What is Worship?
'Worship' is an Inadequate Translation of the Greek and Hebrew Terms
Our word worship derives from the Old English weorthscipe meaning worthiness or meritoriousness and thus giving God the recognition He deserves. Another term often associated with worship is thusia meaning sacrifice. The reason this term should be connected to worship is that such references are allusions to the thank- offerings in the OT which were an important daily ritual of temple worship. What do you do in worship? How do you worship? What motivates you to worship? and What are the results of worship?
As long as we are culturally bound to the unfortunate English word, 'worship,' we need to keep our understanding biblical rather than anchored in church traditions. Arguably what most Christians conceive of as worship is times of personal and corporate singing and praise. As we have seen, however, the biblical principles and commands related to worship are much broader and more integrated into the Christian life.
Worship is the response of grateful and humble people to the living God where submission, sacrificial service, praise, profession, testimony and gratitude are freely expressed in innumerable ways. This is a much richer concept than mere corporate singing and praise once each week for 20 minutes - an event that could occur without any actual worship going on at all.
Worship is pledging allegiance
In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego we see the common theme that they were asked to bow down in worship to the statue of the King. The bowing down was an act of saying we will follow this king, he is our leader we will acknowledge his authority and do his will.
Since the three men would not bow down in worship because they believed only God should be worshiped they were threatened with death. Their refusal to bow in worship was seen as an act of treason.
There is a correlation and a distinction between allegiance and worship. You can give allegiance to something without worshiping it but you can not worship without allegiance.
Jesus does say “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” and that we are to submit to rulers and those in authority, it is not a sin to follow the rules of your country but worship occupies the central allegiance of your life.
Worshiping another God is called idolatry.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" is one of the Ten Commandments found in the Hebrew Bible at Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:6
It is the central tenet of the Abrahamic religions and prohibits the religion's followers from worshipping gods other than the Lord. The sin of worshipping another god is called idolatry.
Many of the stories in the Bible from the time of Moses to the Babylonian captivity are predicated on the choice between exclusive worship of the Lord and false gods.The Babylonian exile, itself a punishment for idolatry, seems to have been a turning point after which the Jews became committed to monotheism, even when facing martyrdom before worshipping any other god.
The Jewish prayer Shema and its accompanying blessing/curse reveals the intent of the commandment to include love for the Lord and not only recognition or outward observance. In the Gospels, Jesus quotes the Shema as the first and Greatest Commandment, and the apostles after him preached that those who would follow Christ must turn from idols.
Worship is a matter of choosing who or what your life will serve.
“Choose you this day whom you will serve”
What is true worship?
Delesslyn A. Kennebrew
The Priority of Worship
There are numerous definitions of the word worship. Yet, one in particular encapsulates the priority we should give to worship as a spiritual discipline: Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission (Webster's Dictionary,1828).
True worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness. We worship God because he is God and the only rightful recipient .
References:
https://www.xenos.org/essays/what-worship
https://www.faithgateway.com/worship/#.YNUwPuBKjIU
https://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/bible-answers/spirituallife/what-is-true-worship.html
https://www.first15.org/01/02/what-is-worship/
https://st-peters.org/what-is-worship/