Worship as Restoration – Transformation of The Mind
Romans 12:1-3 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
What is worship?
Worship is coming into the presence of God. Worship is the most sublime, exalted and highest act we can perform as humans. Only true humans in the image of God can worship God (John 4:24). Animals do not have spirit, thus cannot worship. Thus, worship is what makes us truly human! It is our identity.
- Motivation behind worship (Why do we worship?)
Gen 4:25 Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another child in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then people began to call upon the name of the Lord.
In Gen 4:25-26, “to call upon the name of the Lord” is a technical term，meaning to have regular, official, public worship service.
Why did they do this?
The name “Enosh” gives us a clue. Enosh: “Man, mortal frailty”. It’s a confession of how weak we are against sin and temptations; also, how wicked mankind is.
Romans 7:18-19 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
Galatians 5:17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.
Thus, worship is saying I need God’s help because we are too weak. Such like-minded people gather to pool their strength to wholly worship God.
- Worshippers yearn for complete transformation
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Worship is a living sacrifice. What is sacrifice? Old Testament sacrifice gives us clue to what true worship is in the New Testament era.
Burnt offering – major Old Testament sacrifice
Lev 1:1-9
- Animal without defect
- Lay hand on it (transfer sin)
- Kill it, then skin it (Lev 7:8), cut into 6 parts, take out entrails (Jer 4:14)
- Blood taken by priests and poured out around altar
It’s a process of complete transformation turning into a new being, the only thing remaining is the skin.
Even a baby is born as a sinner, thus we need to be transformed through the Word.
Conclusion: worship is the act of killing the beast in me.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Worship is the most important thing in our life.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 