Worship: Exalting God or Feeling Good

Shift Your Focus… Every so often a well-intentioned Christian will strongly suggest to me that the church ought to incorporate a certain practice within our worship. These people are usually passionate about Jesus and are committed to personal discipleship, but they are convinced that if we don’t observe this new worship expression—often rooted in some obscure Old Testament passage—then we aren’t truly worshiping and will not experience the presence of the Lord among us.

Over the years, I have seen everything from “Jericho marches” to “holy laughter” to “slaying in the Spirit” just to name a few.  Years ago, I had a close ministry friend who was convinced that since our church didn’t participate in the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, we were under God’s judgment. At about that same time, a Bible teacher in the church had come to believe that it was wrong of us not to include a Passover Seder during Holy Week. At various other times I have had people tell me that we should be waving flags during our singing or blowing a ram’s horn as our call to worship. I could probably fill a chapter in a book with the variety of things that, according to these folks, we should be incorporating in our worship expressions. Sometimes I wonder what the next craze-phase will be: Ritual circumcision? Sacrificing goats? Reconstructing the Ark of the Covenant?

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think these ideas are completely weird—except for those last three; they’re pretty weird! I do think that sometimes it is helpful to incorporate some of these things into our worship as a way of teaching the roots of our faith and giving us a stronger foundation for our worship. What I have trouble with, however, is when people insist those expressions are necessary to true worship.

The Apostle Paul was pointing out that to do so was to slip back into the tutelage of the law. It was to willingly give up our freedom in Christ and come again under the domination of that from which Christ’s death and resurrection has set us free. The only scriptural requirements I can recall for those of us who live under the new and better covenant are pretty broad—and strategically so.

Jesus himself addressed this issue with the woman at the Samaritan well. A discussion was being had about the proper place and style of worship when Jesus made this declaration about new covenant worship:

“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

If you want to observe a feast, go ahead. If you want to wave a flag, go ahead. Just don’t make it into a law. And don’t draw attention away from Christ and on to yourself when you do it. Remember, worship is about exalting Christ, not feeling good, although you will feel good when your exalt Christ. Whenever you worship, wherever you worship, in whatever way you worship, just remember that the Father wants your heart. As Lamar Boschman said,

“When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart.”

God is still seeking men and women who will worship him out of sincerity of the heart rooted in the foundation of his new covenant truth.

“Worship is first and foremost for His benefit, not ours, though it is marvelous to discover that in giving Him pleasure, we ourselves enter into what can become our richest and most wholesome experience in life.”  ~Graham Kendrick

Prayer… Father, keep me from backsliding into law. May grace and truth always season my worship. May you find in me a worshiper who gives you my heart and who stays cemented in your truth.