What is Worship-Really?
December 11, 2007

So you're at church and the service starts off with a few songs.  You listen, maybe even sing, maybe even clap your hands if other people are.  But mostly you're waiting for the sermon.  You want to hear something that is going to help you.  Something relevant to what's going on in your life.  Sometimes, you're late to church. And if you miss the first part its not a big deal because, after all, its just singing.  Unfortunately, you might have just missed the one thing that would have given you what you're looking for--an opportunity to worship.

We often call them worship services.  Yet, is that what we do when we go to church?  Do we worship God?  How exactly do we worship God at church?  What is worship anyway?  The American Heritage Dictionary defines worship as:

" The reverent love and allegiance accorded a deity, idol, or sacred object." And, "A set of ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed..."

So you could say that Christian worship is a reverent love and allegiance to God that is expressed in some form.  Worship is something that is heartfelt and then expressed.  It's sincere and it's active. 

The Bible tells us to have love that is sincere and without hypocrisy, (Romans 12:9).  This doesn't just apply to the love we have for other people, but our love for God as well.  But how do we, as human beings, really develop a sincere love for God?  We have such a tendency to be selfish or self-centered don't we?  How can we sincerely love God and feel an allegiance to Him that is strong enough to cause us to worship?

The Bible says that we love Him because He first loved us, (1 John 4:19).  There's no other way.  The reason we love God, is simply because He loved us first.  We don't have it within ourselves to love God without first receiving His love for us.  We can't do it.  And if you try, you'll simply end up trying to earn something from God that you never can.

The key word here is "because".  Loving God comes as a response to something He has done for you.  God has loved you first and because of that, you love Him.  What is that called?  It's called appreciation, gratitude or thankfulness.  What do you do when someone does something nice for you?  You say thank-you.  What do you feel?  You feel grateful or appreciative.  What do you do when you understand that God sent Jesus Christ to save you from your sin and eternal damnation?  You feel such a strong appreciation and thankfulness that you love Him to the point of worship.  

In order for your love for God to be sincere and genuine then you must understand how much He loves you.  Remember the scripture says that we love Him because He first loved us.  But God loves the entire world.  He sent Jesus Christ to die for the whole world, yet the whole world doesn't love Him do they?  So there's more to it then Him loving us.  Somehow, you must hear about it, believe it, receive it and then act on it.  The Bible says, "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14).   You've got to hear that God loves you.  You need to believe it.  And you need to call out to Him because of it. 

Again, Christian worship is a reverent love and allegiance to God that is expressed in some form.  It's heartfelt and then expressed.  Sincere and active.  So we've seen that in order for your Christian worship to be sincere that you need to know God's love for you first.  But then you need to activate it.  You need to express your gratitude and love towards God.  You need to express your worship somehow.  And one of the best times to do this is during the "worship" time at church.  While the music is playing, while you're singing, you have an opportunity to let God know that you love Him and appreciate what He has done for you. 

Of course that's not the only time you can or should worship God.  You can express your love for Him anywhere and anytime.  At home, in your car--wherever.  But when you come together with other Christians, you have an opportunity to worship as a family together and it can be an awesome experience.  You have the time, the place and the opportunity to do nothing but let God know you love Him.  And, depending on your place of worship, you can do it in all the ways the Bible tells us to--singing, clapping, shouting, dancing, and with all kinds of instruments.

If you are having trouble expressing your love to God, whether its because you don't feel its sincere or simply because you never thought to activate it, I'd like to encourage you to get into the Bible and search out how much God loves you.  Do it until you feel His love.  Do it until you can't help but love Him back.  And then, let it out!  Express your love and thankfulness to Him through acts of worship.  As you do, you'll sense His love that much more and your intimacy with Him will grow.