Sermon Transcript
Reader's Version
What Is Worship?Sermon By Gene SimcoReader’s Version
I once heard a story about a husband and wife who went to church together. During the worship portion—the singing—the wife seemed noticeably more engaged. If you've spent any time in church, you may have observed that women often tend to be more vocal about worship. Now, I won’t comment on how women are generally more expressive in marriage, but this enthusiasm often extends to worship as well. Meanwhile, the men are sometimes just standing there, perhaps with hands in their pockets or arms folded, at most quietly mouthing the words to the songs.
This wife was critical of her husband, claiming he wasn’t "into it" at church but showed plenty of enthusiasm at sporting events. When he was at a game, he’d often raise his hands, much like some people do in worship, and even shout at the top of his lungs, completely caught up in the excitement. “Why don’t you do this in church when we’re worshiping God?” she would ask him. As a Christian, I can’t see getting that excited about anything but Jesus, she claimed.
One day, the husband went out with his friends to a game, while his wife and her friends stayed back to have a Kentucky Derby party. It seemed like the perfect excuse to wear those fancy hats you see women wearing at the races. They got together, donned their hats, and started watching the races on TV. At first, they made small bets on which horse might win—just friendly wagers to keep things interesting. But as it went on, they got more excited and involved, each cheering for their chosen horse. Pretty soon, they were encouraging each other to put their money where their mouths were, and the informal betting escalated. You can picture the scene—money all over the table, someone keeping track of the bets, and a group of women cheering and yelling at the screen.
Meanwhile, the husband’s game ended early, and he headed home. As he reached the front door, he could hear all this shouting coming from inside. He opened the door, and his wife, seeing him, scrambled for the remote to turn off the TV.
“What was on the TV that you all were getting so excited about?” he asked.
“Church!” she replied quickly.
“Well then, why is there all this money on the table?”
“Oh,” she said, “you came in during the offering.”
In the last chapter, we discussed prayer, and we found that it might not be exactly what many Christians assume. We often hold a rather strange idea of what prayer is when compared to the actual biblical narrative, which came as a surprise to some.
This brought up the question, Are we doing prayer wrong? This week, we’ll look at worship and explore how some of these same misunderstandings apply, though in different ways. We examined the who, what, when, where, and why of prayer, and now we’ll take a similar approach with worship.
Starting with the “who”—the answer remains the same: God. We worship God and God alone, period. Now, what about the “when” and “where”? When we look at the Old and New Testaments, we see different covenants, which we’ve discussed at length. These covenants not only shape our attitudes toward prayer but also influence where and how we worship. In the Old Testament, worship had a geographic element; it was more structural and material, though still with a spiritual aspect. In the New Testament, however, worship becomes entirely spiritual. The material elements fade away. Worship no longer centers around a physical tabernacle, temple, or sacrifices, nor does it require elaborate rituals.
New Testament worship, then, is not geographic. To illustrate this shift in attitudes, we compared various examples of prayer from the Old and New Testaments. Now, we can apply this same covenantal lens to worship. For instance, we saw the account of the woman caught in adultery. In the Old Testament, the law demanded that she be stoned, yet Jesus changes the response entirely, saying, Let anyone who is without sin throw the first stone.
A similar thing happens earlier in John’s Gospel when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Tired and thirsty, He asks her for a drink but soon turns the conversation to something deeper. He speaks of “living water,” a term that refers to The Holy Spirit, drawing a metaphor from the well rather than the water itself. This idea of “living water” echoes throughout Old Testament Scriptures as well (see Jeremiah 2 & 17). Then, to reveal His divine insight, He tells her that she’s had five “husbands” and that the man she’s with now isn’t her husband, surprising her and confirming that He is no ordinary man.
In John 4:9, we read that...
John 4:9 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. Here, we see a significant shift in Jesus' attitude toward worship—it’s no longer tied to geography.
Last week, we examined some of the sermons in the book of Acts, focusing in particular on Stephen's sermon. In that message, we also see this theme emerge.
Acts 7:46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
49 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord.‘Could you build me such a resting place?50 Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’ [Is. 66:1-2]Here, it's clear: God no longer lives in temples made by human hands. Now, we are that temple, and God resides within us.
In one of Paul's sermons in Acts, he speaks on Mars Hill, where he notices the various idols and statues being worshiped. Recognizing an opportunity, he points them to the true God. When he sees an altar with an inscription to an unknown god, he addresses the council, saying, Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way. For as I was walking along, I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
Then, in Acts 17:24, we see..
Acts 17:24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
Again, we see it reiterated: God is not confined to a temple or any physical location. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit, as He now resides within us. And like the Samaritan woman, we also see a breakdown – not just of physical barriers, but racial barriers as well.
When we looked at Hebrews, we saw the introduction of a new covenant. In Hebrews chapter 8, quoting Jeremiah 31, we see the establishment of this covenant. Moving into chapter 9, we see a sharp contrast between Old and New Covenant worship, and it’s made clear that the Old Covenant is now obsolete. Hebrews 9:10 describes the Old Covenant rituals, saying
Hebrews 9:10 For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. 11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
Then in Hebrews 10:1, it reads, The old system under the Law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year, for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, He said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, but You have given Me a body to offer.”
