Worship is Warfare, Not a Circus
Worship is warfare. But far too many churches turn it into a clown show.
When the church gathers for worship each Lord’s day, we are engaging in a spiritual battle against real evil spirits in the unseen realm.
Every hymn sung, every prayer offered, every word of truth proclaimed—all these are like a battering ram striking blow after blow against the gates of hell. Worship is not a casual activity or an afterthought in the Christian life. It is the central act of our existence, the purpose for which we were created. And by “worship,” I’m not just talking about the singing part. I’m talking about the whole gathering of God’s saints for the purpose of worship.
But far too often, Christians approach worship with a consumer mindset, evaluating services based on what they “get out of it.” Yet, the true purpose of worship is not to receive but to give—to give God the glory He is due. Paradoxically, it is in giving ourselves fully to God that we receive the greatest blessings: His presence, His grace, and His peace.
Much of the irreverence of the modern church is due to a concern for evangelism. The worship service is not so much about actually worshiping God, but putting on a hype-filled, high-octane religious performance to attract “seekers.”
Having been in these environments many times, one thing stands out. I don’t leave the worship service thinking more about God. I leave thinking about the church itself. The music, the message, the coffee, the people, the building—whatever. These worship experiences create the sense that God exists to help me with my problems. God is a “fix it” kind of deity and the Bible is the ultimate “how to” manual: how to fix your marriage, how to fix your finances, how to fix your children, and so on.
Worship isn’t entertainment. It’s not a concert, a motivational speech, or a variety show. Worship is an encounter with the living God. Anything less is unworthy of Him. Anything else is a distraction.
Worship is a Dangerous Encounter with God
A. W. Tozer once said, “what comes into our minds when we think of God is the more important thing about us.” This is vitally connected to worship.
We can easily regard worship as a serene, predictable routine—a few songs, a sermon, seeing my friends. Yet scripture paints a far more powerful and sobering picture of what it means to worship. Worship is not merely a gathering for self-expression or encouragement, though it includes those elements. At its core, worship is a response to the holy and sovereign God who invites His people into His presence, not as an optional activity, but as an act of obedience, devotion, and spiritual warfare.
When properly understood, worship is both dangerous and transformative. It is dangerous because it brings us into the presence of a God who is holy, consuming, and uncompromising. Yet, it is transformative because, in worship, God changes us, equips us for spiritual battle, and aligns our hearts with His purposes.
The danger of worship lies in the nature of God Himself. He is not a “safe” deity. The Bible repeatedly underscores the holiness of God and the care required in approaching Him.
In Exodus 24, God invites Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders to approach Him on Mount Sinai. Yet even this invitation comes with boundaries: only Moses is permitted to draw near. The others must remain at a distance. This distinction reinforces a key truth: it is God’s prerogative to determine how He is worshiped and by whom.
In Leviticus 10:1–3, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, offer “unauthorized fire” before the Lord. Their deviation from God’s prescribed method of worship results in their immediate death, as fire from the Lord consumes them. They were not worshiping idols; they were attempting to worship the One true God, but in an unauthorized way, and they lost their lives for it.
In Isaiah 6, during the prophet’s famous encounter in the temple, he saw the LORD, smoke filled the sanctuary, and the thresholds shook as six-winged serpentine figures blazed above repeatedly shouting in antiphonal praise, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” (Isaiah 6). As he beheld this magnificent spectacle, Isaiah came undone, filled with awe, overwhelmed, utterly humbled.
The New Testament reinforces this idea. In 1 Corinthians 14:40, Paul admonishes the church to conduct worship “decently and in order.” While we no longer follow the exact rituals of the Old Testament, the underlying principle remains: worship is to be approached with reverence, in accordance with God’s revealed will. The author of Hebrews tells us, “our God is a consuming fire” (12:29).
These stories remind us that worship is not about what feels right to us, but about what is acceptable to God.
God Cares About How He is Worshiped
In scripture, every time someone encounters God its is a life-changing experience. Even encounters with angels tempted men to fall before them in worship! And when God showed up in Scripture, there were earthquakes, fire, thunder, and smoke. His presence was overwhelming, terrifying, and glorious.
God cares about how we worship Him. About 25% of the book of Exodus is a description of the tabernacle: cubits and measurements, threads and colors, vestments, utensils, basins, bread, wine, altars, and curtains. All these things needed to be measured and crafted according to God’s precise prescriptions.
Why? Because worship matters. God didn’t leave the Israelites to “figure it out.” God’s holiness hasn’t changed, but the way we approach worship has. In many modern churches, we’ve taken the lion of Judah and turned him into a domesticated house cat.
