Home > Online Magazine > Online Magazine: Edition 11 - June/July 2006 > Worship is ... (Bible Study Series)

Worship is ... (Bible Study Series)

by Pr Douglas Jenkins

by Pr Douglas Jenkins

Title What is the Bible?
Theme Worship is . . .

(This is part 8 in the Bible Study series. Part 1 is found in edition 4, Part 2 in edition 5, Part 3 in edition 6, Part 4 in edition 7, Part 5 in edition 8, Part 6 in edition 9 and Part 7 in edition 10 of the online magazine.)

Most people have no idea about what worship is. I remember as a youth I did not know what worship was supposed to do.

There are different methods to worship; Private worship: ie. for personal devotions. Group worship ie. congregational worship.

Let's define WORSHIP. Worship is YOU, in your mind, reaching out to your God in loving thankfulness and gratitude for His marvellous purpose of saving and changing you, to be fit for eternal life. You acknowledge God as the only Creator--Omnipotent God.

Why worship God? The Bible gives the answer : "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1. The basic reason to worship God is that He is the all-powerful God Who is the power to be able to create. Otherwise there would not be anything in the spaces of the universe. All, and everything, are here only because God could and did create them. Now add this :"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Genesis 1:26. God also created intelligent human beings, reflecting the image of God -- we are here because God created us.

Obviously, we should acknowledge the presence and purpose of God, being our creator--and worship is an appropriate act of thenkfulness, and gratitude to our God. It's here:"O come, let us worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord our maker." Psalm 95:6. Look at this:"That they should seek the Lord , if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us ; For in Him we live, and move, and have our being..." Acts 17:27,28. Our very life {existence}, our capabilities and intelligence, are all attributed to THE CREATOR GOD. Man's response is best expressed in humble worship of our God.

Also, our worship needs to be with utmost reverence in our words, attitude, behaviour:"But as He which hath called you is holy, be ye holy in all manner of conversation [way of living]" 1.Peter 1:15. However this is not an exercise in self-discipline. It is the Holy Spirit enabling you to co-operate with Him, allowing also that He fulfill it. More about this in a later series.

Summarising-In either method of worship, worship is really you expressing God's worth [from old English word worth-ship]. Worship is a privilege we have, TO HONOUR GOD.

In my early years worship gradually became reality as I understood its purpose and benefits. I found Worship to be a wonderful experience that grows. This could also be your experience.

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