What is worship? Four questions and a Bible-wide answer

From a sermon · John 4:5–24

Four questions, and we'll let the Bible answer each one. What is worship? How do we worship? Who do we worship? Why do we worship?

What is worship?

Start with the English word. Worth-ship — the acknowledgment of worth. The suffix "-ship" means a quality or condition: friendship is the condition of being a friend, leadership the condition of being a leader, worship the condition of having worth. But like friendship and leadership, there's action involved. If no one's following, you're just taking a walk. So worship is complete adoration for who Jesus is and what He's done — and it moves.

The Bible uses sixteen different words that get translated into some form of "worship." The main ones mean to bow down in reverence, to serve, and to honor religiously. The most common Old Testament word appears first in Genesis 18:2, when Abraham sees three visitors and "bowed to the ground." It's translated "worship" 99 times and "bow" or "bow down" nearly 50 more. The main New Testament word means to kneel or fall prostrate to do homage — the Persian custom of touching your forehead to the ground before a king. Its first use is the wise men: "we... are come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2).

R. A. Torrey put it well: "Worship is the soul bowing itself in adoring contemplation before the object worshipped. To worship God is to bow before God in adoring contemplation of Himself."

Two patterns show up every time someone worships in Scripture. First, worshipers approach with submission. Abraham calls his visitor "lord." Nebuchadnezzar — the most powerful man on earth — falls on his face before Daniel. The wise men call a toddler "King." Bowing is a physical position of submission, which is why we kneel or bow our heads when we pray. Second, worship is followed by service. Abraham makes a meal. Daniel gets promoted. The wise men bring gifts. Joshua falls on his face before the Commander of the Lord's army and immediately asks, "What saith my lord unto his servant?" (Joshua 5:14). "Present your bodies a living sacrifice... which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). A worshiper presents himself ready for whatever the King has for him.

True worship yields true service. If you're struggling in your service, worship God. If you're burnt out because you've been serving for people, worship God and realign — sometimes that means doing less, sometimes more, but always pointed at Him. If you don't serve at all, worship God and then serve Him — and service to God is usually selfless service to others. Jesus is seeking worshipers (John 4:23) and laborers (Matthew 9:38). They're the same crowd.

How do we worship?

A surprising amount of what the New Testament says about worship is negative. It describes the empty worship of the religious elite, who turned worship into traditions they performed rather than a heart they offered: "This people... honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me" (Matthew 15:8–9). And it describes pagan worship of idols and gods like Diana and Jupiter.

Against both, Jesus says: "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23). We no longer go to a place where God has put His presence. He's put it in us — "your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Worship in Spirit means our spirit worshiping in the Holy Spirit; worship can be done in the power of the flesh, and we need to make sure ours isn't. Worship in truth means worshiping the way God wants to be worshiped. The Jews had reduced it to acts and traditions; the Samaritans worshiped in error, rejecting parts of the Bible. Jesus corrected both.

So we worship by giving God glory for who He is and what He's done (Revelation 14:7). And we worship by living a holy life. Three times the Old Testament says, "Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness" (1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 29:2; 96:9). Worship used to happen at a holy place in a holy manner. Now we are the place God dwells. May our bodies be a holy place, worthy of the holy manner in which we worship.

A few practical things. Worship has to come from the heart, not be motions we go through. We're not to traditionalize it, put it in a box, and say "this is how it's done." "Worship music" has done exactly that — I could find only one verse that puts music and worship in the same thought. Some songs can be worshipful, but most weren't written for that. And a church service is not worship. You may worship at a service — but preaching isn't worship, reading Scripture isn't worship, singing isn't worship, fellowship isn't worship. We've boxed worship into something that happens at church with other believers, when most of it should happen between you and Jesus. It would be a shame if pagan worshipers were more devout toward their gods than we are toward ours.

And I think it's most appropriate to bow. You can pray any way and sing any way. Can you worship in the car or on a walk? Of course. But to take time to physically put yourself in a position of submission before your King is best.

Who do we worship?

Only Jesus. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:3–5) — "bow" is the worship word, and once again service is attached. "Neither is there salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12). "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (Philippians 2:10). When Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, He answered, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10). Worship and service, together, again. As followers of Jesus we worship Him and Him alone, and that brings glory to the Father.

Why do we worship?

It's in the word. Because Jesus is worthy. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things" (Revelation 4:11) — He's the Creator. Then Revelation 5: "You are worthy... because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood" — He's the Redeemer. "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1) — creation exists to glorify Him, and so do we. Worship fulfills our role as creatures. And it's the theme of eternity.

In one line each

What is worship? Bowing before God in adoring contemplation of Himself. How do we worship? By submitting to God and serving Him, in Spirit and in truth. Who do we worship? Jesus, and Him alone. Why? Because He is worthy.

Everybody worships. That's not a nice sentiment, that's just what people are. You've already decided something is worth your money, your calendar, and your thinking when the room goes quiet. The only real question is whether the thing you've bowed to can do anything back for you. Jesus can. He made you, He died in your place, He walked out of the tomb, and He saves anybody who asks Him to. Ask Him. The word worthy stops being a lyric the day it becomes your life.

And if you're already His, here's the assignment, and it has nothing to do with the music. Sometime this week, in the truck or standing at the sink, say out loud what He's worth to you. Out loud, where nobody's watching. Then go do one thing for somebody because of it. Worship and service, together, the way it keeps showing up in the text.

Adoration that never moves isn't adoration yet.

Related: Exaltation — why we gather to worship and Congregational singing is not a spectator sport.