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Purpose Without Apology

Worship Series, Part 1: What is Worship?

February 02, 2021 Lisa C. Gant Season 3 Episode 53
Purpose Without Apology
Worship Series, Part 1: What is Worship?
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Purpose Without Apology
Worship Series, Part 1: What is Worship?
Feb 02, 2021 Season 3 Episode 53
Lisa C. Gant

Guiding Scripture: John 4:23-24 - “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (NIV)

  • Worship is a topic that is demonstrated every week in the Church, but rarely discussed in detail. It is one of the most important concepts that we should understand in our faith, yet so much of what we believe about worship is limited to cultural preferences. What does the Bible actually say about worship, and how can we apply this to our daily lives?
  • Worship is acknowledging God for who He is.
    • It is often used interchangeably with praise, which is acknowledging God for what He has done.
    • Worship is not limited by culture; God created us differently so we could have different expressions of worship. All of these expressions are beautiful to Him.
    • Worship has less to do with the style of music and more to do with the posture of our hearts.
  • Worship lowers us and lifts God.
    • Psalm 95:6  - “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;” (NIV)
    • Whenever people worshipped God in the Bible, they would physically bow themselves down and lift their hands up to God.
    • This is why worship often feels uncomfortable, especially for new believers. It is meant to remind us that only God is worthy of worship, and we are not.
  • Worship requires genuine sacrifice.
    • In the Old Testament, people worshipped using offerings, so the quality of those offerings was very important to God.
    • These sacrifices were not only a form of worship, but they also served as an atonement for sin.
    • The story of Cain and Abel - Genesis 4:3-5
    • After Jesus died for our sins and became the ultimate sacrifice, the focus of worship shifted away from animal sacrifices to us. We have become houses of worship to God, and our physical bodies have become the evidence of that.
    • Romans 12:1 - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
  • If we don’t worship God, we will always worship something else.
    • Exodus 23:33 - “Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.”

Action Step: Based on the definition of worship given in this episode, when was the last time you worshipped God? What do you think it means to become a “living sacrifice” to God today?

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Show Notes

Guiding Scripture: John 4:23-24 - “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (NIV)

  • Worship is a topic that is demonstrated every week in the Church, but rarely discussed in detail. It is one of the most important concepts that we should understand in our faith, yet so much of what we believe about worship is limited to cultural preferences. What does the Bible actually say about worship, and how can we apply this to our daily lives?
  • Worship is acknowledging God for who He is.
    • It is often used interchangeably with praise, which is acknowledging God for what He has done.
    • Worship is not limited by culture; God created us differently so we could have different expressions of worship. All of these expressions are beautiful to Him.
    • Worship has less to do with the style of music and more to do with the posture of our hearts.
  • Worship lowers us and lifts God.
    • Psalm 95:6  - “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;” (NIV)
    • Whenever people worshipped God in the Bible, they would physically bow themselves down and lift their hands up to God.
    • This is why worship often feels uncomfortable, especially for new believers. It is meant to remind us that only God is worthy of worship, and we are not.
  • Worship requires genuine sacrifice.
    • In the Old Testament, people worshipped using offerings, so the quality of those offerings was very important to God.
    • These sacrifices were not only a form of worship, but they also served as an atonement for sin.
    • The story of Cain and Abel - Genesis 4:3-5
    • After Jesus died for our sins and became the ultimate sacrifice, the focus of worship shifted away from animal sacrifices to us. We have become houses of worship to God, and our physical bodies have become the evidence of that.
    • Romans 12:1 - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
  • If we don’t worship God, we will always worship something else.
    • Exodus 23:33 - “Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.”

Action Step: Based on the definition of worship given in this episode, when was the last time you worshipped God? What do you think it means to become a “living sacrifice” to God today?