Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call

By Vernon Whaley

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Introduction

Jesus said, “My Father is actively seeking people to worship him.” The Bible tells us that “the eyes of the Lord are always upon us” (Deuteronomy 11:12), and as He watches, His spirit is ever at work—moving, convicting, suggesting, calling.

When you tie all of these words and their meanings together, what does it all boil down to? Love. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Jesus repeated this command three times in the New Testament (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). Why? Because it is what you were made for—to love God. And if you are in love with Him, you will naturally want to worship Him (shachah). He has done so much for you that it only seems right to fall down before Him (cagad), to throw up your hands in surrender (yadah), to sing His praises (zamar)—to worship Him.

But before you can love God, and consequently worship Him, you must first know Him.

Part 1 — Old Testament Principles of Worship

Chapter 1: Creation: A Call to Worship

The Creation account is, in fact, God’s call to worship, for in it He reveals His person, presence, power, plan, and purpose. Because God is creative, His very first act was to create: He formed us in His image and placed within us the desire to know Him, fellowship with Him, love Him supremely—and worship Him.

God expects you to reserve time for Him so that He can refresh you as you fellowship with Him. As one writer put it, “The whole import and substance of the Bible teaches us that the God who does not need any thing nevertheless desires the adoration and worship of His created children.”

Chapter 2: Worship Before the Fall

At the end of your life, no one will remember much about what you achieved in wealth or position. What people will recall is how you treated them. You will be remembered—or forgotten—based on the love you showed, or didn’t show, to those around you. That is because all of life is about relationships.

Imagine waking in the morning, after a night of uninterrupted rest, still secure in God’s love for you and filled with love for Him too. All through the day you sense His guiding presence. And in the cool of the evening, you return to Him, walk with Him, and worship Him. This is just a glimpse of worship before the fall—before humankind decided to strike out on their own and live in rebellion.

You alone were crafted with a desire for God. He has placed an inner yearning in your heart, what some have referred to as a “God-sized hole.” It is this desire for God that sets humanity apart from all living creatures. In the wilderness of Judah, David proclaimed, “O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). And God Himself promises, “You will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

The Bible says God planted a garden in the east, in a place called Eden, and put the man into it (Genesis 2:8). The word Eden means “fruitful.” God knew that worship could be fruitful in the garden. With all the world at their disposal, it would have been easy for Adam and Eve to get distracted—so much to see, so much to do, so much to be involved in (sounds like life today). But in the peaceful quiet of a pristine garden, they could focus. They could enjoy undistracted communion with God, in a setting devoid of any element that would detract from a perfect relationship with Him.

Adam and Eve, the first to be afforded the awesome privilege of worshipping God, practiced perfect worship in a perfect place. Not until the final amen will you and I be able to do the same. Until Christ begins His eternal reign with His Bride, we will continue to see everything, including worship, “imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Our worship is truly music to God’s ears. It glorifies Him, and according to the Westminster catechism, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever is the chief end of man. But that end can only be realized by those who commit themselves to lifelong rapport with God.

Chapter 3: The Worship Wars

At one time in history, Satan was the most powerful and beautiful angel in heaven. God said of him: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:12–15). Satan became jealous of God’s eminence in the universe and declared war: “I will ascend to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly. I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13–14).

Satan is not just some nondescript being. He has a personality and a free will, and he willingly disobeyed God. He is intelligent, capable of slick strategizing. He is crafty, engaging in clever war games. But above all, Satan is “puffed up with pride” (1 Timothy 3:6). “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty,” God accused, “and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor” (Ezekiel 28:17). Still, Satan lost the war. He could not defeat God. So he decided to hurt God by strategically turning his attention to God’s greatest handiwork: man.

God sought to protect Adam and Eve from the same devastating results of Satan’s disobedience. His motivation in forbidding them to eat the fruit was not egoism, but a desire to guard the very relationship mankind was created to enjoy. He wanted to spare them the cost of war. But after the fall, everything changed, including worship. Where once it was natural and free, it was now inhibited because of mankind’s altered proximity with God. Communication was now from afar, and affected by a feeling Adam and Eve had never known before: guilt.

The story of Cain and Abel reveals how quickly worship went wrong. Cain brought an offering of “the fruit of the ground” (Genesis 4:3), but he did not bring God the best. He performed his obligation, but not from a heart of love. Abel, on the other hand, brought God “the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock” (Genesis 4:4). He could have brought a lesser gift, but the Bible says he brought his best—his most valuable. It was an expression of genuine, personal devotion and worship. And God accepted Abel’s sacrifice.

