True Worship Book Post

This post has been co-authored by Riley Ares. Good friend of mine who will be assisting in writing blog posts, and website design.

There will be more blog posts on worship. This is not the end all paper. The images are free to download. Free for personal and ministry use. Please give credit if used commercially, and use of images in your ministry or organization. Enjoy!

“Faith is holding on to the objective uncertainty with infinite passion,” writes the Danish father of existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard, as he confers his view of one’s inward relationship with the divine. This paradox, the infinite passion to pursue what cannot be made sure by human faculty, is the rock to which one eternally clings, for if one clings to his relationship with his creator, he surrenders his finitude to the infinite. As such, man’s faith then is not some proposition that he can add to a list of things one believes, but it is his faith that demands lordship over all other considerations, demanding that he cling to it with infinite passion. The passion is furnished through worship, a proving expression of God’s existence over creation, activities, doctrines, and subjectivities. Worship is a lifestyle, not an action. An obvious way of worshipping is through corporate worship, while others can mean mowing the lawn. Building a house, or even filing taxes. Here is what I mean: We were explicitly made to worship God. At the same time, this can be viewed as corporate worship of God in Heaven for eternity. It can also mean possibly just living with Christ in new God-glorified bodies. 

True worship is not just a matter of genuinely worshiping God (by how we sing to Him or the music we worship, too); it is living the Christian life the way we are intended to live. You might ask yourself, “Okay, this is great in all respects. What am I supposed to do?” The purpose of this book is to focus on various aspects of true and false worship. For clarity among common questions and walking in a spiritually informing relationship with Jesus.

It is essential to understand the authorial background of this book. While this is co-authored by one of the author’s best friends, the beginning of this work began six years ago. This is not an academic study. Instead, it is testimony, a journey from the writer’s life of his growth in Christ. Ultimately, this work encourages removing presuppositions that cause an individual to feel bitter toward the worship environment. If there is anything to take away from this work, the world and people are imperfect and broken. Yet, that does not destroy a person’s focus on the Lord in worship. People can truly worship the God of the universe in glory through a relationship with Him. Furthermore, we should worship the Lord in everything, walk with Jesus, grow in sanctification, and witness the Gospel to others.

Introduction

Chapter One: Worship in Fine Detail

True Worship is SPIRITUAL

Worshiping God in spirit and truth

Have you ever had so much attention on a singer that you could say you” loved” this singer? We were made to be this way, except not to a person but to God. However, the difference is that a singer and our admiration for them exists in the finite, flesh, and perishing substances of a broken and sinful world. Jesus asks us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Why? Jesus continues this to establish that “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:24). This spirit of infinite nature, which exists in the supernatural relative to natural human perception, can remain a foreign concept to human observation. Worshipping in spirit, as John Calvin puts it, “consists in the spirit, because it is nothing else than that inward faith of the heart which produces prayer, and, next, purity of conscience and self-denial, that we may be dedicated to obedience to God as holy sacrifices.”[1] Sometimes, though, we do not do that. Instead, we go and invest in ourselves. Jesus says to lay up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). With worship, our treasure is in Jesus, not in the world.

This is important; to be faithful followers of Christ, it is better to obey God and go through much suffering than to be rich and enjoy life rather than be comfortable with the world. The Prophet Samuel said this to Saul: to obey is better than sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22). True worship is spiritual; it does not need buildings, lights, songs, or an old church. Instead, it is a public awe of our Savior. The next chapter focuses on legalism.

                              Chapter Two: Broken World, Perfect God

True Worship is IMPERFECT

This chapter relays the story of Hosea and Gomer (for further study, see Hosea. 1-3). Hosea unconditionally loved Gomer, even though she was imperfect and turned against Hosea. God shows unconditional love to Israel, even though they turn their backs on Him. Remember, all people have acted like Gomer. God’s love is displayed throughout the work as He calls His people back to Himself (Hosea. 4-14). God loves everyone. Jesus came to die on the cross for everyone; He paid the cost. In worship, being broken is the beauty of worshiping God. Here is why:

•  Humanity is imperfect through being fallen by disobeying God.

