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What is Worship?
What is “worship?” The word is used all the time, but people often use it to describe different things. Worship is something we regularly do together on the first day of the week, but worship should not be limited to just one hour on Sundays. Having the proper understanding of worship will help strengthen our relationship with God.
What is worship?
The Scriptures never give us a standard definition of worship. We actually see three different Greek words translated as “worship” in our English New Testaments. “Sebó” means to worship, reverence, or adore. It can also be used to describe people as devout or religious (as in Acts 17:4 in reference to the “devout Greeks”). It is the term we see in Matthew 15:9, when Jesus said “in vain they worship Me.” “Proskuneó” means to do reverence to, or to go down on your knees. It can be translated as “bow down.” When used in the Scriptures, we often see the worshiper physically bowing, as in Matthew 2:11. “Latreuó” means simply to serve, and is more about the tasks you do as a part of worship (see Anna’s example in Luke 2:37).
Why should you worship?
Hebrews 12:28 says “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.” When it says, “therefore,” we should think, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, because of the establishment of His eternal kingdom of which we get to belong, and because of His role as the Mediator of the new covenant. You should worship God as an act of gratitude to demonstrate your appreciation for allowing you into the kingdom Jesus purchased with His blood. When the women encountered the risen Lord in Matthew 28:9, their immediate response was to fall to His feet and worship Him! Why should our response be any different? When you understand who Jesus is, as both “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36), worship is the only appropriate response.
How should you worship?
It is important to note a few things before answering this last question. First, there is a distinction between collective worship, and worship in a more general sense, (what might be called “living worship”). Beyond that, we need to understand that “worship” at its core is morally neutral. Jesus quotes Isaiah in Mark 7:6-7 saying, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. 7 But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” Jesus was referring to hypocrites who were worshiping Jesus, but Jesus said their worship was meaningless! Vain worship is offered when we do the wrong actions, even with good intentions, (such as when Cornelius worshiped Peter in Acts 10:25, or the idol worshipers in Acts 17:22-30 who were told to repent). Worship can also be in vain when we do the right actions with the wrong intentions, (like the soldiers in Mark 15:16-19).
Collective worship is when God’s people come together to worship Him. We see this example at the end of Acts 2 and in Acts 20:7. Hebrews 10:24-25 makes it clear God wants His people to assemble together. The New Testament Scriptures show us that when we come together, we ought to partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), we need to give as we have prospered on Sundays (I Corinthians 16:1-2), we sing together (Ephesians 5:19), pray together (Acts 2:42), and we engage in teaching and/or preaching (Acts 5:42). While we refer to these as the “5 acts of worship,” it is important to remember that phrase is not actually found in the Scriptures. Also, while the Lord’s Supper and our giving are limited to the first day of the week, the other 3 acts are not so constricted, and we may engage in such worship activities any opportunity we have.
“Living worship” is worship in a more general sense. Romans 12:1 says “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” This “spiritual service of worship” is something we should be engaged in all the time. This does not mean, however, that you are engaging in an act of worship when you brush your teeth or play a game with your family. While you may not be engaging in an act of worship 24/7, you need to always maintain an attitude of worship as you display consistent reverence towards God. In presenting your life as a “holy sacrifice,” you need to see your life as set-apart for God. The sacrifices you make for God as part of your “living worship” are real. Jesus said in Mark 8:34, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Sacrificing for God involves denying your own desires to pursue God’s will. Your life is about serving God, not yourself.
Worship is a complex idea which encompasses both specific actions and particular attitudes. As worshippers of God, we need to be careful not to constrict worship to a limited set of actions, but we also must be sure not to broaden the definition so far that we strip it of its meaning. Our Almighty God is certainly worthy of our careful consideration of what worship is, why we should worship, and how we should worship Him.