Cain’s sin was not necessarily in the item offered—Leviticus 2 indicates God accepts offerings of grain. His sin was in the spirit of the offering: a thrown-together package that did not represent his potential for giving or a creative expression of love to God. God gave Cain an opportunity to make things right: “You will be accepted if you do what is right” (verse 7). But Cain would have no part of it. He had done all he was going to do. Instead, he attacked his brother and killed him (Genesis 4:8). This reveals the consequences of misdirected, self-centered gestures of worship, and demonstrates the extreme measures people will take to prove their own worship methods are acceptable.

But God is a God of second chances. He proved this by providing Adam and Eve another son: Seth, the head of the messianic line. Through him came “the Desire of All Nations” (Haggai 2:7)—Jesus Christ.

Chapter 4: Worship and Promise: The Worship of Abraham

That is exactly what Abram did. In obeying God’s orders, he proved his love and devotion. He worshipped God by obeying Him, and he worshipped God with an altar—a practice Abram used routinely. In Genesis 14, Abram performed another act of worship: he honored God with the tithe. Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine, and as a priest for God Most High, blessed Abram. Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had brought back from the battle (Genesis 14:8–20). By giving a tenth of everything he had gained—gold, silver, cattle—Abram was demonstrating his love for God. He was worshipping God with the tithe. It is important to see that this first instance of tithing came before the law of Moses.

Every time God reveals Himself to man, an expression of worship follows. Worship is the normal and natural response to God’s presence. Each time God revealed Himself to Abram, he worshipped. When God appeared again, Abram “fell on his face” (Genesis 17:3)—facedown worship. After this, God told Abraham (he is never called Abram again) his part of the covenant: circumcision for himself and every male in his company. Abraham was circumcised that very day, along with every man and boy in his household. Abraham knew how to worship God through obedience.

Then God gave Abraham a test—the ultimate test of devotion. He asked him to sacrifice his son. Abraham worshipped God with complete surrender. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. My son and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you.” As Abraham raised his knife, the angel of the Lord called from heaven: “Don’t kill your son. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me.”

When you look at Abraham, you see a man who was “at the ready,” no matter what God told him to do. Leave your country. “Yes sir.” Sacrifice a heifer. “Yes sir.” Sacrifice your son. “Yes sir.” If you are to worship God, you must be at the ready too.

Thanks to the blood of Jesus, you will never again have to offer blood sacrifices, but you can always obey.

Worship does not begin with a perfect vessel. Abraham was a two-time liar—he told the same lie (“She’s not my wife; she’s my sister”) twice (Genesis 12 and 20). He was an adulterer and a doubter. But God still loved him. And while none of us are perfect vessels, He can make us vessels of honor if we humble ourselves and worship Him. He can take all of our weaknesses and shape us, as pottery, into something beautiful. Look at what He shaped out of Abraham: the nation of Israel.

Your activities during your time with God may vary—alternating between confession, repentance, prayer, praise, singing, Bible reading, intercession, maybe even a dance. But whatever your procedures, by setting a special time and identifying a “set-apart” place for private worship, you will have established a routine for spending time with God and giving Him your undivided attention. He deserves no less.

Every time Abraham was faithful to God through worship, God made His presence known and reconfirmed His relationship by revealing more of Himself. God is all about relationship. As you worship Him, He will favor you with His presence, and as your relationship with Him grows, He will reveal more and more of who He is.

Chapter 5: Worship and Deliverance: The Story of Moses, Part 1

“Moses!” God called from the burning bush. At once, Moses responded: “Here I am!” These three words are pivotal. They were the very same words uttered by both Abraham and Jacob centuries before (Genesis 22:1; 46:2), and the prophets Samuel and Isaiah would repeat them centuries later. In the last chapter we learned that obedience is at the core of worship—all authentic worship begins and ends with a heart that is willing to obey. Moses’ immediate “Here I am!” was a sign to God that he fully intended to obey. So God told Moses to take off his sandals, because the place was sacred: he was standing on “holy ground.” Instantly, Moses took off his sandals, because he respected God. And God revealed His identity to this submissive man.

“I am sending you to the king of Egypt,” God announced. “Go! Bring my people, the Israelites, out. After you lead the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain” (Exodus 3:10–12). The cruel king had robbed Israel of their worship. Beneath their heavy burdens, they had long been stripped of any personally compelling reason to worship their God. But the relational God craved their companionship. He wanted to bring them out of Egypt, away from the world system they knew, to a better, more obliging place where He could dwell with them and give them rest and satisfaction.

After Moses related God’s instructions, the people “bowed down and worshiped the LORD” (Exodus 12:27). At midnight, for the first time, Israel would worship God together. Though every family would be in their individual home worshipping privately, all families would be worshipping collectively as a nation, all following God’s directives at the same time. The observance would come to be called Passover.

