Subscription Lists
Thoughts of a saint and slave
by Sam Isaacson
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the biblical concept of worship and its practical outworking in our lives. If you have the chance I would recommend that you check out the beginning of this series to understand the foundation this is built on, but hopefully the challenges should stand on their own.
Actions of worship
Biblical examples of worship almost always require an aspect of humility in terms of risking a loss of reputation, and this can be used to inspire some of the most exciting forms of worship. It is worth bearing in mind that the following examples are only examples; there are many other forms of worship beside these.
Firstly let us look at that famous worshipper after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), David. He is arguably most well-known for his musical ability, and there are a number of examples of Bible characters who sing and make music as an act of worship. When we sing loud and out of tune it would normally give others the opportunity to poke fun at us, and this is why we must do it! For those readers who can sing well and therefore are not particularly sacrificing their reputation when they sing, I would ask if that is true worship. Good singers and musicians should ensure that they are sacrificing something in order to worship during a time of singing; I would suggest serving in a local church by joining for example the church band, choir, or PA team, or even helping to set one up yourself and sacrificing time to practice instead.
David shows us other ways of worshipping. A favourite song of Christian camps in the late nineties was the classic ‘na na na’ song by Matt Redman, Undignified. Inspired by the account of David’s dancing the song quotes his words when he says ‘I will make merry before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes’ (2 Samuel 6:21-22). David looked contemptible in the eyes of the world, utterly undignified, yet God was being worshipped as David sacrificed what others thought of him for the glory of God!
Biblical examples of worship forms exist for those who sacrificed, successfully and unsuccessfully, by being creative (e.g. Bezalel in Exodus 31:4), fasting (e.g. the Israelites in Judges 20:26), tithing (2 Chronicles 31:12), praying (Numbers 11:2), witnessing (John 4:28-29), and serving in the church (Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus 36). Again I will say this: worship is not just actions; it is a lifestyle built around sacrifices made in order to attribute glory to God.
Conclusion
There is no set way to worship. We can try to come up with lists of ideas which may be of use but in essence all worship is founded on one word: sacrifice. Providing we are worshipping with the attitude Jesus told us to have, by being fully engaged with our entire being ('worship him in spirit' John 4:24) and being inspired by God’s saving grace ('and in truth' John 4:24), it does not matter what form that takes. Check back in the archive to week one for a more in-depth look at that.
The New Testament rebukes anyone who gets distracted by the actions in themselves; the author to the Hebrews quoted a Psalm saying, ‘in sacrifice and offering you have not delighted’ (Psalm 40:6, see Hebrews 10:5). God is not looking for us to go through the motions but to be worshippers in doing his will by fully engaging with every aspect of our lives in light of his grace given to us through the perfect substitutionary sacrifice of his son.
Rate it:
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Thoughts of a saint and slave" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.