by Bro. Elijah E. Abanto
Only this last December 2008, on the third anniversary of our church, we heard a veteran pastor preached about the importance of worship to God. Although this person was wrong in the application of this concept (his reasons to adopt the "praise and worship" style and speaking in tongues), his view about its importance and its lack in most of the Baptist churches is biblical and true.
And only in the past few weeks, a veteran missionary said that many of the Baptist churches are not really worshiping God because the songs we sing in the hymn are not for worship, but only testimonies and evangelistic songs.
And in these two it has not become clear what is the real meaning behind the word worship. And when I investigated, I saw that in general, we are wanting in this aspect.
Donald S. Whitney, a Baptist who authored the book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (NavPress), has shared his experience on his tenth birthday. His birthday must have been happy, because there was much food, and gifts; also, all his family and friends were there. But as they watched baseball in the Superbowl, all of them left him and he was now alone while watching. "It reminds me," he said in relation to the story, "of how we treat God in worship. Though we come to an event where He is the Guest of Honor, it is possible to give Him a routine gift, singing a few customary songs to him, and then totally neglect Him while we focus on others and enjoy the performance of those who are in front of us"(Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 86). And yet, after it, is we think that we have done our obligation correctly to worship Him. But not really.
According to the Encarta® World English Dictionary, the word worship is derived from the Old English word weortscipe, or worthship, the means the "condition of worth" or importance. This agrees to the passages we could read from the Bible that narrates certain scenes of worship to God like Revelation 4:11; 5:12-13. Providing worthy regard on God-that's one meaning of worship.
In the Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, worship means "respect or reverence tp a divine person [as God]" (p. 1031). The respect or reverence "is a work not starting from the outside inwards, but from the inside out. Before you respond to your parents disrespectfully disrespect must be already in your heart first. Before you really and lovingly hug your spouse or child or friend there must be true love in your heart first. It's the same with God.
And from what we feel inside we cannot but respond and focus our attention towards Him. When you see the beautiful sunset, or the voices of birds, you can think of the greatness of the Creator and from your heart you will fall on your knees, or cry, or sing, or say thanks to Him. That the very meaning of worship: "to focus and respond to God" (Whitney, Spiritual disciplines, p. 87). Read these two passages from the Bible for examples of worship: John 20:28; Revelation 4:8. Notice also that in many cases those whom Jesus healed would "kneel down and worship before him."
From there we can say that what the missionary said was not true that we do not worship God if we don't sing "worship" songs. The application also of the veteran pastor is also wrong that we can only worship God if we do the "praise and worship" style. How about the dumb who can not even speak? How about the maimed and paralyzed who cannot jump or raise hands as do Pentecostals? Worship is more than singing a worship song or jump or raising hands that they are telling.
God's revelations of Himself to us bring us to worship God, which includes (1) the Creation (Romans 1:20); (2) His written Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20 -21); and (3) the Living Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:1-2).
Singing is not only the expression of worship. You may worship God even by just reading the Bible; listening to preaching; praying and listening to prayer; even following him and anything we in His name, may become worship. But more than these, worship is when we become preoccupied with God that we cannot think of other things. That's worship.
But, like I said, there are many in our church, and I think also in the majority of Baptist churches, who do not really worship God--notably the very workers. It does not mean that if you are the busiest in the worship service you are the one who worships God most. Often the opposite.
I saw this fact in our Bible school students. (Note that I'm not against the School; worship is a personal issue.) Note that most often the students who study in the Bible school are workers of the church. Every time we have devotion in the morning or at noon Chapel hour you will see the insincerity of the students--including me sometimes. You can see that they are dictating to the song leader or the leading student, making fun of or laughing at the message or testimony, the students are chatting, and not concerned about the order. The one I see to be the most sincere in what he does is this 1st year student who is only about six months in the Baptist church and he comes from the Pentecostal faith.
Returning to the church, you will see a mother looking around while the congregation prays; children chatting while the pastor preaches or the choir sings; children eating junk foods while the message is preached; people going up-and-down because they need to go to the "CR." The the workers were busy preventing a noise, taking the attendance, filling up the visitor's slip, and asking what is next in the "worship" program. They sing only when they remember to sing, read when they like to and close their eyes when they prefer to. Yes, they are not chatting, but they are not also thinking of the pastor's message. Their eyes are closed, but in fact what they will eat by lunch is what they are "praying." Many are also sleeping. They are singing, but not from the heart. They give, but only because of responsibility. They are active in the church, but they lives are not right before God. Brethren, that's not worship. It's shaming God. The Guest of Honor must have been wanting to leave because there's really no worship. Remember, worship is from the inside out.
We become like the Pharisees, to whom Jesus has said, "This people... honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ... in vain do they worship me"(Matthew 15:8-9). It's called hypocrisy.
Worshiping God is worshiping Him "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). In spirit, or within, and in truth, or without. That's true worship. It's not necessary and we should not adopt music that does not in accordance to God to say you are worshiping. You need not jump at raise hands to say that you are worshiping. What is needed is our focus of attention and responding to who He is.
Are we worshiping? We know now what is true worship. Can we make it true this time?