When God identified Himself to Moses from the burning bush, Moses instantly covered his face because of his fear and respect for God. You, too, need to approach God with fear—not in the sense of terror or dread. Perfect love for God casts out that kind of fear (1 John 4:18). Instead, you are to fear God in the sense of reverential awe.

Chapter 6: Worship from the Tent: The Story of Moses, Part 2

What does the Lord want from His priests? He wants them to “minister” to Him. But how does one minister to the Lord? By worshipping Him. God told Moses to go into the cloud and climb higher on the mountain, and Moses was there—in the presence of God—for forty days and nights. During this time, God showed Moses His plans to dwell with those He loves. He commanded Moses to construct a movable house of worship, a tabernacle—God’s dwelling place among His people.

But while Moses was on the mountain, Israel turned away. “Quick! Go down the mountain!” God told Moses. “Your people have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live!” (Exodus 32:7). Their blatant disobedience and disregard of God’s law made God furious. The tribe of Levi stepped up. Like a skilled surgeon cutting a deadly cancer from a patient’s body, the Levites eradicated three thousand calf worshippers.

Since the days of their escape from slavery, God’s people were blessed because of His presence—in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night. His presence set them apart from the heathen nations. His presence between them and Pharaoh’s pursuing army had prevented the slaughter of thousands. His presence hovered over them, protecting them and giving them security. And now, they grieved at the very thought that God was withdrawing His presence from them.

In contrast to all of Israel’s madness, Moses did something wise—and reaped great rewards. He went outside the camp and set up a “Meeting Tent.” Whenever Moses entered, the pillar of cloud would descend from the sky and enter the tent door. Moses and God would then spend time together. Moses liked to go into the tent every day, because he craved God’s presence. He could not be without it.

From the beginning, God’s desire is to reveal Himself to those who love and worship Him—to enlarge the relationship. “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you,” God told Moses, “and I will announce my name, the LORD, so you can hear it.” God came down in a pillar of cloud, called out His own name, and let Moses experience all of His goodness. Even that was more than the man could take: “Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped” (Exodus 34:8)—humanity’s built-in response to the presence of God.

But in order to worship God in a way that pleases Him, your heart must be prepared. Moses’ was. Israel’s were not. They had washed their clothes, but they hadn’t cleansed their hearts. They wanted to have God yet still cling to their idols. Today, worshippers often try to do the same—they want to serve God while still cleaving to their pet sins. Their priorities are out of order: jobs come first, mates come first, “stuff” comes first.

You must find a place to get alone with God, a place where you can hide away and find Him when your soul longs for His company. You’ll be just like Moses, fresh off that mountain. What kind of shape was he in after being in the “glorious presence” of God (Exodus 33:18)? He glowed!

Chapter 7: Preparation and Choice: The Worship of Joshua

God used the Israelites’ relationships, circumstances, experiences, and life lessons as a means for preparing them for greater things. Circumcision before the eyes of surrounding nations was a sign that Israel was set apart—they were, by an act of will, putting off the sinful flesh and identifying themselves as a nation eternally bonded with the only God who chose to covenant with His people.

How did the Israelites cross their river? By faith. They didn’t wait until the obstacle was removed to approach it. They marched right up to the bank and took a step of faith. You may not feel like worshipping. Difficulty may be all you can see ahead. Your life, like a river, may be overflowing with questions, problems, pain. But don’t wait for these obstacles to move before you worship. Take a step of faith. Plunge your feet into the river—and worship.

There will always be a thousand and one things to distract you from worship. To worship, you must put action to your faith, because genuine worship is active, energetic love for God, demonstrated in your choice to obey. “Choose today whom you will serve,” Joshua dared the Israelites (Joshua 24:15).

Chapter 8: Worship in the Books of History, Part 1: From Judges to Kings

“Tear down your father’s altar to Baal,” God told Gideon. “And cut down that Asherah idol next to it. Then build an altar for Me. Sacrifice a bull on it. And use the wood from Asherah for kindling!” (Judges 6:25–26, paraphrased). Why all of that? Why not just command Israel—again—to stop worshipping counterfeit gods? Because as long as the idols remained, Israel would be tempted to worship them. They had to be removed. So that is exactly what Gideon did. He tore down the idols.

Paul the apostle wrote that when you even think the wrong thing on a consistent basis, you are bowing to an idol: “Put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and greed. This is really serving a false god” (Colossians 3:5–6). Today, God’s people are repeatedly lulled, just as Israel was, into worshipping false gods—the “idols” of fantasy, pornography, illicit sex, alcohol, drugs, and the gods of self-indulgence, self-centeredness, and self-abandonment.

