Jesus said that the Father wasn’t looking for mere followers; but that he was looking for true worshipers, who would worship him in spirit and truth. Worship of course, can involve song and music and extravagant expressions of adoration, but worship is certainly not confined to a part of the service when Christians come together and music is involved. In other words, worship doesn’t start when the music starts, and ends when the music ends. Instead worship is a way of life that should begin the moment you become a Christian and continue through all eternity. Romans 12 gives us insight into what worship is all about, “I urge you therefore brethren, in light of the goodness of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, week pleasing to God, which is your spiritual (or “rational”) service of worship.” Worship is a life of radical surrender, so that everything that you do, and everything that you think, and everything that you say is a service of worship and adoration to God. God is looking for lovesick adorers, not just robotic followers. Western Christians have become so afraid of making an idol out of feelings, or emotions, that we’ve lost the heartbeat of relationship. First and foremost, God has called us into relationship with him where delighting in him ravishes his heart more than duty offered to him. I understand the value of duty, because sometimes our fallen and diseased emotions can’t be trusted, but Jesus came for a Bride who serves as an act of worship. That is there should be sheer delight in our duty. That is worship. In the Ephesians 5:18–20, the Holy Spirit describes the spirit–filled life as people whose conversation with each other is full of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, flowing from hearts that are constantly singing and making melodies to God, and they live with the constant attitude of Thanksgiving to the Lord. That sounds like true worship to me.
