Worship, an act of surrender and devotion of one’s self to God. Christ described worship under the New Covenant as done in spirit and truth. As He taught the Samaritan woman:
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.”
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15
However, is this sort of worship still found in churches nowadays? Is this element of true worship found in “Christian” events such as the ultra-hyped Christian concerts or even found in the regular worship services of “happening” churches? Do you sincerely believe that people are sincerely worshipping and marveling at His glory in the midst of an environment specifically designed to unleash adrenaline into the bloodstream and stimulate a hyped up atmosphere? If you actually think so, then please reexamine your beliefs.
Get it right, worship is simply your sacrifice due before God; to transform worship into your ultimate source of entertainment where you revel in your musical, worship leading or singing talents is idolatry! It is idolatry when your attention deviates away from God and shifts onto yourself, when you seek a “fantastic worship experience”, you become the object of worship as you are seeking to satisfy YOURSELF rather than the One above.
The true practice of idol worship that has ensnared the Church of Christ only becomes more evident when realizing the full extent of secularism that has embedded itself in the modern worship system. In the Old Testament, the Jews were required by the Law to keep sacred instruments precisely that, sacred. The priests kept the objects separate and sanctified from common use in the temple, for objects that were defiled by the world were unacceptable in the sight of the Lord. Even the formula for the holy incense was unique. If anyone was caught using it for other purposes, the person was expelled from the nation. It only serves to reinforce the definition of holy; it was kept separate from the common; it was reserved for God alone. Now that Christ has come to fulfill the Law, the same laws of purity and holiness still apply to worship, though not in the physical but in the spiritual realm. The temple is no longer a physical structure; YOU are the temple.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19
Do the modern worship systems which resemble secular rock concerts fulfill this criterion of worship? Is it possible to take such a worldly construct intended primarily to stimulate audio and visual excitement and fit Christ in it? Surely no! For to bring the world, and hence the devil into the church for the sake of “reaching out to the lost” violates God’s principles. Before God, in issues such as these; the means of achieving a goal matters as well as the ends. Christians are clearly not to dabble and bring the world into the Church. We expose the deeds of darkness and open blinded eyes, not barter with the darkness for souls.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11
For one thing, true worship is one thing that a carnal Christian will never be able to engage in for the flesh is in permanent enmity with the spirit. When coming before God, one must do so with an attitude of sincerity, humility, repentance and reverence. However is this found in churches nowadays? Do people seek to exalt themselves by seeking to “feel great and uplifted by that fantastic worship” while musicians and singers bask in the glory of their talents? Worship should be more Christ-centered and less man-centered and hence by faith one should approach Christ for the cleansing of one’s sins. Then only can one begin to worship truly. Pride and other such sins will hinder one’s worship from reaching heaven. Above all things, God looks at the heart.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise Psalms 51:17
Vital to worship is purity of the heart and a clean conscience. As Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, where we offer our sacrifices of praise before God. Therefore, is it remotely possible for one to worship God in a desecrated temple?
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Take a close look at the vision given to the prophet Ezekiel. In the vision, God called the worship of the elders in the temple a ‘wicked abomination’, for they were doing so in the corrupting presence of idols. We do not see Him compromising His standards to accept substandard worship. Idols compete for devotion with God, and their modern incarnations include money, looks, fame and above all, one’s self in the form of pride. Pride exalts itself against God and is the primary reason for Lucifer’s downfall.
And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” So I went in and saw, and there- every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.” Ezekiel 8:9-12
Vital to the modern worship system are the modern “pop and rock theology” worship songs which promote shallow if not out rightly misguided Christian theology. Does your church worship team gobble every latest CCM song which simply happened to catch the fancy of one member for its catchy tune or beat? If yes, then perhaps you should request for more theology oriented worship songs. The songs are critical in worship as well; a song which does not seek to glorify God is worthless for worship. Songs promoting a Love-centric gospel only reinforce the belief of Jesus as your celestial boyfriend among Christians. Who do you truly perceive Jesus Christ as? Is He your lover whom you can twist around your finger or a pushover buddy who will cater to your every whim and fancy?
On the other hand, there are those who engage in worship purely out of obligation or ritual. This sort of half-hearted worship is undesirable as well, for our God is a jealous God who requires nothing less than full devotion to Him. Furthermore, this sort of worship is indicative of one’s lukewarm approach towards the faith, an attitude strongly rebuked by God. This, by far and large could arguably be the largest obstacle for Christians in worship.
Therefore the Lord said:
“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men
Isaiah 29:13
To worship in spirit and truth simply means making a transition from the carnal into spiritual. It is not an overnight transformation but it is a journey which necessitates turning ones back onto the world and heading for the cross. It involves being continuously sanctified by the blood of the lamb and walking on the narrow path. The fruits of doing so are sweet indeed as promised by the bible, which is to experience the peace of God and to taste His fulfilling joy. In short, to worship in spirit and truth is to come before God with a sincere and humble heart and acknowledge His sovereignty as the Lord of the universe!
So Christian, which shall it be, will you worship God “in spirit and in truth” or “with your lips but remove your heart far away”? Are you living a defeated lifestyle and your temple defiled by the presence of idols? Will you disregard your duty as a Christian and deny your Father His due? If you do, repent then.
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