Satan, the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), wants self to be your epicenter, because if you serve yourself, you are essentially serving him—and he has your worship. Paul, too, struggled with sins that insisted on being served. But as frustrated as he got, he always knew the answer: “Remove the sin” (Hebrews 12:1). Tear down your idols.

Chapter 9: Worship in the Books of History, Part 2: The Worship of the Kings

David’s worship of God was shaped, at least in part, in the solitude of the hillsides and plains where he had once kept his father’s sheep. While loyally guarding the flock, David spent the long, lonely hours composing love songs for Yahweh and worshipping Him with his harp. David was not afraid to worship, in private or in the presence of others. When he “danced before the LORD” after defeating the Philistines (2 Samuel 6:14), it didn’t matter who was watching; David would worship.

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his Temple; praise him in his mighty heaven. Praise him for his strength; praise him for his greatness. Praise him with trumpet blasts; praise him with harps and lyres. Praise him with tambourines and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. Praise him with loud cymbals; praise him with crashing cymbals. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” — Psalm 150

David loved the Lord—not only His person, but His Word as well. The book of Psalms is filled with references to its value. Psalm 19:7–11 proclaims: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Many years later, living a life of luxury with all his enemies conquered, David felt perturbed. “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the Ark of God is out there—in a tent!” he said to Nathan the prophet. “I’ll build a temple for God.” But the Lord said no—if God was to have a temple, He wanted a man of peace to build it. David had shed too much blood. Still, David could not let go of his passion for the idea. God honored the king’s desire and gave him the temple blueprint. David’s son, Solomon, would complete the project. Excited, David assumed the role of coordinator and secured total funding. Through his dedication to the cause of God, we catch the deepest glimpse of David’s heart of worship: “I have done my best to prepare for building the Temple of God. I have given gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and onyx. Now, who is ready to give himself to the service of the Lord today?”

Solomon built a temple that represented the best of man’s efforts using the best of God’s resources. But for the Lord, the joy was not in the edifice itself—it was in the heart of worship behind it. When construction was complete, God met Israel there. The priests brought the Ark to Solomon, and the people and their king “sacrificed so many sheep and bulls no one could count them.” They sang and played trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, praising the Lord: “He is good; his love continues forever.”

Fire fell from the sky and consumed the sacrifices. Then the Lord’s glory filled the temple. When the people saw this, they “bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground” and “worshiped and thanked the LORD” (2 Chronicles 7:3). The fire from heaven symbolized God’s sanctioning of Solomon’s worship. God was pleased, and with His holy fire, He proved it.

At the end of his road, King Solomon would write, “I give my final advice: Honor God and obey his commands, because this is all people must do” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Chapter 10: Worship in the Books of History, Part 3: Devotion in a Divided Kingdom

When the prophets of Baal worked themselves into a froth at Mount Carmel—slashing themselves, pleading and squalling, dancing themselves to dizziness—they were making a lot of noise, but to no avail. Baal did not show. Elijah, on the other hand, prayed a simple, succinct prayer: “O GOD, make it known right now that you are God in Israel. Answer me, GOD, and reveal to this people that you are the true God” (1 Kings 18:36–37). Immediately, fire fell from the sky, drying up the wood, burning meat and altar—rocks and all—and even licking up the water. Elijah did not have to make a big noise to get God’s attention. You don’t either.

Jehoshaphat ruled in Judah for twenty-five years, and because “He wanted very much to obey the LORD,” God was with this king. He removed all the images of Asherah from the land. Then, in the third year of his reign, he sent priests all over the kingdom to instruct the people in the law. From town to town, sixteen leaders took their “traveling school” and taught from the “Book of the Teachings of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 17:9) so the people would turn from their pagan practices. Later, the king himself went out among the people and “turned them back to the LORD” (2 Chronicles 19:4). He appointed judges to pastor the people: “Always serve the LORD completely. You must fear him” (verse 9). Jehoshaphat’s deepest desire was to rule a kingdom that feared—that is, worshipped—Yahweh.

God rewarded Jehoshaphat’s devotion. All the surrounding nations were afraid of this king and his God. No one would go to war with Jehoshaphat. Even the Philistines paid tribute to him. Because of his single-hearted worship, the Lord blessed all of his efforts—his wealth was great, his army vast, and his cities strong and walled.

When a crisis came, Jehoshaphat already had a built-in response: “I’ll ask the Lord.” The first thing he did was call a fast. All the people of Judah were to abstain from food and go to the temple for a national “Day of Prayer.” Suddenly, the Spirit of the Lord entered a musician named Jahaziel, and he stood: “Listen, King, the Lord told me to tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid! The battle is not yours. It’s Mine. Go out to that battlefield. You won’t even have to fight. Just get out there, hold your places, and watch Me save you!’” (2 Chronicles 20:14–17, paraphrased).

