WORSHIP

Worship in this case will be divided into two types; Christian Worship and Worship as a verbal word.

Worship as a verbal word will be liken to her author of words-Oxford Advanced Learned Dictionary; “Worship is the practise of showing respect for God or god, by saying prayers, singing with others (2) or a strong feeling of love and respect for adoration.

This definition is authentic but it will be faulty if applied to Christendom. We know by now that a follower of Christ should never worship idols called gods. Never forget to remember; “Thou shalt not bow thyself to them (idols) nor serve them: I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…” Exodus20:5.

Worship in this modern day as been streamed lined to solemn songs alone, people believe that the praise and worship session of a church programme is the only way to worship God. No wonder the slogan exist “let’s be in the mood/ attitude of worship.” It’s not right!…your life should show case worship to God before you get to church and after you’ve left church…anywhere you go in the world no matter your temperament. It is good to pray and sing solemn songs but we should note; that’s just a phase of a worshipping life. Worship is a life time course, that’s why every day we have the opportunity to breathe is also an opportunity to worship the only true God-the Holy One of Israel.

Further in the definition of Oxford Advanced Learned Dictionary, I discovered worship had more definitions… (3) “A polite way of addressing or referring to a Magistrate or Mayor.”  Obviously, that’s a circular (job) form of worship to a man in office and not to God/god. (4) “to show respect for God or a god, especially by saying prayers, singing, etc. with other people in a religious building: e.g. We worship at St Mary’s-He worshipped at the local mosque. To love and admire, very much, especially so much that you can’t see their faults: he worshipped her from afar”

So the verb word worship as it different uses and forms. Yet, worship is not just for religious buildings alone I mean if you remember Paul and Silas in the prison rendering worship to God which in turn brought about deliverance to them. If worship was rigid to religious buildings alone then it means God doesn’t exist everywhere on earth.

Just like how faith was defined in Hebrews 11:1 so also was worship defined by her author, Jesus. The book of (John 4:20-24), we find Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob. He spoke to the woman about different topics but our focus here was one of the topics he established in a common discussion-worship- in whose intent is to make worship an act of flexibility. How? Was worship rigid before? Along the discussion, the woman knew Jesus was a Jew and also “perceived” that Jesus was a prophet and brought up a question about the old doctrine of worship see John4:20-24…

There was an old form of worship which was practised mainly by the Jews that believed in God. They used mountains and gathered at Jerusalem yearly to worship e.g. peace offerings: a sacrifice offered to restore or keep a right relationship with God. Only apart of the animal was burnt on the altar: the rest was eaten by the worshippers or the priest. Jesus who is the author of the New Testament changed this order during his discussion with the Samarithan woman.

• (20)” Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship”.

Jerusalem was a place where the Jews that believed, go yearly to worship God with their substance. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Solomon and priest and prophets are patriarchs of old, fathers of the Jews who in their time used some mountains to approach God for communication sake (prayer-which is a form of worship). Jesus himself practised this form of worship in (Matthew 14:23) “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone”.

• (21) “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father”.

The Samarithan woman and others (Jews and Gentiles) believed that Jerusalem and mountains was where God could be worshipped. Jesus was about to change that with this statement; implicating that a time will come when those that believe God, will at no “must time and place” worship God the Father at specific places like mountain and Jerusalem. So where and how will they worship God? Jesus went further to even make known their ignorance.

• (22) “Ye worship ye know not what… {Gentiles worshipped idols and even the Jews who knew what they worshipped refused Christ to be the Messiah}…we know what we worship (God): for salvation is of the Jews.

(Because Jesus is the salvation who came through the Jewish lineage and presented salvation to the Jews first but they believed not.)

• (23) “But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
• (24) “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

This is the authentic definition of worship from the beginning, ever worship was first mentioned, since when God created man in his own image (Genesis1:1-27). This definition should be generally accepted because of its origin-God, is the origin of Worship. This new testament form of worship that Jesus introduced wasn’t executed by others until after his death, resurrection  and the manifestation of the promise of the Holy Ghost in (Acts 2: 1-7).

Worship is therefore an act of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. With this definition, it defiles all other definitions. It makes worship flexible i.e. you can worship God anywhere in the world as long as you have a spirit and you believe Jesus is able to fill you with the Holy Ghost he promised. Either you are in a religious building or not, prison, house, school, office, with others but not to idols. To worship God requires the whole soul, mind, feelings, emotions, and desires, not bodily fatigue or journeying to some temple. (Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible) and complete love to God which means to hate sin!

How can one worship God in spirit and in truth?

The means have been provided from the beginning when God who is a Spirit (John 4:24a) “God is a Spirit: …” created man in his own image, after his own likeness. Creating us a spirit (Genesis 1:27) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. Now that we know we are spirit contained in a body (the fall of Adam-Genesis 3:6-7created a partition wall between us and God which bridged communication) that’s why God sent the Holy Ghost (John 14: 26) “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”.

That promise was fulfilled in the upper room when those that waited received and spoke in tongues. (Acts 2:1-7). Jude 20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost”… To be with us who will help us communicate according to will of God in our prayers-(Romans 8:26) “Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”. Fruits of the Spirit also help us to Worship God see Galatians 5:22-23.

To Worship in Truth is simply to believe in God. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It is confirmed that the Spirit is truth John 14:17 “Even the Spirit is truth;” the Spirit helps one worship God in truth on the fact that you believe God.

WHO CAN WORSHIP GOD? – All temperaments.

A sinner and a Christian can worship God which is a form of sacrifice. God doesn’t accept the sacrifices of sinners like the case of Cain and Abel. God accepted the sacrifice of Abel and rejected that of Cain. The spirit of a sinner is dead while the spirit of a Christian is quickened by: (Ephesians 2:1-2) “And you (believer) hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. A sinner is dead (Romans 6:23) “for the wages of sin is death;”

The sacrifice of a sinner is an abomination to God. So I’ll advice a sinner not to worship God at all but rather surrender to the only true God. Anybody can worship whatever opinion in mind, animals and none living things can’t worship God?