The Purpose of Worship

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The Purpose of Praise and Worship

by Dr. Gary S. Linton | November 1st, 2016

Mention worship and most Christians think about the music and singing that occurs during church services. Praise and worship should be a large part of every Christian’s life, but there are also clear Biblical reasons for us to worship God. There is a purpose in all God does. Likewise, there is a purpose for our praise and worship of Him.

Worship is an Expression of God’s Worth

Praise and worship is the measuring rod of His worth to us. Show me a person involved in worship and I will show you someone who has a high estimation of God. Likewise, one who doesn’t express God’s worth through worship is one who has a low estimation of God. Praise and worship is the means through which we express His worth in our sight.

How much do we really love Him? If we really love and esteem Him, we will show it through our praise, worship, surrender, and obedience. “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me” (John 14:21). Paul exhorts, “To present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).

Worship is the Reason we Were Created

In Revelation 4:11, twenty-four elders were praising God saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Our purpose is to bring pleasure to God. One of the best ways to do that is through praise and worship.

Worship will be one of the primary activities in heaven. We are presently enrolled in on-the-job training for eternity. If we feel out of place worshiping here, imagine how awkward we will feel in eternity. For a clear picture of what worship will be like in eternity study Revelation 4:8-11, Revelation 5:9-11, Revelation 7:9-12, and Revelation 19:1-8.

Worship Allows us to Enter into God’s Presence

Psalm 100:1-4 – “Make a joyful noise, shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.”

Jesus promised He would always be with us, especially when we gather in His name (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 18:20). He also promised that we will enter into His presence in a special way when we worship and praise Him.

You can feel the presence of God in a powerful way when you are worshiping. I’ve always been able to tell a huge difference when I’m putting all I have into my worship experience, as opposed to when I’m not. We enter into the presence of God through praise and worship.

Psalm 16:11 tells us that being in His presence brings “fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.” When Moses left God’s presence in Exodus 34, his face was glowing. As Solomon worshiped the Lord the glory of God filled the temple so much that the priests could not stand to minister (1 Kings 8:11, 2 Chronicles 5:6 and 2 Chronicles 7:1-4). Throughout the Bible, when people experienced the presence of God they were changed (Isaiah 6:1-8).

What would it be like if we worshiped God with all our might? How would we be affected by His presence? One thing is sure, we will never be the same. When we enter His presence through worship “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We Minister to God Through Worship

In Acts 13:2, the church at Antioch was “ministering to the Lord.” We talk about ministering to others, and God ministering to us, but God needs us to minister to Him also. John 4:23 says, “For the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”

We normally don’t think about God having needs, but He wants and needs our worship. The only way His need will ever be met is by praising and worshiping Him with all of our heart.