First and foremost, we are to give ourselves (Romans 12:1). This is closely related to the first major element of worship, adoring submission, and its repetition here only serves to underscore its importance to worship. How much easier it is to give God things than to say to Him, '‘I ’m yours for whatever you desire o f me.” That may entail sac rifice. But have we not just learned that sacrifice is a vital part of worship? Three additional New Testament sacrifices are described in Hebrews 13:15-16. The first is praise, offering God thanks for what He has done, express ing gratitude and appreciation to Him for His goodness and for His blessings. Praise and worship are not synonymous, but as something we offer, praise is an integral part of worship and often leads to the highest form of worship. Human beings are not to worship each other, but human experiences may, nevertheless, help us com prehend the relationship between praise and wor ship. A lovely young girl is seized with a cramp while swimming in the ocean. Her screams for help bring a courageous lifeguard to her rescue. In appreciation she gasps, “ Thank you; oh, thank you!” For days to come she reflects on his heroism and repeats his exploit to her friends. That is praise. Several days later her hero calls and invites her out for the evening. His kindness, courtesy, and unselfish attention overwhelm her. You hap pen to be sitting at a nearby table where they are dining, and you notice her staring at him with adoring eyes, an admiring smile on her lips. She is utterly enraptured by his person. That is the essence of true worship. “To do good” is the next sacrifice which the writer to the Hebrews enumerates. Good deeds are not the sum and substance o f worship, but again, as a spiritual sacrifice, they constitute an impor tant part. Taking food to a family with sickness, making yourself available to a person with a des perate problem, teaching a children’s class, and scores of other things, can be expressions of your devotion to the Lord. Worship, you see, is not confined to the hour between 11:00 and 12:00 o’clock on Sunday morning. Giving of our substance to God can also be an act o f worship. That is the sense o f “ communicate” in Hebrews 13:16, and “ . . . with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.” We are all basically selfish creatures. We tend to live for that which brings pleasure and satisfac tion to ourselves, even to the point o f attending worship services essentially for our own benefit. Try it God’s way. Go to adore Him. Go to give, to offer, to present, to serve. Start by giving yourself. The actual satisfaction you derive from worship will probably be greater than you have ever known.
toward, an act of reverence, obeisance or homage. These words indicate humility before another per son and submission to him. The second most fre quently used New Testament word for worship comes from a root meaning “fear.” It does not con note feudalists terror, but rather profound ad miration and appreciation for God’s Person, in spired by His own innate greatness. These words indicate that worship is submit ting ourselves to God in adoring contemplation of Himself. Contrary to popular misconceptions, wor ship is not occupying our minds with our own needs, nor even primarily with our blessings, but with the Lord Himself. Listen to the twenty-four elders express true worship as they fall down be fore the throne of God: “ Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). Now we can evaluate our own worship. Is there an attitude o f genuine humility, a readiness to see ourselves as we are before God in all His glory and then take a proper place of absolute subjection before Him? Without that attitude our bodily pres ence at a worship service is little more than a hollow gesture. Do we fix our attention upon the Lord? Do we occupy our minds with His Person, rehearsing His glories and wonders in adoring ad miration, expressing our respect and appreciation for Who and What He is? Or are our minds clut tered with many other things? How is our worship measuring up? SACRIFICE There is a secondary category of words trans lated “worship” in both the Old and New Testa ments which have as their meaning “ to labor, to work, to serve.” They teach that worship, while basically an attitude of adoration and submission, also involves acts of sacrifice and service. We no longer bring animals to bum, nor do we sprinkle blood or bum incense or light candles; but the fundamental nature of worship does not change. It involves something we offer. It is a matter of giving, not receiving. Its chief purpose is to de light the heart of God rather than to refresh our own spirits. Trace great acts of worship through the Scrip tures and see this element of offering. Abraham offered his son. The Magi gave their gifts o f gold, frankincense and myrrh. Mary of Bethany anoint ed the feet of Jesus with costly ointment. The twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne. Is there something that we too can offer in worship? Peter informs us that we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices ( I Peter 2:5). Other New Testament passages tell us what these sacrifices are. JANUARY, 1970
Dr. Richard C. Strauss is Pastor of Calvary Bible Church, Huntsville, Alabama.
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