• God is a perfect God; he cannot sin.

• Jesus gave His life so we can have a relationship with God.

• Entitlement, shame, and bitterness are distractions from the individual from living life in Christ’s name (Jn. 20:31).

People are sinful, either way, you look at it. But to truly worship, we must be broken of everything inside us—almost like a horse being trained. This is a statue of humility, not of pride. Worship is convicting; there should be a level of submission to the Lord. This humility in prayer should make us feel reverent and respectful in the presence of God. Jesus Christ came to redeem everyone from sin, redemptively portraying His love.

Imperfect people, perfect God

   Chapter Three: Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

True Worship is TRUE

Disclosure: I have kept MY thoughts from when the author was in college. This is not the author's current view as of this writing (Nov. 2nd, 2024). Give this a read. I think it will be very relatable to the audience. I will indicate so the reader knows what was written in the past and what is not. Backstory. The Lord revealed Himself to me at a very young age. Grade school flew, and the author struggled with legalism. The Lord healed him, and his relationship with Christ blossomed at this point. The author knows he did not have a solid doctrinal church background during this period. This view the writer shares from years ago is not all that different. Many people hold a similar mindset. When reading my past self, look at your current presuppositions on worship. Does everything appear evil? Is there room for a gray area? Am I holding an elite position in my thinking?

{{Listening to sound doctrine is crucial, as false teachers can mislead you. False teachers and lukewarm Christians are a significant concern. This has been a heavy burden on my heart. False Teachers may lead you to believe, “Here, walk this way to Jesus,” only to find yourself in the lake of Fire. How can this be? Satan, a fallen angel, can transform to look like an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). The same could be said for these teachers. They may very well look true, maybe even sound true, but they are preaching falsely. That is why it is so quickly deceptive. It's up to each of us to discern the truth. 

If you listen to any of these preachers, you can be misled and, worse, distancing yourself from the Father and accepting a false Jesus, which will only take you to Hell. Unfortunately, you do not need to look far for a false preacher. The most obvious is a megachurch: big show, energetic band, and an extremely charismatic false preacher. The bullet points below explain the Holy Spirit's discernment. So, let us discern this: How would you know if you were listening to a false preacher? Let’s bring the points up.

• You will know them by their fruits (Matt. 7:15-20).

• Have an intimate relationship with Christ; your soul might not be fed (like eating candy before dinner).

• Before you listen to any preacher, ask the Holy Spirit to discern whether this teacher is a faithful, sound preacher or a false teacher.

• Is the Bible being lived out (Jas. 1:22).

• This also applies to worship music. The lyrics and messages in worship songs can greatly influence our understanding of God and our worship practices. Does the church artist you listen to have sound teaching? Are the songs focused on glorifying God and edifying the church, or are they promoting a self-centered, feel-good message?}}

These are my current thoughts (Nov. 2nd, 2024). So, in hindsight, the author of this essay would like to note that nothing discussed here was considered “true” worship. For those who are critical of other believers, these thoughts from years ago show that there is false worship amid my former self rather than what is true. In essence, true worship is whatever is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, doing such things (Phil. 4:8). That feeling at a worship service where you feel the presence of the Lord—walking upright with Jesus and having intimate moments with him. This is true worship, where nothing else matters, and it is between the individual and Jesus Christ. My past self gave a stereotype for worshiping war conversations. However, this is not a valid stereotype. The true focus is on your heart condition and methods for dealing with the issue of worship. Are you soft and have grace and compassion? Or is your heart hardened, and there are claims to the issue of worship that have no solution?

It is also essential to emphasize the critical tone in the writer’s notes from years ago. This view falls into perceiving that the church is perfect, that Christ is not on the throne, perceiving a form of elitism that others (mass people) are led astray. This presupposition is false; Christ is always on the throne (Acts. 1:9). The church is imperfect (as described by the previous chapter). However, Christian unity is essential for believers to walk with one another in the Lord’s work. Paul encourages the believers in Ephesus to walk worthy of the vocation being called, with meekness and longsuffering, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3). Furthermore, the Corinthians pursued many spiritual gifts, yet the apostle commends that to have love (1 Cor. 12-14). Everything discussed at the beginning of this chapter with my past self relays conflict and discord. This is not how a Christian should act towards his brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus gives the new command to love one another; by this, it is known that they are His disciples (Jn. 13:34-35). This is the primary solution to navigating disagreements in the church. It is significant to take this to heart in our relationship with Jesus.

