What Is Worship, Really?

Welcome to the Ministry Focused Worship Essentials Podcast, where we explore the heart of worship, leadership, and the journey of faith, as well as talking about issues involving worship in today's church.

I'm your host, Brian Foster.

Let's talk some worship.

And once again, welcome to another edition of the Ministry Focused Worship Essentials podcast.

So glad uh that you're able to join me on today's podcast where we're gonna pick up um on our uh next subject um in the healthy worship um book that came out with uh brother Kenny Lamb.

And this is gonna be chapter number two uh that we're gonna go through.

And once again, I just want to remind everyone that you can go to uh renewingworshipnc.org.

That is brother Kenny's website, renew um renewingworshipnc.org, and you can order a copy of this book.

Um it gives you the links to um go and purchase this um particular book.

It's uh a fantastic read, uh, like I said last week.

Uh also you can go on to Amazon and their Kindle section and download the book as well.

Uh, there's several different resources.

Just go to renewing nc uh renewingworshipnc.org and you it follow the links and it'll tell you how you can get your copy of Healthy Worship by Brother Kenny Lamb.

And then you can kind of follow along uh each week as we go through uh uh the process of uh the teaching that Brother Kenny brought forth into this.

But we'll get into our teaching in just a moment.

But first and foremost, let's go to the Lord in prayer.

If you would join me.

Father God, thank you for another day.

Lord, I praise your name for every blessing that you have poured out of heaven upon us.

And Father, I ask that you bless the time that we're sharing here together.

Father, may you be exalted through this podcast.

I pray the focus would be upon you and not me, Lord.

I pray that you would just use me as your instrument uh to speak what thus saith the Lord.

Father, I yield my mouth to you.

And I pray, Father, that you would help me to teach this in a way that's understandable, and that those who tune into this podcast will be able to glean a nugget of knowledge from it.

And Father, that they can apply it not only in their ministries at their churches, but also to their personal walk with you.

And I give you all the praise, the honor, and the glory for the way you're gonna work and for the way you're gonna bless through this podcast and in the days ahead.

And I ask this in the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ my Lord, amen.

So, here's the question.

What is worship really?

If someone walked up to you today and asked you to explain worship, what would you say?

Would you picture a church sanctuary filled with people singing?

Would you think about a worship band, a choir, a piano, or a congregation lifting their hands doing a favorite song?

Perhaps you would describe worship as the first part of a morning worship service before the preaching begins.

And while singing, music, prayer, and corporate gatherings are important expressions of worship, they don't tell the whole story.

Biblical worship is bigger than a song.

It's deeper than an emotional experience, and it extends far beyond the walls of a church building.

The word or the English word worship is commonly explained through the older expression worth ship.

That's W-O-R-T-H ship, S-H-I-P, the recognition of worth.

When we worship God, we acknowledge that He alone is worthy of our highest honor, love, devotion, and obedience.

On Sunday morning, we gather to declare that God is worthy of our praise.

But on Monday morning, when we face the pressures of work, family responsibilities, difficult decisions, and unexpected challenges, is he still worthy?

Absolutely.

And our worship should reflect that truth.

Today we're going to explore six important aspects of worship.

Actually, it's going to be five.

I uh misprinted that.

So it's going to be five uh aspects of worship: what worship really means, how God reveals himself, and how we respond, how worship transforms us, why worship is more than a Sunday activity, how we move from being spectators to participators, and how we turn biblical knowledge into a genuine response to God.

My prayer is that by the end of this episode, you'll have a deeper understanding of worship and a renewed desire to make it a part of everything you do.

So let's go over point one.

God reveals Himself and we respond.

Let's begin with a foundational truth.

Worship begins with God, not with us.

Sometimes we approach worship by asking, what kind of music do I enjoy?

What atmosphere helps me worship?

What makes me feel connected?

Those questions may describe our preferences and experiences, but they don't define the heart of biblical worship.

Worship begins when we recognize who God is and respond to his revelation.

Think of worship as a response to the God who created us, loves us, and has made himself known to us.

God reveals himself through his word, through the testimony of creation, and most clearly through his son, Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us about God's holiness, his justice, his mercy, his power, his wisdom, and his faithfulness.

It also tells us what God has done.

He created us, he has provided a way for our sinners to be reconciled to him through Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and offers eternal life to those who trust in him.

When we understand who God is and what he has done, we have every reason to respond in worship.

Listen to what Jesus says in John chapter 4, verses 23 through 24.