If you think you can approach God casually or flippantly, you haven’t seen Him as He truly is. He is high and lifted up, seated on a throne, the train of His robe filling the temple. True worship is always marked by awe.
True Worship is Transformative
Worship transforms. You come to worship God, weighed down by sin and failure, and God meets you with grace. Through the Word and the sacraments, He assures you of forgiveness and draws you closer to Himself. When approached rightly, worship shapes us into the image of Christ, equips us for spiritual battle, and strengthens the church as a community of faith.
Worship transforms us by exposing our sin and offering us God’s grace. Like Isaiah, we come into worship unclean, aware of our failures and inadequacies. Yet, through the blood of Jesus Christ, our sins are atoned for, and our guilt is taken away. This cycle of confession and assurance is central to Christian worship. It humbles us before God while reminding us of His infinite grace.
Worship is Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:12 tells us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
In other words, worship is a weapon in a spiritual battle. When God’s people gather to sing His praises, proclaim His Word, and partake of His sacraments, they are assaulting the gates of hell. Worship is a cosmic event. When believers gather, they join their voices with the angelic hosts in heaven, declaring the glory of God and advancing His kingdom. Even the simplest acts of worship—a hymn sung off-key in a country church, a whispered prayer in a struggling congregation—are infused with divine power.
Worship reminds us that we are part of a larger story—God’s redemptive work in the world. Our shared experience of worship unites us, builds relationships, and encourages us to persevere in faith. Worship is not just about what we individually receive; it is about what we corporately give to God and to each other.
Worship Demands Reverence and Preparation
Given these realities, how should we approach worship faithfully? I offer these two words of counsel: (1) reverence and (2) preparation.
Reverence means coming to worship with a sense of awe and humility, recognizing that we are entering the presence of the King of Kings. It means taking seriously the call to worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), with hearts fully engaged and minds fixed on Him.
Preparation involves both practical and spiritual readiness. Practically, it means prioritizing worship in our schedules, arriving on time, and engaging fully in the service. This also means examining our hearts, confessing our sins, and coming to worship with expectant faith.
Conclusion
Worship is far more than a weekly routine. It is a divine invitation to encounter the living God. Let us not forget what an extraordinary privilege and blessing of God’s grace it is that God welcomes us in worship!
Through the blood of Jesus, we are invited to approach God with confidence, knowing that our sins are forgiven and our worship is accepted. When we gather as a church to sing, pray, and hear God’s Word, we are participating in something far greater than ourselves—a heavenly chorus that echoes throughout eternity.
Let us, then, approach worship with awe and wonder, prepared to give God our best, and ready to be transformed by His power. For in worship, we find our true purpose and our greatest joy: to glorify the God who is worthy of all praise.
New Interview with Pastor Tom Ascol
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing pastor Tom Ascol on the Plain Speech Podcast.
Pastor Tom is one of the keynote speakers of the upcoming King’s Domain conference this May 8-10 in Cincinnati.
In this interview, Pastor Tom shares some of his war stories of serving in the same church for many decades. You’ll certainly be built up, encouraged, and instructed by this interview.
Youtube:
ANOTHER UPDATE for the King’s Domain Conference!
We’ve got one more great addition to the King’s Domain conference lineup to announce. Emily Foster, wife of pastor Michael Foster, will speak at a second women’s breakout session at the conference.
Emily’s bio: Emily Foster is a pilgrim traversing the through this world to the Celestial City, her parchment roll clutched to her heart. Married almost 22 years to her high school sweetheart. Homeschooling mother of eight, plus one in heaven. Lives on a farm in Batavia, OH with two dogs, five cats and about 50 chickens. Her favourite color is orange, prefers coffee over tea and bleeds Skyline Chili.
Emily’s talk: Future-Proof Motherhood will be about a few things Emily has learned over almost twenty years as a mom as well as a few she aspires to learn over the next twenty.
The conference is a little less than two months away, so make sure to register today to secure your spot!
Conference trailer:
For sponsorship options, send us an email for more info.
Thanks so much for this, brother. We recently visited a church like the one you described. It was mostly devoid of reverence for Christ, especially in singing. The preaching was marginally better. We visited with other family members since we were out of town, away from our home church. I find that many professing Christians do not know what to look for in a solid, Christ-exalting church (if they even care about that part). I’m not sure we even talk about this enough. I always hurt for those who seek self-satisfaction in worship. Sadly, we’ve all been there.
So encouraging. Thanks.