Only this last December 2008, on the third anniversary of our church, we heard a veteran pastor preached about the importance of worship to God. Although this person was wrong in the application of this concept (his reasons to adopt the "praise and worship" style and speaking in tongues), his view about its importance and its lack in most of the Baptist churches is biblical and true.
And only in the past few weeks, a veteran missionary said that many of the Baptist churches are not really worshiping God because the songs we sing in the hymn are not for worship, but only testimonies and evangelistic songs.
And in these two it has not become clear what is the real meaning behind the word worship. And when I investigated, I saw that in general, we are wanting in this aspect.
Donald S. Whitney, a Baptist who authored the book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (NavPress), has shared his experience on his tenth birthday. His birthday must have been happy, because there was much food, and gifts; also, all his family and friends were there. But as they watched baseball in the Superbowl, all of them left him and he was now alone while watching. "It reminds me," he said in relation to the story, "of how we treat God in worship. Though we come to an event where He is the Guest of Honor, it is possible to give Him a routine gift, singing a few customary songs to him, and then totally neglect Him while we focus on others and enjoy the performance of those who are in front of us"(Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 86). And yet, after it, is we think that we have done our obligation correctly to worship Him. But not really.
According to the Encarta® World English Dictionary, the word worship is derived from the Old English word weortscipe, or worthship, the means the "condition of worth" or importance. This agrees to the passages we could read from the Bible that narrates certain scenes of worship to God like Revelation 4:11; 5:12-13. Providing worthy regard on God-that's one meaning of worship.
In the Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, worship means "respect or reverence tp a divine person [as God]" (p. 1031). The respect or reverence "is a work not starting from the outside inwards, but from the inside out. Before you respond to your parents disrespectfully disrespect must be already in your heart first. Before you really and lovingly hug your spouse or child or friend there must be true love in your heart first. It's the same with God.
And from what we feel inside we cannot but respond and focus our attention towards Him. When you see the beautiful sunset, or the voices of birds, you can think of the greatness of the Creator and from your heart you will fall on your knees, or cry, or sing, or say thanks to Him. That the very meaning of worship: "to focus and respond to God" (Whitney, Spiritual disciplines, p. 87). Read these two passages from the Bible for examples of worship: John 20:28; Revelation 4:8. Notice also that in many cases those whom Jesus healed would "kneel down and worship before him."
From there we can say that what the missionary said was not true that we do not worship God if we don't sing "worship" songs. The application also of the veteran pastor is also wrong that we can only worship God if we do the "praise and worship" style. How about the dumb who can not even speak? How about the maimed and paralyzed who cannot jump or raise hands as do Pentecostals? Worship is more than singing a worship song or jump or raising hands that they are telling.
God's revelations of Himself to us bring us to worship God, which includes (1) the Creation (Romans 1:20); (2) His written Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20 -21); and (3) the Living Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:1-2).
Singing is not only the expression of worship. You may worship God even by just reading the Bible; listening to preaching; praying and listening to prayer; even following him and anything we in His name, may become worship. But more than these, worship is when we become preoccupied with God that we cannot think of other things. That's worship.
But, like I said, there are many in our church, and I think also in the majority of Baptist churches, who do not really worship God--notably the very workers. It does not mean that if you are the busiest in the worship service you are the one who worships God most. Often the opposite.
I saw this fact in our Bible school students. (Note that I'm not against the School; worship is a personal issue.) Note that most often the students who study in the Bible school are workers of the church. Every time we have devotion in the morning or at noon Chapel hour you will see the insincerity of the students--including me sometimes. You can see that they are dictating to the song leader or the leading student, making fun of or laughing at the message or testimony, the students are chatting, and not concerned about the order. The one I see to be the most sincere in what he does is this 1st year student who is only about six months in the Baptist church and he comes from the Pentecostal faith.
Returning to the church, you will see a mother looking around while the congregation prays; children chatting while the pastor preaches or the choir sings; children eating junk foods while the message is preached; people going up-and-down because they need to go to the "CR." The the workers were busy preventing a noise, taking the attendance, filling up the visitor's slip, and asking what is next in the "worship" program. They sing only when they remember to sing, read when they like to and close their eyes when they prefer to. Yes, they are not chatting, but they are not also thinking of the pastor's message. Their eyes are closed, but in fact what they will eat by lunch is what they are "praying." Many are also sleeping. They are singing, but not from the heart. They give, but only because of responsibility. They are active in the church, but they lives are not right before God. Brethren, that's not worship. It's shaming God. The Guest of Honor must have been wanting to leave because there's really no worship. Remember, worship is from the inside out.
We become like the Pharisees, to whom Jesus has said, "This people... honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. ... in vain do they worship me"(Matthew 15:8-9). It's called hypocrisy.
Worshiping God is worshiping Him "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). In spirit, or within, and in truth, or without. That's true worship. It's not necessary and we should not adopt music that does not in accordance to God to say you are worshiping. You need not jump at raise hands to say that you are worshiping. What is needed is our focus of attention and responding to who He is.
Are we worshiping? We know now what is true worship. Can we make it true this time?
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