WORSHIP ARTICLE | William Stewart | Kingston, Ontario
Who is the audience when we worship? This may seem like an odd question, but it strikes at the very heart of what true worship is about. In an age where churches seek to tailor services to attract people, we risk forgetting who worship is for. Is the focus of our worship on pleasing human participants and observers—or is our aim to honour the living God?
Worship designed to appeal to man’s preferences is measured by how it makes the worshipper feel rather than whether it truly glorifies God. Such shifts the purpose of worship from God-centered to human-centered and mistakes man as the audience of worship rather than God.
Worship Has Always Been About God
True worship begins and ends with God. From the first offerings of Abel (Genesis 4:4) to the songs of heaven in Revelation 5, worship is directed to the Lord. The word itself—whether Hebrew shachah (to bow down) or Greek proskuneō (to kiss toward)—implies reverence and submission to one greater than ourselves.
When the Israelites gathered at the tabernacle, every sacrifice, song, and prayer was an acknowledgment: “The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39). Their worship was not entertainment for spectators but a humble response to the divine majesty.
The significance of worship is certainly not exclusive to the Old Testament. Jesus emphasized that true worshipers “will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). The Father is the object or the audience of our worship, and what we offer Him must align with His nature and will. Our worship is a spiritual response to God, not a performance for ourselves or others.
The Danger of Human-Centered Worship
Measuring Worship by Our Feelings
In modern culture, people often ask, “Did you enjoy the worship today?” or “Was the worship good?” Those questions reveal much about our focus. They imply we are the judges and our emotions determine whether worship succeeded.
But worship is not meant to be evaluated—it is meant to be offered. When the focus is on self-satisfaction, style, or personal preference, worship becomes horizontal rather than vertical.
Israel fell into that trap many times. God said through Isaiah:
“This people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me.” — Isaiah 29:13
Their worship became nothing more than a hollow ritualistic display, for their hearts were focused on self rather than God.
The Entertainment Trap
Human-centered worship easily drifts toward performance. How moving and awe-inspiring was the music? Was the sermon fascinating and riveting? Did we have an engaging atmosphere? Were the PowerPoint slides compelling and eye-catching? Lights! Camera! Action! We must be cautious, for our hearts can subtly be trained to think of worship as a show designed to impress an audience of people. If worship is designed primarily to please the congregation, then God has been demoted from Audience to Spectator. How is that not a form of idolatry disguised as true worship?
God-Centered Worship: The True Focus
God Is Both Object and Audience
God-centered worship remembers that He is both the object (the One we adore) and the audience (the One we address). Every prayer, every song, every act of giving, and every moment of meditation should have Him in mind.
Jesus told the Samaritan woman:
“The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” — John 4:23
The Father seeks worshipers. God Himself desires our worship. It is not that He needs our praise; rather, it is the appropriate response of the creature to the Creator and of the saved to the Saviour.
Worship That Centers on His Worthiness
The word worship comes from the old English worth-ship—to ascribe worth. God-centered worship begins by acknowledging His greatness.
In Revelation 4:11, the heavenly beings declare:
“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things.”
The essence of worship is the recognition of God’s worth, not our feelings. A song that exalts God’s holiness, even if sung off-key, is more pleasing to Him than a flawless performance aimed at impressing people.
Worship That Responds to Revelation
God-centered worship always responds to what God has revealed about Himself. When Isaiah saw the Lord “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1), his first reaction was humility: “Woe is me!” Then, after being cleansed, he offered himself: “Here am I! Send me.”
The early church’s worship was a direct response to the apostolic teaching. Acts 2:42 reads:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer…”
They didn’t invent and experiment with new forms of worship; they continued diligently in what was revealed. Their praise, prayers, and fellowship were all rooted in what God had made known through the gospel.
Examples of Misplaced Audience in Scripture
Scripture gives us several sobering examples of what happens when worship turns inward or outward instead of upward.
- Cain refused to give what would essentially be a sin offering (Genesis 4:3-5), instead, giving what would be akin to a grain offering. He gave what he wanted, what he was comfortable with, not what he was expected and commanded to give. His worship was not about God but about himself.
- Nadab and Abihu failed to seek God’s instruction for the offering of incense. Instead, they did what they thought was right and presumptively used profane fire (Leviticus 10:1–2). Their innovation minimized the Lord and His will. Their worship was self-directed not God-directed.
