7.21.8 "What is Worship?"

"What is Worship?"

2 Chronicles 4:1-6:13a
Romans 7:1-14
Psalm 17:1-15
Proverbs 19:22-23


What is worship? Is it music? What is it? Worship is our response to the revelation of God. HOW we respond is the "form" of worship, of which "obedience" honors God more than any other. This is also why we sing. We sing in response to his greatness. We clap, shout, etc. all in response to the revelation of our God.

Notice 2 Chronicles 5:10. "Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Mount Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel as they were leaving Egypt."

Think about this. The Ark has been a consistent representation of the Presence of God throughout the Old Testament. Both David and Solomon have referred to the Temple as a place for the Lord to dwell. How do they "move" God in? By bringing in the Ark. What's in the Ark? His commands.

Now, we all know "the Lord inhabits the praises of His people." What are "the praises of His people"? They are "our response to the revelation of God". How is God revealed? Through His Commands!

The dot that we must connect here is that you MUST be "Empowered through Biblical Training" to live a "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship". Why? because worshiping without the revelation of God is just going through the motions. "having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Tim 3:5)

Again, we are speaking of Balance. One could take this to the extreme and say, well then the highest form of worship IS legalism. Not at all!! In today's reading in Romans 7:6 Paul says, "not in the old way, mechanically obeying a set of rules, but in the new way, with all of your hearts and minds." (TLB) As we look at God's word it's as Paul says in verse 7 "it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known the sin in my heart - the evil desires that are hidden there - if the law had not said, 'you must not have evil desires in your heart.'"

As God reveals himself through His Word, we respond in worship. There may be times we wanna shout for joy. Times to sing. Times to fall down in repentance. In all things, our worship needs to be in the form of obedience to what he has shown us. This isn't always an emotional thing. In fact, most of the time it's not. We must discipline ourselves to seek his face, to get into the word, and of course, to worship in spirit and in truth.

Remember King Josiah in 2 Kings 23? They had found the commands in the temple. They read them publicly. What followed? "The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord - to follow the Lord and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant." They responded to the revelation of God. Their worship took the form of cleansing the temple.

In 2 Chronicles 5:11-14, the priests present the first musical entitled "He is so good! His loving kindness lasts forever!" in response to the Ark coming into the temple.

What is your response to the revelation of God in your life?

In Psalm 17:15, David says, "But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us." (TLB) How great is that! What makes you content? If you search your heart you will know that the only contentment is found as we seek God, respond in obedience, and know that all is well between us.

Live Empowered through Biblical Training today so you can Live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship!





Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