Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Psalm 95:6 (NKJV) Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
As Christians, we are to give the greatest honour to God by worshipping Him. The word “worship” in the Bible means to prostrate oneself, to kiss the hand of someone, or to fall on one’s knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence, to show respect, or to make supplication.
Worship conveys profound awe and respect for the King of kings. You may observe some people literally prostrating themselves before God during worship, but equally important is remaining humble in our hearts before Him. Therefore, worship is an attitude of the heart where it bows down before God. When our hearts are right before God, we are teachable.
When God created man, His primary purpose was for man to worship Him. We are new creations in Christ, and there is a direct and unbreakable connection between God and us, so our worship is spirit to Spirit.
When we enter a period of deep worship, we are unaware of the things or people around us, and we have no thoughts in our minds other than God. We haven’t come with a request or petition, but simply because we love Him so much and feel the need to express that love. Worship is a time of love, and we are not in a hurry to leave His presence.
We fall in love with Him because of His immense love for us. As a result, we desire to worship Him. The more we worship Him, the more intimately we will come to know Him. The more intimately we know Him, the greater our desire to know Him. If we truly know the Lord, there will be no room for indifference. If you are still tainted by indifference, you may be living too close to the world and too caught up in the affairs of life. Conversely, the closer we live to God, the more we long to hear His voice. When we worship, we pour out our hearts and our love to Him, and the deepest parts of our hearts are touched by Him.
Our worship before the Lord is uniquely our own—an offering no one else can bring. There is no need to compare yourself with others. Even if it comes forth in simple utterances or just sighs, it touches His heart. He delights in hearing your words of love, the expression of your heart, the groanings of your spirit.
Reflection: How do you personally understand worship? In what ways do you express it in your life?
Sermon Series: Worshipping the King of Kings
敬拜是爱的时刻
马太福音2:11 进了房子，看见小孩子和他母亲马利亚，就俯伏拜那小孩子，揭开宝盒，拿黄金、乳香、没药为礼物献给他。
诗篇95:6 来啊，我们要屈身敬拜，在造我们的耶和华面前跪下！
作为基督徒，我们当以敬拜来将最大的尊荣归给神。圣经中“敬拜”一词的含义，是俯伏在地、亲手致敬，或跪下以额触地，表达极深的敬畏、尊崇与恳求。
敬拜传达出对万王之王深切的敬畏与尊荣。你可能会看到有人在敬拜中真实地俯伏在神面前，但同样重要的是，我们的内心在祂面前保持谦卑。因此，敬拜首先是一种心态——一颗在神面前降服的心。当我们的心在神面前是正直的，我们就成为可受教的人。
神创造人的首要目的，就是要人来敬拜祂。我们在基督里成为新造的人，与神之间有直接且不可断绝的连接，因此我们的敬拜是“灵对灵”的交通。
当我们进入深度的敬拜时，我们不再意识周围的人或事，心中也没有其他念头，唯独专注于神。我们来到祂面前，不是带着请求或祈求，而是单单因为爱祂，渴望表达这份爱。敬拜是爱的时刻，我们也不急于离开祂的同在。
我们因祂对我们极大的爱而爱上祂，因此渴望敬拜祂。我们越敬拜祂，就越亲密地认识祂；越认识祂，就越渴望更多认识祂。若我们真正认识主，就不会再有冷漠的空间。若仍然存有冷淡，可能是我们离世界太近，被生活的事务所牵引。相反地，我们越亲近神，就越渴望听见祂的声音。
当我们敬拜时，我们向祂倾心吐意，把我们的爱完全倾倒出来，而祂也触摸我们内心最深之处。我们在主面前的敬拜，是独一无二的，是无人可以替代的献上。我们不需要与他人比较；即使只是简单的言语，甚至是叹息，也能触动祂的心。祂喜悦听见你爱的言语，你心中的表达，以及你灵里的叹息。
默想：
你个人如何理解“敬拜”？在你的生活中，你是如何表达对神的敬拜的？
讲章系列：敬拜万王之王