Week 2 (1/8/2003) - Worship's Definition

Worship is the expression of a love relationship with God.

No relationship - No worship.
Christianity without worship is like a marraige relationship without sex.
God requires intimacy.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, John 4:21-24

Worship Words

• Histahawah - Hebrew word meaning "to bow down."

Genesis 18:2, Exodus 12:27-28, Psalms 22:27

• Proskuneo - Greek equivalent to Histahawah, literally means "to kiss toward."

Matthew 8:2, Matthew 9:18, John 4:21-24

• Abad - Hebrew word meaning "to serve."

Hebrew mindset did not abhor slavery like our culture does. Hebrews viewed a good relationship with a kind master as something to be desired.
Exodus 3:12, Exodus 4:23, Exodus 21:5-6

• Latreia or latreuo - Greek equivalent to Abad. "To serve."

Translated serve or service: Hebrews 9:14
Translated worship: Romans 12:1
Psalms 42

• Eusebeo or Sebomai - Greek words for reverance, respect, piety, showing profound awe.

Assumes the complete yielding of the human heart.
Assumes a physical response, not just a spectator event.

Definitions of Worship

Reply of creature to Creator, response of beloved to Lover, reaction of ransomed to Redeemer, and experience of deliberate focusing on God. - Shelley and Harris

Meeting between God and his people in which God becomes present to his people, who respond with praise and thanksgiving. - Robert Webber

Singing, praying, giving, preaching, the Lord's supper are not worship, rather they are the outward expression of it. Worship is an attitude of the soul. - Waymon D Miller

Worship celebrates God's saving deed in Jesus Christ. - Robert Webber

Reason, Expression, Experience, Results

• The reason we worship is God.

God's Holiness.
God's presence among us.
God's Deliverance - Two significant events:

• Deliverance from slavery in Egypt.


• Deliverance from slavery to sin through Jesus Christ




• The expression and experience involves word, praise and feelings.

Head worship - Intellectual part, thinking rational thoughts about God. We define ourselves as God followers through our declarations about God, just as we define ourselves as Americans when we recite the Declaration of Independance.
Heart worship - Emotional part of worship. Joy, celebration, greif, repentance, pain, anger.
Hand worship - Physical dimension

• Kneel - Psalms 95:6


• Shout - Psalms 100:1


• Clap - Psalms 47:1


• Raise Hands - 1 Timothy 2:8


• Fall - Revelation 5:14


• Dance -


• The results of worship are that God is exalted, we are changed and ministry is generated.