What Is Worship?

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

(All of my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com And all Scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted)

This morning we are missing all the other Elders of the church, I am the only one here. They are all attending worship at our sister church in Shenendoah, and will be spending some time with the leaders there, to gather information and help with the future plans for our church. So this morning I would like to talk to you about WORSHIP.

So many times churches have arguments and problems when it comes to WORSHIP, because they get stuck in the thinking that WORSHIP is really all about music. That a church needs either Hymns or Praise choruses. This thinking has caused many a problem.

I heard about this pastor. He was raising money for a new sanctuary. He told his congregation one Sunday morning "If anybody will give $1000, you can pick out three hymns." A little old lady in the back raised up her hand and said "Pastor, I’ll do it." He was so excited. He said "Thank you so much. Go ahead and pick out three hymns." She looked over the congregation and said "All right. I’ll take him, him and him!"

Why does the difference in music style cause so many problems anyway?

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. "Well," said the farmer, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns." "Praise choruses," said his wife, "What are those?" "Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer. "Well, what’s the difference?" asked his wife. The farmer said, "Well it’s like this - If I were to say to you: ’Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you: ’Martha Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows,

the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN’ -

Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

(and now, the rebuttal...)

A young, new Christian went to his local church usually, but one weekend attended a small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. "Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs." "Hymns," said his wife, "What are those?" "Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man. "Well, what’s the difference?" asked his wife. The young man said, "Well it’s like this - If I were to say to you, ’Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth. Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth. For the way of the animals who can explain There in their heads is no shadow of sense, Hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced. Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight, Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed. Then goaded by minions of darkness and night They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed. So look to that bright shining day by and by, Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.

Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn. "Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four and do a key

change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn."

BUT THE TRUTH is simply this; musical styles have little to nothing to do with WORSHIP. If you have your Bible turn with me to the Gospel of John, chapter 4

Here we will see what Jesus says about WORSHIP ands learn from here what it means to WORSHIP.

John 4:21-24 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."