by LeAnn Riveness.
The least I could do–and the most I could ever do–is to love and worship Jesus Christ with all my heart. This is in fact, the first commandment, isn’t it? Deuteronomy 6:5 states that I should love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength. In essence, this blankets my life.
It encircles me, touching, motivating and stimulating every facet of my heart, every moment I live, and ends up at the same place again: worshipping at the feet of Jesus. “Everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) flows from his heart to ours in the secret place of worship and intimacy with him. We are purposed by him, to him and through him.
He’s Worth It
What actually is worship? After foraging through the dictionary for a while, I came up with this combination: “Boundless enthusiasm with intense love, awe and respect coming from the depth of one’s being, resulting in single-minded pursuance of God through Christ, wrapped in humble allegiance.” A bit lengthy, I admit. But it conveys much of what I feel inside.
Bob Sorge gives a shorter alternative in his book Exploring Worship: A Practical Guide to Praise and Worship (Oasis House, 1987). It is simply this: “Extravagant love-extreme obedience.” That instantly reminds me of what Samuel told King Saul after he had cut corners on the divine directive regarding treatment of the Amalekites: “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). I want to live in a place of love and worship that always calls my heart to align with God.
Here is a third definition: “Worship: the appropriate response to God’s self-revelation.” On the last night before His death, Jesus told the disciples, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” People all across Israel had already observed and been touched by Jesus and his incredible compassion. They loved Him in return, fell down and worshipped Him. Their reaction was the same as Isaiah’s in the Old Testament. He saw the Lord in a vision, the awesome throne, the smoke filling the entire sanctuary, the angels, and the chorus singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Isaiah’s response was to collapse (Isaiah 6). Being in the presence of God reveals our unworthiness. His value far outshines even our best efforts.
Although many people worship many things as gods, passionate worship must find its resting place in the most worthy of all objects, the King of all Kings, God Almighty. The English word worship is derived from the Old English weordscipe. This reminds us that we are addressing the “worth-ship” of the object. It is easy to succumb to the drumbeat of society’s claim that “More is better” and “You’re better when you’re worth more, so gain all you can in order to be more valuable.” As a result, things become objects of worship. They are saved, treasured, pursued and loved.
The question must be asked: Does this person or thing deserve to be worshiped? Scripture clearly sets us straight on the priority of “things.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT) says, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” The treasure and value of Jesus Christ is far above any earthly thing or being.
Worship is not based on the worth of the worshipper but the worth of the One I choose to worship. Jesus Christ was declared worthy to “take away the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, “worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals” (Rev. 5:9). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the eternal One declared worthy “to receive glory and honor and power” (Rev. 4:11). Unto HIM “be glory, majesty, power and authority” (Jude 25).
We give ourselves to Jesus Christ based on who He is and what He did, which flows from the essence of who He is. He gave all! He laid aside all the glory, clothed himself in humanity, and began healing the sick, delivering the demonized, raising the dead, teaching crowds and mentoring the twelve disciples. Then came the ultimate sacrifice: He gave His life. He took our place so we could live. In giving His life, He provided life itself, abundant and eternal for us all.
Is there any doubt that Jesus Christ deserve honor, deserves glory, and deserves passionate worship?
Beyond Worship Wars
I wonder how much of this kind of worship experience is being realized in churches each Sunday. Some have called the music department “the war zone of the church.” Gratefully, I do not carry many war wounds. I have chosen not to engage in worship wars. It is contrary to the very nature of worship.
Musical styles, volume and instrumentation choices can provoke likes and dislikes among congregational members, and in some cases, understandably so. However, maybe we should go back to the basics with our worship teams and build from that point. Our sole purpose is to bring glory and honor to the name of Jesus.
Matt Redman wrote a song back in 1999 entitled “The Heart of Worship.” The chorus says, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, ‘cause it’s all about You, all about You, Jesus.” Worship really isn’t about musical genres and volume; it’s about loving Jesus and putting Him first in all things. Even musical things. Tech-y things. Personality things. Put Jesus first and his right ways of living, and all these things will be added unto you, including the right ways to function in worship venues. The “adding” comes after the foundation is in place.
As ministers, it is easy to get stuck in “analytical mode.” We scrutinize everything down to the smallest detail. This is necessary for an accurate evaluation, but do we ourselves ever step into abandoned, passionate worship during a service? The congregation follows the pastoral lead. The worship leader follows suit, and so goes the pattern.
Having served as worship leader now in three different churches in three different states with varying worship styles and preferences, I have learned that fundamental understandings (why we worship, who we worship and how we worship) must continually be brought to the forefront of the worship team and congregation. Both the pastor and worship leader must be in agreement about these fundamentals, or we won’t be able to engage the entire congregation in the river flow of anointed, God-focused, God-now, God-touched worship to and from the throne. Designated times of learning and praying together are necessary for the worship team’s growth in unity as well as understanding.