Now, we have a Tabernacle in heaven. The Old Testament temple was destroyed, and after Jesus’ time on earth, it was again destroyed in 70 A.D.—showing that a physical temple is no longer necessary. Christ Himself is both the High Priest and, as we see later in Revelation, the true Temple. There is no need for a physical building; He is also the once and for all sacrifice. His blood now saves us, fulfilling and ending the need for animal sacrifices. He is the blood of the New Covenant.
Remember our discussion on the Lord’s Supper—He is the once and for all sacrifice, putting an end to the old system of worship, with its rituals, sacrifices, and geographic constraints.
As we look at Revelation, we see the promise of a new heaven and a new earth. The world as we know it—this earth and these heavens—will be destroyed, and we will see a new creation. In Revelation 21:22, it states, I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Now, Jesus is not only the High Priest and the Final Sacrifice—He is the Temple itself.
Anyone advocating for the rebuilding of a physical temple, or saying there will be one in the future, is essentially denying who Jesus is and what He has accomplished.
While we await this fulfillment, we are now His temple. In 1 Corinthians 3 and 6, it is clear: we are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Now, you might ask, when looking at the New Testament, What about the Psalms? There are so many Psalms, and many Christians worship using them or read them regularly. I can usually tell when people are really reading their Bibles—especially the Psalms—because they reach passages like the one we’re about to discuss, and they often have a lot of questions. Yet, surprisingly, not many people ask me questions about the following scripture.
Psalm 137:8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.9 Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!
Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks. Can you imagine a Christian praying that line from the Psalms? Clearly, there are some Psalms that we wouldn’t sing from in church today. I doubt there are many evangelical Christians advocating for violence against infants, especially considering our stance on the sanctity of life and opposition to abortion. And yet, here we have a psalm expressing such a sentiment. You may recall that we visited this and similar chapters when discussing the Ten Commandments. As it pertains to prayer, you may recall that Jeremiah prayed that the children of his enemies would starve and be killed by the sword! (Jeremiah 18:21) The context of Psalm 137 is that the Israelites—the people of Judah—are in captivity in Babylon, and their captors are mocking them by asking them to sing a song. This violent response reflects their suffering and frustration.
This passage is an example of imprecation, a type of psalm calling down divine justice or vengeance against one’s enemies. But we don’t see this call for vengeance in the New Testament. Not all psalms are imprecatory, and like all Scripture, the Psalms have a specific context. As we discussed with Jeremiah 29:11, not everything in Scripture is directly about us. The Psalms, too, don’t all apply to us, particularly those written in the context of the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant often called for justice through retribution, but the New Covenant in Christ calls us to peace and forgiveness at all times.
So, why are the Psalms still here? God’s Word is for all times, though not for all circumstances. For example, if you look to 2 Timothy 4:13, you will see that Paul asks Timothy to get the cloak he left with Carpus at Troas. This is the Word of God, yet an informed reader should take this to mean that we should all be out looking for Paul’s cloak! As we’ve seen, Ecclesiastes 3 famously reminds us that there’s a season for everything:
Ecclesiastes 3:8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
This is a season for peace. Jesus emphasized this in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, Blessed are the peacemakers, and taught us to turn the other cheek rather than retaliate. This teaching is echoed in 1 Peter, Romans 12, and other New Testament writings.
If you want to explore this topic further, you can refer to my book, Fortune Cookie Theology, or tune in to June 9, 2024, for the message titled "Peace or a Sword."
The Psalms remain meaningful because they speak to the human experience, addressing universal emotions like pain, hardship, and suffering. As we saw in the last chapter, there are Psalms that teach universal truths, such as Peter’s quote of Psalm 34 (1 Peter 3:10-12). Many psalms comfort us in our struggles, and they also contain prophecies about Jesus, including powerful passages about his crucifixion (Psalm 22). Moreover, as 1 Corinthians 10:6 explains, these things were written as examples for us, to show us both what to do and what not to do.
When we examine worship in the New Testament, we see the same contrast we noted between Old and New Testament prayer practices. In New Testament worship, there’s an emphasis on forgiveness rather than elaborate rituals. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn’t pray in the formal sense that was common in the Old Testament, nor did he have any kind of musical prelude. Modern church culture often places the worship team as a "warm-up" act for the sermon, setting the mood with music. Yet Jesus didn’t rely on music to prepare people for his teachings, as was done in Old Testament worship or is common in today’s church.
Why the difference? As always, Jesus brings us back to the heart of worship and prayer. He takes us beyond the ritual to the relationship. In passages like Mark 7 and Matthew 15, Jesus critiques religious leaders for their fixation on rituals and traditions rather than genuine worship, reminding us to focus on God, not on rituals and practices.
Mark 7: 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.7 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ [Is. 29:13]
Do we see these kinds of attitudes in worship today? Absolutely, especially in traditional services.
Reflecting on my own experience as a worship leader, I’ve seen the emphasis on "pomp and circumstance" firsthand. Even as a child, I remember it being all about the sit-stand-kneel routine, the liturgy, the precise timing, the elaborate stained glass—elements we don't find anywhere in the New Testament. Yet, for many, these traditions are deeply ingrained and serve as a basis for offense or exclusion toward those who don’t adhere to them. For example, some hold to a strict dress code, considering it essential for worship.
Once, while leading worship after coming from a modern worship setting, I was told I wasn’t dressed appropriately. I had worn jeans and a collared shirt, but apparently, it wasn’t formal enough. This emphasis on tradition often parallels the religious leadership that Jesus criticized, using outward practices to judge others and even to exclude.