Jehoshaphat chose a band of singers—singers, not warriors. Their job? Sing to the Lord. Why? Not because it was good war strategy, but because God “is holy and wonderful” (verse 21). This burly, all-male choir was instructed to march in front of the army and sing: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever” (verse 21). “God has a plan for our deliverance before the problem ever appears.” Praise God in the heat of your trial. Worship Him in the face of perplexity.

Chapter 11: Worship in the Books of History, Part 4: A Nation Captive—Then Set Free

You can focus on hearing from God through His Word. It has the power to convict, instruct, comfort, and reinforce you—but only to the extent that you make it a part of your worship.

Chapter 12: Worship in the Psalms

Singing has long been a part of the worship of God. Even the stars, says Job 38:1, once sang. The word sing is used more than 120 times in God’s Word, with some 60 mentions of singing in the Old Testament alone. In Exodus 15, the Israelites sang the Song of Moses, a carol of praise for deliverance from Egyptian slavery. Another well-known Old Testament song is the Song of Deborah in Judges 5. And King Jehoshaphat’s armies went to war led by a male vocal ensemble. Singing was, and is, an integral part of worship.

All of David’s musicians and their kin—288 in all—“were trained and skilled in making music for the LORD” (1 Chronicles 25:7). And what did they sing? Psalms. The book of Psalms is a collection of poems—prayers, really—set to music. They were written in different time periods, by different people, to express different emotions and truths. Some express faith in God; others mirror distress.

David’s long hours of solitude and repose allowed for a depth of worship that shaped his character, molding him into a man after God’s own heart. He unabashedly displayed his feelings about his foes (Psalm 5), his sinfulness (Psalm 51), his love of nature (Psalm 8), his zeal for God’s house (Psalm 27), his respect for God’s judgments (Psalm 9), and especially his love for the Lord. David’s systematic practice of singing love songs to God gave us an example to follow. He testified of God’s sovereignty (Psalm 99), blessing and forgiveness (Psalm 65), healing (Psalm 3), and love (Psalm 23). He schools us in the fear of God (Psalm 34). Above all, David teaches us how to worship.

Asaph was the author of eleven psalms. One of his best, Psalm 50, teaches all who would heed it the right way to worship God, from the Lord’s own perspective.

How can you use the Psalms today, in your own private times with God? You can pray them. Often you don’t quite know how to pray about a situation that arises. But if you turn to the Psalms, they will show you how to dialogue with God. Don’t know what to say in the midst of suffering? Choose a psalm that speaks to your anxiety or heartache, and ask the Lord to accept it as your own cry for help. So blissful today that words fail you? Use the psalms as a model, praying through a fitting passage as though its words of thanksgiving were composed by you. God loves those words. He inspired them in the first place.

According to Psalm 51, a genuine worshipper must be broken. David cried: “Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Give me back the joy of your salvation. The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.” Brokenness is part of the process that each of us must go through to become true worshippers. The Bible promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him.

Seven Ways to Exalt God (Psalm 100)

Psalm 100 is a song of thanksgiving. It teaches how to exalt God in seven ways:

The Names of God

Chapter 13: Worship in the Books of Wisdom, Part 1

Job’s story is well known. His children were killed when hurricane-force winds blew the roof in on them. Marauders rustled his cattle and murdered his servants; more came to make off with his camels. A lightning storm fried his sheep and his farmhands—and Job was left with nothing. What did Job do? “He bowed down to the ground to worship God” (Job 1:20). “I was naked when I was born,” he cried, “and I will be naked when I die. The Lord gave these things to me, and he has taken them away. Praise the name of the Lord.” In all this, Job did not sin or blame God (1:21–22).

What an incredible testimony. Not only did he not curse God, but he praised Him. This was long before God’s written word was available to man. Job had never read the promises of God that are so comforting to us today. Yet he trusted in God enough to praise Him in the face of immeasurable loss.

It has been said that character is revealed in hard times, during suffering—under pressure. Integrity reveals whether a person intends to love and worship the Lord even when the going gets tough. Without integrity, one will only worship when life is a cakewalk. Any lack of integrity will eventually expose a person as one whose preferred god is a “candy dispenser,” not a Master; a divine Santa Claus, not the God of heaven.

“Though he slay me,” Job said through gritted teeth, “yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). Even if he died, Job was committed to hoping in God: “I know that my redeemer lives, and in the resurrection I shall stand on the earth. After my body decays in the grave, in my flesh I’ll see God. I’ll stand before God and see Him with my eyes. This is my only hope” (Job 19:25–27). In a phrase, Job surrendered.

