Worship - Who Decides?

Can God be worshiped any way we choose? This idea is very popular today. People say things like, "I worship God in my own way." "I can worship God better in a tree stand or on the lake fishing, than in a church house." "I like to worship God this way..."

God has not chosen to be worshiped by admiring nature, interpretive dance, some ball game, or any other thing that has been popularized. He wants to be worshiped in Spirit and Truth. That means setting aside the flesh its desires, to follow after the Spirit. Truth is everything God has said. How has he commanded us to worship? Praising Him in hymns, psalms, and the declaration of His Word.

Exodus 20:18–26 (NKJV) 

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

Worship begins with fear. Biblical fear is not simply honor or respect. Its actual FEAR. Sinful man coming into the presence of a Holy God is a frightful thing. When we are doing something scary, we are careful about doing it right. We give it thought and consideration. Irreverence is a lack of fear, and has at its source a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is.

Worship is focused on God. Churches often like to bestow honors on various groups of people and individuals. My question, is why would we take the spotlight off God, even for a minute?

Worship continues in obedience. How should we worship? Exactly like God says. Have a clever idea? Toss it aside and obey God. Think of something more fun? Forget about it and obey God. Our pleasure in worship should come from fulfilling our desire to please God in worship. Too often, the satisfaction of the people has trumped the satisfying of God in what is called worship.