In James 2, we see this attitude addressed. James speaks about partiality in the church: the wealthy are given the best seats, while the poor are pushed aside. But before those attending modern services rush to judge their traditional brothers and sisters, it's worth examining what happens in many modern churches as well.
In modern or prosperity-driven churches, we often see a different form of favoritism. Certain celebrities or wealthy attendees may receive special treatment, perhaps even being given donor plaques, contrary to Matthew 6, where Jesus says, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
Another aspect is the focus on production. In many cases, the worship team has become central to the service—seen as a critical "warm-up" for the sermon. Churches may be judged not by the depth of their biblical teaching or theology but by the production quality, with lighting and sound setups rivaling rock concerts. Having led worship at larger churches, I’ve experienced this firsthand. Once, during rehearsal, I was asked if I’d be wearing my rehearsal attire—shorts and a t-shirt—for the actual service. They informed me that I needed to dress in closed-toe shoes, long pants, and even follow a specific color scheme: grays, blacks, neutrals. The showmanship and structure, though in different forms, resemble traditional service expectations—just with a modern twist.
This consumerism has led many Christians to “shop” for churches based on the "show" rather than on biblical teaching. In effect, church has become about self-fulfillment rather than worship. It’s like showing up to someone else’s birthday party with a gift only for yourself. Sadly, this consumer-driven mentality can slip into a form of self-worship, where we attend worship services for what we can get, rather than for what we can bring in worship of Christ.
It’s safe to say that many Christians today are not just worshiping God; they’re often worshiping the worship experience itself. It’s telling that, for some, church without the full production doesn’t even seem like church anymore.
Now, let’s turn to what worship really is according to Scripture. Singing does play a role, as we see in the New Testament. For example, after the Last Supper, they sang a hymn together. Paul also emphasizes worship in Ephesians 5, where he encourages believers to live by the Spirit’s power:
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise... be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts” (Ephesians 5:15, 18-19).
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In the New Testament, we see that it is indeed acceptable to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs within the church. While there are certainly some psalms that may not be appropriate for congregational singing, the act of singing itself is emphasized. However, we notice that the context in which worship occurs in the New Testament differs from what many modern churches might expect.
In the New Testament, worship is portrayed as transcending convenience and comfort. For example, in Acts 16, we encounter Paul and Silas, who are imprisoned under dire circumstances. After Paul casts out a spirit of divination from a slave girl, her owners, having lost their source of income, incite the authorities against him. As a result, Paul and Silas are beaten with rods and thrown into jail, placed in stocks—a situation that is both painful and humiliating.
Despite their horrific circumstances, Paul and Silas demonstrate the essence of worship. Acts 16:25 says, “Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.” Their worship is remarkable not just because they sang in prison, but because they did so in a moment of deep suffering and hardship. They chose to glorify God even when everything seemed to be against them.
This stands in stark contrast to many in the modern church who seek convenience in their worship experience. Paul and Silas show us that true worship is not dictated by our circumstances but is a response to who God is, regardless of our situation.
The narrative continues with the jailer awakening to find the prison doors wide open. Assuming the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to take his own life. However, Paul shouted, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” The jailer, overwhelmed, called for lights, rushed into the dungeon, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
In this remarkable story, we see that even after enduring severe beatings, Paul and Silas joyfully worshiped the Lord. Their unwavering faith and worship in such dire circumstances literally brought the house down. This genuine act of worship led to the miraculous opening of the prison doors and, ultimately, the conversion of the jailer.
This encounter exemplifies that true worship does not rely on comfort or convenience. Unlike many modern church practices that may employ manipulative tactics to elicit responses, Paul and Silas's worship was authentic and powerful. Their actions resulted not from any contrived methods but from a heart posture aimed at glorifying God, even in the worst situations.
When we examine this closely, we realize that the Bible defines worship much differently than the way it is often understood today. Phrases like “I’m going to get my worship on” suggest a certain convenience or personal enjoyment, but genuine worship often occurs outside of our comfort zones. It is not merely about the act of singing but about maintaining a heart attitude of reverence and gratitude toward God, regardless of our circumstances.
Thus, we need to reset our understanding of worship. Worship is not defined by the act of singing alone; rather, it is an extension and expression of the true worship we embody in our daily lives. It is a continuous attitude of honoring God, manifested in our actions and responses, whether we are in a church service or facing the challenges of life.
When we look to the dictionary's definition of worship, we often find it described as a feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. It encompasses acts of devotion, praise, and homage directed toward God.
More specifically, worship can include:
1. Acts of Praise: This may involve singing hymns, praying, or other expressions that acknowledge God's greatness and character.2. Rituals and Traditions: These might include specific practices or ceremonies performed within a religious context to honor God.3. Lifestyle of Reverence: Worship is not limited to specific acts; it encompasses how one lives daily, reflecting obedience and love toward God in every aspect of life.
However, the dictionary definition may fall short of capturing the full essence of worship as understood in a biblical context. In Scripture, worship transcends mere ritualistic actions or emotional expressions; it is rooted in a personal relationship with God and involves aligning our hearts and lives with His will. True worship is a holistic engagement of our entire being—mind, body, and spirit—in reverence and submission to God.
