Preparing for Worship (Part Two)

In the previous post, we looked at how Scripture defines worship and how that specifically relates to music. We discovered that worship is not confined to or defined by music. Rather, worship is everything we do in obedience to the Lord.

So why does this matter so much that David commits to it every second of every day? Back to Psalm 34.

“My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice” (vs. 2). This is a call to share the news of Jesus Christ with others so that they may rejoice and praise Him as we do. We advocate for Christ with our actions in obedience to Him, but also through the testimony of our lips.

Worship is not just music, although music is certainly a way in which we can worship God. Worship in music is manifested when we profess truth about God in song. The purpose is to proclaim the worthiness of the God whom we praise. This brings glory to His name and also shares truth with others. When we proclaim the truth about God to others, we are imploring them by the Holy Spirit to also offer their lives as sacrifices to God and live in daily obedience as we do. This isn’t just in song, but also in what we speak and in our actions.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

God also calls us to worship through obedience in community with one another (vs. 3). God’s desire for His people is to live in community with one another in order to uphold each other, rebuke each other, and spur one another on in the race of Christian life. While we worship individually by laying down our lives for the glory of God in obedience to Him, we also worship collectively by living out obedience together. This is why the church is so vitally important to the Christian life. We can worship together through music, through the hearing of the Word, through study in small groups, and through service. And these are only a few of the ways we are called to collective worship.

The core of the message is this: Whatever we do, if we are reflecting Jesus and bringing glory to His name, we are worshiping. There are implications of this truth that manifest themselves in every facet of our lives. There are way too many to highlight in this post, but I’ve compiled a list of a few things to think on as they relate specifically to preparing for Sunday morning services in church every week.

How do you prepare for worshipping with your church family on Sunday mornings? Do you believe these following things to be true?

1. Worship isn’t a designated day of the week or a time on Sunday mornings.
2. Worship isn’t dependent on music.
3. Most importantly, worship is the natural outpouring of a heart that finds joy and satisfaction in God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We don’t worship to serve ourselves with “feel good” music or to meet emotional needs. We worship because Jesus Christ died in our place and satisfied the wrath of God Almighty so that we might live eternally in relationship with God the Father. We worship because we are saved from the death that we deserve. We worship because “God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Is that God, who took away our sins forever by sacrificing His only, innocent Son, not worthy of our continued and pure worship? He is! We worship because God is worthy!