Worship Through How You Treat Others

Scripture asks, “He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20). The book of Proverbs teaches you how to treat others as an act of worship: do good to them; be a trustworthy neighbor; lend without hesitation; be faithful to your spouse; leave other folks’ spouses alone; refuse to steal or embezzle; refuse to gossip; tell the truth; be honest in business; avoid backbiting and harsh words; give generously; and even be kind to your pets and livestock.

Do you want to worship God in a way that brings Him pleasure? Then deal justly and considerately with those created in His image. Love your neighbor. Be kind to your mate. Be patient with your spouse. Give to the homeless. Feed the hungry. Clothe the poor. In so doing, you are obeying God’s Word and revealing your fear, or respect, of the Lord. You are worshipping God in the most innocent of ways. And He won’t neglect to reward you.

The fear of the Lord, wrote the author of Proverbs, brings health, long life, riches, honor, safety, peace, knowledge, and victory over sin:

“Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones” (3:7–8). “The fear of the LORD prolongs days” (10:27). “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life” (14:27). “By the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life” (22:4). “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge” (14:26). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7). “By the fear of the LORD one departs from evil” (16:6).

But how? What actions convey your fear of the Lord? God expects your unswerving loyalty, in good times and bad. You obey Him, even when it’s tough. You serve Him, even when you’d rather serve your own interests. You trust Him, even when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. And you worship Him, even when your boat is turned upside down. “Those who fear him will have everything they need” (Psalm 34:9).

Chapter 14: Worship in the Books of Wisdom, Part 2: Worship in Ecclesiastes

John Calvin once described the human mind as a “factory” of idols, wherein all of those things we so highly esteem become fashioned into objects of worship. Your natural inclination is to worship anything and everything but God. You may start out well, but your mind becomes distracted. Other things gain your attention, and they scream for your devotion. If you are not careful, you begin to seek fulfillment from them instead of from the Lord. Soon, you are bowing before these distractions, and they steal your worship of God.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, fell to this very pattern. He pursued idol after idol—each one promising fulfillment, each one delivering emptiness:

Fortunately, the story does not end there. After a lifetime of disappointment at the feet of idols both literal and figurative, Solomon came full circle. That is when he wrote Ecclesiastes, “the idol buster,” a book that confirms the true worthlessness of all those things he held—and we hold—in such high esteem. After he had tried everything, and nothing filled his God-shaped hole, Solomon repented. “My last and final word,” he wrote, “is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it.”

God’s Penalties for Idolatry

What is God’s response to those who bend the knee to other gods?

Chapter 15: Worship in the Prophetic Books

Over half of the prophetic books deal with people’s battle with idolatry. God spoke harshly through Isaiah about worship that is mere performance:

“I do not want all these sacrifices. I have had enough … I am not pleased by the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats. You come to meet with me, but who asked you to do all this running in and out of my Temple’s rooms? … I hate the incense you burn. I can’t stand your New Moons, Sabbaths, and other feast days … When you raise your arms to me in prayer, I will refuse to look at you. Even if you say many prayers, I will not listen to you.” (Isaiah 1:11–15)

“These people worship me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is based on nothing but human rules” (Isaiah 29:13). These were harsh words from the Almighty, directed at a people who were “going through the motions.” Oh, their worship looked all right—the feasts, the offerings. But God was not accepting any of it. He was rejecting their worship because it was false worship, and He had just one thing to say about it: don’t bother—unless you repent!

“Should you not fear me,” God asked them through Jeremiah, “and tremble in my presence?” (Jeremiah 5:22). They should have—but they didn’t. Their hearts did not cry, “Let us fear the LORD our God” (verse 24). They had lost their awareness of the divine and, therefore, their respect for Him. Little by little, they grew casual in their relationship with God.

When God’s glory was revealed to Isaiah from a throne, surrounded by smoke and seraphim, Isaiah cried out in despair, painfully aware of his sinfulness. After that, he was never the same—God used him to witness to a kingdom. When Ezekiel beheld God’s glory in the form of a “surrounding radiance” with the “appearance of a rainbow,” he fell on his face and became the most radical prophet of all time. You also glorify God when you allow His glory to make a difference in the way you live your life.

All through the Bible, God used outside influences as conduits to deliver His message. He chose a whirlwind, pottery, a big fish, an almond branch, dry bones, and more to get across to people what He wanted them to see. He does the same today. He uses people—you and me—to manifest His personality, His attributes, His glory to those who need most to see it. In short, God wants your worship to actively demonstrate genuine love for not only Him, but for all who are made in His image.

