“But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:23
True worship is born when true sacrifice is given; when we can lay upon the altar of sacrifice EVERYTHING – all that we consider of value and importance within us and to us.
‘Sacrifice’ means “the surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable (of greater value).”
To voluntarily strip ourselves of all we are, own, value, placing it as a sacrifice upon the altar to God in order to attain something more valuable, produces true WORSHIP to God who in turn pours abundantly into our lives through His Son, Jesus Christ.
What is true worship? There are three words which form extremely important elements in captivating an understanding of true worship. They are Humility, Reverence and Service.
Humility – In the Old and New Testament the words which means to make obeisance (to have an attitude of deference or homage), to bow down, to prostrate is “Shachah” [Hebrew] and “Proskuneo” [Greek]. Both words depict the act of bowing or prostrating oneself in submissiveness and reverence to one worthy of respect. Therefore showing an outward expression of an inward attitude; for us it is the creation recognising the Creator; recognising God, in His perfection and us, in our imperfection. Humility becomes an attitude of the worshipper.
Reverence – The Hebrew word “Yare” and the Greek word “Sebomai” depicts fearing God but not fear as in terror and dread but fear of wonder and awe of the majestic greatness of an infinite God. It is an aspect of worship in the sense of showing reverence, respect and honour. Humility causes us to look inwardly on our limited human existence and sinfulness and Reverence causes us to look outwardly on His majestic splendour of perfection and infiniteness. Having the right heart attitude, when approaching God in worship, is essentially important.
Service – The Hebrew word “Abad” and the Greek word “Latreuo” means to work, to labour or to serve. They reveal that worship involves service rendered to God. It is not just an attitude but involves acts, according to God’s requirements. In the Old Testament this was more often a priestly service but in the New Testament (1 Peter 2:5,9 – But you are a holy nation, a royal priesthood…) this applies to the whole Body of Christ.
Worship and Service are intricately linked. Worship is our response to God’s revelation of Himself (of who He is) to us. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We give adoration and praise to God because we know and understand that it is of great importance to Him (John 4:23-24…for the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and truth) and not man. Never hold back from praising God – no matter what the circumstance.
When David sinned by numbering the people of Israel and God judged him by sending a plague, he was able to stop the judgment by building an altar of sacrifice to God on the threshing floor of Araunah.
Araunah offered to give the land and the oxen to David at no charge but in verse 24 of 2 Samuel 24 he responds, “No, I insist on buying it from you at a price; neither will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” To offer the burnt offering of sacrifice to God had to be at a price. For it to be of value it had to cost David something – sacrifice.
In our lives people who see you worship will never be able to determine why you worship by the things you have. It is what you have left behind and left aside that seasons the aroma of your worship. How much does it cost to be the real you before God? What did you lay aside to follow him? Are you willing to pay the price?
Worship is our highest calling…True worship will always
bear the fruit of willing service.
No one may ever know what it cost you to stand and worship God with your whole heart but to the One to whom it matters, He knows. The ability to worship God no matter what, determines the depth of the greater revelation of God in your life and the effectiveness of overcoming every situation and circumstance that life brings to give to God an excellence of service!