My Theology of Worship

In the past school year it was brought to my attention that I needed a theology of worship. This was a way of stating and confirming what I believed. For those who were seeking to be involved in full or part-time ministry this was especially essential. During my studies I came to appreciate the depth and beauty of how we are shown to worship through God's carefully designed instructions. Through this study I constructed my theology of worship as follows:

I believe that for believers, worship is humbly approaching God in fear and awe of who He is and submitting our hearts to worship Him as He has instructed and patterned for us in His Word. This involves our putting aside all desires, devotions, and former loyalties that would obstruct our worship of Him. In John 2:15-17 is very clear that you cannot love God and the things of this world. Fear and love are very important to the relationship we have with God in worship because in accordance with Deuteronomy 10:12, our worship must be done in reverence. Our faith cannot stand without living in an all-encompassing, daily worship. Without worship our faith becomes an empty shell of rules and moral standards that have no meaning. Our life is not only to be invested in every aspect of worship, but our worship should fill every aspect of our lives. For worship to be accurate as God has designed it to be, worship must be scripturally based. It cannot be solely based on specific passages of scripture alone but must be saturated by the theological principals found in God’s Word as a whole. Without the guidance of scripture in our worship we can be guilty of unacceptable worship such as the worship exhibited by Cain (Gen. 4:3-7) and the worshippers of the Golden Calf (Ex. 32). Both claimed to be worshipping God but chose to do it as they saw fit. Worship is following the design God has presented to us by fully engaging with Him in whole-hearted worship.

As we worship, the emphasis is often placed on how we worship and what we do to honour God, but worship is about responding to God. We are not the initiators when it comes to worship, but rather we are responding to God’s initiation of worship. God has made Himself known throughout the scriptures and requires an honouring response that engages us in a full and worshipful relationship with Him. God uniquely draws us closer to Him through the blessings He bestows on our lives. The Old Testament is a constant reminder to us that we can only draw near to God through His “gracious initiative" that He has provided. His provision of covenants was a testament to drawing His servants close to respond in worship. Today we follow a new covenant that still requires us to respond in worship (Hebrews 8:10).

While worshipping, it is essential that our heart attitude is that of love rooted in gratitude. Our worship must also reflect reverence and respect for who God is. Our worship should not lack in meaning and have an attitude of apathy towards God. Because God is a perfect and holy God, He demands the fullest worship that reflects a reverential fear of Him. In Matthew 21:12-13 we are given the account of Jesus driving out those who had desecrated the Lord’s house by coming in an attitude that was apathetic to the worship of God. In a way this is a perfect analogy to describe what goes on within our own hearts. Our reverencing Him reflects a full devotion to His commands. Our lives are meant to be saturated with a personal worship that touches every aspect of our lives and is not simply fearing and honouring some supernatural being. Instead it is an act of awe and respect that holds fast to the love of God, yet knows He is just in His ways as well. We cannot live in our sins.

All worship must be based in obedience, but every instance of obedience should not be labeled as worship. Israel faced condemnation several times because their worship was based only on their obedience and failed to manifest a heart-based reverence. Today our worship can become what Israel so often gave to God: empty worship that lacked an attitude of heartfelt worship. Part of our obedience also surrounds teaching of sound doctrine (2 Tim. 2:1-2; Tit. 1:9). Without sound doctrine we would not know what to obey and follow.

Actions and bodily posture are a reflection of our deeper walk with God. Our actions and posture in worship should reveal our heart attitude, our reverence for God, and humble submission in obedience. We must show our submission when we call out to Him. Our outward response and displays are manifestation of the work God is doing within our lives. Singing is a very important activity of worship because it affirms gospel truths and theological principles. It can be used to testify of Christ to the unsaved around us and edify other Christians around us. Worshipping God is not only believing, but it is responding with your whole life and giving of yourself over bodily and spiritually to be used of God. Our life here is a reflection of what we are to do in the eternal kingdom: we will serve Him “day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:15)

Our individual, or personal, worship must be all-encompassing in our lives. It is more than a daily ritual; it has to be a complete submission of our desires, a rearranging of our needs, and sacrifice of our time. Personal worship must reflect the devotion that Christ had for the Father. It is our foundation in which we grow and are able to join in corporate worship to edify other Christians around us. Without a firm foundation in our personal relationship with God we cannot have loving relationships with fellow believers because love is only a reflection of Jesus and not our own. If our relationship with God is genuine our personal worship will display great submission especially in prayer and praise (1 Thess. 5:16-18; Col. 3:17)

Serving and ministering to others is another reflection of our personal walk with God. We serve as a way of representing the love and sacrifice that Jesus showed. We see this in passages such as Galatians 5:13. Our gifts of freedom from sin should be used to benefit others around us. This is essential to our testimonies. Romans 12:1 also admonishes us to use our bodies in service to God. We cannot truly worship God without becoming servants just as Christ did in His earthly ministry. Our service is a “living sacrifice” that reflects the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. If we close ourselves off from being servants our worship is empty because it lacks the compassion of God.

Lord’s Supper and baptism are very important testimonies we have that represent our faith. The Lord’s supper is a remembrance of the forgiveness and sacrifice that the Lord freely gave through salvation (Luke 19:5-10). Partaking of the elements represents His eventual return (John 6:61-63). Baptism is also a testimony to our salvation and a representation of our identification with Him. These ordinances are essential to our worship.

Prayer and praise are very important to our worship whether it is corporately or individually. It is how we communicate with God and should be incorporated into all aspects of our worship. This includes times of fellowship together over a meal (Acts 2:47), giving thanks to God for His provisions, (Acts 4:24-30), and asking for His guidance (Acts 1:24.) Prayer should be something that is always on our minds and influences all facets of the worship that saturates your daily walk with God. Prayer is very important to those who lead in the church and is an effective aid to persevere in our worship.