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Worship is a sacrifice. A sacrifice is not an easy thing to give. It is parting away that which is valuable and important to you. It includes life, time, money, e.t.c., when it is done with the right attitude it becomes true worship. It is taken from the root word “worth.” An object of worship must be worthy and highly valued to receive such sacrifice.
Worship is one of so many ways to express obeisance to God. And it becomes adequate to consider this subject and study what it means and how best to do it. God is a king and has a kingdom. We are children and citizens of this kingdom.
Col 1:13 For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son;
Phi 3:20 For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we are looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 2:19 Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,
Because He is a king, He deserves being worshipped and His subjects are His worshippers whom we are. We are citizens of heaven, we have certain rights and privileges, also, certain expectations are demanded of us which include worship. Your existence is under the rulership of God. Though we live in this world, we are not of the world. Our citizenship is spiritual.
No king exist without power; power is needed to rule over a kingdom. The devil rules over this world, while God rules over heaven. These two kingdoms and their kings demand worship from their citizens. The devil demands worship to his rulership than any other sacrifice. It is a matter of choice to either worship God or the devil. Though the devil has power, the power in heaven and on earth is monocentric and is resident in God alone.
Isa 42:8 I am Jehovah; that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
Psa 62:11 God has spoken once; twice I have heard this, that power belongs to God.
Phi 3:21 …according to the working of His power, even to subdue all things to Himself.
Worship is an act of obedience and loyalty to God. One may worship and never understand true worship. Also, it is possible to worship what one does not know. God is still looking for true worshippers as He did over 2000 years ago. Whatever the day, place or time you worship God, true worship is the very essence.
John 4:22-24 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.
God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
Our life style should symbolize worship to God. To worship God acceptably requires deliverance from captivity, this captivity could be an environment of idolatry. Exo 5:1-11. When you are under satan’s slavery you cannot worship God truly because your taskmaster will not want to share you with your God. To worship God is a battle. The battles we encounter in our various life of worship are:
- The battle over the word of God. This is the battle to obeying God’s word. The devil calls God’s word vanity, but to us it is the truth. To obey and do God’s word is an act of worship, at the same time a battle, because it involves your life and the devil does not want it. Exo 5:9, Pro13:13, Deu 29:9, 32:27.
- The battle of power. Whoever is worshipped has power, as such, both God and the devil demands worship. Worship is a battle between God and satan’s power. Exo 7:10-12, Phil 3:21, Ps 66:3, 79:11.
- The battle of perception. This is how you see and perceive God. How a worshipper sees God determines how he worships Him. This is a battle of the mind. Exo 8:25-28. Perception in worship is expressed in John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
- The battle of sacrifice. This is the battle of releasing oneself and resources as sacrifice for worship. The sacrifice for worship includes self, money, time, substance, offerings and tithes, vows and other resources. Gen 22:3-8, Exo 25:22, Isa 31:1-3.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
You cannot out-worship God. Jesus gave His all to us on the cross; we should give Him our all in true worship. God is talking let the church say amen.
God bless you.
