06 Feb 2012 Question: "What is true worship?

" Answer: The Apostle Paul described true worship perfectly in Romans 12:1-2: I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, or well pleasing and perfect. This passage contains all the elements of true worship. First, there is the motivation to worship: the mercies of God. Gods mercies are everything He has given us that we dont deserve: eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, intercession and much more. The knowledge and understanding of these incredible gifts motivate us to pour forth praise and thanksgivingin other words, worship! Also in the passage is a description of the manner of our worship: present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice. Presenting our bodies means giving to God all of ourselves. The reference to our bodies here means all our human faculties, all of our humannessour hearts, minds, hands, thoughts, attitudesare to be presented to God. In other words, we are to give up control of these things and turn them over to Him, just as a literal sacrifice was given totally to God on the altar. But how? Again, the passage is clear: by the renewing of your mind. We renew our minds daily by cleansing them of the worlds wisdom and replacing it with true wisdom that comes from God. We worship Him with our renewed and cleansed minds, not with our emotions. Emotions are wonderful things, but unless they are shaped by a mind saturated in Truth, they can be destructive, out-ofcontrol forces. Where the mind goes, the will follows and so do the emotions. First Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ, not the emotions of Christ. There is only one way to renew our minds, and that is by the Word of God. It is the truth, the knowledge of the Word of God, which is to say the knowledge of the mercies of God, and were back where we began. To know the truth, to believe the truth, to hold

convictions about the truth, and to love the truth will naturally result in true spiritual worship. It is conviction followed by affection, affection that is a response to truth, not to any external stimuli, including music. Music as such has nothing to do with worship. Music cant produce worship, although it certainly can produce emotion. Music is not the origin of worship, but it can be the expression of it. Do not look to music to induce your worship; look to music as simply an expression of that which is induced by a heart that is rapt by the mercies of God, obedient to His commands. True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. Worship can include praying, reading God's Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place. Its also important to know that worship is reserved only for God. Only He is worthy and not any of His servants (Revelation 19:10). We are not to worship saints, prophets, statues, angels, any false gods, or Mary, the mother of Jesus. We also should not be worshiping for the expectation of something in return, such as a miraculous healing. Worship is done for Godbecause He deserves itand for His pleasure alone. Worship can be public praise to God (Psalm 22:22, 35:18) in a congregational setting, where we can proclaim through prayer and praise our adoration and thankfulness to Him and what He has done for us. True worship is felt inwardly, and then comes out through our actions. "Going through the motions" out of obligation is displeasing to God and is done completely in vain. He can see through all the hypocrisy, and He hates it. He demonstrates this in Amos 5:21-24 as He talks about coming judgment. Another example is the story of Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. They both brought gift offerings to the Lord, but He was only pleased with Abel's. Cain brought the gift out of obligation; Abel brought his finest lambs from his flock. He brought out of faith and admiration for God.

True worship is not confined to what we do in church or open praise (although these things are both good and we are told in the Bible to do them). It is the acknowledgment of God and all His power and glory in everything we do. The highest form of praise and worship is obedience to Him and His Word. To do this, we must know God; we cannot be ignorant of Him (Acts 17:23). Worship is to glorify and exalt Godto show our loyalty and admiration to our Father. Worship God in Spirit and in Truth In Spirit: Our innermost being (born again by confessing our sin and having a redeemed heart, accepting Jesus as Lord and personal saviour), abide with the Holy Spirit. Have a mind-centered God (renewal of mind; focus our wholeness on seeking Gods kingdom, not on earthly things). Have a pure, open and repentant heart. In Truth: Understand who He is and what He has done by reading the Bible daily. Praising from the depths of our hearts, toward a God who is understood through His word. 1. Be born again (confess your sin and accept the lord. 2. True worship comes from a heart that desires Him alone. 3. True worship of God is the desire to continue to build up our knowledge of God. Fill your minds constantly with the things of God. All the glory be upon Him.

believers.org Be Humble Humble is the opposite of proud. Pride is the attitude of a self-sufficient person. Humility is the attitude of a person who knows they need help. A humble person will pray a lot and follow God's instructions, instead of leaning to their own understanding. 1 CORINTHIANS 4:7 NKJ 7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it? Humility does not make you think you are better than anyone else.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:10 NKJ 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am . . . . Whatever you are that is good is also by the grace of God -- not by your virtue. You did not create yourself.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:5 NKJ 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

Promises To The Humble 2 CHRONICLES 7:14 NKJ 14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Notice that the first thing God says His people must do is humble themselves -- even before praying or turning from their wicked ways.

2 SAMUEL 22:28 NKJ 28 You will save the humble people; but Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down. PSALM 25:9 NKJ 9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. PROVERBS 11:2 NKJ 2 When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.

JAMES 4:6-7,10 NKJ 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

1 PETER 5:5-7 NKJ 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Humble Have Favor With God DANIEL 10:2-3,12 NKJ 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

2 CHRONICLES 12:12 NKJ 12 When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.

ISAIAH 57:15 NKJ 15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Reality Check JOHN 15:5 NKJ 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

DEUTERONOMY 8:3 NKJ 3 "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:17-18 NKJ 17 But "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Walk In Humility ROMANS 12:16 NKJ 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

2 TIMOTHY 2:24-25 NKJ 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

PHILIPPIANS 2:3 NKJ 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Watch Out PROVERBS 16:18 NKJ 18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:12 NKJ 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

PROVERBS 29:23 NKJ 23 A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

God Requires Humility TITUS 3:2 NKJ 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

MICAH 6:8 NKJ 8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Jesus Was Humble MATTHEW 11:29 NKJ 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8 NKJ 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

JOHN 5:30 NKJ 30 "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

JOHN 13:14 NKJ 14 "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

In Jesus' day, washing feet was a menial job for servants, something like cleaning toilets would be today.

Humble Will Be Exalted MATTHEW 18:3-4 NKJ 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

LUKE 14:11 NKJ 11 "For whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

LUKE 18:13-14 NKJ 13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God be merciful to me a sinner!'

14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."