What is Worship?

Dear friends..

I blog a lot about leading worship and having proper perspective on the subject of worship, and I felt it important to lay a foundation on what worship is.

What is worship?  Worship, in its simplest definition, is an act that places worth on something.  And the truth of the matter is that everyone indeed worships something, be it self, money, power, an ideal, or anything.  I believe that worship by its nature forces the worshiper to pledge allegiance: we eventually become consumed by the object of our worship.

Isaiah 43:7 says that we were created for God’s glory, to worship Him.  To worship God is part of the fabric of human beings; it is wired into our DNA.  Darlene Zschech puts it beautifully: “It is the ultimate expression our existence craves.”  God seeks for us to worship Him (John 4:23).

I deeply believe that worship inevitably happens when man catches even a glimpse of the Glory of God.  In moments when I behold His wonder-filled presence, it is my knee-jerk reaction to worship… and it is yours, too (Romans 14:11)!

Too often, though, worship gets flattened out and reduced to a neat package of songs, but worship itself is so much larger.  Romans 12:1-2 makes it clear that worship necessarily involves our entire lives.  Worship by definition must involve sacrifice––it must be costly.  King David confesses, “I will not offer to the Lord my God that which cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24; for a similar example, see also Luke 21:1-4).  We cannot bring to God merely a portion of ourselves or a nice, comfortable offering.  The worship of God demands that we present our entire selves.

Worship is a choice that starts from the inside-out.  It is never performance-based, deed-based, or merit-based.  It is always heart-based (Psalm 51:17).  In fact, God is displeased with our “worship” when we practice the what but forget the why (Amos 5:21-24).  It is important to remember, too, that it is the Spirit of God who enables us to worship (1 Corinthians 12:3), and He will continually teach us how to best worship.

Philosopher and author C.S. Lewis says, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased.”  And it’s true.  Worshiping God enlightens mankind and causes us to ‘look up’ to greater things.  It is in worshiping God that we find ultimate peace, satisfaction, and purpose.

So then, in a practical sense, what does worship look like?  It is thoughts, words, and actions motivated by a heart that humbly desires to please God.  It is surrendering self for God’s greater glory.  It is deciding that God is more important than holding onto unforgiveness or disobedience.  It is deciding to serve God even in the most desperate and painful of times.  And such a life will be marked by certain signs, including the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Friends, this is certainly not an exhaustive presentation on the theology of worship, but I hope it gives you a fresh perspective.  It is our purpose.. the calling of every single individual who has ever lived and who ever will live.  We exist for the glory of God.  And, oh, how He takes such GREAT delight in us.  He delights to stoop and bless us, responding to our praises.

Worship leaders, I pray this gives you some sort of insight into the why behind the what, and that you are refreshed and encouraged.  Let me leave you with a simple Scripture verse:

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord!  (Psalm 150:6)

So much love…
Josh

173 Comments
  • Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!

  • Can I simply say what a relief to find a person that truly understands what they’re talking about online. You definitely know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you surely have the gift.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hi there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll definitely digg it and individually recommend to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this web site.

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say wonderful blog!

  • Hey there, You have performed an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and for my part recommend to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  • Can I just say what a relief to discover an individual who genuinely knows what they are discussing on the internet. You definitely know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular since you certainly possess the gift.

  • Can I just say what a comfort to find someone that genuinely understands what they’re discussing on the web. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people really need to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you definitely have the gift.

  • Aw, this was a really good post. Taking the time and actual effort to produce a really good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and don’t seem to get anything done.

  • Hello there, You have done an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say superb blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Aw, this was an extremely good post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a very good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.

  • May I simply just say what a comfort to uncover an individual who actually understands what they are discussing online. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people need to look at this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular since you surely possess the gift.

  • Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a superb article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say excellent blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say superb blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  • Hey there, You have done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and in my view recommend to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  • Hello there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I will certainly digg it and in my view suggest to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this website.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say superb blog!