When we look to the definition of worship, we see this: worship is the feeling or expression of reverence or adoration for a deity, a show of reverence or adoration with honor and religious rites. While some of this may be interpreted correctly, it underscores that worship is fundamentally not about us.
In the biblical context, the term προσκυνέω (proskuneo)– or προσκυνώ (proskynó) is one of the most common Greek words for worship, appearing about 60 times in the New Testament. Proskuneo means "to worship" and is derived from the word keran - κύων, which suggests a visual image of a dog licking its master’s hand. This imagery evokes a sense of submission and reverence.
A powerful illustration of this type of worship can be found in the account of a woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:36-38. In this passage, one of the Pharisees invites Jesus to dinner. When an immoral woman from the city learns that He is there, she brings a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She kneels behind Jesus, weeping, and her tears fall on His feet. She wipes His feet with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with the perfume.
The Pharisee objects to her actions, but Jesus points out that he did not show the same reverence, highlighting that this woman’s actions exemplify true worship. Worship is about obedience, repentance, and commitment to our Master. It is important to note that she did not simply sing a song to Jesus and leave; she came in repentance, fully aware of her immorality, and expressed her devotion by weeping at His feet.
Further defining worship, we turn to Romans 12:1, where Paul writes, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." This verse emphasizes that true worship is about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to God, reflecting our commitment to Him in every aspect of our lives.
Thus, we see that worship encompasses far more than mere songs or rituals; it is a holistic expression of our devotion and surrender to God, rooted in obedience and genuine repentance.
“Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” This verse from Romans 12:1 reinforces that worship involves presenting our bodies as a sacrifice. Worship is about our actions and not merely lip service.
This concept is echoed in Mark 7, where Jesus critiques the Pharisees for their empty traditions that fail to honor God genuinely. Similarly, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus articulates the principle of loving others, stating in Matthew 7:12, “Do to others whatever you’d like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” This connection illustrates that true worship is intricately tied to how we treat others; it reflects the heart of God’s commands.
Turning to Hebrews 13:10-16, we read:
Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle[d] have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Here, we see that doing good and sharing with those in need are sacrifices that please God. This reinforces the idea that worship is demonstrated through our actions, not just through our words.
Furthermore, this theme of genuine worship is prominent throughout Scripture. In Isaiah 1 and Isaiah 59, we find instances where God expresses His displeasure with empty rituals when the heart is not aligned with His will. Psalm 34 reiterates this sentiment, as Peter emphasizes in 1 Peter 3. The recurring message is clear: God desires obedience and a heartfelt relationship, not merely ritualistic practices or lip service.
Malachi 1 provides another vivid example, where God condemns the Israelites for offering blind and lame sacrifices, stating, “I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile.” This shocking imagery illustrates God’s disgust with their insincere worship. Additionally, in Amos 5, the prophet warns of impending judgment, highlighting that true worship cannot be divorced from ethical living and justice.
Amos 5: 21“I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.22 I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.23 Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps.24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.
“I hate all your show and pretense, hypocrisy, of your religious festivals and your solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise; I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice and an endless river of righteous living.” This powerful passage from Amos 5:21-24 emphasizes God's disdain for insincere worship and hollow rituals that lack genuine obedience and moral integrity.
The phrase “show and pretense” highlights that God rejects worship that is merely superficial. Religious festivals and solemn assemblies, when disconnected from a life of obedience, are unacceptable to Him. He declares that He will not listen to the music of their harps, indicating that worship without righteousness is meaningless. This call for justice and righteous living reveals the heart of God—He desires authentic worship rooted in a commitment to His ways and a compassionate response to the needs of others.
My encouragement to us is to return to the heart of worship. Many modern Christians have lost sight of the true essence of worship, which is a life characterized by obedience and submission to God, rather than merely an emotional experience or a musical performance. The New Testament understanding of worship is fundamentally different from the Old Testament’s focus on physical rituals and locations. True worship transcends physical boundaries and centers on a spiritual connection with God. When modern worship practices prioritize performance and emotional displays, they can become self-serving, distracting us from genuine obedience and the very definition of worship itself.
This is a call to reset our understanding of worship, focusing on repentance, forgiveness, and loving others, as Jesus commanded. We must ask ourselves: Are we in obedience to Jesus? In Luke 6:46, He questions, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” This question challenges us to examine the authenticity of our faith and the integrity of our worship.
Are we living sacrificially toward others, as Paul instructs in Romans 12 or in Philippians 2? When discussing His return, Jesus uses the parable of the sheep and the goats to illustrate the consequences of how we treat others. He separates the sheep on His right from the goats on His left. To the sheep, He says they will inherit the kingdom prepared for them because they responded to His needs by feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and welcoming the stranger. When they ask when they did these things, He replies, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Conversely, the goats are condemned for failing to act in compassion and love. Jesus makes it clear that our treatment of others—especially the least among us—reflects our relationship with Him and carries eternal consequences. This is what He expects from us: to love others as He taught in Matthew 7:12 and to forgive as He forgave us.
We need to go from lip service to lifestyle.
The call is to reset in repentance, seeking a new heart in worship that aligns with God’s desire for justice, love, and obedience. Worship is not merely an act we perform but a lifestyle we embody, reflecting the character of Christ in all that we do. Let us strive to cultivate genuine worship that emanates from a heart transformed by His grace and a life dedicated to His purposes.
