means to raise the hands, that is, to stand in the posture of openness before God. Yadah is translated "confess", as in to confess sin. It means to open the hands in honest acknowledgment of the truth about what I have done. By extension, it means to acknowledge the truth about God in praise. You may not always feel like praising God. The choir might sing out of tune and you may have other things to do on Sunday morning. But you can still confess yadah praise to God. God is worthy of praise. To worship Him is to confess the truth, no matter what we feel.
Notice that the opposite of praise is to complain. In praise, we focus our attention on God. When we complain, we focus our attention on all that is wrong around us. What we need to a change in our focus. In Philippians 4:8 Paul says "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Thing about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." As we center our attention on God (who is the essence of what Paul says we should think about), we will be drawn to praise Him. The petty and trivial things of this world will fade into insignificance and our hearts will be formed in worship. This is what God wants for us. It is the goal of life in Christ.
Copyright 1998 Steve Rogers Ministries