  • I was suggested this web site by way of my cousin. I’m now not positive whether this submit is written by means of him as nobody else recognize such specified about my difficulty. You are wonderful! Thank you!

  • Wow that was strange. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  • Can I simply just say what a comfort to uncover someone that really knows what they’re discussing online. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people really need to read this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  • Aw, this was a very nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to create a top notch article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.

  • I am curious to find out what blog system you’re using? I’m experiencing some minor security problems with my latest site and I would like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?

  • Can I simply just say what a comfort to uncover somebody who truly knows what they are discussing on the internet. You actually know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people really need to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.

  • May I simply just say what a comfort to uncover a person that really understands what they’re discussing over the internet. You definitely realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people ought to look at this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular since you most certainly have the gift.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Can I just say what a comfort to find somebody that actually knows what they’re discussing on the net. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people must look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you definitely have the gift.

  • May I just say what a relief to uncover someone that really understands what they’re talking about on the internet. You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you are not more popular given that you most certainly possess the gift.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • May I simply say what a relief to find someone that actually knows what they are talking about over the internet. You certainly understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people need to check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you certainly possess the gift.

  • Aw, this was an extremely good post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t seem to get anything done.

  • Can I simply just say what a comfort to find a person that truly understands what they are talking about online. You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people have to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you are not more popular given that you certainly have the gift.

  • Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to create a very good article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  • Hello there, You’ve performed a fantastic job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this website.

  • May I simply say what a relief to discover somebody who really knows what they’re talking about on the net. You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people have to look at this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you are not more popular because you definitely possess the gift.

  • Aw, this was a very good post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.

  • Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Finding the time and actual effort to generate a superb article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t manage to get anything done.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • May I just say what a relief to find somebody who genuinely knows what they are discussing on the internet. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people should look at this and understand this side of your story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular because you surely have the gift.

  • Can I just say what a relief to find an individual who truly knows what they’re discussing on the net. You actually understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular since you certainly possess the gift.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  • Aw, this was a really good post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a top notch article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and never seem to get anything done.

  • Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.

  • Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hey there, You’ve done an incredible job. I’ll certainly digg it and in my opinion recommend to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this website.

  • May I simply say what a comfort to uncover somebody who genuinely understands what they are talking about online. You definitely know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you aren’t more popular since you definitely possess the gift.

  • Hey there, You have performed a great job. I’ll definitely digg it and in my view recommend to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this website.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was strange. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I’ll definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  • Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to make a really good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never manage to get anything done.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Can I just say what a comfort to uncover somebody that truly understands what they’re talking about online. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people really need to check this out and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular since you most certainly have the gift.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Hey there, You’ve performed an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and in my opinion recommend to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this website.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • May I simply just say what a relief to uncover an individual who actually knows what they’re discussing on the internet. You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people should look at this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular because you definitely possess the gift.

  • Aw, this was a really good post. Finding the time and actual effort to produce a good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  • Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to make a really good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t seem to get anything done.

  • May I simply just say what a relief to uncover someone that truly understands what they’re discussing online. You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people have to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular because you certainly possess the gift.

  • Hi there, You’ve performed a fantastic job. I’ll definitely digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  • May I simply say what a relief to discover someone who truly understands what they are discussing on the web. You certainly understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people have to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you are not more popular given that you surely have the gift.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  • Can I simply say what a relief to discover someone that really knows what they are discussing on the net. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people must check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you aren’t more popular given that you surely possess the gift.

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say great blog!

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog!

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  • Aw, this was a really nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to generate a superb article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never seem to get anything done.

  • Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  • Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.

  • Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I will definitely digg it and individually suggest to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.

  • Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say superb blog!

  • Aw, this was a really good post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a great article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and don’t manage to get anything done.

  • Can I just say what a comfort to find somebody who truly understands what they are talking about online. You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people must look at this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you aren’t more popular since you surely have the gift.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *