A Theology  of  Worship

Definition of Worship

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” – Romans 12:1

We were created to worship God!

We believe that God intricately, delicately, and creatively crafted us into existence with the sole purpose of worshiping Him and bringing Him glory!  Webster defines worship as, “regarding with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.”  Worship in its truest form, though, is recognizing who God is and who we are not.  Whether we know it or not, we are all worshipers of someone or something; it could be time, money, our jobs, our spouses, or God.  Without a doubt, what we worship will affect the way we live.  Our lives should be the living proof of what or who we worship.  One of our goals at Nittany Bible Church is to equip our people to live a life of worship, whether at work or at home or at church.  We want to encourage everyone to live a life in close relationship to God . . . what an awesome and humbling privilege!  When we recognize His grace and mercy, our desire should be to respond in worship with our lives, and with our voices.  Our worship is holy because we are made holy in Christ, and our worship can only be acceptable if it is perfected in Christ.

 

Heart of Worship

“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” – Isaiah 29:13

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” – John 4:23

Worship is an overflow of the abundant Spirit-Life we have in Christ.

The act of worship is all about the heart.  You can appear to worship God outwardly, but it all comes back to the posture of your heart.  It can’t be measured by externals, nor should it be.  God looks much deeper than our external appearance or external actions when we worship.  No one knows our heart better than our Creator.  Lifting your hands during a song doesn’t make you any more of a worshiper than someone who stands with their arms at their side.  And standing solemnly doesn’t make you more of a worshiper than someone who lifts their hands.  The very nature of worship should be all about the attitude of your heart.  When we choose to genuinely worship God, the inside will inevitably affect the outside.  Matt Redman in his song, appropriately entitled, “The Heart of Worship,” says it well:

When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come.  Longing just to bring, something that’s of worth that will bless Your Heart.  I’ll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself, is not what You have required.  You search much deeper within, through the way things appear.  You’re looking into my heart.

 

Worship at NBC

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:19-20

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess His Name.” – Hebrews 13:15

We recognize that our Sunday morning worship service is a time to worship God TOGETHER.

Our Worship Service is a time that strengthens our relationship with God, unifies the body, removes barriers, teaches selflessness, and breeds humility.  With that in mind, our heart and our mission is and will always be to craft authentic and Spirit-led worship.  We are not hung up on style.  In fact, you will not hear the words “Contemporary” or “Traditional” or “Praise Chorus” or “Hymn” in our service.  We believe that every musical genre has a worthy offering to be given in praise.  It may be Gaither or Third Day.  It may be Crowder or Wesley.  There will be older and younger, and we will be together.  We are a family, and we will worship as one.

Our worship is not ultimately directed to the unchurched or believers; our worship is directed to God.  If we clap, it is not to applaud the musician but to exude our praise to the One who gave the musician their ability.  Our worship is all about sacrifice and is not about entertaining or creating an emotional experience for our congregation.  A sacrifice of praise is when our worship costs us something . . . like giving, when the account is dry, singing when we have no song, or greeting another when our heart is empty or lonely.  If we are worshiping God not things, than all we do is praiseworthy to Him . . . whether we give or confess, whether we sing or remain silent and listen, whether we clap or kneel, whether we greet or testify.  Our worship is for God and Him alone.  We desire to see lives transformed, recognizing that God is the one who transforms us.