WORSHIP

Recommended Reading:   The Bible

One local preacher says that there is no such thing as a "worship service". Another preacher across town stands in the pulpit and insists that "we have gathered together to worship". Recently we listened to various sermons relating to worship. In the past couple of years we have read at least six books devoted to the subject. Upon completion of each, it remained unclear just what "worship" is and what we are to "do" in order to truly and properly worship God. 

The word "worship" seems to have become so broad in meaning as to make it challenging to define and explain it. How can something that seems to be so basic, fundamental and foundational be so difficult that we are able to so inadequately define it, let alone do it?

First, it seems that “we” (collectively, broadly – the “church”) have regressed, digressed, fallen away, etc. in so many areas and that we fail to even realize it. We accept SO many things based on tradition, upbringing, and teaching (in some cases indoctrination with false teaching) that we never question certain things. Worship may be one of those areas. 

Second, it seems that “we” are ever prone to adapt Christianity to a culture – or at least to what WE think is acceptable, fitting, proper, or adequate. The result is a Christianity which has been shaped by our “Christian culture” rather than a Christian culture that has been totally shaped by true Biblical Christianity. 

Furthermore, on the one hand there is concern that “we” tend to “spiritualize” (even allegorize) in order to soften hard truths, and on the other hand we seem to want tangible things where God wants intangible things. 

Still furthermore, we tend to use (abuse) words in such a way that over time their true powerful meaning becomes powerless or they come to mean something entirely different than that which was originally intended.  

As we study the word “worship” in the Bible, we see some very distinct, clear, simple principles. By the very definition of the primary word for worship in Hebrew and in Greek, by its usage in MANY verses of Scripture, by its historic-prophetic context, and so on – worship seems almost inseparable from "prostrating", "bowing down", or "kneeling". A brief study of the Bible languages and the relevant word studies appears at the end of this page, but we wish to present some very basic, yet vitally important, truths regarding worship. It is true that the very meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words is about prostrating, bowing and kneeling. But these words are so often used in conjunction with other words having similar meanings that either there is redundancy, or there must be a somewhat different meaning inferred. We believe the latter to be the case.

Jesus taught things that were revolutionary! They were not mere adjustments to thought and practice, they were teachings that turned things upside down. We contend that there are areas within Churchianity today where the Church has not allowed things to be turned upside down in the way our Lord seems to have taught. One such area is the area of "worship". A cornerstone passage on this topic is found in John chapter 4 as Jesus is having a dialog with a Samaritan woman. Having been candidly exposed as to her sinful lifestyle and her personal marriage failures, she seizes the opportunity to change the subject. We pick up the account at verse 19 and read the following:  

19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

What is so shocking about this teaching? For approximately 1500 years, the Jews had the temple in Jerusalem as THE place where God was to be worshipped. After Solomon's death, the battle between two of his sons, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, led to Jeroboam establishing two new (false) places of "worship" in the northern kingdom, one at Dan and the other at Bethel (see 1 Kings 12). In  this way, the northern kingdom people would have no reason/need to travel to Jerusalem, which was located in the southern kingdom, AND the people could be appeased that they were acceptably worshipping God in those "substitute" places established by their king. So, for years the debate raged between the two groups as to where it was okay to worship. Then Jesus comes along - and his conversation with the Samaritan woman is profound, prophetic and revealing.

If you will carefully read verses 21 and 23 above, what should immediately jump out is that Jesus took away the importance of PLACE in the matter of worship. It's not about a physical place! So, why is that important? Well, first, we have "churches" in whose name appears the words "worship center". Others like to refer to their church building as a "house of worship". Can this be? In light of Jesus' words, have we any right to call any "building" a "worship center" or a "house of worship"? We believe it is very clear from the Scriptures that the appropriate "place" of worship is within the regenerated saint. While "worship" might happen at a "worship center", use of such names seems to blur, or even hide, the plain teaching of Scriptures as to the personal and continual nature of true worship. We urge our readers to refrain from using such names in reference to physical places - even places where believers meet together. Secondly, many "churches" have what are called "worship services". For some churches, every Sunday morning gathering is a "worship service". For some churches, EVERY gathering is billed out as a "worship service". We would suggest the same argument as above - that worship might take place during a time designated to be a "worship hour", but it certainly is not necessarily so. Can true worship happen by appointment? Churches set a time, create a mood, do all kinds of things to "prepare" the people and then to "lead them" into "worship". We fear that these are human productions intended to conjure up what can only truly result from the life of a believer who is walking with his/her God and is filled with the Holy Spirit, not with a man-induced spirit of emotionalism, religion, etc.  Will true worship occur when believers gather together? We pray that it does - but we expect that it will occur as believers, who are worshipping individually, gather together and their worship simply continues! We urge that the saints be taught clearly and regularly regarding the personal and continual nature of true worship.   