©️ Copyright 2024 Gene SimcoMost Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Scriptures in brackets reflect the original Biblical languages.
I once heard a story about a husband and wife who went to church together. During the worship portion—the singing—the wife seemed noticeably more engaged. If you've spent any time in church, you may have observed that women often tend to be more vocal about worship. Now, I won’t comment on how women are generally more expressive in marriage, but this enthusiasm often extends to worship as well. Meanwhile, the men are sometimes just standing there, perhaps with hands in their pockets or arms folded, at most quietly mouthing the words to the songs.
This wife was critical of her husband, claiming he wasn’t "into it" at church but showed plenty of enthusiasm at sporting events. When he was at a game, he’d often raise his hands, much like some people do in worship, and even shout at the top of his lungs, completely caught up in the excitement. “Why don’t you do this in church when we’re worshiping God?” she would ask him. As a Christian, I can’t see getting that excited about anything but Jesus, she claimed.
One day, the husband went out with his friends to a game, while his wife and her friends stayed back to have a Kentucky Derby party. It seemed like the perfect excuse to wear those fancy hats you see women wearing at the races. They got together, donned their hats, and started watching the races on TV. At first, they made small bets on which horse might win—just friendly wagers to keep things interesting. But as it went on, they got more excited and involved, each cheering for their chosen horse. Pretty soon, they were encouraging each other to put their money where their mouths were, and the informal betting escalated. You can picture the scene—money all over the table, someone keeping track of the bets, and a group of women cheering and yelling at the screen.
Meanwhile, the husband’s game ended early, and he headed home. As he reached the front door, he could hear all this shouting coming from inside. He opened the door, and his wife, seeing him, scrambled for the remote to turn off the TV.
“What was on the TV that you all were getting so excited about?” he asked.
“Church!” she replied quickly.
“Well then, why is there all this money on the table?”
“Oh,” she said, “you came in during the offering.”
In the last chapter, we discussed prayer, and we found that it might not be exactly what many Christians assume. We often hold a rather strange idea of what prayer is when compared to the actual biblical narrative, which came as a surprise to some.
This brought up the question, Are we doing prayer wrong? This week, we’ll look at worship and explore how some of these same misunderstandings apply, though in different ways. We examined the who, what, when, where, and why of prayer, and now we’ll take a similar approach with worship.
Starting with the “who”—the answer remains the same: God. We worship God and God alone, period. Now, what about the “when” and “where”? When we look at the Old and New Testaments, we see different covenants, which we’ve discussed at length. These covenants not only shape our attitudes toward prayer but also influence where and how we worship. In the Old Testament, worship had a geographic element; it was more structural and material, though still with a spiritual aspect. In the New Testament, however, worship becomes entirely spiritual. The material elements fade away. Worship no longer centers around a physical tabernacle, temple, or sacrifices, nor does it require elaborate rituals.
New Testament worship, then, is not geographic. To illustrate this shift in attitudes, we compared various examples of prayer from the Old and New Testaments. Now, we can apply this same covenantal lens to worship. For instance, we saw the account of the woman caught in adultery. In the Old Testament, the law demanded that she be stoned, yet Jesus changes the response entirely, saying, Let anyone who is without sin throw the first stone.
A similar thing happens earlier in John’s Gospel when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Tired and thirsty, He asks her for a drink but soon turns the conversation to something deeper. He speaks of “living water,” a term that refers to The Holy Spirit, drawing a metaphor from the well rather than the water itself. This idea of “living water” echoes throughout Old Testament Scriptures as well (see Jeremiah 2 & 17). Then, to reveal His divine insight, He tells her that she’s had five “husbands” and that the man she’s with now isn’t her husband, surprising her and confirming that He is no ordinary man.
In John 4:9, we read that...
John 4:9 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. Here, we see a significant shift in Jesus' attitude toward worship—it’s no longer tied to geography.
Last week, we examined some of the sermons in the book of Acts, focusing in particular on Stephen's sermon. In that message, we also see this theme emerge.
Acts 7:46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
49 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord.‘Could you build me such a resting place?50 Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’ [Is. 66:1-2]Here, it's clear: God no longer lives in temples made by human hands. Now, we are that temple, and God resides within us.
In one of Paul's sermons in Acts, he speaks on Mars Hill, where he notices the various idols and statues being worshiped. Recognizing an opportunity, he points them to the true God. When he sees an altar with an inscription to an unknown god, he addresses the council, saying, Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way. For as I was walking along, I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
Then, in Acts 17:24, we see..
Acts 17:24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
Again, we see it reiterated: God is not confined to a temple or any physical location. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit, as He now resides within us. And like the Samaritan woman, we also see a breakdown – not just of physical barriers, but racial barriers as well.
When we looked at Hebrews, we saw the introduction of a new covenant. In Hebrews chapter 8, quoting Jeremiah 31, we see the establishment of this covenant. Moving into chapter 9, we see a sharp contrast between Old and New Covenant worship, and it’s made clear that the Old Covenant is now obsolete. Hebrews 9:10 describes the Old Covenant rituals, saying
Hebrews 9:10 For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. 11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
Then in Hebrews 10:1, it reads, The old system under the Law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year, for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, He said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, but You have given Me a body to offer.”