- Saul allowed the Amalekite sheep and oxen to be spared so they could be used for sacrifice to the LORD (1 Samuel 15:17-23). He perceived this to be good, but Samuel identified Saul’s actions as rebellion, stubbornness and a rejection of the word of God. One cannot rightly offer to God in worship what He has rejected.
- The Pharisee prayers were on display to garner attention from the people and boast of their self-righteousness, not to praise God (Matthew 6:5; Luke 18:9-14). Their fasting was not about focusing the mind and attention upon the Lord; it was a public display to exalt themselves before the masses (Matthew 6:16). And of their teaching and preaching, Jesus cited the prophet Isaiah, “…in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7).
Whether the root cause is arrogance or ignorance, any effort at worship which sets aside God’s will and focuses our attention or that of others away from God is vain and supplants the true audience of worship – the Lord God.
Practical Marks of God-Centered Worship
How can we know whether our worship is truly God-centered? Here are a few indicators drawn from Scripture:
It Aims to Please God, Not People
Paul wrote:
“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” — Galatians 1:10
If our aim in worship is to please or appease men, something is wrong. God and His way must be central to our worship. Worship that please man does not necessarily please the Lord. If worship that pleases the Lord does not please us, we’ve got a heart issue.
It Is Rooted in Truth
Worship must be informed by God’s Word. Emotional intensity is no substitute for spiritual authenticity. The worshipers of God must worship “in spirit and truth.” Truth guards us from self-deception and ensures our worship aligns with God’s revealed will.
It Exalts God’s Character, Not Man’s Creativity
God-centered worship aims to proclaim and honour the name of God. All aspects of our worship should be rich in content about God, His way, and His holiness, not a showcase for our talents or eloquence. The Psalmist wrote, “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:2). True worship is about God and His holiness, not us and our style, expressiveness, or passion.
It Leads To Obedience Beyond The Assembly
When God is the focus, worship changes us. It deepens humility, strengthens obedience, and renews joy. We come away with greater love for God and desire to do His will. Genuine God-centered worship doesn’t end with the closing prayer – it will yield outcomes in our daily life. Peter described Christians with worship-related language (spiritual house, holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices), and noted the transformative effect it has – “…that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light … having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles…” (1 Peter 2:5, 9, 12).
The Congregation as Participants, Not Spectators
In a God-centered assembly, every person present is an active worshiper, not a passive audience. The “performers” are not those on a stage or at the front of the assembly, but the whole church lifting hearts together toward heaven.
In Colossians 3:16, Paul writes:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”
We sing to one another and to the Lord. We pray together. We partake together. Worship is not a concert to watch; it’s a communion to share (Ephesians 4:15-16; 5:19-21). The preacher is not performing for approval or to demonstrate his oratory prowess. He speaks the word in the presence of God and before fellow worshipers. His duty is to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) and the hearers have a responsibility to be attentive (Acts 10:33; 17:11). The goal is not entertainment but edification—to build up the body in truth and love.
When Worship Becomes Truly Satisfying
Ironically, when worship stops being about us, that’s when it becomes most satisfying. Human-centered worship feeds momentary emotion, but God-centered worship nourishes the soul.
David said,
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” — Psalm 17:15
Satisfaction in worship is not found in the music, the preacher, or the atmosphere. It is found in beholding and imitating the character of God. It is about knowing God more and more. Indeed, when we come together, our aim should echo the heavenly chorus:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” — Revelation 5:13
Conclusion: The Audience That Matters Most
At every worship service, two potential audiences exist: one human, one divine. The approach to one is outward (or perhaps even inward), the other is upward. A focus on the human audience will ask, “What did I get out of worship today?” A focus on the Lord will inquire, “Did God receive glory from me today?”
In worship, God has not come to a show we are putting on. No, it is we who come to Him that we might appear in His presence. As we do so, may our hearts be humbled, our songs sincere, our prayers reverent, our giving with liberality, our remembrance of the Saviour with gratitude, and our teaching with faithfulness to God’s word. In all this, God will be glorified. Indeed, that is the highest purpose of worship—to delight the heart of our Creator and Redeemer.
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory.” — Psalm 115:1
______________________________
October 2025 | GROW magazine
Download PDF of the October 2025 issue
