I'd better blog in October before it passes me by.

Last week had me preparing for a preach at King's which I delivered and hope went ok.

My topic was ..."Praise - the fruit of worship". The purpose of the message was to understand New covenant worship.
I decided to tackle the ever elusive, most used, referance to worship - John 4"yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn 4 23, 24).

After grappling with what Jesus is really saying and never being satisfied with most interpretations I think it's almost quite obvious now, if you look at the context.

Most interpretations go for :worship must be by heart and head (Spirit & truth) emotions based on true perceptions of God etc. All very useful , but not true to what I think Jesus is ultimately saying.
Unfortunately, due to our church culture, we automatically interpret the word worship as what we do on a Sundays. We apply it to mostly how we praise God, or even worse - we think of worship as a place we need to work our way into.

Understanding that the English word "worship"(worth-ship: to attribute worth to an object) used by William Tyndale was based only on one of many words - to the greek word "proskuneo" - meaning to bow down, pay homage to.
It expresses continuous submission to the Lordship of Christ. It's not about what we do on Sundays. What we do on Sundays is part of how we worship (express devotion/allegiance to Christ) by being part of His church. We don't go to worship ... we are worshippers.

Every believer is a worshipper. I'm tired of hearing about 24/7 worship, or that "we don't worship on sundays but everday in the week". It's a given - whay are we even talking about it.
What brand of Christianity are we preaching? As if Jesus ever gave us a choice when we want to worship. (ie. live our lives in service to the King). The other Greek word used mostly for worship in the NT. was "Latreuo" - serve.

“You gotta serve somebody “ - Bob Dylan.
Everybody is a worshipper of something/one even if it's themselves (particularly atheists), we serve Jesus.
To love God is to serve Him. Worship then is about loving God whole-heartedly.

MT 22:37 Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

DT 6:13 "Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land."
Master means “total rights to rule“. "If he is not lord of all, His not lord at all”

-Matt 4:10, "Thou shalt worship the lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve."
- MT 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
- Deny ourselves take up our cross daily (Lord of all) & follow Him (Luke 9v23),
- Loosing our lives (Matt 10v 39),(John 12:24 – 26)
– Crucified with Christ (Gal 2v20)

This is worship - we don't decide. I am no longer my own . I was bought at a price and belong to Him . I am a slave to Christ.
Ok so you get my point worship is about devotion.

This is why I probably prefer not calling myself a worship leader. I'd hope to be like Paul and say imitate the way I worship (serve/submit) but that is clearly not what we mean when we Praise leader's call ourselves worship leaders. Biblically speaking I'm a Praise/Music Director. Nothing more or less- serving(worshipping) God with the gifts He has given me.
Ok ..that's enough for now ... Let's keep it rolling till next time.
I think it's gonna be entitled ..."The grace way to worship"