Now, the author has studied worship in a formal setting. This revolves around the current worship wars and what songs are essential and are unnecessary. The focus is on the bands, the state of the American church, etc. Here is what I disclosed to a good friend of mine on this issue:

“My response to that statement is with love and gentleness. “Conflict with American Christianity in this manner is a complex issue. It deals with Christian unity, compartmentalized doctrine, denominations, and rash actions. Quite frankly, the truth is that everyone hates American Christianity. Does that mean that everyone hates Jesus? Does that mean everyone hates each other’s brother and sister in the church? We are the fruit of thousands of years of divisions and post-modernism (which brought the acceptance of denominations and individual beliefs to today). Believers are unknowingly ignorant, blind, or even intentionally unstudied in their walk with Christ. These Christians, whether they are blamed for their actions or not. Are contemporaries of present-day Christianity? Would you rather go to a third-world country to celebrate Jesus, even if it means death?” My encouragement in this exposition is to be content; God allowed this from His people.

All we can do is pray, take responsibility, and teach these vital truths to others. And pray for some more that it’s received. We are in a weird world, yet we have these siblings in Jesus. Those who know are unknowingly elite, unwilling to humble themselves before God. We are in a dilemma.”[2]

Many scholars are dealing with worship wars on a grand scale. The purpose of this book is to ask whether you truly worship the Lord. Are you satisfied with spending intimate time with Jesus? Or do you care about the posture of lights, the certain music played, or your favorite worship artist? Whatever you may choose is entirely between you and the Lord, yet there are consequences.

Chapter Four: Hypno-Worship

True Worship is SPIRIT-LED

Disclaimer: As relating to the reader regarding this current issue, the author does not hold to these views today. Instead, these are used as an illustration of present-day conversation on worship. The previous chapter disclosed true worship as true. Looking at my past self, this is highly divisive writing. The response would have agreed with others or a false perception of the church's doctrine. Let me explain: the church is God’s people. Sin, or the Devil, has no rule in the body of Christ. There are those to this day who hold to this past view. Are they right? Is what is being said true? What is the solution? Please read cautiously, and do not take my past self seriously.

{{True worship has evolved over the past couple of years. It spans from hymns to changes of hymn notes to rock and worship pastors. While this is good, depending on the person playing it, one type of worship is highly inappropriate and dangerous—called false worship. False worship praises God, not God giving you emotions or feelings. It’s people. This is dangerous as false worship is manufactured worship. Why is it harmful? Let’s look at this passage of scripture. Nadab and Abihu, in the holiness of the Lord, disobeyed sacred service to God, resulting in their death (Lev. 10:1-2). This is idolatry. False churches selling music to be heard through the radio and in a church service is unauthorized fire. 

True worship should not depend on whether we feel something; many feelings could be deception. Modern churches nowadays use emotions to drive their sales. True worship should not rely on the type of music we worship; instead, we should worship God no matter the song. That’s just the lesson; seeing it in our society is as easy as seeing a big stop sign. Worship music has a unique rhythm, beats, and lyrics. While praise (to God) music is being drained away in our society. We are stuck with emotional, feel-good music, ranging from a long song to repetitive beats and lyrics. With bright flashing lights and a fantastic video! It's almost like you experience God right there! But wait…

Are we experiencing God? We can experience God when we, as the church, completely put God front and center. Unfortunately, in many churches, we are flesh-seeking our worship, and in turn. Putting on rock concerts with emotionality seeped through the whole service. Or, as I like to call it, manufactured worship. Instead of the Holy Spirit leading people to worship (bands leading worship, not performing). We should not worship so much with feelings; we should worship God in spirit and truth! Taking the magic out of the gospel with our humanness. Resulting in intentioned false, idolatrous, selfish worship. The encounter Gospel is false, where you need to see miracles. Worship has turned into entertainment, with praise to God taken out of it. Two criteria stand out: is it Scripturally accurate and convicting?

