There is a rising trend in Christendom that suggests worship and service to be the same. Perhaps the most common example of this ideology poking out its head is when men say “I can worship God from a fishing boat or a deer stand.” Many there are who seek to justify their actions by deeming them “worship.” Sometimes the actions are good. Sometimes the actions are bad.
So, what is worship? What is service? It makes sense that there is confusion between these two terms, since often we reference “the worship service.” So let’s define our terms: “Worship” in English comes from a compound word, “Worthy-Ship.” The Greek word translated “worship” means “to kiss the hand towards.” Literally the word was used to describe a dog licking his master’s hand. Symbolically, the word means to revere or submit. The Hebrew word translated “worship” means “to bow before.” When put together, we find a full definition of worship: “to bow, in reverence and submission, before something or someone of great worth.”
“Service," on the other hand, means simply “to serve,” like how you are served food at a restaurant or served court papers by a sheriff. Thus we find that “service” is a broad term, but “worship” is a more precise term. These two words have a square-rectangle relationship. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. In the same way, all worship is service, but not all service is worship. Worship is a very specific kind of service. Worship serves a specific purpose, in a specific setting, by a specific standard, by a specific kind of person.
The specific purpose, or rather purposes, of worship is to revere God and submit to Him. We revere God by offering praise unto Him, and in our minds, we learn to submit to Him. The setting of worship is typically as a congregation. God would not have us worship Him alone in lieu of worshipping Him together with faithful others (Hebrews 10:25). However, there are instances in which some worship can be done privately (e.g. prayer, Matthew 6:6). The standard of worship is not our mere whim —how we think we should worship God. Instead, God requires man to worship Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24). God has outlined for us in the New Testament how He wants us to worship Him. He wants us to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17). He wants us to sing (Ephesians 5:19). He wants us to preach (Acts 20:7). He wants us to contribute financially (1 Corinthians 16:2). He wants us to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-28). These last two are to be done every Sunday. The former three should be done with more frequency.
To add to these acts of worship would be wrong, and to remove from them would be wrong (Deuteronomy 4:2). Though service is good, like fishing and hunting and what have you, service does not replace worship.
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