Worship: Monday thru Saturday

Worship can be a confusing word.  For most people the word worship means “singing” in church or "attending" services.  Certainly, that is accurate.  In fact, in the OT the nation of Israel would gather to worship God by offering sacrifices, singing songs of praise, hearing God’s Word, repenting of sin, and receiving His forgiveness.  In our day we follow a similar pattern.  Every Sunday we give sacrificially, sing songs of praise, hear His Word, repent of sin, and receive forgiveness.

But that’s just on Sunday.

In the OT we find rule after rule describing exactly how worship is to be done in the temple.  In the NT this type of detailed prescription is noticeably absent.  What is detailed for us, however, is our daily life of walking in the Spirit.

The temple of God has changed locations.  It is no longer located in Jerusalem.  Neither is it made of brick and mortar.  It’s made of flesh – your body is the temple of God because the Holy Spirit lives within you (see I Corinthians 3:16).

God’s temple – you – is open 24 hours a day.  Not just Sunday.  Paul redefines true worship for us in Romans 12:1-2.  It’s more than singing.  It's more than Sunday.  It’s a whole lifestyle of being devoted to God.  It’s every thought, every word, and every action done in our body that constitutes a life of devotion and worship to God. 

The hidden motives of your heart are making music.

Crazy thing is, this has always been God’s desire, even in the OT.  He detested external worship that was not born from an internal fear, love, and reverence.  (See Isaiah 29:13).  He was offended when people honored Him with their lips, but their heart was far from Him.

In this NT context, where my body is God’s House, worship is much more than a list of songs on a Sunday.  After I finish singing “I Surrender All” on Sunday morning, I must realize that a life of surrender invovles things like taking out the trash with a joyful attitude on Monday.  After I sing, “You Are Conqueror” on Sunday, I must demonstrate that Jesus is really my Lord by showing up to work on time.  Other songs on my set-list of daily worship include: “Forgiving Others As I Have Been Forgiven”, and "Serving Others", and "Stewardship", and "Living the Crucified Life" and “Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God.”

How are you worshipping God on Monday?