In reading through the first volume of the Puritan Thomas Manton’s works, I came across a general definition of worship that I found to be incredibly helpful. I want to share it with the hope that it will help you think through what you are doing when you worship. I am also hoping, as a bonus, that it will whet your appetite for reading Puritan authors like Manton. Here is the definition Manton gives:
“What is worship? In general it implieth these three things: an act of the judgment, apprehending an excellency in the object worshipped; and act of the will, or a readiness to yield to it, suitably to the degree of excellency which we apprehend in it; and an external act of the body whereby it is expressed.”
- Thomas Manton (Works, Volume 1, Pg. 316)
This is the best definition of worship I have heard so far. It is simple yet deep. I believe what makes this such a great definition of worship is that the activity of the worshipper is not the main focus. Instead, the focus is put on those things that are going on behind the outward act. Let’s walk through Manton’s words and be challenged in our approach to the worship of our Lord.
Before doing so, I want to make one point of clarity. All of life is worship. But not all of life is equally worship. There is a sacredness which accompanies the worship of the gathered church that is not present in everyday life. Sam Waldron does a good job of proving this in his book, How Then Should We Worship. As we walk through Manton’s words on worship, I will specifically have in mind our worship with the congregation on the Lord’s Day.
1. An Act of Judgment
You cannot worship what you do not know. Worship flows out from knowledge. This is part of the reason for the futility of the altar in Athens dedicated to an unknown god. (Acts 17:22-23) If the men of Athens did not know anything about this unknown entity, or if it even existed, how could they worship it in any meaningful way? Before true worship can occur, we must have our judgment engaged. Do we even know this God we are worshipping? Have we considered His nature and character? Who is He and what is He like? Why is He worthy of worship?
I have often wondered why the modern church has leaned so heavily on emotionally charged music in worship. Why do we have to have all the sounds and lights? Why do we need just the right ambience in the sanctuary? Why does the band have to pull our emotions around with strategic changes in the music? It was not always this way. What changed? I believe one major contributor is the fact that many people in the church barely know the God they worship. How many truly spend time meditating on the character and attributes of God? How many are diligently looking into Scripture to see Him revealed?
Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, NASB) For the purpose of our current topic we are going to zero in on one specific thing in this text. Notice that “spirit” is not an undefined term. Jesus said God is spirit. We must worship Him “in spirit.” Spirituality is not some vague religious force. If God is spirit, then worshipping in spirit is worshipping according to the things of God. It is worshipping according to who God is. Of course, we can only do that if we know who God is.
Today’s churches are filled with so many nominal members who have not spent any significant time meditating on the God they claim to worship. They cannot express worship in spirit because they do not know the God who is the very definition of spirit. As a consequence, their expressions of worship are not driven by what they know of God, but by a sort of unknown god. Therefore, something of a false spirit must be substituted for the real thing. The emotionally charged worship experience has filled that gap. It produces an expression from the person. For many in our pews today, I worry they are being carried along by their emotions in place of the Spirit. And I worry they are raising their hands to an unknown god in place of the One, True God revealed in Scripture. You cannot worship what you do not know.
2. An Act of the Will
Manton says this act of the will is “a readiness to yield to” the object of our worship. Once we have come to know the God we worship, there is yet another question. Will we submit to Him? Inherent in the posture of worship is a right view of our position. He is above. We are below. Because of what we know of Him, we bow before Him. Because we have considered His excellencies, we have also seen our own lowly condition. Having done so, we submit our entire being to Him.
Every Sunday is another opportunity to renew our submission to the Lord’s will. We must be careful not to treat worship as only a response to God for what He has given us and done for us. He is the object of our worship, not us. Our worship ought to be fueled by a readiness to accept and submit to His will because of who He is. Has He done great and wonderful things for us? Yes, He has. Should we praise Him for that? Yes, we should. If He had not done all those great and wonderful things for us, would He still be worthy of our worship? Yes, He would.
When you worship God, by the very nature of what you are doing, you are expressing your surrender to His will. Many lift their hands in worship as an expression of their readiness to receive blessings from God. In reality, we are lifting ourselves up to God in submission. We are expressing our willingness for God to do whatever He pleases with our lives.
3. An External Act of the Body
What you do with your body in church is not worship. It is an expression of the worship which is going on in your heart. Your knowledge of who God is and your surrender to His will evidences itself in the outward expressions of your body. There is no certain rule here. Must it be raising hands? Maybe it must be closing your eyes? Perhaps you must sway or rock? These considerations are irrelevant. The Scripture does not say what bodily posture is required for true worship, but it does say what heart posture is required.
It is common for people to look on a congregation and judge the true worshippers from the others based on their physical activity. This is unwise. What you are seeing could just as easily be a learned reflex. When one person stands in worship, another stands, then the rest shoot up. Are they all true worshippers because they are standing? Most of them are standing because someone else did. But only God can judge whether worship is occurring in the heart.
There ought to be some kind of external expression of our worship. This is why we sing. It gives an external means of expression for our worship. Some raise their hands. Others sway. Some are still and reflective. Others close their eyes. Some weep. Others smile. Only God knows if those external expressions are brought about by “spirit and truth.”
When you worship the Lord in His congregation, do not concern yourself with whether you are doing the right external things. That is working backwards. Make your concern whether you know God and whether you are willing to be totally submitted to Him. Those things will come out in your expressions of worship and God will be pleased.
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