Now, we have a Tabernacle in heaven. The Old Testament temple was destroyed, and after Jesus’ time on earth, it was again destroyed in 70 A.D.—showing that a physical temple is no longer necessary. Christ Himself is both the High Priest and, as we see later in Revelation, the true Temple. There is no need for a physical building; He is also the once and for all sacrifice. His blood now saves us, fulfilling and ending the need for animal sacrifices. He is the blood of the New Covenant.
Remember our discussion on the Lord’s Supper—He is the once and for all sacrifice, putting an end to the old system of worship, with its rituals, sacrifices, and geographic constraints.
As we look at Revelation, we see the promise of a new heaven and a new earth. The world as we know it—this earth and these heavens—will be destroyed, and we will see a new creation. In Revelation 21:22, it states, I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Now, Jesus is not only the High Priest and the Final Sacrifice—He is the Temple itself.
Anyone advocating for the rebuilding of a physical temple, or saying there will be one in the future, is essentially denying who Jesus is and what He has accomplished.
While we await this fulfillment, we are now His temple. In 1 Corinthians 3 and 6, it is clear: we are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Now, you might ask, when looking at the New Testament, What about the Psalms? There are so many Psalms, and many Christians worship using them or read them regularly. I can usually tell when people are really reading their Bibles—especially the Psalms—because they reach passages like the one we’re about to discuss, and they often have a lot of questions. Yet, surprisingly, not many people ask me questions about the following scripture.
Psalm 137:8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.9 Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!
Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks. Can you imagine a Christian praying that line from the Psalms? Clearly, there are some Psalms that we wouldn’t sing from in church today. I doubt there are many evangelical Christians advocating for violence against infants, especially considering our stance on the sanctity of life and opposition to abortion. And yet, here we have a psalm expressing such a sentiment. You may recall that we visited this and similar chapters when discussing the Ten Commandments. As it pertains to prayer, you may recall that Jeremiah prayed that the children of his enemies would starve and be killed by the sword! (Jeremiah 18:21) The context of Psalm 137 is that the Israelites—the people of Judah—are in captivity in Babylon, and their captors are mocking them by asking them to sing a song. This violent response reflects their suffering and frustration.
This passage is an example of imprecation, a type of psalm calling down divine justice or vengeance against one’s enemies. But we don’t see this call for vengeance in the New Testament. Not all psalms are imprecatory, and like all Scripture, the Psalms have a specific context. As we discussed with Jeremiah 29:11, not everything in Scripture is directly about us. The Psalms, too, don’t all apply to us, particularly those written in the context of the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant often called for justice through retribution, but the New Covenant in Christ calls us to peace and forgiveness at all times.
So, why are the Psalms still here? God’s Word is for all times, though not for all circumstances. For example, if you look to 2 Timothy 4:13, you will see that Paul asks Timothy to get the cloak he left with Carpus at Troas. This is the Word of God, yet an informed reader should take this to mean that we should all be out looking for Paul’s cloak! As we’ve seen, Ecclesiastes 3 famously reminds us that there’s a season for everything:
Ecclesiastes 3:8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
This is a season for peace. Jesus emphasized this in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, Blessed are the peacemakers, and taught us to turn the other cheek rather than retaliate. This teaching is echoed in 1 Peter, Romans 12, and other New Testament writings.
If you want to explore this topic further, you can refer to my book, Fortune Cookie Theology, or tune in to June 9, 2024, for the message titled "Peace or a Sword."
The Psalms remain meaningful because they speak to the human experience, addressing universal emotions like pain, hardship, and suffering. As we saw in the last chapter, there are Psalms that teach universal truths, such as Peter’s quote of Psalm 34 (1 Peter 3:10-12). Many psalms comfort us in our struggles, and they also contain prophecies about Jesus, including powerful passages about his crucifixion (Psalm 22). Moreover, as 1 Corinthians 10:6 explains, these things were written as examples for us, to show us both what to do and what not to do.
When we examine worship in the New Testament, we see the same contrast we noted between Old and New Testament prayer practices. In New Testament worship, there’s an emphasis on forgiveness rather than elaborate rituals. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn’t pray in the formal sense that was common in the Old Testament, nor did he have any kind of musical prelude. Modern church culture often places the worship team as a "warm-up" act for the sermon, setting the mood with music. Yet Jesus didn’t rely on music to prepare people for his teachings, as was done in Old Testament worship or is common in today’s church.
Why the difference? As always, Jesus brings us back to the heart of worship and prayer. He takes us beyond the ritual to the relationship. In passages like Mark 7 and Matthew 15, Jesus critiques religious leaders for their fixation on rituals and traditions rather than genuine worship, reminding us to focus on God, not on rituals and practices.
Mark 7: 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.7 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ [Is. 29:13]
Do we see these kinds of attitudes in worship today? Absolutely, especially in traditional services.
Reflecting on my own experience as a worship leader, I’ve seen the emphasis on "pomp and circumstance" firsthand. Even as a child, I remember it being all about the sit-stand-kneel routine, the liturgy, the precise timing, the elaborate stained glass—elements we don't find anywhere in the New Testament. Yet, for many, these traditions are deeply ingrained and serve as a basis for offense or exclusion toward those who don’t adhere to them. For example, some hold to a strict dress code, considering it essential for worship.
Once, while leading worship after coming from a modern worship setting, I was told I wasn’t dressed appropriately. I had worn jeans and a collared shirt, but apparently, it wasn’t formal enough. This emphasis on tradition often parallels the religious leadership that Jesus criticized, using outward practices to judge others and even to exclude.
