The Heart of Worship

"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 4:23-24

I'll probably get in trouble for this, but here goes. I think that the church we know of today is not the same as the church back in the book of Acts, when it was just getting started.

Today, we sit in church on a Sunday morning and listen to someone tell us things we should already know. We're encouraged to be more like Christ. We encouraged to spread the Gospel. We sing songs. That's all good, but is what we call "worship" today the same as it was back then?

If we do a search in a Bible app for the word 'worship,' and start reading the examples that it returns (274 in the NIV), you will find that many examples are one-on-one worship. And what does that kind of worship look like? Let's look at the early church.

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2:44-47

The word 'worship' is totally missing, but everything they were doing WAS worship.

When a person was actually worshipping someone, the worshiper dropped down on his or her knees, face to the ground, and worshipped the one they were bowing down to. In church we just sit in our chairs and listen to stories. While good, is that really worship? What IS worship?

If we are commanded to 'worship in spirit and in truth,' doesn't God prefer the one-on-one, more personal worship compared to our corporate worship? He has said as much.

“The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?” says the Lord. 

“I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 

When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 

Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations, I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 

Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 

Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:-11-17

God is not looking for sacrifices. God does not NEED anything. What He DOES want is for our deeds to reflect His will. We are to worship God by doing His will. And then we must simply praise Him, for everything. That is the true heart of worship IMO.

I don't do a good enough job in my worshipping. How do I improve? I need to spend more time praying on my old, sore knees. I need to spend more time helping my brother and sister in need. Simply put, pray and serve more, share the love of Christ more. LOVE more. May the love of Christ define our worship, not merely the singing of songs.

The Heart of Worship - Sonicflood