Why worship God? For some people, the answer is that it’s what they grew up with. It’s just what they do. At the other extreme are those who refuse to worship God. Those who say that if there really is a God and they ultimately stand before him, they will refuse to worship him. In their minds, the God of the Bible is not worthy of worship. This article will look at some reasons why we should worship God. And why everyone, in the end, will worship him.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
What is Worship?
Before discussing why we should worship, it would be good to understand just what worship is. For many Christians, worship is what we do on Sunday morning. Singing a few songs, listening to a teaching, sharing communion / Eucharist, and doing whatever else is scheduled for the Sunday morning meeting time.
But worship is so much more than that. And, all too often, what we call worship is not really worship at all. What we call worship is all too often entertainment. And we evaluate the effectiveness of worship by how it makes us feel. But worship is really about what I give. Not what I receive.
Worship is bowing before my superior, in this case, God. True worship cost me something. In Romans 12:1 that cost is described as the sacrifice of self. When I come before God in worship, I am humbly giving myself up to his Lordship. Proclaiming that he is worthy. And exalting him in praise.
Ultimately Everyone Will Worship God
Periodically I will encounter an atheist who will boast that, even if God does exist, he will never worship him. That if he ever stands before God, it will be he who judges God rather than the other way around. In their minds, the God of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is a sadistic monster who is not worthy of their worship.
But, according to the Bible, they will be in for a rude surprise. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that, in the end, every knee will bow before Christ and will acknowledge him as Lord. When that time comes, they may think they will act in defiance of God, but instead, they will fall on their faces before him and acknowledge that he is worthy of their worship. It will be too late for it to make any difference to them. But it will happen nonetheless.
Worship Because He Is the Creator
In the fourth chapter of Revelation, John sees a vision of God on his throne in heaven. And surrounding the throne are four living creatures and twenty-four elders. They are worshiping God and saying
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Revelation 4:11 NIV
They are proclaiming that God is worthy of our worship because he created all things. Because all things have their being in him.
This creation that we are a part of is truly amazing. The size and complexity of the universe are incomprehensible to most of us. From the smallest particle to the largest galactic clusters, it is all intricate and well-designed. The more we learn about this world we inhabit, the more wonderful it is revealed to be.
We look at an artistic masterpiece, an amazing athletic performance, or an amazing feat of engineering and express praise toward the one who created or performed it. They are thought to be worthy of praise because of what they have done. How much more so for the one who produced the universe we inhabit?
More than any other person, place, or thing, the creator of us all is worthy of our praise and worship.
Because He Is Lord
Lord is not a term that is used much in our world today, at least not in the West. But it was a widely used term in biblical days. You find it in the Bible mostly in reference to God. But it is also used for a sovereign or master. It is the one who is in charge. And that is a good descriptive term for God. He is the sovereign Lord, the ruler of heaven and earth. And as such he is worthy of our worship.
In 1 Chronicles 16:29 we are told to “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” The Lord alone is worthy of our adoration and worship.
The Psalms are filled with calls to praise the Lord, including Psalm 95:6, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” And Jesus also tells us that “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
Because He is the Redeemer
God is worthy of my worship because he is my creator and Lord. But he is much more than that. Throughout the pages of the Bible, you can find him working to call people to himself. And, more personally, he has called me to himself.
I am a sinful human. One who was separated from the love of God by my sin. But God provided a suitable sacrifice for my sin. He imputed to me the righteousness of Christ. He adopted me into his family. And he has prepared an eternal future for me with himself.
Why did he do all of that? It was not because of anything that I did. It was simply because he is my creator and he loved me. As my creator, God is indeed worthy of my worship. But how much more worthy of my worship is he because he is also my redeemer and heavenly Father?
So, Why Should We Worship God?
In the end, everyone will bow before God and worship him as Lord. When we all stand before him, his glory and majesty will overwhelm each one. We will bow then, not because we are forced to, but simply because we will acknowledge that he is worthy of our worship.
But how much better if we worship him now? He is our creator, Lord, and redeemer. Our natural response to him should be to mimic the elders and living creatures in Revelation 4:9-10 and bow before him.
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever.
Revelation 4:9-10 NIV
Fall down on your face before God and worship him.
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Disclaimer
The views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect those of any other person, group, or organization. While I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions about this post in the comments section below. I am always interested in your feedback.
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This article was first published on Christianity.com on December 3, 2019
Relationship with God naturally produces worship of Him. He tests us, challenges us, saves us, showers us with gifts, provides for us, and protects us.
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