Luckily, most worship music is good. Unfortunately, some famous church artists are, in fact, wrong. It is essential to see if that church is teaching sound doctrine. This underscores the need for discernment in our worship practices, ensuring we are not led astray by false teachings or music. 

Let's put it this way: it is better to listen to secular radio music than be led astray from worship music by false church artists. Here are my reasons: Secular radio music (or any regular band), like anything, can become idolatry. Other than that, at times (depending on you as a person), it can hinder you from the Lord, or you can be fine otherwise. Other than that, it is ok.

False worship music (it tends to be vague or like a lover's type of music) is another beast in general. Romans 14 talks about weak faith and strong faith (how much spiritual sound food you can eat). That does not apply to false teachers and deceptive music. If that were the case, the Bible would contradict itself (the Bible does not contradict itself). Eventually, you might like the music and start enjoying their teachings because of their music. 

Listening to FWM (false worship music) could be seen as lawlessness (complete rebellion against God and everything of God) because you are choosing to listen to it. It is very accurate that God uses everything for His glory; knowing it's false and you are listening to it is lawlessness. Saying, “God, I believe you will save me, so I am going to run into this anyway and enjoy it for now” (also being lukewarm). This is disrespectful to God. Christianity is becoming more secular every day. It does not matter about the numbers, people, or quality! What matters is that we are praising God. 

The Gospel only works if God is in it. If you take parts out and spit others out, it is no longer gospel; it is your doctrine.}}

Current Thoughts (Nov 2nd, 2024). The author realizes how familiar this may sound to some. For example, much false Gospel is going around, and there are those living in compromise. However, worship is not a salvation issue. It is a tertiary issue (third or fourth issue doctrine). My former self explained that false worship led to an evil source. However, it was promoted legalistically. It should have been said that believers should not be ignorant, constantly testing the Spirits to see if they come from Jesus (1 Jn. 4). Also, church health plays a significant role in this factor. If the church is healthy and plays that music, the believer should be acceptable (still test!). However, if the church is unhealthy, then promoting such music will be a minor factor in a spiritually degrading believer. This is not the end goal; instead, it follows an aspect of worship. In the following paragraphs, it is essential to understand the focus of being spirit-led. It is also necessary to point out my past self's argument: idolatry. Despite heavily disagreeing with the past, idolatry does impact a person’s walk with Christ. Is it better to worship the everyday lifestyle of not obeying Jesus? I relate to this one; from experience, it is not the path worth walking. This is an idol, where the person controls their entire life. There are many blessings to obeying Jesus. Life may just get better. Specific struggles, debts, and health may just disappear. The writer is not bluffing; it may seem like the grass is greener on the other side with Jesus. It is much greener. The next area relies on being Spirit-led.

Being Spirit-led requires looking past these obstacles in the way and choosing to be surrendered and obedient to Jesus. General Epistles describes rejoicing in suffering, pursuing godly actions, and loving God and others. The apostles in the upper room received the Holy Spirit, not for themselves, but for others to be ambassadors of the Lord’s Kingdom (Acts. 1-2). Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia describes walking in the Spirit as through love, not with liberty in walking in the law of the flesh (Gal. 5:13-18). It is critical to understand that this is a reminder that many pastors have spent many hours (and sermons) describing the essence of God’s love. There are already numerous books on true worship.[3] Following the Spirit means greater intimacy with Jesus. It also means greater obedience and surrender to Him. Being Spirit-led implies acting like Jesus, even if it is not fun or complex. To some, worshipping in the Spirit is with the gift of tongues or angelic language. While others still have peace in their souls of the blessed Savior. Being Spirit-led crosses denominational boundaries. It may come as a surprise to the number of Spirit-led believers in your congregation. To end this chapter, James notes that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas. 4:6). Submit to the Lord, and the devil will flee (Jas. 4:6). The next area discloses aspirations.

Chapter Seven: Motives

True worship is PURE.

