Worship

I have spent the last couple of weeks thinking on this topic, since being challenged by a friend to write a post on it.

Firstly lets look at how Worship is defined in the modern dictionary and then I shall try and set the topic in a biblical context.

worship

[wur-ship] 

noun

1. reverent honour and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

2. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.

3. adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.

4. the object of adoring reverence or regard.

5. ( initial capital letter ) British . a title of honor used in addressing or mentioning certain magistrates and others of high rank or station (usually preceded by Your, His,  or Her  ).

 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worship

In my previous post I spoke of God being a jealous god to whom all praise should be given. In many ways this would appear to make life easy, that is to say that we now only have one direction to pray to. I wonder is this how many people see their Christian lives?

You go to Church in your best clothes, you sing the songs, say the prays, give money to the offertory(possibly as little as possible!), take communion and then get home having done your bit of worship for the week. I hope that most people who go to Church do not follow this way of thinking, although in my cynical and unpleasant moments I have wondered along these lines.
A few months ago some American friends asked me how many people in Britain are Christian. I had to say that I could not say. I have been too judgemental on peoples reason's for going to Church in the past and felt embarrassed when I realised I was wrong.
 
In the film Frozen love is defined as "Putting others needs before your own" and this I would say is a key part of Worship. To Worship should contain an element of sacrifice. In the Old Testament God requires sacrifice or offering to enable the forgiveness of Sins and as an act of worship. When giving an offering it is made clear that the offering should be the best possible. That is to say that God expects the best we can give. How often does our worship cost us? I believe that worship is to put the needs of God before our own.

In the New Testament we are given to contrasting examples, one being an act of worship and the other being an act of pseudo-worship. The example of real worship is shown in the case of the widow's offering. Here is someone who on the face of it has given very little, but in fact has given everything. You can imagine people looking at this woman in disdain at how little she gives and I think it is for this reason that Jesus has to explain the background. This brings us to the case of pseudo-worship, the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Here are two people who have given some money to the early church. This seems commendable, until you find out that they haven't given everything as promised. They have made the appearance of doing good works without the reality to back it up. They die because they perpetuated a myth of giving all to God, they let themselves lie to God. God isn't interested in outward appearances, they don't really matter, he is more interested in your heart.

We should not see worship as something that ends when we finish our prayer, or leave a Church building after a service. No; worship should be at the heart of everything we do. How often do we think of Work as a part of our worship to God? I have found that when I commend my work to God that I work better, knowing that by working for others I am offering myself to the service of God, I work in order that I might do something that pleases God. As I work I find time to pray and think, this is as much worship as singing hymns and worship songs. To worship you have to desire to do the will of God and to desire his presence.