In James 2, we see this attitude addressed. James speaks about partiality in the church: the wealthy are given the best seats, while the poor are pushed aside. But before those attending modern services rush to judge their traditional brothers and sisters, it's worth examining what happens in many modern churches as well.
In modern or prosperity-driven churches, we often see a different form of favoritism. Certain celebrities or wealthy attendees may receive special treatment, perhaps even being given donor plaques, contrary to Matthew 6, where Jesus says, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
Another aspect is the focus on production. In many cases, the worship team has become central to the service—seen as a critical "warm-up" for the sermon. Churches may be judged not by the depth of their biblical teaching or theology but by the production quality, with lighting and sound setups rivaling rock concerts. Having led worship at larger churches, I’ve experienced this firsthand. Once, during rehearsal, I was asked if I’d be wearing my rehearsal attire—shorts and a t-shirt—for the actual service. They informed me that I needed to dress in closed-toe shoes, long pants, and even follow a specific color scheme: grays, blacks, neutrals. The showmanship and structure, though in different forms, resemble traditional service expectations—just with a modern twist.
This consumerism has led many Christians to “shop” for churches based on the "show" rather than on biblical teaching. In effect, church has become about self-fulfillment rather than worship. It’s like showing up to someone else’s birthday party with a gift only for yourself. Sadly, this consumer-driven mentality can slip into a form of self-worship, where we attend worship services for what we can get, rather than for what we can bring in worship of Christ.
It’s safe to say that many Christians today are not just worshiping God; they’re often worshiping the worship experience itself. It’s telling that, for some, church without the full production doesn’t even seem like church anymore.
Now, let’s turn to what worship really is according to Scripture. Singing does play a role, as we see in the New Testament. For example, after the Last Supper, they sang a hymn together. Paul also emphasizes worship in Ephesians 5, where he encourages believers to live by the Spirit’s power:
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise... be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts” (Ephesians 5:15, 18-19).
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In the New Testament, we see that it is indeed acceptable to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs within the church. While there are certainly some psalms that may not be appropriate for congregational singing, the act of singing itself is emphasized. However, we notice that the context in which worship occurs in the New Testament differs from what many modern churches might expect.
In the New Testament, worship is portrayed as transcending convenience and comfort. For example, in Acts 16, we encounter Paul and Silas, who are imprisoned under dire circumstances. After Paul casts out a spirit of divination from a slave girl, her owners, having lost their source of income, incite the authorities against him. As a result, Paul and Silas are beaten with rods and thrown into jail, placed in stocks—a situation that is both painful and humiliating.
Despite their horrific circumstances, Paul and Silas demonstrate the essence of worship. Acts 16:25 says, “Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.” Their worship is remarkable not just because they sang in prison, but because they did so in a moment of deep suffering and hardship. They chose to glorify God even when everything seemed to be against them.
This stands in stark contrast to many in the modern church who seek convenience in their worship experience. Paul and Silas show us that true worship is not dictated by our circumstances but is a response to who God is, regardless of our situation.
The narrative continues with the jailer awakening to find the prison doors wide open. Assuming the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to take his own life. However, Paul shouted, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” The jailer, overwhelmed, called for lights, rushed into the dungeon, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
In this remarkable story, we see that even after enduring severe beatings, Paul and Silas joyfully worshiped the Lord. Their unwavering faith and worship in such dire circumstances literally brought the house down. This genuine act of worship led to the miraculous opening of the prison doors and, ultimately, the conversion of the jailer.
This encounter exemplifies that true worship does not rely on comfort or convenience. Unlike many modern church practices that may employ manipulative tactics to elicit responses, Paul and Silas's worship was authentic and powerful. Their actions resulted not from any contrived methods but from a heart posture aimed at glorifying God, even in the worst situations.
When we examine this closely, we realize that the Bible defines worship much differently than the way it is often understood today. Phrases like “I’m going to get my worship on” suggest a certain convenience or personal enjoyment, but genuine worship often occurs outside of our comfort zones. It is not merely about the act of singing but about maintaining a heart attitude of reverence and gratitude toward God, regardless of our circumstances.
Thus, we need to reset our understanding of worship. Worship is not defined by the act of singing alone; rather, it is an extension and expression of the true worship we embody in our daily lives. It is a continuous attitude of honoring God, manifested in our actions and responses, whether we are in a church service or facing the challenges of life.
When we look to the dictionary's definition of worship, we often find it described as a feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. It encompasses acts of devotion, praise, and homage directed toward God.
More specifically, worship can include:
1. Acts of Praise: This may involve singing hymns, praying, or other expressions that acknowledge God's greatness and character.2. Rituals and Traditions: These might include specific practices or ceremonies performed within a religious context to honor God.3. Lifestyle of Reverence: Worship is not limited to specific acts; it encompasses how one lives daily, reflecting obedience and love toward God in every aspect of life.
However, the dictionary definition may fall short of capturing the full essence of worship as understood in a biblical context. In Scripture, worship transcends mere ritualistic actions or emotional expressions; it is rooted in a personal relationship with God and involves aligning our hearts and lives with His will. True worship is a holistic engagement of our entire being—mind, body, and spirit—in reverence and submission to God.
When we look to the definition of worship, we see this: worship is the feeling or expression of reverence or adoration for a deity, a show of reverence or adoration with honor and religious rites. While some of this may be interpreted correctly, it underscores that worship is fundamentally not about us.
