One area in which there is a significant difference between churches is the amount of physical expression used in worship. Singing is one form of physical expression that virtually all churches practice, but apart from that how do we physically express our worship to God? There is quite a range of practice on this matter, from those who stand reverently, hands at their sides, and sing softly to those who clap and raise their hands, all the way to those who jump and dance in worship. Is there any clear biblical guidance as to what kind of physical expression in worship is appropriate?

We should worship God with all that we are, including intellect, emotions, will, and our bodies. While we may each be inclined in different directions, we need to take a fresh look at the physical expressions of worship mentioned in the Bible. Not that every specific action mentioned in the Bible is a required part of worship (otherwise we would all need to dance before the Lord), but we need to see the range of possible means to express devotion to God in a physical way. To say that we should not express our worship in any physical way would contradict the many examples of worship in Scripture as well as the fundamental concept of worshiping God with all that we are. God made us as corporeal beings, not disembodied spirits, and our bodies should be a part of our worship.

I don’t want to get into a discussion of the specific types of physical expression at this time. Rather, I want to point you to an excellent series of articles by worship leader Bob Kauflin in Worship Matters about how we can grow in physical expressiveness in worship. (The link points to a category of posts, so to read them in the order you will need to start from the bottom of the page.)

He is writing especially to worship leaders, and he makes four main points about how to help people grow in physical expression in worship:

1. Teach on the appropriateness of physical expression in worshipping God.
2. Teach that physical expression should flow from a heart that desires to bring God glory, and that outward expressions are no sign one way or the other that someone is offering God acceptable worship.
3. Address the different reasons people might be reserved in their expression and teach on preferring others.
4. Preach and sing the Word, works, and worth of God, centered on the Gospel, to raise the affections of people for God.

The series is balanced and Scripturally based. If you are interested in this topic, I suggest that you check it out.

Scott Aniol writes about Expression vs. Impression in worship. While I do not agree with everything that he says about music in worship, his articles are always thoughtful. This one is especially helpful.

Some excerpts. . .

Music that is simply about emotion is self-centered and immodest. It is concerned more with the emotions themselves than in the object of the emotions. This kind of music allows the listener to revel in his feelings. This may not in itself be a problem, but when used for worship it is idolotry. We say we are worshiping God, and the text may have a lot of biblical content, but the form is actually prompting us to focus on ourselves and how we feel. Is is essentially what Edwards referred to when he described “passions” — purely physical emotions for their own sake.

and

What God desires in worship, on the other hand, is expressions of affection to Him. Worship music should be less about what I feel and more about who God is. God does not want to hear, “I fee this way, and I feel that way.” He wants to hear about Himself, and the acts of expressing affection demonstrate what we are feeling towards Him much better than if we tried to tell Him with words.

I’m not sure that our “acts of expressing affection” toward God can’t include a statement of how we feel about God. David certainly gives verbal expression to his feelings for God in the Psalms. But the focus of our worship should be on God Himself rather than on our feelings about Him.

Scott Aniol has written a thoughtful article on Mixed feelings regarding the place of emotion in worship. Which sorts of emotions are appropriate in worship and which are not? He gives a good list of biblical examples of the expression of emotion in worship as well as a list of emotions that are inappropriate in worship. I agree with many of the items on the latter list, although it is more difficult to support from Scripture.

We must remember that Jesus was accused of showing improper familiarity toward God by calling Him “Abba” (Jn. 5:18) and yet He taught us to do the same (Mat. 6:9). Also, David’s wife Michal accused him of acting in an undignified manner in worship, and yet God defended him (2 Sam 6:20-23). So we must be careful about the emotions we condemn in worship lest we end up becoming like the Pharisees or like Michal. But having said that, we still need to reflect carefully on this topic to be sure that the thoughts and feelings that we express in worship are worthy of our Lord.

The article also draws on the distinction made by Jonathan Edwards between lasting “affections” and more fleeting “passions,” although I am not sure that this distinction can be supported by Scripture. But the other points that he makes about emotion are not really dependent on this distinction.

This is a summary of message #3 of a sermon series on worship. To listen to the entire message click here.

What do you think would happen if God in all His glory appeared right in front of you? Isaiah had an experience like that, and it left him changed forever (Isa. 6:1-7).

In the Bible whenever we are given a glimpse into God’s heavenly throne room we find it filled with worship. People in the Bible who had a close encounter with God were usually overpowered by a sense of His incredible might and all-consuming holiness (see Judges 6:21-23; Job 42:5-6; Lk. 5:8; Rev. 1:17-18). Isaiah’s response was the thought that he was probably going to be struck dead because He had seen God (v. 5).
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This is a summary of message #2 of a sermon series on worship. To listen to the entire message click here.

What does it really mean to worship God? What is the essence of worship? Take a look at one of the passages in the Bible that gives us a glimpse into heaven:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’” (Rev. 7:9-12)

Whenever the Bible describes the activity in heaven we usually find worship at the center. And often the worship includes “bowing down” (see Rev. 4:11; Rev. 5:14; Rev. 11:16). In fact, in Revelation nearly every time that the twenty four elders are mentioned we find them bowing down before the throne. (Other examples of bowing before God are found in Num. 20:6; Neh. 8:6; Mat. 2:11 and Luke 5:6-8)

What does bowing have to do with worship?