John 4:23–24

But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Then Jesus says in verse 24, God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Notice that Jesus didn't or doesn't identify true worship by a particular music style, instrument, building, or outward uh atmosphere.

He points us toward worship that is rooted in spirit and in truth.

We must know that God, we must know the God we worship, and our response must be genuine.

So what does that response involve?

It involves the whole person, our mind, our heart, our will, and our body.

First, worship involves the mind.

We listen to God's word, learn what it teaches, and allow his truth to shape our thinking.

When scripture reveals that God is holy, we acknowledge his holiness.

When scripture reveals that he is faithful, we learn to trust him.

When scripture tells us that Christ is with risen, we build our hope on the truth of his resurrection.

Second, worship involves the heart.

As we consider God's character and his grace, our hearts respond with love, gratitude, reverence, and sometimes sorrow over our sin.

We recognize that we have not earned God's mercy.

We are dependent upon his grace.

Third, worship involves the will.

We choose to obey God.

We surrender our plans, attitudes, ambitions, and decisions to his authority.

It's one thing to sing, I surrender all.

It's another thing to surrender a personal preference, forgive someone who has hurt us, or allow God's word when obedience is difficult.

Fourth, worship involves the body.

We may sing, kneel, stand, bow, lift our heads, serve, give, or use our physical abilities to honor the Lord.

Psalm 95 and verse 6 says, O come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

The Bible's original language vocabulary helps us picture worship vividly.

Hebrew shaka often conveys bowing down, while the Greek word proskinio, and I hope I pronounced that right, proskinio, can convey bowing or kneeling in homage.

The particular meaning depends on context, but both words helps us use or to see that worship involves reverence and submission, not merely an abstract and uh not merely an abstract idea.

Now, here's a simple way to summarize what we've discussed.

Worship is our response to God's revelation of Himself expressed through our whole lives, mind, heart, will, and body.

Let me encourage you to remember that definition as we continue.

When we understand worship this way, we begin to see that every part of our lives can become an opportunity to honor the Lord.

Point number two, worship is transformative.

Here's where worship becomes especially personal.

Worship doesn't just express what we believe about God.

As we continually turn our attention toward Him and live according to His truth, worship helps us shape who we become.

Romans 12 and verse 2 gives us this instruction.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Notice the word transformed.

God isn't interested merely in changing our Sunday routine.

He desires to transform our thinking, our character, our desires, and our conduct conduct, excuse me, our conduct.

Easy for me to say, our conduct.

We are constantly being influenced by the things that occupy our attention and shape our values.

If we make money the ultimate measure of success, we can begin to measure our worth by our possessions and achievements.

If we become consumed with other people's approval, we may begin to compromise our convictions to gain acceptance.

If entertainment becomes the center of our lives, we can allow temporary pleasures to crowd out the things that matter eternally.

These things are not all wrong in themselves.

Money can be used responsibly, relationships are valuable, and entertainment can have a proper place.

The problem comes when something creates or something created takes the place of the creator.

God alone deserves our ultimate devotion.

In Psalm chapter 115 and verses 4 through 8, it describes the lifeless idols made by human hands and warns about becoming like the things we trust.

Psalms 115 · chapter mention

The principle is worth considering.

What we treat as ultimate will influence the direction of our lives.

But when we turn our hearts toward Jesus Christ, we are reminded of a very different picture of greatness.

We see the king who humbled himself, served others, loved the unlovely, and willingly lay down his life for sinners.

Philippians 2, verse 5 tells us, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5

As we study Christ's example and depend on the Holy Spirit, we learn to value humility over pride, generosity over selfishness, forgiveness over bitterness, and faithfulness over compromise.

This transformation doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't mean that a sincere Christian will never struggle.

We grow through God's grace as we continue following Him.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18 describes believers as being changed into the Lord's image from glory to glory through the work of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

That is one of the beautiful results of a life centered on God.

Worship reminds us that we belong to Him.

It redirects our attention when we become distracted.

It calls us back when our priorities drift.

Think about what happens when you spend time meditating on God's faithfulness.

You may still have difficult circumstances, but you have reasons to trust him.

Think about what happens when you reflect on his mercy.

You become more aware of the grace you have received and more willing to show mercy to others.

Think about what happens when you consider the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

You are reminded that genuine love is not merely a feeling.

It is willing to serve, give, forgive, and sacrifice.

Worship does not manipulate God into making our lives easy.

Rather, it directs our hearts toward the one who is worthy, even when life is difficult.

So let me ask you a question.

Is your worship helping you become more like Jesus?

Are you growing in patience?

Are you becoming more gracious in your conversations?