The directive of the Scriptures is to WORSHIP GOD!   How's YOUR worship?   In spirit?    In truth?

We can choose to worship after the example of Abel (see Genesis 4:3-7) who purposed and sought to worship God's way, or, we can follow the example of Cain who sought to worship God in a way that Cain thought should be acceptable to God. God was pleased with Abel's offering but not with Cain's! In order to be "true worship", all "false worship" must be set aside! Eph. 5:10 reminds us to be engaged in "finding out what is acceptable to the Lord."

What constitutes worship? We would like to suggest that the following are involved in worshipping God. 

1. KNOWING GOD - it may be intuitive, but we can't hope to worship a God about Whom we know nothing. It is necessary that we know Him and that we continually get to know Him better and better. Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman in John 4:22 were "You worship what you do not know" - that just doesn't work. In Acts 17:23 we read of Paul speaking to the Athenians on Mars Hill regarding an idol they had set up to the "unknown God" - Paul purposed to reveal to those people Who God is so that they might KNOW the God they should be worshipping. Paul, later, in Philippians 3:10 stated his heart's desire "that I may know Him". The Apostle John wrote, in 1 John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true;...". 

True worship cannot occur if we do not know God!  Worship can increase as we come to know God better!
[There is a section of this site intended to help you know God - please click HERE]

2. LOVING GOD - throughout the Scriptures we see evidence of God being pleased with those who have a relationship with Him, those who seek after Him, those who adore Him. When the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment of God is, Jesus answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matt. 22:37) (see also Deut. 6:5). Inasmuch as we MUST worship God in spirit and in truth, we must likewise love Him in spirit and in truth. Many love a god of their own making, but not THE GOD Who has revealed Himself through His Word. That is one reason why knowing God is at the very heart of true worship.

3. FEARING GOD - we believe that fearing God is also essential to proper worship. According to Deut. 10:12-13, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?". We read in Deut. 31:12-13 "Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.” In Ecclesiastes 12:13 we read "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all." In Eccl. 8:12 "...I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him."

4. OBEYING GOD - a number of the verses cited above included obedience to God as being vital to our relationship with God and therefore also to our worship of God. Deut. 13:4 says "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him." Deut. 26:17 says "Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice." According to Acts 5:29, "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men" and Acts 5:32 "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

5. PRAISING GOD - While examples can be found throughout the Scriptures, the Psalms are filled with examples of responses to the goodness, the faithfulness, the holiness, etc. of God - responses such as delight, and gladness, and rejoicing. Consider these few examples: " You who fear the LORD, praise Him!" (Ps. 22:23a); "I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High." (Ps. 7:17); "In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever." (Ps. 44:8); "I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good." (Ps. 54:6). We believe that this response of the heart of man to God will then further evidence itself in words of praise spoken aloud before others and that it may also evidence itself in joyful song. Ephesians 5:19 includes this phrase: "singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,".  

6. GIVING TO GOD - This certainly includes, but is not limited to, THANKSgiving. Ephesians 5:20 reminds us that we are to be "giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". Recognizing the bountiful goodness of God and realizing that "without Him we can do nothing" should evoke a response of thankfulness. But giving in other ways can also be a demonstration of worship. Giving honor and glory to Him is worshipful giving. Giving God credit (instead of Mother Nature, for example) is worshipful speaking. Giving a cup of cold water in His name and doing good to "the least of these" is as doing it "unto Him" and is therefore worshipful doing (Matt. 25:40). "...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).

We did not intend to create a "checklist" for "conducting worship" nor are we implying that these listed activities are the ONLY components of true worship, but we do believe that some of these are requisites for TRUE worship and others are ways in which true worship can be expressed. Worship in its simplest form might just be simply humbling ourselves before the great and Almighty Lord God and doing so truthfully - full of the truth as to Who God is and in truth, honesty and sincerity about who we are in relation to Him.    

Please consider the following word study:

HEBREW

The primary Hebrew word for worship is a verb!  hxX, transliterated as Shachah, phonetically shaw-khaw'  

Definition = to bow down, to prostrate oneself 

King James Word Usage - Total: 172 worship 99, bow 31, bow down 18, obeisance 9, reverence 5, fall down 3, themselves 2, stoop 1, crouch 1, miscellaneous 3  

ARAMAIC

The Bible book of Daniel, as you may know, is written in Aramaic. We have listed the verses in Daniel where this word appears. Note the connection between worship and falling down before the object of worship. 

