"Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth."–Psalm 96:8,9
Is a worship service something you perform as a duty or because you know that the Lord is worthy of ALL glory? Do you think of worship an activity reserved for Sunday morning, or is worship an attitude of the heart which you have before the Lord daily? By definition, worship means, "to bow down; prostate oneself before one to whom honor is due." Is there ever a time when we as sinners should not be prostate in our hearts before the Lord.? This is not a reference to the position of the body, but an attitude of the heart. There are three particular characteristics of those who worship God in truth. We find these in Psalm 96:8,9.
1. ALL the glory is given to the Lord
He is the LORD (Sovereign, Holy, Only Potentate). He alone is worthy
of glory (distinction, exaltation, honor and praise). He is GOD in
creation, providence, salvation and judgment. As a gathered
congregation let all of our hymns, prayers, giving, and the Word
preached magnify Him, and be motivated out of the gift of His sovereign
grace from the heart, Colossians 3:16. Is this not the attitude with
which we are to live our lives daily before Him, and not just during our
gathering together for public worship?
2. All praise is due to the Lamb of God
In the Old Testament, it was impossible to come before the Lord without an offering. The priest was to offer to God a spotless, sacrificial lamb. Behold the Lamb of God! The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself as the life-giving sacrifice of atonement for the sins of His people. His perfect righteousness as the Mediator of every one of God’s elect gives them that perfect and necessary standing before God. None may come or can come apart from PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS before a holy God. To worship is to acknowledge the WORTHSHIP of Christ as Mediator, "the beauty of holiness."
3. The attitude is one of reverence
"Fear before him, all the earth…" This is not a fear of judgment, but an attitude of awe, admiration, and honor for Him with whom we have to do. Believers do not presume upon their right to come, but do come boldly into His presence with thanksgiving, only because Christ is their great High Priest and atoning sacrifice. "I in them, and thou in me"–John 17:23