How we worship is very important. This devotional reading looks at how we are to be reverent in worshiping God.
Nuggets
- We have to pay attention to how we worship and the motivation to do so.
- Worship isn’t about what we receive; it is about honoring God with holy fear and awe.
To this point, we haven’t really put together a definition for spiritual worship. Let’s do that now.
Spiritual worship is when we sincerely and reverently worship God with our whole heart as we try to walk with Him.
We may tweak that, but let’s run with it for now.
One of the big words in that definition is reverence. Worship has to be focused on God or it isn’t worship.
Reverence is treating God with honor and respect. He deserves this because of Who He is and what He has done for us.
Let’s see what Charnock can tell us about this aspect of spiritual worship.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.
Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.
Devotions in the Finding Jesus through Spiritual Worship study
Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.
The foundation of this series is Menander and Charnock’s Spiritual Worship.
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Worshiping in Deep Reverence
“Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew” (Isa. 6: 2 NLT)
We have to pay attention to how we worship and the motivation to do so.
We just referenced this verse. We used it to tell us who the seraphim were.
Then, we were focusing on what they were doing. “They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’” (Isa. 6: 3 NLT).
Our focus two devotions ago was that they were continuously, eternally worshiping God. We are going to focus this time on why they were doing what they were doing and how. We are looking at their reverence.
In Chapter 6, Isaiah had a vision in which he saw God. Verse 1 indicates that the vision occurred during the year that King Uzziah died.
Even though Uzziah did not reverence God because he carried the censor into worship, Isaiah did not have that problem.
Thomas explained Isaiah’s attitude. He wrote, “Henceforth he will strive to make the attitude and the message of the seraphim his own.”
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What was the attitude and message of the seraphim? It is one of reverence to Sovereign God.
Look what verse 2 says. Four of the seraphim’s wings – two covering faces and two covering feet – are used for reverence of God.
Why is reverence important? Thomas said that it is “… the mark of those that stand in the highest place …” We can’t get close to God if we don’t worship Him.
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This is the exact opposite of the worldview. The worldview thinks we are to be praised. They believe we don’t need God.
They are wrong. God is in control of our lives and world. One day, everyone will bow to Him (Rom. 14: 11).
What the seraphim are saying and doing are important. They cry holy three times. They put their focus on God.
The covering of the face symbolizes submission to God. More about that later.
The covering of the feet symbolizes allowing God to be the God of the little, everyday things as well as the big things. We must submit our entire lives to Him.
Thomas talked about how worldview people equate the wings used for flight with service. They think all wings should be used for service and none to worship God.
That is not correct. Worldview people don’t realize that worship gives us power. This power comes through our obedience – but that isn’t our focus.
But then neither are we supposed to do all worship and no service. Secretan said we have to combine service with habitual prayer.
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We have to be engaged in service for the Lord because we want to do the work that he has for us to do.
Worshiping in Holy Fear and Awe
“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe” (Heb. 12: 28 NLT)
Worship isn’t about what we receive; it is about honoring God with holy fear and awe.
We’ve said many times that fear isn’t terror. The fear of the Lord means awe, reverence, and love, not terror.
Because God is the Designer of the plan, we can worship Him in holy fear and awe.
Now, Lawson acknowledged fear and awe can be the same thing. He noted that we attempt to please God rather than offend Him.
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Both have an element of diligence in them. Diligence is a consistent, persistent effort through repentance to obey God’s laws and commandments.
Because God has a complete plan for this earth and He can’t and won’t deviate from it, it is described as immovable. The plan may still be being worked out to reach the goal, but the end result is constant.
Paul said here that this definite plan should give us motive to serve God. Melvill noted that we conduct this worship through obedience.
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We just talked about how our service is one way we worship God. It isn’t only that we do kind acts for others. Yes, that is one way to serve.
Just as we need more than just knowledge of God to gain salvation, we have to do more than just perform the acts.
Service is also worship. It must focus on God.
We worship through service because of God’s love and actions toward us. Worship is making ourselves available to complete His work.
To do that, we need God’s grace. Service is just going through the motions if we do not have God’s grace in it.
Isn’t it so much easier to work toward something when the ways to accomplish it don’t change? More importantly, isn’t it easier when the goals themselves aren’t changing?
That takes out our doubt. It assuages our terror.
We can calmly focus on the tasks at hand.
How do we get this grace? We seek God.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17)
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3)
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16)
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11)
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2)
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11)
Spurgeon gave us requisites for offering our service as worship.
- Acceptable service is performed by disciples. We must first have ABCDed.
- We must picture the act as being performed to God, not another person.
- We must complete the service through faith in Jesus by offering it to Him as our High Priest.
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We have a duty to worship God through our service. This service comes out of our fear and awe of Him.
Making the Connections #1
Secretan reminded us of what is not the purpose of worship. Worship is not the means by which we gain God-level understanding. It isn’t even about asking.
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Worship is about adoration for God.
The skewed worldview things that we are and should be equals with God. We shouldn’t.
God is holy. We aren’t. God is righteous. We aren’t.
Making the Connections #2
Lambert reminded us of what the purpose of worship is. Through it, we become closer to God. He wrote, “All worship is meant to bring us nearer to God, and God near to us, so that if we worship truly, to us, as to them, there shall be a revelation of God’s nature and God’s truth The object of all worship is not to please God, not even to cave our own souls, though these may be incidents of worship; the object of worship is that, coming into His presence, we may be transformed into His image, as we learn of His ways and work.”
Resource
Worship brings a revelation of God’s nature. This is the nature we are to be gaining through sanctification. Sanctification is the transformational process of the mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration; gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit; and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal new birth and requickening that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
- The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Glossary
I read that to say, if we don’t truly worship, God doesn’t reveal Himself to us. If He doesn’t reveal Himself to us, we don’t become as He is. We don’t become as He is, we aren’t His children.
How Do We Apply This?
- Dwell in the holiness of God.
- Be a living sacrifice to God.
- Acknowledge and accept our unworthiness.
- Assume positions of reverence –
- Lawson said these are “… kneeling, bowing, covering our faces, prostration, and such like gestures.”
- Ask for grace.
- Be careful in our service to Him.
- Cultivate a sense of holiness.
Resources
Father God. We praise Your name. We come humbly and reverently to Your throne to give You all the praise, glory, and honor. Help us to worship You in the manner in which You desire. Amen.
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