What we demonstrate outwardly in our worship should come from within as a response to the truth of the Gospel in us. The two most important words for worship in the Bible are histahawah in Hebrew and proskuneo in Greek. Both of these words translate bending over at the waist or falling prostrate as in reverence to a king. In Deut. 6:5, and repeated by our Lord in the New Testament, we are called to love God with our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are not disembodied spirits; therefore, God desires we use our whole beings to bring Him praise. In Ps. 16:9 we find the words, "My heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure." And David proclaims in Ps. 34: 4 - 5, "Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." Even our faces should shine and show a response when we look to the One who has delivered us; when we have been with Him. Without that, our worship is lifeless orthodoxy and legalism.
But the other side of that is when our feelings and affections are not tied to truth. The result is sensationalism. Neither legalism nor sensationalism lead to gospel-centered worship. Our feelings or affections must be tied to our understanding of the truth. One can easily fabricate physical expressions and create showmanship in worship while living in sin. In fact, in Isaiah 1:15 we are challenged by these words, "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood." Physical expressions of worship must grow out of rich moments in the presence of the Lord. They are commanded and modeled in scripture as a way of giving glory to God: Singing (Ps. 9:2), Standing (Is. 29:23), Shouting (Ps. 71:23), Praying (Ps. 5:3), Dancing (Ps. 31:11; 149:3), Sitting (2 Sam. 7:18), Clapping (Ps. 47:1), Laying prostrate (Matt. 26:39), Lifting hands (Ps. 134:2), Bowing low (Ex. 34:8). These are just some of the ways of response.
We should be worshippers who know the truth richly and deeply, therefore feeling deeply, and expressing passionately our worship before the Lord... for His glory! Even as Paul, may our work and worship be fruitful and glorifying, empowered by the Holy Spirit and saturated with Truth - never shrinking from declaring all of God's truth! (Acts 20:27) If in fact we do that, we will know and experience Gospel-Centered Worship. mjm