In the biblical context, the term προσκυνέω (proskuneo)– or προσκυνώ (proskynó) is one of the most common Greek words for worship, appearing about 60 times in the New Testament. Proskuneo means "to worship" and is derived from the word keran - κύων, which suggests a visual image of a dog licking its master’s hand. This imagery evokes a sense of submission and reverence.
A powerful illustration of this type of worship can be found in the account of a woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:36-38. In this passage, one of the Pharisees invites Jesus to dinner. When an immoral woman from the city learns that He is there, she brings a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She kneels behind Jesus, weeping, and her tears fall on His feet. She wipes His feet with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with the perfume.
The Pharisee objects to her actions, but Jesus points out that he did not show the same reverence, highlighting that this woman’s actions exemplify true worship. Worship is about obedience, repentance, and commitment to our Master. It is important to note that she did not simply sing a song to Jesus and leave; she came in repentance, fully aware of her immorality, and expressed her devotion by weeping at His feet.
Further defining worship, we turn to Romans 12:1, where Paul writes, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." This verse emphasizes that true worship is about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to God, reflecting our commitment to Him in every aspect of our lives.
Thus, we see that worship encompasses far more than mere songs or rituals; it is a holistic expression of our devotion and surrender to God, rooted in obedience and genuine repentance.
“Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” This verse from Romans 12:1 reinforces that worship involves presenting our bodies as a sacrifice. Worship is about our actions and not merely lip service.
This concept is echoed in Mark 7, where Jesus critiques the Pharisees for their empty traditions that fail to honor God genuinely. Similarly, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus articulates the principle of loving others, stating in Matthew 7:12, “Do to others whatever you’d like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” This connection illustrates that true worship is intricately tied to how we treat others; it reflects the heart of God’s commands.
Turning to Hebrews 13:10-16, we read:
Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle[d] have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Here, we see that doing good and sharing with those in need are sacrifices that please God. This reinforces the idea that worship is demonstrated through our actions, not just through our words.
Furthermore, this theme of genuine worship is prominent throughout Scripture. In Isaiah 1 and Isaiah 59, we find instances where God expresses His displeasure with empty rituals when the heart is not aligned with His will. Psalm 34 reiterates this sentiment, as Peter emphasizes in 1 Peter 3. The recurring message is clear: God desires obedience and a heartfelt relationship, not merely ritualistic practices or lip service.
Malachi 1 provides another vivid example, where God condemns the Israelites for offering blind and lame sacrifices, stating, “I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile.” This shocking imagery illustrates God’s disgust with their insincere worship. Additionally, in Amos 5, the prophet warns of impending judgment, highlighting that true worship cannot be divorced from ethical living and justice.
Amos 5: 21“I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.22 I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.23 Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps.24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.
“I hate all your show and pretense, hypocrisy, of your religious festivals and your solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise; I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice and an endless river of righteous living.” This powerful passage from Amos 5:21-24 emphasizes God's disdain for insincere worship and hollow rituals that lack genuine obedience and moral integrity.
The phrase “show and pretense” highlights that God rejects worship that is merely superficial. Religious festivals and solemn assemblies, when disconnected from a life of obedience, are unacceptable to Him. He declares that He will not listen to the music of their harps, indicating that worship without righteousness is meaningless. This call for justice and righteous living reveals the heart of God—He desires authentic worship rooted in a commitment to His ways and a compassionate response to the needs of others.
My encouragement to us is to return to the heart of worship. Many modern Christians have lost sight of the true essence of worship, which is a life characterized by obedience and submission to God, rather than merely an emotional experience or a musical performance. The New Testament understanding of worship is fundamentally different from the Old Testament’s focus on physical rituals and locations. True worship transcends physical boundaries and centers on a spiritual connection with God. When modern worship practices prioritize performance and emotional displays, they can become self-serving, distracting us from genuine obedience and the very definition of worship itself.
This is a call to reset our understanding of worship, focusing on repentance, forgiveness, and loving others, as Jesus commanded. We must ask ourselves: Are we in obedience to Jesus? In Luke 6:46, He questions, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” This question challenges us to examine the authenticity of our faith and the integrity of our worship.
Are we living sacrificially toward others, as Paul instructs in Romans 12 or in Philippians 2? When discussing His return, Jesus uses the parable of the sheep and the goats to illustrate the consequences of how we treat others. He separates the sheep on His right from the goats on His left. To the sheep, He says they will inherit the kingdom prepared for them because they responded to His needs by feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and welcoming the stranger. When they ask when they did these things, He replies, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Conversely, the goats are condemned for failing to act in compassion and love. Jesus makes it clear that our treatment of others—especially the least among us—reflects our relationship with Him and carries eternal consequences. This is what He expects from us: to love others as He taught in Matthew 7:12 and to forgive as He forgave us.
We need to go from lip service to lifestyle.
The call is to reset in repentance, seeking a new heart in worship that aligns with God’s desire for justice, love, and obedience. Worship is not merely an act we perform but a lifestyle we embody, reflecting the character of Christ in all that we do. Let us strive to cultivate genuine worship that emanates from a heart transformed by His grace and a life dedicated to His purposes.
©️ Copyright 2024 Gene SimcoMost Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Scriptures in brackets reflect the original Biblical languages.