“Is your worship contemporary or traditional?” “Are the lights up or down?” “Do you use hymnals or read words off a screen?” “Are the instruments electric or acoustic?” “Do people raise their hands?” “Is there a choir?”
These are questions people often ask about a church’s worship in order to determine if it’s worship they can relate to.
Genesis chapter 35 opens with Jacob worshiping God, and in the first 6 verses, you can find four truths about worship.
- We are called to worship. (v.1) Worship is not optional. It is the commanded response to an Almighty God.
- We are to prepare for worship. (v.2) We are to clear our hearts and minds of all sin and contaminants in order to make room for God to enter in.
- We are to be focused on worship. (v.3) We are not to worship broadly with wandering minds. We are to focus like a laser on the One True God Who has chosen to communicate and connect with us.
- We are to be active in worship. (v. 6) Worship is not a passive activity. Worship demands our active involvement. This can include singing, praying, taking notes, lifting your hands and bending your knees. The demonstration of worship may vary, but active involvement in worship is a must.
As you can see, worship is not something you go to, but rather a response to a person you go to. We know from Jesus’ words that true worship is dependent on the person and their participation; not the place and the patterns. (John 4:19-24.)
In light of these four truths of worship, how often do you truly worship?
Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.