Are you learning to trust God instead of being controlled by fear?

Are you being more faithful in your responsibilities?

Those questions help us examine whether our worship is influencing our daily lives.

The goal isn't simply to leave a church service being in or feeling inspired.

The goal is to differently or to live differently because we have been reminded of who God is and what he has called us to be.

True worship points our attention towards God, and as he works in us, our lives increasingly reflect the character of Christ.

Point number three, worship is not just a Sunday thing.

Let's move to our next point.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about worship is the idea that worship only happens at church.

We sometimes say, I'm going to church on Sunday as if worship were an event we attend, rather than a response to God that shapes the way we live.

Of course, gathering with the church is important.

Corporate worship gives us opportunities to praise God together, hear his word, pray, encourage one another, and serve as a church family.

But worship doesn't begin when we walk through the church doors, and it doesn't end when we walk back out.

1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 31 says, Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

Think about the reach of that verse.

Paul mentions eating and drinking, ordinary activities that are part of everyday life.

Then he expands the principle to do or to whatever we do.

Our daily activities can be carried out in ways that honors God.

Let's make that practical.

You may not think of washing dishes as an act of worship, but when you serve your family with a thankful heart rather than constant resentment, you have an opportunity to honor the Lord.

You may not think of your workplace as a place of worship, but when you choose honesty instead of deception, work diligently, and treat others with with integrity, you demonstrate that your faith affects your conduct.

You may not think of forgiving someone as worship, but when you remember the mercy God has shown you and chose to release a bitterness rather than nurture it, you are putting biblical truth into practice.

You may not think of a welcoming newcomer as worship.

But when you notice someone who feels overlooked and you make an effort to include them, you reflect the love of Christ.

These actions don't replace singing, prayer, or gathering with the church.

They demonstrate that the God we praise on Sunday is the same God we honor throughout the week.

Colossians chapter 3 and verse 17 says, and whatsoever ye do, ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

That's a powerful way to think about everyday worship.

Before speaking, we can ask, will these words honor Christ?

Before making a decision, we can ask, does this choice reflect God's truth?

Before responding to someone who has offended us, we can ask, how can I respond in a way that honors God?

Before beginning a task that seems unimportant, we can remember that faithfulness matters to God.

This is where worship becomes a lifestyle.

It doesn't mean we must constantly be singing or thinking about religious activities.

It means our lives are increasingly directed by our relationship with God and our desire to please Him.

We worship when we work faithfully.

We worship when we serve humbly.

We worship when we tell the truth.

We worship when we love our neighbors.

We worship when we trust God's word enough to obey it.

And we worship when we gather with other believers to offer praise together.

The same heart of devotion should connect our private lives, our public worship, and our everyday responsibilities.

So here's the question I want you to consider.

If someone observed your life from Monday through Saturday, would they see evidence of the God you worship on Sunday?

Not perfection, not a life without mistakes, but a sincere desire to follow Christ, repent when you fail, and live according to his word.

Worship is confined to a building.

By God's grace, it becomes part of everything we do.

Point number four, worship in a spectator age.

Now let's consider a challenge facing many churches today.

We live in a culture that encourages us to watch, rate, review, and consume.

We watch performances, follow our favorite artist, and evaluate experiences according to how much we enjoy them.

Unfortunately, that mindset can influence the way we approach church.

We can begin to think of the worship service as something happening on a stage while we sit back and decide whether we like it.

Was the music good?

Did the singer choose the right songs?

Was the sound balanced?

Did the service move at the right pace?

Did the worship leader create the atmosphere we prefer?

There may be legitimate reasons to evaluate how our service is organized, and church leaders should care about musical excellence, clarity, and serving the congregation well.

But something is wrong when evaluating the performance becomes more important than responding to God.

The congregation is not merely an audience observing the musicians and the worship leaders.

The congregation is called to participate in offering worship to God.

Let me repeat that.

The musicians are not the only people worshiping.

The pastor is not the only person responsible for directing attention toward the Lord.

Every believer has an opportunity and responsibility to respond sincerely to God's truth.

Consider Psalm chapter 100.

Psalms 100 · chapter mention

In verses 1 through 2.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before his presence with singing.

Notice the invitation to the people of God.

They are called to make a joyful noise, serve the Lord, and come before him with singing.

Worship is something God's people do together.

This doesn't mean everyone must sing loudly, raise their hands, or express themselves in exactly the same way.

Some may worship quietly.

Others may express praise more visibly.

Physical ability, personality, circumstances, and personal background can affect outward expression.

