Why does God want to be worshipped? What will be the severe consequences of false worship?
OLD Testament
FALSE WORSHIP
Three thousand people died in one day because of the false worship of the golden calf fashioned by Aaron (Exodus 32).
FALSE AND MISDIRECTED WORSHIP
Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan - The kingdom of Israel was divided because of the idolatry and false worship of the nation (1 Kings 12:25-33). The fall of Jerusalem was directly attributable to the apostasy and false worship of the nation (Jeremiah 1:16; 16:11; 22:9). Misdirected worship was the cause of untold hardship and suffering in the Old Testament.
NEW Testament
WORSHIP IN ERROR
Paul wrote that God was justified in condemning man because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, he worshiped in error and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen (Romans 1:25).
Satan fell from heaven because he sought worship for himself rather than submission to his Creator. Satan today seeks those who will worship and serve him (cf. Matt. 4:9).
A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor is Jerusalem. ......But a time is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in truth and in spirit (John 4:21-23). God is seeking TRUE worshipers - It is only in the Word of God that we can learn what worship is pleasing to God.[/u] Why, then, should we devote ourselves to the study of worship? Simply because it is a matter of great importance to God and because false worship leads to dire consequences.
The Essence of True Worship
Humility
Most frequent word in both the Old and New Testaments is one which means to make obeisance, to bow down, to prostrate. The Hebrew word is shaha…, and the Greek word is proskuneo. Both words denote the act of bowing or prostrating oneself in submissiveness and reverence. The word might be used of men showing respect for men as well as a response to deity. As the word relates to worship, it denotes a high view of God and a condescending opinion of self. Thus, true worship views God in His perfection and man in his imperfection.
Reverence
Another pair of terms underscores the attitude of reverence. The Hebrew word is yare…, and the Greek term is sebomai. The idea of both the Greek and the Hebrew is that of fearing God. It is not so much the fear of terror and dread so much as it is the fear of wonder and awe at the majesty and greatness of the infinite God.
Service
In the New Testament we are told that we are all priests of God (1 Peter 2:5,9), so that this term does not apply only to the service of the few, but of the entire congregation of believers in Christ.
In addition, service and worship were often linked in the Old Testament. It is no surprise, then, when we find Satan tempting our Lord to worship him (Luke 4:7). Satan was not asking our Lord simply to fall to the ground before him. He was asking the Lord to acknowledge him as sovereign and to surrender to him in service. This is why our Lord responded, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only"
Response.
We worship not so much because we feel the need of doing so, but because God has first revealed Himself to us.
“We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Love does not find its origin in man, but in God. Our love is only a response, only a reflection of God’s love toward us. And so it is with worship. We worship God because He has made Himself known to us and has instructed us to worship Him.
Fallen man could never approach a righteous and Holy God, so God in the person of Jesus Christ made us just and righteous by His work on the cross for us (Romans 3:21-24). The Holy Spirit of God works within us to enable us to worship (Philippians 3:3). And worship is directed to the Father (John 4:23). Worship is from God, through God, and unto God. Apart from God’s revelation of Himself and of how man can approach Him in worship, man could never worship God in a way pleasing to Him.
Adoration.
If worship is fundamentally a response, what is the nature of this response? It is that of adoration and praise which God rightfully expects of His creatures.
“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 3:9-11)
Sacrifice
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1).
The book of Hebrews adds to this the sacrifice of praise, of doing good and of sharing (Hebrews 13:15,16).
If worship is the highest calling of the saint, how are we living up to our calling? May God enable us to worship Him in Truth and in Spirit.[b]
