Holy in Worship

Worship in and of itself is not holy. This was the case with Cain (Genesis 4:1-7). He and his brother Abel had both offered worship to God. One was acceptable, and the other was not. The case is quite similar today. Some are offering holy and true worship to God, while others are not. Many of the ones offering vain worship to God hold to the view that God will accept just anything. We will look at what God defines as holy and acceptable worship.

Worship that is authorized by Him

Take, for example, two more brothers, Nadab and Abihu. They were Aaron’s sons. Because of this, they were allowed to offer sacrifices to God for the whole house of Israel. On one occasion, they were offering fire to Jehovah in worship. However, the Bible describes the fire as “unauthorized” (Leviticus 10:1 ESV). Why was the fire unauthorized? Because did not command them to use it. It was indeed a “strange” (KJV) offering to God. “Fire is fire,” you may say. Well not according to God. He knew what kind He wanted, and Nadab and Abihu were burned up with fire because they did not do as God had specified.

Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in…truth” (John 4:24). When Jesus is referring to truth in this passage, He is referring to God’s Word (cf. John 17:17). In essence, then, Jesus said that true worship is regulated by the truth of the Word of God. Therefore: My worship is holy, only when it is in accordance with His revealed will.

This means that Christians avoid vain and meaningless additions to worship. As was the case with Nadab and Abihu, our worship becomes tainted and unholy when we add acts that are not approved by God. This includes things such as choirs and choruses in place of congregational singing, performances and productions instead of preaching, playing and prancing instead of prayer, revelry and “raw raw!” instead of reverence. May pleasing God always be the centerpiece of our worship.

Worship that is from the heart

Sometimes we focus so much on the “authority” aspect of worship, we neglect the spiritual feature of it. In John 4:24, Jesus also inserted “spirit” in His great declaration concerning true worship. This means that we must worship God in an authorized and spiritual way. This is confirmed further on in the New Testament when Paul said, “I will praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also” (1 Corinthians 14:15). Paul obviously recognized the importance of worshipping God with his whole heart and mind.

Can we “go through the motions” and neglect putting our heart into worship? Yes. God knows your heart (cf. Matthew 9:4; Hebrews 4:13). He is aware when we do not offer our finest in worship to Him.

• Singing - Do you focus more on the musical notation and various voice parts rather than focusing on the words that are being spoken? Paul told a certain congregation to “teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16). If I am not thinking about the words that I am singing, my singing is vain. Some melodies and tunes are very soothing to the ear, but the love of them should never be a Christian’s purpose for singing. Really mean what you sing. Think long and hard on the words being sung.

• The Lord’s Supper – Does your mind wander off into idle thoughts when you are observing the Memorial of Christ’s death? The purpose of the Supper is to remember the Lord’s sacrifice on our behalf, and to proclaim His death until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The Supper is a solemn Memorial that should not be taken lightly. (I always find it helpful to bow my head during Supper and say a short prayer of thanks to God for His Son. Also, reading passages like Isaiah 53 really helps to put things into perspective.)

• Preaching – Imagine sitting through Paul’s sermon that lasted late into the night, and into early morning (cf. Acts 20:7). Some of us can barely sit through a thirty-five minute lesson, let alone a nightlong discourse. This was the case of Eutychus. He did not fall asleep. He slept, and then fell three stories to his death. Believe me, there will not be an apostle there to raise you from the dead when we fall three stories during a gospel sermon! Remain alert and attentive during the preaching of God’s Word. We know what happened to the three thousand who did such on Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:1-47). It doesn't hurt to take notes, either.

• Prayer – Prayer is a privilege unique to God’s people (cf. Psalm 66:18). It should never be viewed as the perfect opportunity to take a “convenient” restroom break. Pour out your heart to God in prayer; He is always a willing ear (cf. 1 Peter 5:7).

Is your worship to the Almighty holy?