Everyone is a worshipper in one way or another. Like it or not, the human race is designed to reflect what we love the most. Simply said, “You become like what you worship”. You cannot help it. You and I were designed this way by our Creator.
People may not be what are regarded as “religious” or “spiritual” but the fact remains that everyone worships. Secular Humanists, Atheists, Agnostics, and whatever other label people call themselves, all are worshipping something or someone.
It does matter what you believe and the object of your worship. The Romans had a whole basket full of gods that they inherited from the Greeks. The names were changed a bit, but they represented the same spirit. The effect was seen in their culture and values. The Romans worshipped a god called NIKE. This was their god of victory. They worshipped victory and they were victorious.
All over the world people worship gods I think are weird (from my point of view). In America people worship all kinds of interesting things: cars, sports-stars, intellect, NASCAR, actors, musicians, money, beauty, sex, Elvis, their kids, or even themselves. The list is pretty long.
However, there are really only two types of worship according to Jesus Christ: true and false. “But the hour is coming and now is that the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such to worship Him” (John 4:23) Some worship is true; the rest is vain.
True worship opens heaven, touches the living God and transforms the worshipper into the image and likeness of God. True worship liberates mankind from bondage and exalts him or her to the highest level of life in this world. True worship alters the heart of humanity and therefore society, culture and the world itself.
This is why the true worship of the true God as revealed through Jesus Christ undermined the Roman Empire and overcome it. The true overcame the false. The gods of Rome (like NIKE) are now exposed as vanity.
When a person, family or group turns from idolatry (false worship) and begins to acknowledge and worship the true God, the effect is dramatic. God begins to personally intervene in their lives.
The Ten Commandments prohibit false gods and man-made images of God. However, it is true that people need a focus to their worship. It was up to God Himself to make and reveal the image and focus of divine worship and this is exactly what He did. Jesus Christ is “the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He is the image of God, and the express image of His [God’s] person (2 Corinthians 4:4, Hebrews 1:3). It’s Jesus!
True worship is the eternal destiny of the human race. Therefore true worship is the answer to root issues that plague the human race right now. The utter joy, power and glory of true worship can only be described so far. Only those who go there, to the heart of true worship, will know the inside of the goodness of God. Kind David declared, “In Your Presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Come and go there with me now…
“Father in heaven, we thank and praise you for all you have done, in the name of Jesus Christ”. Amen!
Great post pastor. True worship is God centerd. Today’s society gets so caught up in where they worship, the music that the worship team is playing, the clothes they have on, who is there or who is not there. When they get so focused on such things, they completely miss the point that Jesus tells us in John 4:24. Worchip is reserved for God only. He along is worthy, nothing or no one else (Revelation 19:10).
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thanks sis!