Da 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 

Da 3:5-7 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Da 3:10-12 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 

Da 3:14-15 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Da 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 

Da 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

GREEK

The primary Greek word for worship is also a verb -proskunevw, transliterated as Proskuneo, phonetically pros-koo-neh'-o. This particular Greek word is ALWAYS translated “worship”. There is another Greek word (latreuvw) that is several times translated “worship” in the KJV, but otherwise is translated “serve” (as it should be) – such as in Romans 12:2. 

Proskuneo means:

1. "to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence" 

2. "among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence" 

3. "in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication"

Here are just the verses from Matthew which use this Greek word: 

Mt 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 

Mt 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 

Mt 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 

Mt 4:9-10 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

Mt 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 

Mt 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 

Mt 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 

Mt 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 

Mt 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mt 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 

Mt 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 

Mt 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

In the Old Testament, people bowed down before their God (pagans also bowed down before their gods). As can be seen above, the wise men fell down and worshipped the very young King. When Satan tempted Jesus, he associated “falling down” with “worshipping”. In various teachings of Jesus Himself, He makes the same association. Conclusion – something since then has changed! In Revelation (still future!), we find the same thing happening! Consider the following:  

Re 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 

Re 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Re 5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. 

Re 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 

Re 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 

Re 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 

Re 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

Re 22:8-9 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worshipbefore the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

There are probably many other relevant Scriptures. Here’s one more to throw into the mix. 1 Corinthians 14 24-25 "But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth." 

One legitimate question here is that if the word “worship” itself means what it does, why is it so often coupled with expressions like “falling down”? There is actually an example in Psalm 95 where in a sense the same thing is said three times in a row with three different words. Psalm 95:6 says "O come, let us worship[prostrate] and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker!" 

We also realize that there are additional questions/issues. Is “worship” ONLY the genuflection (bending of the knee)? Or is there more to it? We have noticed in our studying that there is a connection between “worship” and “saying”. Note these verses from Matthew: 

Mt 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 

Mt 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 

Mt 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 

Mt 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 

Mt 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mt 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring [asking] a certain thing of him.

Is our worship of God what it ought to be?  
"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker!" 

Helpful Reading:
Whatever Happened to Worship, A.W. Tozer, WingSpread Publishers 1985

In "Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church", Tozer wrote:
"Now, what are the factors that you will find present in worship? Let me give you a few of them as I go along. First there is boundless confidence. You cannot worship a Being you cannot trust. Confidence is necessary to respect, and respect is necessary to worship. Worship rises or falls in any church altogether depending upon the attitude we take toward God, whether we see God big or whether we see Him little. Most of us see God too small; our God is too little."
"Then there is admiration, that is, appreciation of the excellency of God." "The God of the modern evangelical rarely astonishes anybody."
"Fascination is another element in true worship. To be filled with moral excitement...to be struck with astonished wonder at the inconceivable elevation and magnitude and splendor of Almighty God."
Next is adoration, to love God with all the power within us. To love God with fear and wonder and yearning and awe."


I do not recall where we came across this outline, but:
A. True worship is God-directed (i.e. theocentric focus). Worship is an exercise of the human spirit directed primarily to God. Worshipers embark on the enterprise not simply to satisfy their needs, to make themselves feel better, or to minister to their aesthetic tastes and social well-being. Rather, they worship in order to express and articulate the greatness of their God, as bidden by the Israelite psalmist: "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name" (Ps. 96:8).
B. True worship focuses on divine worthiness - Psalm 96:4
C. True worship recognizes God's holiness at all times - Psalm 99:9
D. True worship expects a claim on the worshiper - 2 Samuel 24:24
E. True worship requires utter seriousness.
F. True worship requires attention, not merely attendance.
G. True worship is response! (to who God is and to what He does)

Worship is not something done to us or for us, but rather BY us!
The congregation is NOT the audience in worship - GOD is the audience! and we, in a sense, celebrate that the God who speaks has spoken and the God who acts, has acted - it is NOT about us, what we have done, etc. In fact, many attend church to hear a certain preacher, to hear certain music, to be with certain friends, etc. when we really SHOULD be purposing to attend in order to hear from God!
Some would in fact argue that worship is the PRINCIPAL function of the church - not fellowship, not teaching, not evangelism - as important as all those things are.