What is Worship?

I absolutely love to be around people who are free to express themselves in worship.  You'd be hard pressed to find me in a worship service today where I don't walk out of there with tears in my eyes.  I just "get there" these days.  I can go right into worship and cry out to God.  I thank Him for delivering me and allowing me to walk in freedom from fear of peoples reactions.  Freedom from worshipping insurance claim money.  Freedom from "needing" my wife to be a better X, Y, Z, etc.  It's so easy to get there because those walls of pride and deception have been knocked down.

Two years ago, I'd watch this video and say:

Look at these emotional people. So stupid. All they need is doctrine!  Nobody has a Bible open.  If they really want to worship they will have their Bibles open with the Greek text and be exegeting all night.  Morons.  God is so disappointed with them.  When a general walks in the room you never start singing to him. You come to attention and hear what he has to say.  Christians think that worshipping God is sining, but they're stupid.  Worshipping God is from the Greek Word PROSKUNEO, which means face to face.  Your face should be in the Bible...

...and on and on and on and on and on the pride and hate and satanic thoughts plagued my mind.  This wasn't "Doctrinal" thinking.  This is Doctrine of Demons.  So so so evil.

And by the way... I'm having this conversation with a bunch of other "free grace" people who consider themselves "doctrinal."  I'm having this conversation with people who consider themselves "Baptist."  I'm hating on other brothers and sisters in Christ with other Pastors.  I'm mocking the unashamed worship of the living God with other Seminarians.  I'm making a home in my heart for the enemy!  with other "leaders" in the local Church.  How foolish was that!  How deceptive is that!?

When you enter into a place of Worship (not a building by the way), but a sacred place designated to worshipping the God of the universe I've found my eyes go one of two ways; namely, UP or OUT.  I'm either looking at people or looking up to God.  I'm either criticizing the worship band, the people worshipping or crying out to God to save me from the desire to control my wife.  I'm crying out to God to deliver my from FEARING what people will think if I raise my hands in worship.  I'm crying out to God to deliver me from elevating people higher than God.

I didn't even answer the question, "What is worship?"  It's not merely singing. It's not merely studying the Word.  It's basically putting God higher than anything else in your life. I put this video because these kids, in this moment, care more about God than what others think.  This is an example of worship.  Perhaps you worshipped last week at the bar when you saw your favorite live band.  That is worship. You gathered to give them your undivided attention.  This is worship according to Romans 12:1:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Time to worship...