What is Christian Worship?

Worship

Introduction

As we read scripture – we realise that worship is not just a great feeling on a Sunday as we sing a great song – the kind of feeling that you could get at a rock concert or listening to a CD at home – or watching a try scored at a Rugby match.

Worship is so much more than that – it is about us bringing our lives – in all their messiness and difficulty – into the presence of God, and under God's authority.

Worship in Revelation

In Revelation Chapter 4, John records the sight of elders and creatures worshipping God:

¹¹"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

- Revelation 4:11

Unfortunately the book of Revelation to John has been reduced to a kind of astrological chart for Christians.  Many people profit by writing books that claim to decode what John wrote – with little attention paid to the context in which he wrote.

John writes – essentially – about worship; in a time when Christians are being forced to worship the Roman Emperor.  When being a Christian might mean being chased out of town, losing your job and even being killed.

John paints a picture of that reminds us who is worthy of our worship.

You think Caesar is worth worshipping?

John's portrait of the most high God, of the risen Christ, of the heavenly songs of worship make Caesar look like a pipsqueak.

You think Caesar will last forever?

John's portrayal of the coming Kingdom and Judgment of God help us to remember that those people and things that seem to hold authority in this world only do so on a temporary basis. 

Ultimately God will have the victory.

In worship, the heavenly creatures and the elders bow down saying:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

- Revelation 4:11

The creator God has all the power, is literally the only worthy one.  Worth more than the cost of worshipping him.

Wor(th)ship

And that brings us to what the word worship, really means.

In Greek, the word translated as worship means to bow down, to prostrate oneself – sort of to lie on the floor in front of something or someone.

It is a way of saying to that person, thing or God, before which you bow down:

"You are greater than me.
I am less than you,
I surrender to you
I am yours."

Our English word for worship comes from "worth ship".

Worth is a simple word.

You could ask – so how much is that car worth?

How much is that painting worth?

What is a life worth?

How much are you worth?

What's it worth to you?

*  *  *

For each of us – I bet there are some seemingly worthless things, worth nothing to anyone else, but a lot to us.

A coffee cup – an old toy car…

We give things values / price tags.

We assign to them some 'worth'.

*  *  *

Wor(th)ship is about getting our priorities in order.  About assigning the right 'values' to the right things.

About making sure that the way we live is just – because we have set our priorities straight.

Listen to what God says – according to the prophet Amos:

²³Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. ²⁴Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry.

– Amos 5:21

Wrong Values

If we look around – at the world we live in – it seems as if somebody has snuck in and switched the price tags around – our values are out of whack.

*  *  *

Wrong values have serious consequences.

Economic and environmental crisis, stupid poverty - a reminder that we, as a world community have put the wrong values on the wrong things.

We mispriced our fellow human beings, the cost of our actions to the environment.  We have valued getting what we want, when we want it, over what it costs us when we are over indebted.

The wrong price tags – on the wrong things.

Right Values

And so – the beginning of worship – is bowing down, on the ground, before our God – and exclaiming, you are worthy, like the elders and the living creatures in Revelation.

And when God is honestly our first priority and we hold everything else below that priority – the rest of our values will fall into place appropriately.

And its certainly not about singing.

It's about a life dedicated to God's reign in us.

Judging God

How do we decide what is most important to us?

It sounds totally crazy, but God, in giving us freedom of choice – invites us to Judge him.

Is this God – Yahweh, the creator of all things – Worthy, or not?

Each of us can say – yes he is worthy, or no he isn't – and from there we can choose to live our lives accordingly.

No one forces us to come to church on a Sunday morning, to say prayers as we live and move, no one forces us to dedicate our life's work and our family to God.  We choose – we get to decide if it's worth it.

*  *  *

Many of us choose to say: "Yes you are worthy."  Not because – as the living creatures in Revelation say '…you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created' – that is part of it.

But because – as we read later in Revelation – chapter 5:12-13 John sees the heavenly choirs singing:

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,

(Animals and everything.)

"To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!"

And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.

- Revelation 5:12-13

*  *  *

We don't choose to worship God because of his power and might – but because of his self sacrificing love for us.  His love has been made known to us – especially in his Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us.

*  *  *

The elders and the heavenly creatures Judge God, the God revealed to us in Christ to be worthy, and so they bow down and worship.

Do we?

Do we accept that a God who loves us so much is worthy of our everything?

Luke 12:22-34

In Luke 12:22-34 Jesus encourages his disciples to re-think their priorities.

Don't worry about clothes, about food, about where you'll live:

'…be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you with these things.'

– Luke 12:31

Knowing that, like us, the disciples will say 'no ways you're mad', Jesus goes on:

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.  Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them, and no moth can destroy them. ³⁴For your heart will always be where your riches are."

– Luke 12:33-34

Jesus invites us to take everything that we value the most, that we desire most, that we think (and know) we need and make it less important than living for God the King.  He invites us to entrust all of that stuff to God.

Part of living for the King – is treating others as if they were Kingdom citizens too. 

Being generous with what we have – letting it go – in order for it to serve God.

Then, says Jesus, we will truly have everything that we need and more – treasures in heaven, where no thief comes near, and no moth destroys.

And he warns us – where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

*  *  *

"Heart" in the language of the gospels is not a pump for blood.  It's like the soul, like breath in us, the source of our deepest emotions, the source of our life.

If your treasures are in banks, cars and clothes, they will eventually wear out; so will your heart – you will become hollow, lifeless and disappointed. 

Yet – if your greatest treasure – highest value is in God – then your heart will be safe… you will have fullness, life and constant hope.

*  *  *

Worship, is not a few minutes on a Sunday, a good feeling and an exciting pep talk.  But a constant attitude check and re-check.

What do we most value?  Where is my heart?

Not in order to make life difficult for us and miserable, but for us to be transformed, for us to make life, truly living – possible – so that we can have life in all it's fullness.

Psalm 63

The Psalm we read this morning takes us on the journey of worship.  It should reflect something of our journey – Sunday by Sunday.

We arrive parched – thirsty – hungry… everything we have encountered during the week has shifted our value system here and there; we have put our faith in everything except God as we seek to quench our hunger and thirst for something.

David recognises what he really thirsts for:

"…my soul thirsts for you (God), my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water…'

– Psalm 63:1

He recognises the value of God's love for him:

"…your love is better than life…"

– Verse 3

He recognises that God's help is not just a spiritual idea – but a living reality:

"…you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."

- Verse 8

David does not come with a pretty song – but rather he comes with nothing to offer… a thirsty and weary soul.  His son Absalom is trying to take away his throne.

Yet as he brings all of his brokenness – the reality of who he is and all his struggles – into God's light – he is transformed.  His faith is renewed – and knowing that God is still on his throne he is able to say, with faith:

¹¹Because God gives him victory,
the king will rejoice."

– Verse 11

*  *  *

I invite us all to come to God with what we are – the little we have, the brokenness of who we are, and say – with the creatures on earth and heaven:

"Yes Lord you are worthy!  I trust you with all that I am.  You are my King and I am your subject."

When we entrust all that we have and all that we are to God our King – when our families, friends and children see the priorities by which we live.

When those priorities affect the way we do our jobs, care for our families, spend our money and our time…

Then I believe we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

AMEN