What Happens When We Truly Worship

A. Jno. 4:23-24. Many of us have attended religious services all our lives, and “worship” has come to be such a commonplace thing that we may not even think about the purposes it might have. Those of us who are members of a congregation that designates itself as a church belonging to Christ believe strongly that worship ought to be what God wants it to be — we do not engage in worship practices that have no scriptural authority because we want worship to be what it ought to be. But do we understand that proper worship is not only rendered in the correct form, it does what it ought to do? When worship is what it ought to be, what happens in worship?
First of all-----God is Glorified. The most important thing that happens when we worship is that God is glorified, praised, honored. Worship is our expression of tribute to God’s worth — His praise-worthy nature, attributes, and works.
God is to be glorified, and the Bible is full of praise to Him - Rev. 5:8-14; 1 Tim 1:17; Jude 24-25. Question? Shouldn’t we be more worshipful in our worship. More joyful? How much joy do you really experience when you come here to worship together?
(A) Are you strengthened? It is in the very act of glorifying God that
we receive strength for our spiritual lives. Ever notice how, in your
marriage relationship, the more you give and receive, honor and
acknowledge, the greater and more joyful that relationship becomes?
(1) God does not need what we are able to offer Him in worship.
Psa. 50:7-15. We need to worship because it gives us an
insight into how blessed we are to have God with us. I like
David’s prayer in 1 Chron. 29:13-14. Paul comments on this in
Acts 17:24-25.
(a) We need worship and God has given it for our benefit. Ps.
51:14-17; Isa. 66:1-2.
Your worship is not meant to be meaningful to God, but to you. What God wants is the obedient worshipfulness of our hearts. The collective relationship and worship of the saints is a part of what God has provided for our edification, Eph. 4:11-16.
(2) The worship of the church is not merely an end in itself, it is a means to an end — it is like a “filling station” on a journey, a “huddle” in a football game. It’s where you refill your spiritual fuel tank. It’s where you regroup to find direction for the next step in life. Every time you neglect to gather and worship with the congregation you miss an opportunity to grow closer to each other and to God. Heb. 10:23-25. That says it pretty plainly. The degree of strength we receive in worship has a lot to do with how much we truly love and glorifying God.

(1) A universal, and eternal, principle is at work here that’s stated in both the Old and New Testaments Prov. 11:24-25; 2 Cor. 9:6-7. Not just any “worship” glorifies God and makes us stronger. Only when we truly worship do these
things result. Jno. 4:23-24.
(2) When we glorify God we are strengthened, which in turn results in a greater glorification of God, which in turn results in greater strengthening.
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 03/23/03 pm