Part 2 — New Testament Principles of Worship

Part 2 Introduction

While only scratching the surface of proofs of Jesus’ messiahship, consider just a few of the prophecies fulfilled in Christ: the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:1)—Jesus was. He was to come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10)—He did. He would reveal His kingship from atop a donkey’s back (Zechariah 9:9), then be arrested, tried, tortured, killed, and buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 52–53; Psalm 22)—only to rise from the dead, the best evidence of all. All of these prophecies were fulfilled to the letter in Jesus the Christ.

Chapter 16: Worship in the Gospels, Part 1

Out of the sixty New Testament uses of the word “worship” (proskuneo), more than half appear in the Gospels. It is in these writings that we discover Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of worship. He is both the superlative worshipper of God the Father and the One to whom worship was, is, and forever will be offered. And He taught every person how to worship God, both by His teachings and by personal example.

Jesus Worshipped in the Sanctuary

Psalm 150:1 forever settles the question, “Do I have to go to church to be pleasing to God?” The verse reads, “Praise God in the sanctuary.” In the well-known story of twelve-year-old Jesus getting “lost” during a trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, His parents found the adolescent in the temple—the Jews’ house of worship—where He chose to be (Luke 2:41–49). And if that isn’t enough, consider this: “As his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day” (Luke 4:15). The New Century Version says Jesus went there “as he always did.” Worship in the house of God was a deliberate and customary part of Jesus’ routine. And if it was good enough for the King of kings, it is certainly good enough for you.

Jesus Worshipped by Submission

Notice that Satan attacked Jesus during the very time He was seeking to obey the Spirit, who had led Him into the wilderness. Satan does the same thing to you. Often, it is when you are trying to obey the Spirit’s voice as He is leading you to pray or worship that Satan tries to lure you away. You become distracted, sleepy, or restless. This is when you must press in all the more.

Jesus Worshipped in Prayer

In Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus teaches His followers how to pray. In both Gospels, the prayer begins the same: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2). The first thing out of Jesus’ mouth was not His list of wants and needs. He began by giving God praise.

Prayer is one of the elements of worship. Luke 6:12 tells us that once He got to the mountain, Jesus “continued all night in prayer to God.”

You need to steal away from the busyness of life and get alone with God on your “mountain.” When you come to God in faith, as Jesus did, fully believing that you will receive what you are asking for, make no mistake: it is worship, because it shows the Almighty that you have confidence enough in Him, His love, and His name to ask Him for the things you need.

Jesus Worshipped Through Heartfelt Praise

Jesus didn’t use bywords. Instead, He was spontaneously overcome with awe for God, and He worshipped.

Jesus Worshipped Through Song

It was Jesus’ “custom” (Luke 4:15) to attend synagogue, and songs were part of traditional Jewish worship. We know that Jesus and His disciples “sang a hymn” after the meal we know today as the Last Supper (Mark 14:26).

True Worship Embraces the Needy

Jesus warned, “Anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you refused to do for me” (Matthew 25:45). True worship embraces protection of the needy and marginalized.

“These people show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are nothing but human rules” (Matthew 15:9). What an indictment—the Son of God incriminated the most “religious” people of their day for their duplicitous worship. “Hypocrites!” He continued. “You give to God one-tenth of everything you earn—even your mint, dill, and cumin. But you don’t obey the really important teachings of the law—justice, mercy. These are the things you should do, as well as those other things” (Matthew 23:23).

“When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” — Jesus Christ

Chapter 17: Worship in the Gospels, Part 2

The Bible makes it clear that if you can’t love those made in God’s image, then you don’t love Him either (1 John 4:20). But if you do love God, then you will love others and demonstrate that the same way Jesus did—by serving. Jesus said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.” He served by ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry, raising the dead, and ultimately by giving “His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

That is your first and best worship—showing the Lord your sincere love by obeying Him and mimicking Him on this planet: loving as He loved, serving as He served, and reaching out to a dying world as He reached out to those made in His likeness. That is worship.

Throughout the Gospels, people brought their worship to Jesus in tangible, personal ways. Wise men brought Him gold (Matthew 2:9–12). A leper bowed down to Him (Matthew 8:2). A woman lavished expensive perfume on Him (Mark 14:3). Another washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her own hair, and even kissed them (Luke 7:36–48). And an ardent crowd waved palm branches as He rode on a donkey into the city (John 12:12–14).

Chapter 18: Worship in the Early Church

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” (1 Chronicles 16:8). This is the meaning of testimony. Whether written or spoken aloud, when you share your testimony and proclaim the marvels of God, you give evidence of God’s goodness.

Chapter 19: Worship in the Epistles: Romans – 2 Corinthians

Paul viewed preaching of the good news as equally vital to the worship process (Romans 1:16; 12:1–8; 15:18). Three times in Romans he wrote, “God left them.” Why? Because they were not grateful to Him, and they did not worship Him. They worshipped something else.

