The aim of worship is to exalt the glory of God in the eyes of his people that they might see, sing, seek, and submit to him. First, the foundation of all true worship is the sight of the glory of God in the face Christ. Therefore, the calling of all involved in worship ministries is to exalt the glory of God in Christ as high as they possibly can that his people might enter into communion with him. This implies, of course, that they must be seeing, singing, seeking, and submitting to him in their personal lives, for only those who truly worship can evoke true worship in the lives of others.
Second, the sight of the glory of God in the face of Christ naturally evokes expression to God. The gift of singing was given that we might give tangible release to the deepest feelings of our hearts, and when a heart beholds the glory of God in some measure it cannot help but sing to him. Therefore, one of the reasons we are called to exalt God in the sight of his people is to call forth heart-felt expression from them. In other words, the display of the glory of God is not intended to inspire us to analyze him but rather to praise him. The heart of a true worshiper is much more akin to that of a lover than a scholar.
Third, the purpose of such heart-felt expression is to inspire a heart after God. That is, as God’s people catch sight of his glory and express their passion to him in song, they ought to want more of him. They ought to be inspired to re-think their way of life, to make more room for seeking the God they love. Thus, our hope is not to have good worship services but to inspire God’s people to seek him with all of their hearts, all the days of their lives.
Fourth, seeking God consummates in submission to God. True worship inspires true worshipers to obey their Father’s commands, and this is the height of worship. The word “worship” in both Hebrew and Greek literally means “to bow down” or “to lie prostrate before.” It is used both to describe moments of worship and a life lived before God. Thus, true worship is bowing before the Lord with our lips and with our lives. It’s bowing our bodies before him in worship, and bowing our wills before him in obedience. Both are important aspects of worship but obedience is of paramount importance. I get this from texts like Isaiah 29:13, 58:1-14, and Amos 5:21-24 which variously rebuke the people of Israel for going through the motions of worship while living lives of disobedience. It is possible, I suppose, to live lives of obedience without much expressing our praise to God but it is impossible to live lives of disobedience and please him in any way.
In sum, our desire for Sunday morning worship is not simply to provide a moving experience but to enter into a life-shaping encounter with God. The aim of every worship service is to move every soul to seek hard after God and ultimately submit their lives to him.
Second, the sight of the glory of God in the face of Christ naturally evokes expression to God. The gift of singing was given that we might give tangible release to the deepest feelings of our hearts, and when a heart beholds the glory of God in some measure it cannot help but sing to him. Therefore, one of the reasons we are called to exalt God in the sight of his people is to call forth heart-felt expression from them. In other words, the display of the glory of God is not intended to inspire us to analyze him but rather to praise him. The heart of a true worshiper is much more akin to that of a lover than a scholar.
Third, the purpose of such heart-felt expression is to inspire a heart after God. That is, as God’s people catch sight of his glory and express their passion to him in song, they ought to want more of him. They ought to be inspired to re-think their way of life, to make more room for seeking the God they love. Thus, our hope is not to have good worship services but to inspire God’s people to seek him with all of their hearts, all the days of their lives.
Fourth, seeking God consummates in submission to God. True worship inspires true worshipers to obey their Father’s commands, and this is the height of worship. The word “worship” in both Hebrew and Greek literally means “to bow down” or “to lie prostrate before.” It is used both to describe moments of worship and a life lived before God. Thus, true worship is bowing before the Lord with our lips and with our lives. It’s bowing our bodies before him in worship, and bowing our wills before him in obedience. Both are important aspects of worship but obedience is of paramount importance. I get this from texts like Isaiah 29:13, 58:1-14, and Amos 5:21-24 which variously rebuke the people of Israel for going through the motions of worship while living lives of disobedience. It is possible, I suppose, to live lives of obedience without much expressing our praise to God but it is impossible to live lives of disobedience and please him in any way.
In sum, our desire for Sunday morning worship is not simply to provide a moving experience but to enter into a life-shaping encounter with God. The aim of every worship service is to move every soul to seek hard after God and ultimately submit their lives to him.
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