True Worship

November 1st, 2024

Have you ever wondered about the true meaning of worship, how to understand it from God’s perspective, and how to prepare your own heart for it? Today, Marc Glander, a member of our EQUIP Retreat worship team, answers these questions and more. So, whether you are responsible for leading worship or simply participating in worship in your local church, this blog will give you clarity and direction in this aspect of “drawing near to God” (James 4:8a; Psalm 145:18).

My Personal Journey

Being on a church worship team from the age of 15 has been an absolute blessing throughout every season of my life. It’s how I connected with my amazing wife, who is now the mother of our daughter. It’s how I have made many friends. It’s been an outlet to express the musical talent the Lord gifted me. I am incredibly grateful to God for giving me the talent and ability to play an instrument.

I have been playing drums since the age of 11. Of course, like any child musician, I dreamed of becoming a rock star, and I only really played secular music until the age of 15, when I was saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and acknowledged Him as the Lord and Savior of my life. When I received the free gift of salvation, I suddenly had no desire to play the drums anymore, an instrument that I once played daily for hours. I remember vividly prostrating myself before my drum set and praying to God, “Lord, if I ever play this instrument, I only want it to be for your honor and your glory.” Not too long after that, I joined a youth worship team.

What Is Worship?

The word "worship" is mentioned more than 8,000 times in the Bible. Worship isn’t just the songs of praise and exaltation to the Lord that we sing on Sunday; it's a lifestyle we, as Christians, choose to live.

The Hebrew word for worship is shachah, which means “to bow down, to prostrate oneself.” Worship in the Bible involves humility and declaring God's greatness.

In Christendom, the word “worship” is often associated with music. However, worship involves taking some sort of action to honor and lift God up. Worship music is a powerful way to do that. Not only does it involve our hearts as we sing, play an instrument, raise our hands, and dance, but it also engages those around us when we worship together.

What About Corporate Worship? Is it Biblical?

Corporate worship occurs when a group of individuals unite with a uniform goal: to praise, worship, and honor God. The concept of corporate worship is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible, reinforcing its deep roots in Scripture. Several biblical examples of gathering in worship are mentioned, such as when the Israelites assembled in the Tabernacle. The New Testament also mentions people gathering and praying together. The passages below show us that the communion practices of the Christian faith are rooted in its early history.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”―Colossians 3:16

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”― Psalm 95:1

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”―Acts 2:42

“[A]ddressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”―Ephesians 5:19

The Bible reiterates the importance of gathering to worship God and give Him praise as part of a religious duty. Corporate worship can occur in the church, a community center, or any designated place for worship activities.

A False Sense of Spirituality

There came a point in my spiritual walk when I became too caught up in my position on the worship team. My identity in Christ was directly correlated to my actions in the church instead of my personal relationship with Him. It became a means of justification for living a spiritually sedentary lifestyle. James 2:14–26 talks about works without faith being dead, just as faith without works is dead. I had works and faith, but my faith was in my works rather than in the redemptive love of Jesus.

Thankfully, the Lord brought me out of that place and gave me the discernment to differentiate between seeing my spiritual identity as the works I did and my real spiritual identity as having a personal, growing relationship with Him.

A Proper Perspective

Being on a worship team is a privilege, not a right or an entitlement. As a worship team member, one should hold themselves to the highest standards according to Scripture, as they are in front of a multitude of people, portraying a lifestyle of worship.

Jesus says, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”―Matthew 15:7–9

Additionally, Jesus tells us the proper way to worship the Father, “But the hour is coming, and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”―John 4:23–24

Worshiping in Spirit and Truth

What does worshiping the Father in spirit and truth mean? Worshiping God in spirit means to worship Him from a heart posture motivated to glorify Him. In other words, whatever we do to worship Him is from a place within ourselves that desires to let out our love, adoration, and gratitude for Him. To worship in truth is to worship in alignment and agreement with God’s Holy Word. What we declare, sing, and do during worship must reflect the realities and truth of The Holy Bible.

As a worship team member, I believe it is essential to be studied in the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15), show the fruits of The Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24), be in constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and be intentional to ensure that what I’m doing is all about glorifying God (1 Corinthians 6:20). Worship has nothing to do with me and everything to do with utilizing my God-given talent to glorify Him (Matthew 6:1). As an outpouring of my worship, I also need to glorify my Lord and Savior by being well-practiced on my instrument to give my absolute best to the King of kings (Proverbs 3:9; Colossians 3:17, 23–24).

When my heart, mind, spirit, and practice are prepared, and I am part of a worship team (Galatians 5:25–26), my two-fold goals are to facilitate an atmosphere of corporate worship in which the Holy Spirit can move and to till the soil for the message to be received following worship (Matthew 18:20; Mark 4:8). I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for the privilege of serving Him in leading worship, the many ways He has blessed me, and the different paths He has prepared for me to walk.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Author Bio:
Marc Glander, the Co-Director of Reasons for Hope's EQUIP Retreat, has been walking with the Lord since the age of 15. He, and his beautiful wife, Alyssa Glander, live in Georgia and are the proud parents of their one-year-old little girl, Genesis.

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