What is Worship?
Put simply, Worship is the manifestation of a sincere and contrite reverence for, and a deep love and devotion to God.
For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
NIV Isaiah 57:15 (cf. Psalm 51:17; Heb. 12:28)
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that confess his name.
NIV Hebrews 13:15
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
NIV 1 Peter 2:5
Why We Worship...
The reality of human life is that if we are honest with ourselves and others, we would have to admit that every human worships something; angels, the physical world, creatures of the physical world, their careers, their cars, now even the government, but more often themselves!
We however, worship the one and true living God who has revealed Himself to us through His living Word; not only has He revealed to us His divine nature, but His divine Grace through Christ Jesus in which He has delivered us from eternal pain and separation from His presence and glorious Kingdom, and brought us to the city of the living God.
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken— that is, created things— so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
NIV Hebrews 12:22-29 (cf. Heb 11:10, 16; Phil. 3:20)
Our corporate worship is therefore a reflection of God’s gracious provision to His saints in which we are given a foretaste of heaven where we will assemble around His heavenly throne and praise Him within the throngs of His heavenly choir of Angels no longer looking forward to the time when He will make us perfect; for we will all be made perfect and in His glorious presence!
When we worship corporately, it draws together people of all ages, cultures, races, and life situations—allowing us to set aside those worldly differences and worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23)—rejoicing in unison with the joy of knowing, loving, and serving the Savior of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Spirit unites us all!
Worshipping in the assembly of God’s people—confessing sins and rejoicing in forgiveness (Isaiah 6; Dan. 9:20; 1Joh. 1:9), singing His praises in Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs (Eph. 5:19 & Col. 3:16), gaining strenth through the Sacraments (Baptism & Communion) (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; 1Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27 & 1Cor. 11:23-33), and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ through the Word Proclaimed (2Pet. 3:18; Rom. 10:14-15, 16:25; Col. 1:25; 2Tim. 4:2; Acts 8:12, 35)—reflects those great heavenly examples in which we can taste what is to come in the fullness of God’s presence! We worshop to and for Him, for it is about Him; His divine perfection, and His perfect love for us in Christ Jesus!
John Owen rightly and simply states:
"The principal and adequate reason of all divine worship is what God is in Himself."
These are deeply held foundational truths that direct the worship at Coquina Presbyterian Church. The link below will take you to our "The Way We Worship" page where you will learn how we put those truths into practice.
