Worship

I've been thinking about the word worship in Scripture lately and remembered a short excerpt my former pastor, Wayne Barber, wrote several years ago. It was a good reminder and challenge to me so I decided to post it.

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We hear much today about worship. It is defined everywhere from emotions felt during a song to chill bumps when the preacher gives an illustration. But, what is true worship? How do we know we have worshipped?

Well, there are three Greek words for worship in the New Testament. The first word used that I would like to address is the word proskunew. This is the word used when the “magi” came from the east to worship the Christ child. Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.” This is the word that means to lie down prostrate before one that is worthy to be worshipped. It involves the attitude of humility on the person doing the bowing. It involves an understanding and recognition of what one is not in the presence of THE ONE THAT IS WORTHY. It is a response word, not an emotion, but an immediate response in the presence of DEITY.

The next word we want to look at is the word latreia. This is the word that means to serve. It is the word used in Romans 12:1, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Isn’t it amazing how many people say that they have worshipped and have never bowed down and have never said “yes” to Christ and to His perfect will in their lives?

The next word that we want to look at is the word se,bomai. This is the word that involves one’s lifestyle that has bowed before Christ and has said, “yes” to Him. It is the word that is translated as “devotion” among other things. It is what one is like during the week that shows others that he is under the Lordship of Christ. It is the word used in Philippians 3:3 “For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” Our lifestyles are determined by our attitude towards Christ and who He is.

Now, just think about something. The next time you hear a wonderful song, or a sermon that touches you, remember that you have not worshipped until you have responded with a surrendered heart to what you have heard. Until it affects your lifestyle you have not yet worshipped. Praise is that which emanates from having worshipped God in our lives. There is no praise unless there has been true worship.