THE WAY OF WORSHIP

Jaime Prewitt

Central Truth

We are called to worship. As we reflect on God's majesty and His goodness to us, we cannot help but respond and tell others about Him.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
tell of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous works among all the peoples!
(Psalm 96:2-3)

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
    sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;^{1

96:9
Or in holy attire}
    tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12     let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13     before the LORD, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Footnotes

[1] 96:9 Or in holy attire

Growing up in a small-town Southern Baptist church until the age of 18, my idea of worship consisted of solemnly standing with my hands at my side while singing old songs from a hymnal. With the exception of church camp where I got to throw up hand motions to Audio Adrenaline's song Big House, this was all I ever knew. Traveling to Ethiopia in 2015 changed my whole perspective. I had the privilege of being surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ who worshiped God with some of the most intense singing, dancing, and crazy sounds I've ever heard. And I loved every minute of it! Their hearts were completely abandoned to Christ, and they held nothing back.

Warren Wiersbe described worship like this: "Worship is the believer's response of all that they are—mind, emotions, will, body—to what God is and says and does."

It's likely that we all have experienced God's goodness and know that He is worthy of our praise. But how often do we stop and respond to Him with worship for who He is and what He has done in our lives? God has chosen to use us to make known His glorious deeds among the nations (1 Chronicles 16:8). Praise for our great God overflows from His creation and should overflow from our lips as well. Psalm 96 reminds us that there are many ways we can worship the Lord—through singing, proclaiming His salvation, telling others about Him, giving Him glory, bringing offerings to Him, and living holy lives that reflect His goodness.

God has transformed my understanding of worship over the past few years. It is so much more than lifting my hands in a church service while singing praise songs. God wants us to love Him and to respond to Him, thoughtfully, passionately, and practically. Worship is focusing our attention on God. Worship is expressing our affection for God. Worship is using our abilities for God. Whenever and wherever.

1. Are you currently worshiping the Lord with your thoughts, actions, and words (Colossians 3:17)? If not, who or what is taking that place of worship in your life?

2. Is worship something you do only in church?
Colossians 3:23 reminds us: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." This means that even tasks like changing dirty diapers, carrying out the garbage, running a business, and cleaning a house can all be ways to worship God. These are all acts of worship if we do them for Him.

3. Challenge yourself this week to take at least five minutes every day to stop and worship the Lord for who He is and what He has done in your life.