The rehearsals I lead include time for study (Scripture, various books) and prayer, not just musical preparation for the coming Sunday. It is important to include all those who participate in the musical aspect of the worship service: the technical people as well as any dancers who may be involved. Re-establishing the foundational premise for worship as designed by God is primary.
Also, teaching times for the congregation regarding worship are important. The call for passionate worship is for all believers, not just church leadership and the worship team. As the Ark of the Covenant was brought up to the tent David had pitched for it, there was great rejoicing! In his psalm of thanks following the Ark’s arrival, he wrote, “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come to worship him. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor” (1 Chron. 16:28-29, NLT).
A God Who Is Known
We are created to worship. We are called to worship. We are commanded to worship. Those who have not encountered Jesus as Savior and Friend naturally do not worship Him as King. Paul once spoke to the educated councilmen in Athens and commented on their altar erected to “an unknown god” (Acts 17:23). Here is an example of ignorant worship. Paul used this opportunity to explain the reality of God though Jesus Christ.
Are churchgoers today fully cognizant of who they’re “worshipping”? It is our job to teach and remind them, so we will not resemble those mentioned in Isaiah 29:13-14. “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
Jesus is not looking for ignorant worship or vain worship but true worshippers. At the Samaritan well, He got into a discussion with a woman about the differences in worship practices. Location isn’t the issue, He insisted; the point is how we worship. Are we worshipping “in the Spirit and in truth” (new rendering of John 4:24 in the TNIV)? Is our worship based in truth-the truth about God, who He is, what He’s done, what He will do? Does our worship reflect the truth about His love for us, the sending of His Son, Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb…the truth about the kingdom of Heaven?
How about the truth that without Him, we are nothing. The truth that He is the Way, our very Truth, our Life. Are we genuine in our worship?
Then there is the need Jesus raised of being Spirit-directed in our worship. We were born of the Spirit. We live in the Spirit. Our worship should be in the Spirit. It baffles me how people-conscious we become in our worship services, even while we advocate being God-conscious throughout the week. Let’s be God-conscious and Spirit-directed in our worship services. How is the Spirit of God directing the flow? What is HE wanting to say at this very moment?
It isn’t about the coolest guitar lick or the atmosphere and aesthetics set by man. Although we work to diminish all expected hindrances to worship and enhance what we can, it is not a man-made event. At its very core, it is all about God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, along with practicing our notes, we need to “practice the presence of God,” as Brother Lawrence taught us long ago. We must become sensitive to the voice of the Spirit of God. This is a growing, learning process. Psalm 89:15 reads, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.” Worship is not just for the talented, the gifted and the few. Worship is an art of the heart, expressing oneself to God and learning from the Holy Spirit. As we are open to the Holy Spirit, He helps us learn to worship.
Since worship is an expression of love, sometimes it goes beyond words. It may be a stillness-a knowing deep within. Scripture also describes people falling down to worship God, or bowing, even lying prostrate before Him. Other worship expressions included in the Bible are the dance, instrumental music, singing, clapping hands, lifting hands, standing, and even eye contact-gazing. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
When the Holy Spirit calls us to worship, He calls the entirety of who we are, mind, body, soul and spirit. He engages every part of who He’s designed us to be. It is a case of “all of us to all of Him.” That is what I was trying to describe in my opening definition of worship when I wrote “an intense love from the depth of our being, with single-minded pursuit.”
All for Jesus
This “everything” worship is beautifully illustrated in Luke 7. Jesus had received an invitation for supper at the home of a Pharisee. As He reclined there, a woman with a shameful reputation came to the house and began to weep at His feet, soaking them in her tears. She wiped them with her hair and then kissed His feet, pouring a very expensive jar of perfume on them as well. This made the Pharisee upset; he even questioned the authenticity of Jesus as a prophet because he thought Jesus should have known who this woman was!
At this, Jesus spoke a parable. “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said (vs. 41-43).
This is not saying that Jesus loved the woman more than Simon. It is saying that she was acutely aware of the love that had been given to her, and she lavished love on Jesus in return.
We ALL have been forgiven MUCH. Where there is much forgiveness, there is much love. This results in worship that is not ignorant, dutiful or pious, but passionate. From pulpit to pew, we must be wide-open, abandoned lovers of Jesus.
Graham Kendrick, who for more than thirty years has given us wonderful worship music, from “Shine, Jesus, Shine” to “O Lord, Your Tenderness,” has declared, “Worship is a response and will grow or shrink in direct proportion to our view of Him.” The view from where I stand is that He is the lover of my soul who gave everything so I could be with Him. What will a passionate worship lifestyle cost me? Everything. What will I gain? Everything.
Our destiny is unceasing worship. This ministry of love to the King will not cease even at His coming. We know only in part; we see only in part; we worship only in part. But one day, the veil of humanity will be shredded, and we will see and worship Him face to face. “All glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Jude 24, NLT).
My heart stops for a moment, and tears of anticipation well up in my eyes. I can hardly wait.
LeAnn Riveness has effectively guided worshipers into the presence of God for more than 27 years at FCA and other churches. She is currently a music teacher and director at Christian Life College.
