What is Worship?

I have a huge desire to activate people to live lifestyles of worship.  Music is actually not the only form of worship.  This is something I try to teach the teens on my youth worship team.  Last night I saw them practice a form of worship that made me so proud.  All of the chairs in the sanctuary were stacked up in other rooms because the floor had been waxed.  Rusty was still bringing the chairs back into the room while the band was arriving.  So what did the teens in the band do?  Start helping him put the rows back together!  That, my friends, is worship.  Now it is true that worship must come from a heart that wants to love on God.  

For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.  Hosea 6:6

God wants our hearts, not our works.  Now the deeds that we do that come from a heart of worship, that is good.  But doing deeds in order get something from God?  That is messed up.  Think about it: if someone did something special for you because they just simply loved you, and they didn't expect anything back from you, isn't that the kind of friend you would want?  But if someone did the same thing but with the motive of getting something from you, would you be pleased?


Here is an amazing clip on a living a lifestyle of worship:

There are a lot of amazing points that Kim makes here that I absolutely love and I think it would change the way we worship when we come together on Sundays.  I won't mention all of them (because hopefully you watched it and heard them ;) but I will point out a couple.


1) "Why do I feel like I have to work it up?"


Okay, this question is HUGE. Keeping my connection with Jesus throughout the week is so essential to having an amazing corporate worship experience whenever I gather with the brethren.  This right here would change the atmosphere of corporate worship drastically.  


2) Having an un-offended heart


This is also very huge.  It's so easy to be offended with God about whatever circumstance in our life. Sometimes we can't get to a deep place with God because we are offended.  And believe me, I have definitely been there and withheld my heart from him.   A verse that comes to mind is James 1:2-3:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 

We must persevere through the trials and questions we have.  We need to lay down our "right" to answers and say, "God, I want YOU more than I want answers."