Motives are crucial in worship. They can lead us to praise God or to worship selfishly. Let us always strive for pure worship, with our hearts and intentions aligned with God’s Word. If the motives in worship are selfish, it will lead to false worship. 

False Worship

True worship looks like this:

True Worship

In our current society, worship is this:

Present Worship

When Christians worship God, their motives should be pure. Motives can be a good thing, such as praising God! They can also become destructive if it is for the wrong reasons. Paul’s work to the Colossian believers notes the stipulations to submitting to a husband or wife, servants, and fellow workers (Col. 3:18-4:6). This encouragement is what motives look like. Please review this passage of Scripture. James discusses having wrong motives when asking the Lord for requests (Jas. 4:3). Are you asking God for unhealthy desires? Being famous in the worship service or giving in a word for a Bible study. Or are you worshiping God and being thankful no matter your situation or circumstance? 

Our worship should be centered on God's awe-inspiring greatness, not on our seeking a better life for ourselves.

   Chapter Eight: Lawlessness

True Worship has an ORDER.

True worship has order! God has order! We find rules, commands, and promises when we read the Bible. What if we all just broke all that and said, “Let’s break these and go our own way?” This is the essence of lawlessness and postmodernism. Paul’s letter to Timothy discloses lawlessness (2 Tim. 3). People are lovers of themselves, always learning but never coming to know the truth (2 Tim. 3:1-7). This is the reality of those professing to walk with Christ but in their heart are far from Him. Despite conversations with my past self, this is a real thing. However, that does not imply that this presupposition undergirds every aspect of the believer’s understanding of the church. This issue of the Christian life should not be ignored. Paul adds hope, living godly, and enduring persecution (2 Tim. 3:10-12). Continue in the Scriptures given by God for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:13-17). This is a graph of lawlessness and subordinating attributes.

Lawlessness Attributes

Lawlessness is the opposite of God. There is no love.

This is all a reminder of what God has already been teaching. Worship is lived out in loving God and others, showing kindness and being like Jesus in every moment of this life, holding to the authoritative Word of God, praying, and conversing with other believers. This brings glory to the Lord, who bought believers. Therefore, glorify God in your body and spirit (1 Cor. 6:20). The next chapter breaks this down.

Chapter Nine: Worship is a Faith-Filled Lifestyle

True Worship is WALKING WITH JESUS

Worship is a lifestyle. It is something we do all the time. Humanity was made to worship God, but since people sinned, it is either to worship an idol or live pluralistically. This does not discount genuinely worshipping the Lord every day. Instead, it shows the need to pursue and deepen walking with Jesus. The longing for fulfillment does not come from a specific song, band, or atmosphere in the churches. It is truly Jesus Christ who satisfies the need for true worship.

Worship glorifies God Through prayer, praising the Lord in everything. It is a lifestyle. Worship does not just happen on stage; it goes on in small groups, Bible studies, discipleship groups, Bible and theology lectures, and chapels—also political, sociological, and day-to-day places outside the church. Worship, therefore, is glorifying the Lord through words and deeds (Jas. 1:22). Worship is faith-filled, in which the author of Hebrews lists the many individuals who did not obtain the promise, only a good report (Heb. 11). The just shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:16-17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).

Whether we praise God, serve God at work, or obey Christ, we seek intimacy and sanctification in Jesus, bringing about conviction to a greater life. That is all worship to God.

Christian

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Bibliography

Calvin, John, and William Pringle. Commentary on the Gospel according to John. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Kierkegaard, Søren, Søren Kierkegaard, Edna H. (Edna Hatlestad) Hong, and Howard V.

(Howard Vincent) Hong. Kierkegaard’s Writings, XII, Volume I: Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments: Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1992.

Tozer, A. W. and Gerald B. Smith, Whatever Happened to Worship?: A Call to True Worship.

Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012.

Whaley, Vernon M. Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of our Response to God's Call. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2009.

[1] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 161.

[2] Conversation with Riley Ares, October 19, 9:02 AM.

[3] For further study see Tozer, A. W. and Gerald B. Smith, Whatever Happened to Worship?: A Call to True Worship (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012). Also, Whaley, Vernon M. Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of our Response to God's Call (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2009).