The primary Hebrew word in the OT translated “worship” literally means to “bow down.” The original Greek word in the NT has a similar meaning. Obviously there is a close connection between worship and “bowing down.” But what is the connection?

People in the ancient world understood the significance of bowing down before someone. Bowing was the nearly universal sign of respect and submission in the presence of a king or other powerful leader. We find examples of bowing before a human leader in the Bible as well (Gen. 41:42-43; 2 Sam. 14:22). No wonder bowing down before God became a primary expression of worship.

To bow down before someone indicates two things. First it is a sign of honor and respect. It is recognition of the greatness of the one before whom you bow. Second, it is a sign of submission. By bowing before a king you are saying that he is greater than you are (you are the one bowing) and that your life is in his hands and under his power (you can’t defend yourself with your face to the ground).

Why we must bow

In worship we declare God’s greatness. He alone is worthy of glory, honor, and praise. One day all created beings will bow before Him and acknowledge that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Phil. 2:9-10). In response to this truth we bow in surrender to and adoration of our King. Our bowing may not always be physical (although it can be), but in our hearts we must bow before Him who is on the throne. Without this there is no true worship. If we do not bow, we are merely reciting words that we do not really mean. Our worship is hollow and hypocritical.

Bowing down in worship is not optional because there is only room for one on the throne. God will not share His glory. The first of the Ten Commandments demands exclusive allegiance (Ex. 20:2-3). If we declare that He alone is worthy then we must bow. There is no other way.

The problem is that we find it very difficult to truly bow before the throne. There is something in us (it’s called “sin”) that would rather we be the one on the throne. Submitting ourselves to the will of another just doesn’t come naturally. We like to be self-sufficient, in control, and free to do what we want, but God calls us to be dependent on Him, under His control, and ready to do whatever He calls us to do.

In order to bow before the Lord we must deal with the question of who sits on the throne. We must confess our attempts to be our own little god, and surrender the throne to the One who alone is worthy.

We each have a choice to make. In the words of the song “Will You Worship”

Will you worship, will you bow down
Before your Lord and King?
Will you love Me, will you give Me your heart,
Your everything?

What is the place of emotions in worship? Should worship be an emotional experience? Can we trust our emotions?

Questions such as these have caused considerable debate. The worship styles at different churches run the gamut from somber, highly structured liturgical services to the wild frenzy of some Pentecostal services to the carefully choreographed “worship experience” of some seeker driven churches. Some worship services leave you exhausted from the sheer overflow of emotion while others barely register a pulse. Is it just a matter of personal preference, or does the Bible provide some guidance as to the proper place of emotions in worship? What sort of worship service is pleasing to God?

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I am currently doing a series of sermons on worship. This is a summary of message #1 in the series. This is only a summary of the key points. To listen to the entire message you can go here. (The Scripture references below include links the text of the passages.)

We all worship something. Some people dedicate their lives to some pretty strange things. But it is important to find something that truly deserves to be worshipped.

What is worship?

We were created to worship God (1 Peter 2:9). Not only that, but we are also commanded to worship God (Psalm 135:1-2). So worship is important.

But what is “worship?” The English word “worship” comes from an Old English word worth-ship. It means to declare someone’s “worth.” Or to give the children’s Sunday School definition, “Worship is telling God how great He is.”

In Revelation 4:1-4 we catch a glimpse into heaven. In fact whenever the Bible mentions heaven there is almost always worship taking place. In Rev. 4:8 we meet the heavenly “worship team.” We can learn a lot from the way they worship.

Why should we worship?

The reason that we should worship God is that He is worthy of our worship. In Rev. 4:8 the heavenly praise is based on God’s nature. He is holy (repeated three times for emphasis), which means that He is completely separated from anything sinful or unclean. He is also the almighty one, and the eternal God who has always existed and always will exist. For these reasons He is worthy of our praise.

God is also worshiped on the basis of what He has done. Two great deeds of God are mentioned in this heavenly scene. First in Rev. 4:9-11 He is praised for His great work of creation. Then in Rev. 5:6-10 He is praised for His great work of redemption. The heavenly scene closes with a great heavenly chorus of worship in Rev. 5:11-14.

Lessons about worship

What can we learn about worship from these heavenly scenes?

1. It’s not about you

We tend to make worship all about ourselves, and focus on how we feel. Churches talk about creating a good “worship experience.” A Google search for the phrase “It’s all about you” yields about 155K hits. We love to be the focus of attention. But the worship in heaven is God-centered. If you ask what you “got out of” worship then you are asking the wrong question. The goal of worship is not for you to get something out of it. The right question is what God “got out of it.” The purpose of worship is to give praise and honor and glory to God because He is worthy!

2. It’s all about Him!

Worship is God-centered. We should worship God no matter how we feel or what our circumstances. No matter what else is going on, He is worthy. Nothing can change that. You will notice that the reasons for worship in the heavenly scene have nothing to do with how my life is going today.

When it comes down to it, worship is a choice. We choose to worship God because He is worthy. Sometimes it will be easy to worship God because everything is going well. At other times we might not feel much like worshipping because our lives are a mess. But He is still worthy and we should still worship.