My obedience in worship matters. It just does.
God doesn’t command me to worship Him just so He can flex His muscle or get me to spend mindless time doing something pointless. My obedience as a worshiper is a critical part of my relationship with Him. Why?
1) Because it reveals my love for God.
The Bible repeatedly connects our love for God to our obedience of Him. One (love) clearly leads to the other (obedience).
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me” (John 14:21a).
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
And what is His commandment concerning worship? How about the greatest commandment:
“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND” (Matthew 22:37).
And in Matthew 4:10:“YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.”
Loving God is demonstrated in many ways, but it begins with and is sustained by our obedience in worship.
2) Because He is worthy.
His majesty and glory warrants it!
The Psalms are full of beautiful examples of God’s glory leading people into worship.
“For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD, a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him? O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD?” (Psalm 89:6-8a).
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness” (Psalm 150:1-3 NASB).
“Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3 NASB).
And in Romans 11:33, 36 we read,“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
When we worship God, we lift Him to His proper place and acknowledge that He is God and we are not! We proclaim and respond to His indescribable worth!
3) Because it will change my life.
Our Heavenly Father wired us to grow in transforming intimacy with Himself and in the maturity of our faith through our worship.
“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips” (Psalm 63:1-5 NASB).
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul reflects on Moses’ experience in Exodus 34:29-35, and says that we, too, can be transformed as unveiled worshipers.
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (NIV).
True worship is always transforming. When believers encounter God in genuine worship, He brings about transforming results from the inside out.
(Note: This isn’t why we worship. But our God can’t help but respond to our worship by pouring out more of Himself on us!)
4) Because it will change others’ lives.
When we worship together with other believers, our words – proclaiming and adoring who God is – encourage and stimulate others in their faith and walk with Him. It produces more worship!
“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:1-3 NASB).
“I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving . . . The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive” (Psalm 69:30, 32).
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD” (Psalm 40:3).
The Bible also shows us how unity is encouraged in the lives of believers who worship together. It’s the most powerful thing that the body of Christ can share!
“Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:46-47a).
Obedience in worship matters. And our unfathomable God wants more than anything for us to know and love Him – and experience the life and blessing of an obedient, bowed-down worshiper that results from that love relationship. It was His plan from the beginning!
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11).
How has being obedient in worship impacted your life?
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