What Does True Worship Really Look Like?

What Does True Worship Really Look Like?
Worship is far more than the songs we sing on Sunday morning. It's not just the setup to the sermon or background music for our church experience. True worship is a complete lifestyle - a daily walk with Christ that encompasses every aspect of our lives.

Many churches have reduced worship to simply being the "lead-in" to preaching, treating it as nothing more than a warm-up act. This misses the entire point of worship and diminishes its true power and purpose. Worship and the Word of God aren't competitors - they're companions. The deeper we go in Scripture, the more depth we experience in worship, because when we see God clearly in His Word, we respond to Him more fully in worship.

The Life of Worship: A Daily Walk with Christ
Pastor Tim Keller stated, “The word "worship" is from Old English
"worth-ship“—the ascribing of highest worth. Whatever you value or love the most—whatever is your greatest source of significance and security—you are worshipping in your heart. Worship in church is just an expression of that.”

Scripture makes it clear that a lifestyle of worship encompasses everything we do:

• "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17)
• "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23)
• "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31)

This means Christians should excel in whatever field they're in because they're working as unto God, not man. Whether you're a husband, wife, employee, or student, you should pursue excellence because it's an act of worship to God.

The Cost of Worship: True Worship Demands Sacrifice
Everything we worship demands a price, and some costs remain hidden until it's too late. True worship to the Lord isn't about what we can receive - it's about what we can give. A life of worship is measured by the cost of surrender. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Notice the word "daily" - this isn't a one-time decision but a continuous choice to crucify our old nature and deny selfish desires.

Romans 12:1 calls us to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." This is costly because it means:

• Valuing obedience to Jesus more than pursuing selfish desires
• Daily denying yourself and taking up your cross
• Offering your first and best to God, not your leftovers

In Luke 7, we see a beautiful picture of costly worship. A woman identified as sinful (likely a prostitute) pours expensive perfume worth about a year's salary on Jesus' feet. Her worship was costly in two ways:

• Financially - She gave up what was probably her last connection to her old life
• Socially - She risked her reputation and pride by being completely broken before others

The religious leaders criticized her, but Jesus accepted her worship as beautiful. This teaches us that those who think they're religious often misunderstand worship the most, while those who are truly broken before God offer the most authentic praise.

The Song of Worship: Corporate Worship in the Church
The songs we sing on Sunday morning are not for us - they're not for our entertainment or preferences. They are directed to God, for God. As one pastor said when someone complained about not getting much out of worship, "That's good, because it wasn't for you."

We must be careful not to fall into the trap of being consumers or spectators of worship. Instead, we're called to be active participants, offering our voices and hearts in songs directed to Jesus.

There's a difference between songs about God and worship songs to God:

• Songs about God speak of His glory to others
• Worship songs to God are direct praise offered to Him

Scripture is clear about the direction of our worship:

• "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord" (Psalm 95:1)
• "Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart" (Ephesians 5:19)

People get excited about touchdowns at football games, but in church we often hold back. We worry about drawing attention to ourselves, but here's the truth: no one came to watch you worship. They came to worship God. When we worship with passion and enthusiasm, we're not taking attention away from God - we're responding appropriately to His goodness and faithfulness.

Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to live worship as a lifestyle rather than limiting it to Sunday morning. Examine your daily activities - your work, relationships, and decisions - and ask yourself if they reflect a heart that values God above all else.

Consider what "costly worship" might look like in your life. What attachments to your old life are you still holding onto "just in case"? What areas of your life are you giving God your leftovers instead of your first and best?
Questions for reflection:

• What does your daily life reveal about what you truly worship?
• Are there areas where you're giving God your leftovers instead of your first fruits?
• How can you approach corporate worship with a heart focused on giving to God rather than getting from the experience?
• What would it cost you to worship God more authentically and passionately?

Remember, worship is not about what we can get - it's about what we can give to the One who is worthy of all our praise.