There seems to be a great deal of confusion in the evangelical world regarding the meaning of worship. Can you give me a biblical definition of it, and make some suggestions as to how I might encourage my own heart to worship the Father “in spirit and in truth”?
Worship has been well defined as the overflowing of love resulting from the adoring contemplation of God as revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not merely thanksgiving for what He has done, though this has its place, but the ascription of praise to Him for what He is, both in Himself and in His ways. Consider, for example, the worship of Moses in Exodus 34:8. He had asked God to show him His glory. How suitable a petition for those seeking to worship! In reply God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee” (33:19). “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the Name of the Lord, and the Lord passed by him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” At such a display of grace and majesty “Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped” (Ex. 34:5-8).
Look at the worship described in the Revelation. “The four living creatures cease not day and night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, which was, and which is, and which is to come’” (Rev. 4:8, rv). The elders fall down before Him that sat upon the throne, and worship Him in these words as they cast their crowns before Him, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created” (v. 11). See Revelation 5:12-13, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” And every created being responds, “Blessing unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and the honor, and the glory, and the power, and the dominion be unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
William Lincoln says of worship: “To worship God we must be quite conscious of His love and grace. The more conscious we are of this, the easier and better is our worship. So we must sit at His feet and learn the story of His love. We must have the Spirit to show us the things of Christ. We must sit at His table and partake of the fatted calf. Then we can be merry before Him.”
Worship is the overflowing of our hearts when under the Father’s eye we admire and adore His Son. For “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11). Here is the true secret of worship. The Spirit brings before our hearts the glories of Christ so that, admiring and adoring, we overflow with love, gratitude, praise, and worship.
Two ladies were saying goodbye. Their fellowship had been happy, and they were parting with reluctance. As one bade farewell, she said, “Thank you for being what you are.” O to turn with gratitude to the Lover of our souls, saying, “All blessing to Thee for what Thou art—Thou art worthy!” We love the Lord for what He has done, but we adore Him for what He is, and pour out our hearts in worship.
“One thing,” said David, “have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple” (Ps. 27:4). So as the Spirit reveals to our faith the glories of Christ, we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 29:2), exclaiming, “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the mighty ones? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?…Thou in Thy mercy hath led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed, Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation” (Ex. 15:11-13). “How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!” (Zech. 9:17).