To Worship The Known God
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| Psalm 19: 1-2 |
The word “worship” means:
noun/
the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.
verb/
to show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.
What does it mean to “worship” God?
Some think it means performing and repeating a physical act, like kneeling and praying while acknowledging God in a certain prescribed manner.
This can be a true and correct starting point, but only speaks to the introduction of what “worship” really is.
Some perform rituals, either lighting a candle, repeating recited words (prayers), or visiting certain places while dressed a certain way, facing a particular direction, etc.
These answers can also be true and correct starts to what is so much more.
Worship goes deeper, further and beyond these surface answers.
In brief, to worship God is to fully surrender to His will...and knowing His will is important.
Some consider surrendering to God means to accept certain ideas while denying others, but this is religion.
Others think surrendering to God is harming others for what they believe or disbelieve, which is actually evil.
There is religious ritual believed to be the entirety of worship, but any specific “religion” that attempts to teach what worshipping, following and obeying God is without the deeper realities is not complete.
People the world over, since the beginning of time, have thought up various ways to worship God according to what their culture developed and according to personal tastes, called traditions.
Yet we acknowledge the “worship” of God has been clearly expressed.
Worship can be made complicated, but it is actually quite simple...so easy in fact, that a child can worship God.
A child can worship God because it is a child-like heart that best defines what God's way is all about.
He called a little child to Him, and placed the child among them. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in My Name welcomes Me.
- Matthew 18: 2-5Out of default ignorance, people tend to worship made things besides the Creator.
Things in nature (plant, animals) and things made by man's hands (money, machines, ideas).
There was a time where the worship of God was to occur in a certain place, a building or the Temple in Jerusalem:
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.
- John 12: 20But there came a time when worship was elevated, broadened and brought near:
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Yeshua replied, “believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
- John 4: 20-23We see there is a manner of worship that is described as “in the Spirit and in truth”; not bound to a certain location on earth, nor a certain repetitive manner as religions typically depict.
It speaks of “true worshippers”.
What is a true worshipper of God?
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
- Romans 12: 1-2To worship God is to be transformed from the inside out.
To truly worship God is to not imitate the depravity and darkness in the world.
To be a true worshipper of God is to have your mind renewed...realizing what is of God (truth) from what is not (man's religions).
Knowing and living as a true worshipper, one's heart, mind and soul is forever changed and enlightened to God and His revelation.
The physical 'change' or outward evidence is secondary to the inner transformation, yet men think they know God or are known by God according to the many rules they follow, or the exterior efforts they do.
Have people ever worshipped God face-to-face?
Has God ever been manifested on earth where people acknowledged and worshipped Him in person?
After Yeshua was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”...
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
- Matthew 2: 1-2, 10Yeshua was worshipped as an infant.
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Yeshua said to him, “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
- Matthew 4: 8-10Yeshua was tempted by the devil, who desired to be worshipped in place of God...yet Yeshua declared that only the Lord God was to be worshipped and served.
Is Yeshua the Lord God that is only to be worshipped?
Yeshua heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is He, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”Yeshua said, “You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you.”
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.
- John 9: 35-38The Son of Man was worshipped.
The disciples who followed Yeshua realized He wasn't an ordinary man, but something much more.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
- Matthew 14: 33The Son of God was worshipped.
Suddenly Yeshua met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him...
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
- Matthew 28: 9, 17Yeshua was worshipped, yet some still doubt today.
We can still see the variety of things people believe in and worship...seemingly reaching for an unknown God while claiming to know God.
We acknowledge that God has been made known:
No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.
- John 1: 18
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