We should not measure another person's sincerity simply by how they look doing a song.

The essential issue is whether we are responding to God with sincerity and truth.

Leaders and musicians have an important ministry.

They can select songs that reflect biblical truth, prepare carefully, guide the congregation, and help people focus on the Lord, but they cannot worship in the congregation's place.

A worship leader can lead a song, but each believer must respond to God personally.

A choir can sing about God's goodness, but every listener has the opportunity to consider that goodness and offer thanksgiving.

A pastor can preach God's word, but each hearer must decide whether to receive the truth and obey it.

So how do we move from being spectators to being active worshipers?

First, prepare your heart before arriving at church.

Pray for the service, read scripture, and ask God to help you focus on Him.

Second, participate sincerely, sing when you can, pray with understanding, listen carefully to Scripture, respond to the truth being taught.

Third, stop allowing personal preferences to become the standard by which you measure worship.

You may prefer hymns, contemporary songs, a piano, an organ, or a full band.

Those preferences are real, but they are not the measure of God's worthiness.

The more important question is whether the worship is faithful to Scripture and whether you are responding to God.

Fourth, remember the purpose of gathering.

We aren't coming to church primarily to be entertained.

We gather to glorify God, hear his word, encourage one another, and grow together as the body of Christ.

When we enter a service, we can change the question from what am I going to get out of this?

to Lord, how can I honor you, receive your truth, and encourage others today?

That simple shift can make a tremendous difference.

The church is not a stage with a passive audience, it is a gathered people offering praise to the living God.

Finally, point number five, from head knowledge to heart response.

We've talked about what worship is, how it transforms us, how it shapes everyday life, and how we can become active participants rather than spectators.

But there's another important issue we need to address.

It's possible to know a great deal about worship without consistently living as a worshiper.

We can learn the vocabulary, we can study biblical passages, we can discuss musical styles, song selection, church traditions, and the responsibilities of worship leaders.

All of those subjects may have value, but information alone is not the same as transformation.

God is not asking us to repeat religious words without meaning.

He desires genuine devotion that is shaped by his truth.

In Matthew chapter 15 and verse 8, Jesus says, This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

Those words should cause us to examine ourselves.

We can sing about surrender while refusing to surrender a particular area of our lives.

We can sing about forgiveness while holding tightly to resentment.

We can sing about trusting God while allowing fear to govern our every decision.

We can sing about loving our neighbors while ignoring people who need encouragement.

The answer isn't to abandon singing or become suspicious of every emotion we experience.

The answer is to bring our hearts and lives into alignment with the truth we sing and profess.

And perhaps while listening today, thinking, my worship has felt dry lately, maybe the songs that once moved you no longer seem to have the same effect.

Maybe you're struggling with distractions.

Maybe you've become discouraged by disagreements over worship styles.

First, remember that your feelings do not determine God's worthiness.

There will be seasons of great joy and seasons when faithfulness requires discipline.

Worship is not limited to moments of strong emotion.

Second, return to God's word.

Read about his character, reflect on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Remember his promises.

Ask him to reveal where your heart has become distracted.

Third, respond honestly.

You don't need to pretend to feel something you don't.

Bring your discouragement, questions, and struggles before the Lord.

Ask him to help you to see his truth more clearly and respond faithfully.

Psalm chapter 51 and verse 10 tells us, Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 51 · chapter mention

That is a prayer we can bring before the Lord when we recognize our need for renewal.

We don't manufacture genuine worship through emotional pressure.

We turn our attention toward the God who has revealed himself, trust his word, and ask him to work in us.

And as he teaches us, we respond.

Sometimes that response will be joyful singing.

Sometimes it'll be confession.

Sometimes it'll be a quiet trust or a difficult act of obedience.

The expression may vary, but the heart of worship remains the same.

God is worthy, and our lives belong to Him.

Now, as we come toward the end of today's episode, I want to move from teaching into personal application.

Because the purpose of this conversation is not simply for us to understand worship better, it's for us to respond to God more faithfully.

So if you have a pen and paper nearby, take a moment and write down your answers to these questions.

First, define worship.

In one sentence, write what worship means to you now.

Remember your definition, or remember our definition.

Worship is our response to God's revelation of Himself expressed through our whole lives, mind, heart, will, and body.

Now put that truth into your own words.

How does your definition include more than singing?

How does in it how does it include surrender, obedience, gratitude, and everyday living?

Second, conduct a whole person worship check.

Which part comes most naturally to you?

Is it your mind?

Perhaps you enjoy studying scripture and learning about God's character?

