"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name: worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness" (Psalm 29:2, NIV).
"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD," (cf. Psalm 89:15, NIV).
"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of thy Israel" (Psalm 22:3, KJV).
God desires those who worship to do so in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24), and this implicates our whole being and that we do it in the right spirit, or filled with the Spirit, and in truth or not hypocritical, phony, or mere lip service--but also consistent with sound doctrine--God is the God of Truth! We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and this means everything that we are--our whole being! It doesn't mean you be something you're not, but to be what God made you and do what you were designed to do.
There's no "one-size-fits-all" way to worship: some are traditionalists, seeking liturgy and ritual; some are musical; some caregiving; some activists; some contemplative; and some are even intellectual. We are not all hard-wired the same, but we are all meant, designed, and made for worship. Dostoevsky said, "Man cannot live without worshiping something." That is, if we don't worship God, we will worship something; i.e., we will worship! We've been called Homo religiosus, or the religious man or being. We all have a spark of the divine in us and have been called Homo divinus (penned by John Stott) to point that out.
Worship (meaning worth-ship or ascribing worth that's due) isn't always corporate or in the church assembly--though this is highly rewarding and encouraging. We offer ourselves to God or consecrate ourselves in surrender. The believer must learn to live his life as a sacrifice to God and as a service to Him in offering himself. God doesn't want our achievements--He wants us! We don't want to just go through the motions, or get into a rut, but seek meaning and purpose in our worship. We don't just go to church to worship--we go to work! For example, A man laying bricks was asked what he was doing and he responded that he was building a chapel! The condition of our soul and spirit is what is our aim, not just where we are.
We are to keep the channel open and the link connected to God as we continually practice the presence of God in our daily chores and activities. Martin Luther proclaimed manual labor as dignified and to the glory of God. All that we do is to be to God's glory (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). Living our lives in God's will is our sacrifice to Him, and this is our yoke, not the Law, as in the old covenant--this is real spirituality. God wants our obedience in life and this is more important than being religious or having religiosity: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).
The reason we meet together for corporate worship though is that we all have different gifts and need mutual edification. Like it says in 1 Cor. 14:26 (NIV) that when we meet together "everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation." The gifts are given for the benefit of the body as a whole, not just for our personal growth. The point of corporate worship is that the singing of hymns and spiritual songs is not the only form of worship: We worship in giving of our monetary blessings; we worship in the Lord's Supper as a memorial to Him that contemplate; we worship by heeding the preaching of the Word, and we worship by our fellowship with our brethren.
By way of analogy, our entire lives are to be an act of giving or of worship and thanksgiving as we render to God His due and live according to His will and walk with Him in the Spirit. Worship is sacrifice among other criteria: There are two sacrifices that the Bible stresses, besides the ones given in the Mosaic Law: The sacrifice of praise (cf. Heb. 13:15); and the sacrifice of thanksgiving (cf. Ps. 50:23).
In summation, Psalm 100:1, 3, 4 (KJV, boldface mine) portrays the right mental attitude or formula for opening the door to the throne room of God into His dimension for spiritual worship as follows: "MAKE a joyful noise ... Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with thanksgiving, know ye that the LORD he is God ... Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name." [Note that we worship in making noise (i.e., audible attention-getting devices), serving (missions, ministry), coming (approaching in prayer--corporate and private, and fellowship--corporate and one-on-one) to Him, offering praise, being thankful (in everything), and in giving blessings (to God and others).] Soli Deo Gloria!
"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD," (cf. Psalm 89:15, NIV).
"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of thy Israel" (Psalm 22:3, KJV).
God desires those who worship to do so in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24), and this implicates our whole being and that we do it in the right spirit, or filled with the Spirit, and in truth or not hypocritical, phony, or mere lip service--but also consistent with sound doctrine--God is the God of Truth! We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and this means everything that we are--our whole being! It doesn't mean you be something you're not, but to be what God made you and do what you were designed to do.
There's no "one-size-fits-all" way to worship: some are traditionalists, seeking liturgy and ritual; some are musical; some caregiving; some activists; some contemplative; and some are even intellectual. We are not all hard-wired the same, but we are all meant, designed, and made for worship. Dostoevsky said, "Man cannot live without worshiping something." That is, if we don't worship God, we will worship something; i.e., we will worship! We've been called Homo religiosus, or the religious man or being. We all have a spark of the divine in us and have been called Homo divinus (penned by John Stott) to point that out.
Worship (meaning worth-ship or ascribing worth that's due) isn't always corporate or in the church assembly--though this is highly rewarding and encouraging. We offer ourselves to God or consecrate ourselves in surrender. The believer must learn to live his life as a sacrifice to God and as a service to Him in offering himself. God doesn't want our achievements--He wants us! We don't want to just go through the motions, or get into a rut, but seek meaning and purpose in our worship. We don't just go to church to worship--we go to work! For example, A man laying bricks was asked what he was doing and he responded that he was building a chapel! The condition of our soul and spirit is what is our aim, not just where we are.
We are to keep the channel open and the link connected to God as we continually practice the presence of God in our daily chores and activities. Martin Luther proclaimed manual labor as dignified and to the glory of God. All that we do is to be to God's glory (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). Living our lives in God's will is our sacrifice to Him, and this is our yoke, not the Law, as in the old covenant--this is real spirituality. God wants our obedience in life and this is more important than being religious or having religiosity: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).
The reason we meet together for corporate worship though is that we all have different gifts and need mutual edification. Like it says in 1 Cor. 14:26 (NIV) that when we meet together "everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation." The gifts are given for the benefit of the body as a whole, not just for our personal growth. The point of corporate worship is that the singing of hymns and spiritual songs is not the only form of worship: We worship in giving of our monetary blessings; we worship in the Lord's Supper as a memorial to Him that contemplate; we worship by heeding the preaching of the Word, and we worship by our fellowship with our brethren.
By way of analogy, our entire lives are to be an act of giving or of worship and thanksgiving as we render to God His due and live according to His will and walk with Him in the Spirit. Worship is sacrifice among other criteria: There are two sacrifices that the Bible stresses, besides the ones given in the Mosaic Law: The sacrifice of praise (cf. Heb. 13:15); and the sacrifice of thanksgiving (cf. Ps. 50:23).
In summation, Psalm 100:1, 3, 4 (KJV, boldface mine) portrays the right mental attitude or formula for opening the door to the throne room of God into His dimension for spiritual worship as follows: "MAKE a joyful noise ... Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with thanksgiving, know ye that the LORD he is God ... Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name." [Note that we worship in making noise (i.e., audible attention-getting devices), serving (missions, ministry), coming (approaching in prayer--corporate and private, and fellowship--corporate and one-on-one) to Him, offering praise, being thankful (in everything), and in giving blessings (to God and others).] Soli Deo Gloria!
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