The Bible might well be described as a “Book of Worship.” From Genesis to Revelation, the reader is introduced to the Creator, Deliverer, Redeemer, Eternal King, the only One Who is truly worthy of our deepest devotion and worship. Indeed, as we read the Scriptures with “worship eyes,” it is likely that we will see some Biblical principles of worship on every page.
One such example can be found in the words of Jesus in response to a question He was asked about “the great commandment.” “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37 NKJV) Here, Jesus quotes from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy (6:5). This description of the depth of love for God that characterizes the life of the believer provides a beautiful picture of what it means to be a true worshipper.
Consider those words from the Old Testament that Jesus quotes in the New: “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind…” Ask yourself, “Are these words descriptive of the way I love God through my worship?”Let’s think about these things as we unpack a bit more this idea of loving God through worship.
Toward Defining Biblical Worship
Exodus 20:1-6 (NKJV): And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
In our current evangelical Christian church culture, the word “worship” is often equated with “the praise and worship music” in a church service. While it is hoped that music in the church is worshipful, there is so much more to worship than simply those few minutes of music in a service. Think about how you would define the concept of “biblical worship.”
In a general sense, “worship” refers to the supreme honor or veneration given either in thought or deed to a person or thing. The Bible teaches that God alone is worthy of worship. So important is this principle that God declared in the first of the 10 Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3 NKJV)
There have been numerous definitions of biblical worship. For example, Jack Hayford defines worship as “The atmosphere that welcomes God’s presence and makes room for His mighty acts.” Graham Kendrick defines worship as “Transformation through adoration.” Jim Dethmer offers another definition which states, “Worship is responding to all that God is with all that we are.” Our worship is a response. It is something we offer back to God in light of our understanding of Who God is and what He does. How well are we doing at that? As Henry and Richard Blackaby have said, “God designed worship for us to see Him in His glory and to respond appropriately; for many it has degenerated into ‘religion,’ one more meeting to attend out of habit.” (Henry T. Blackaby/Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day, p. 6.)
Think about what it means to respond to all that God is with all that we are. As we grow in our understanding of Who God is and what He does, we find we have an increasing awareness of the transforming presence of God in our lives. Loving God through worship honors God; but it also changes us.
Dr. Wes Tuttle is an accomplished worship leader, musician, and songwriter. Dr. Tuttle’s songs have been recorded by influential worship leaders like Don Moen, Paul Wilbur, Bob Fitts, John Chisum, Aline Barros, Robin Mark, Juanita Bynum and Judy Jacobs. Wes is an ordained minister and holds an A.A. in Music and a B.A. in Religion from Emmanuel College. He holds an M.A. in Counseling from Liberty University and a M.A.R. with a concentration in Cross-cultural studies from Liberty Theological Seminary. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Liberty Theological Seminary.
