Christian worship is at a crossroads – theologically, doctrinally, and in its expression. Over the last several decades, I fear the Church has lost sight of what true worship is. A lack of authentic church liturgy could be to blame. Christian radio? Mega-churches? We’ve segregated worship. We’ve confined it. We define it as music sung to our Lord. And please do not mistake me; this is worship. But worship is so much more. Some have relegated worship to three or four songs sung during a church service on Sunday morning or a playlist on Spotify. We’ve narrowed and condensed our worship down to several minutes a week, or so we think. Maybe we don’t have a biblically accurate definition of worship? Maybe our understanding of worship should not be based on when we worship, but who we worship. The meaning of the New Testament Greek word most often translated “worship” (proskuneo) is “to fall down before” or “bow down before.” Worship does not exclusively mean songs of praise. Our minds have been unintentionally trained to think this way, but it is not so. And yet, where do we start? How do we rebuild our definition of worship biblically? A 2019 study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 16% of pastors say their most significant challenge is leading people to truly worship God. And herein lies the problem. Could it be that pastors are trying to correct a false understanding of worship apart from Scripture? Shouldn’t the basis of our worship be truth? I believe the recovery of Christian worship will be found in a renewed focus on the expositional preaching of Scripture as the sole authority on definition, expression, and object. And it is here that we will start: within the pages of Holy Scripture.
The Definition of Worship
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:23-24
Daniel Block commentates this Scripture by writing that true worship is “…reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign [God] in response to his gracious revelation of himself and in accordance with his will” (169). Simply put: worship is an acknowledgement of God’s glory and a response “to his gracious revelation.” This acknowledgement of God’s glory should originate out of the heart of the believer as we call Him Lord and Savior. To worship Him in truth means to view Scripture – His divine revelation, as the ultimate authority in our lives. Divine truth is the prerequisite for true worship. Our worship begins and ends in God’s Word. And it must be this way because our knowing God begins with His Gospel piercing the heart of the sinner for salvation. The same Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses to bring those to Himself is the same Scripture that shows us who God is. We should value the revelation of God above all else as we seek to be true worshipers. I like how John Piper brings into view the idea of what we value and prioritize in relation to worship. He writes “true worship is a valuing or treasuring of God above all things.” In essence, worship is knowing God truly, and responding to that understanding and knowledge by valuing God, submitting to God, enjoying God, and finding complete satisfaction in Him. And it is then, Piper writes, “that a deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.” There are many definitions of worship. Set aside all of man’s clever interpretations and let Scripture define what true worship is – bowing down before the Father acknowledging within our hearts (spirit) His supremacy and goodness and responding to his gracious revelation (truth).
Now that we understand that Scripture is the basis for true worship, I want to encourage you with the importance and necessity of God’s Word in corporate and private worship. The exposition of God’s Word is essential for true worship for three reasons: (1) the Word of God prepares our hearts for worship, (2) the Word of God leads and regulates our worship, (3) the Word of God is the ultimate authority in worship.
God’s Word Prepares the Heart for Worship
Do we regularly prepare our hearts for the exultation of God? We prepare our hearts and minds (and check the TV Guide) for the next “big” game. How much more should be devoted to coming before the throne of God Almighty in praise and adoration? The importance of a call to worship & affirmations and professions of Scripture prior to and during a worship service is essential to preparing and humbling our hearts to become “human acts of submission” to our God. We should demonstrate this same preparation and humbling in private devotion. Colossians 3:16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (ESV). I attended a church service once where the pastor intentionally switched the “normal” order of service to have congregational song and worship towards the end of the service and ultimately following the expositional preaching of Scripture. He did this to emphasize the fact that God’s Word refreshes and prepares the heart for worship. The Word of God prepares our hearts for worship.
God’s Word Leads and Regulates our Worship
Secondly, the Word of God leads and regulates our worship. Matt Smethurst, managing editor at The Gospel Coalition, writes “Worship must be guided and channeled by truth, i.e. be in accordance with what God has revealed about Himself and His ways (and, as John 4:25-26 shows, must be through the Son, the Messiah, who is the truth [John 15:6]). As Furr and Price state: ‘This is the perfect blend: emotion regulated by understanding, enthusiasm directed by the Word of God’” (125). The teaching and preaching of Holy Scripture should be the guide for our worship services and private devotion. While there continues to be a debate between regulative principle and normative principle of worship, the essence of worship does not change whether an individual or church chooses one or the other. Expository preaching guides our worship, but, in fact, preaching is a very form of worship. The primacy of Scripture and its prescription for personal and corporate worship should not be forsaken for personal preference and seeker-sensitive motivations. Scripture should be used as a lens through which we regulate our worship. Is this worship in accordance with Biblical mandates? Are we singing songs of praise that are true in their theological and doctrinal positions? Is the unabated Word of God being preached as a form of worship? Are we living a life of true, holy and authentic worship behind closed doors? These questions and more are regulated and answered through Scripture. The Word of God leads and regulates are worship.
The Word of God is the Ultimate Authority on Worship
Lastly, the Word of God is indispensable, foundational, and central in worship. Andrew McGowan writes “…the emergence of a liturgical ministry of the Word is not merely a feature of worship; it is the key to understanding how the earliest Christians in general knew and received Scripture itself…” (110). Whether a church has a liturgical ministry of the Word or not, Holy Scripture should be central to everything that is done in worship. It is from God’s Word that everything should flow. The congregant’s perspective of worship changes from me-centered to God-centered upon an understanding of the basic tenets of Scripture. Worship becomes an opportunity to adore God and praise Him for who He is rather than be entertained.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell from this article, I believe Holy Scripture to be the exclusive source for how we are to live our lives for God’s glory. It cannot be overstated. It cannot be forsaken. God’s Word must be the foundation of our worship. Because it is only from God’s divine revelation that we are able to reflect back to Him true and authentic hearts of worship.
References
Block, Daniel Isaac. For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship. Baker
Academic, 2016.
McGowan, Andrew Brian. Ancient Christian Worship: Early Church Practices in Social,
Historical, and Theological Perspective. Baker Academic, a Division of Baker Publishing
Group, 2016.
Smethurst, Matt. “The Primacy of the Word in Worship.” The Gospel Coalition, 6 June 2013,
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-primacy-of-the-word-in-worship/.
The English Standard Version Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
Jacob Robertson 
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