Is it your heart?

Perhaps you readily express love, gratitude, and emotion?

Is it your will?

Perhaps you are disciplined in making decisions based on biblical convictions?

Is it your body?

Perhaps you readily participate through singing, serving, praying, or outward expressions.

Now ask yourself, which part feels neglected?

Maybe you know what the Bible says, but struggle to obey it consistently.

Maybe you sing enthusiastically, but readily make time to study God's word.

Maybe you serve faithfully, but have allowed your heart to become weary and ungrateful.

Don't use this exercise to condemn yourself.

Use it to identify an area where you need to grow.

Third, identify something God has revealed about Himself.

Think about something you've recently learned from Scripture, observed in creation, or been reminded of or have been reminded of through your circumstances.

What has that taught you about God's faithfulness, holiness, wisdom, mercy, or power?

And how will you respond this week?

Make the response specific.

If God has reminded you of his mercy, perhaps you need to extend forgiveness.

If he has reminded you of his faithfulness, perhaps you need to trust him with a concern you've been carrying.

If he has reminded you of his holiness, perhaps you need to confess a sin and take a step towards obedience.

First, uh excuse me, fourth, take one small step tomorrow morning.

I want to challenge you to spend 10 minutes reading a psalm aloud.

Choose Psalm 23, 27, 95, or Psalm 100, or some other psalm that directs your attention toward God.

Read slowly, consider what it reveals about Him, then respond.

If you're able to stand, kneel, bow your head, or lift your hands as an expression of reverence and praise.

You don't have to adapt or adopt a particular posture to make your worship genuine.

Let your physical response be sincere and appropriate for your circumstances.

Then pray this.

God, this is my worship.

I give you my mind, my heart, my will, and my body.

Help me honor you today in my thoughts, my choices, my words, and my actions.

When you finish that time of prayer and scripture reading, carry that commitment into the rest of your day.

Let your worship continue in the way you speak to your family, the way you perform your work, the way you treat your neighbors, and the way you respond when life becomes difficult.

One small step, taken sincerely and consistently, can help you cultivate a more intentional life of devotion to God.

And remember, this personal worship is not separate from the life of the church.

As we grow in our walk with God individually, we can bring that growing faith into our gatherings, small groups, ministry teams, and relationships with fellow believers.

We learn to encourage one another, serve one another, and glorify God.

Now, as I close today's episode, let me leave you with this thought.

Worship is bigger than music.

It's deeper than emotion.

It's more than an hour on Sunday morning.

Worship begins with the God who reveals himself, and it continues as we respond with whole lives.

Romans 12, verse 1 calls us to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God.

Romans 12:1

1 Corinthians 10 and verse 31 reminds us to do everything for his glory.

That means the God we praise in the sanctuary is the same God we honor in our homes, our workplaces, our relationships, and our daily decisions.

We don't simply attend worship, we live as worshipers.

So prepare your heart.

Open God's word, respond to his truth.

Take that one small step tomorrow morning and ask him to help you grow.

And the next time you gather with your church family, don't come merely to observe what happens on the platform.

Come ready to join your fellow believers in honoring the one who alone is worthy.

Worship isn't a performance to watch, it's a life to live for God's glory and your joy.

And as we end today's podcast, like I normally do, I want to remind you that you can contact me uh via email at um impact at faithwestn.org.

That's I-mp-t at faithwestend, all one word.org.

Or also you can email uh email me directly at b foster.

That's B ismboy foster F-O-S-T-E-R at faithwestend.org.

Let me know uh if how you're enjoying the teaching.

Uh give me some ideas uh that God has laid on your heart that you want me to discuss on the podcast.

It may be we need to take a break and uh focus on something urgent with you, and I'll be glad to do so.

If you have a prayer concern, please by all means email me at those email addresses I just mentioned, and I will be glad to lift your prayer concern up uh to the throne of God, and I'll be glad to get our pastors uh together and we can pray over it uh as believers.

So I hope and trust that you did enjoy today's podcast.

And um, the next time we get together, we will be looking at chapter number three uh in the healthy worship uh curriculum, worshiping God in daily life.

So I hope you'll tune in in two weeks to that broad uh to that podcast.

But as for now, let me just thank you again for joining me today on the Ministry Focused Worship Essentials podcast.

If this podcast has blessed you, share it with someone.

And remember, worship isn't just an event, it's a response to who God is.

Until the next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you.

May your worship ever be pleasing in his sight.

Keep a song in your heart and keep Jesus in the center.

So long for now.