Jesus had already set precedent for practicing the Lord’s Supper in the Upper Room. Paul expanded our understanding, accusing the Corinthians: “When you come together, you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper. When you eat, each person eats without waiting for the others. Some people do not get enough to eat, while others have too much to drink” (1 Corinthians 11:20–21). “A person who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is not worthy of it will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord,” Paul added (verse 27). There is always a price to pay for misdirected worship.

Paul also reminded the Corinthians that their giving was a service that “not only helps the needs of God’s people, it also brings many more thanks [worship] to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12). If that were not enough, he told them, “it is also proof of your faith.”

Chapter 20: Worship in the Epistles: Galatians—And Beyond

What are some of the bitter fruits of misappropriated worship and the self-indulgence that spawns it? Paul listed them bluntly: “Repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community” (Galatians 5:16–21).

Now compare these to the fruits that Christ’s worshippers bear: “The Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (verse 22). Paul captured the transformation in a single sentence: “I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me.”

Part 3 — Worship in Heaven

Chapter 21: Worship in Eternity

The book of Revelation, this chapter’s topic and the crowning of Scripture, not only unveils God the Son as no other biblical book can, but broadcasts the arrangements Christ is making to dwell perpetually with those He loves, in a place made especially for us—the New Jerusalem—where we will worship Him forever. It is more than a coincidence that the New Testament word for worship, proskuneo, appears more times in Revelation than in any other book. Worship is what you will do in the new heaven and new earth.

The Seven Churches

The two churches receiving commendation from the Lord were those in Smyrna and Philadelphia. Because they refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord, both flocks had endured suffering. Any suffering they would endure would be only for a season, and those who stood against them would one day bow at their feet (Revelation 3:9).

The remaining five churches received warnings that carry urgent lessons for worshippers today:

Ephesus had plenty of zeal for God but not much love for Him. “You have left your first love,” Christ told them (2:4). They worked hard and maintained spiritual purity, refusing to tolerate tainted teachings (2:2). But labor is no substitute for love, and purity is no substitute for passion. Passion is essential to worship that pleases God. You simply can’t worship adequately unless you love Christ fervently.

Pergamum was true to God and would even go to their deaths for Him, but they were also tolerant—tolerant of members who embraced philosophies totally at odds with the gospel of Christ, allowing their church to become defiled. “Change your hearts,” Jesus told them, and He did not sugarcoat the warning.

Thyatira was even worse. Knowing fully that one of their leaders was engaging in both sexual sin and idol worship—and leading the congregation to do the same—they still tolerated her leadership. Refuse to sit under the ministry of anyone who is sinning blatantly and “does not want to change” (2:21). Don’t tolerate it. Jesus didn’t. He warned that if they did not remove the wicked worship leader, she and they would die.

Sardis was a congregation marked by formalism, spiritual death, and immobility. Perhaps they were so content with their ceremony and liturgy that they had lulled themselves to sleep. “Wake up!” Christ told them, “before what you have left dies completely.”

Laodicea couldn’t be accused of being on fire, but neither could they be accused of being stone cold. “I wish you were hot or cold!” Jesus spat in disgust. They were lukewarm, and they made Jesus sick (see 3:16). “We do not need a thing,” they said (3:17). Yes, they did. They needed fresh fire. They just couldn’t see it. Their love for God had gone tepid, as had any passionate commitment to know Him—and lead others to know Him—through worship.

Worship in the Throne Room

In Revelation’s vision of eternity, worship builds in wave upon wave. First, there was corporate praise, day and night, initiated by the “worship team,” who “give glory, honor, and thanks” to the One seated on the throne (4:9): “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. He was, he is, and he is coming” (verse 8). Unable to contain their rapture, a congregation of elders joined in, bowing down before God, placing their crowns before His throne: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you made all things” (verse 11). Then “thousands and thousands of angels” added their voices: “The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise!” Finally, “all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea” cried, “To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.” Then the people “bowed down and worshiped” (5:11–14).

Even the angels will sit up and take notice as you sing the redemption song—a song they cannot sing. Only those who have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ can sing this melody. As you recall in eternity how Jesus bought you with His own blood “while we were yet sinners,” you will be qualified to join the eternal chorus. Even if you couldn’t carry a tune on earth, it won’t matter. Together, voices will sound across the universe in one unified statement: “We love Jesus; He is worthy to be praised!” Then, with Him, you will celebrate the consummation of the plan of the ages—Christ’s eternal plan to dwell with those He loves.

“He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” — Revelation 7:15–17

We are not home yet. The best is yet to come.