Better Worship

Better Worship
August 27, 2012
Psalm 29:2  "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness."

What do you think of when you hear the word "worship?"  Today, it is most commonly referred to as singing songs in church.  While this is certainly a part of worship and it can be manifested in this way, it is not the definition of worship.  Worship is defined as giving awe, honor, and praise toward something, often serving or following that which is worshiped.  As Christians, we are taught that the only thing we should be worshiping is the One True God.  While this is correct, it doesn't answer the reasons why we should worship or how we should worship.

The Bible says that the Lord is a Jealous God.  It even goes so far as to declare that as His actual name, Jealous.  He gets jealous when we worship other things, anything other than Himself.  This gives light into why we were created.  We were created to worship and fellowship with Him alone.  The Lord desires this and it is sweetness to Him when we do it on our own accord.  It is cherished because we also have the ability to resist worshiping Him.  We have a choice and when we chose correctly, it brings great honor to Him.  Laying down our resistance to bring Him honor is what actually defines worship in our lives today.

When you look up the word for "worship" in the Bible, it is most often coupled with the words "bow" or "bowed down."  The earliest forms of worship recorded in the Bible were of individuals kneeling to the ground, fallen prostrate with arms stretched forward.  It is a somewhat humiliating position, requiring the abasement of self.  But this act was carried on through the entirety of the Bible, falling prostrate in reverence, honor, and praise toward the Lord.  It was then accompanied by the people confessing with their lips or verbally ascribing glory and honor to the Lord.  Often, out of the overflow of their hearts, this turned into song.  For some reason, we have kept the song tradition, but not the humble position of falling prostrate to the Lord.

While the Lord does not require the outward manifestations of worship with your face in the dirt, He says that we should worship Him "in spirit and in truth."  This is in reference to our hearts fallen prostrate to Him and done with sincerity while deleting the ritual.  Today, our worship is an embarrassment because we seldom lend our hearts to falling prostrate unto Him.  We sing out of tradition but we don't truly ascribe glory and honor to Him, with our lips or otherwise.

Scripture says that if we do not ascribe glory and honor to Him, then the rocks will have to do it.  Why?  Because the Bible tells us that worship is actually owed to God; it is due Him; it is what He deserves.  If you cannot come to this same agreement, then the Lord has no use for you.  That's right, if you cannot worship God in your heart and with sincerity, then He will dispose of you and make the rocks perform this duty.  Worship is what He wants and desires, even to the point of destroying you if you worship something other than Him.  These aren't my words; they come straight from Scripture.

As practice, go into a closed room and fall on your knees, stretch your arms forward falling face to the ground.  It is almost impossible to do without feeling humbled.  In this position, it is far easier to confess with your lips the sincerity of your heart in ascribing glory and honor to Him, the One who deserves our worship.  Now do this with your heart on a daily basis; you owe it to Him.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Gen 24:26, Ex 23:24-26, Deut 5:9, Deut 8:19, Deut 12, Ps 19:1-4, Ps 95:6, Ps 99, Is 13:9, Matt 15:7-11, Luke 37-40