This is the fourth article in my series on Donald Whitney’s acclaimed classic, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. If you missed the earlier articles in this series, please follow this link and scroll to read them. Today I will provide a brief summary of Whitney’s chapter on the spiritual discipline of worship. All of the quotations below are also from Whitney’s book, including page references.
“WORSHIP IS. . . FOCUSING ON AND RESPONDING TO GOD” (103)
Whitney derives his definition from biblical accounts of worship, emphasizing those seen in Revelation 4 and 5. These passages boldly proclaim God’s unsurpassable worthiness of worship. Interpreting such descriptions of worship Whitney teaches,
To worship God means to ascribe the proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness of praise, or better to approach and address God as He is worthy. As the holy and almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Sovereign Judge to whom we must give an account, He is worthy of all the worth and honor we can give Him and then infinitely more. Notice, for instance, how those around the throne of God in Revelation 4:11 and 5:12 addressed God as “worthy” of so many things (103-04).
To understand God’s worthiness, unlike the heavenly creatures in these passages, we must turn to other sources than his physical presence to understand who He is and appropriately respond. These sources include God’s revelation of Himself through creation, Scripture, and the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:1-2) (104). Through the latter two of these we learn that God is holy [the summation of His character] (Rev. 4:8). In order to comprehend his holiness, Whitney teaches that meditating upon Scripture and the “person and work of Christ as found in the Bible” is essential. Furthermore, this comprehension is what in turn compels us to worship God (emphasis mine). Whitney makes this simple: “much revelation of God fosters much focus on God, which in turn evokes much worship of God” (104-05).
Whitney emphasizes that the truth of the above principle is why it is so important that “all worship of God—public, family, and private worship should be based upon and include much of the Bible” (105). Scripture teaches us the right responses to God in worship. One of the reasons Whitney calls our attention to Revelation 4 and 5 is because this passage clearly demonstrates the responses of the heavenly beings to God in worship. Their compulsion to worship prompts not only words of worship and singing, but a shift in physical posture—falling on their faces prostrate before God and the Lamb. Similarly, Whitney asserts that we should “sing biblically saturated songs as both a musical declaration of God’s truth and a biblical response (praise and thanksgiving) to the revelation of God.” In addition, Whitney cites prayer and the observance of the sacraments/ordinances of baptism as biblical responses (105).
Whitney states,
Worship often includes words and actions, but it goes beyond them to the focus of the mind and heart. Worship is the God-centered focus and response of the soul; it is being preoccupied with God. So no matter what you are saying or singing or doing at any moment, you are worshiping only when He is at the center of your attention. But whenever you do focus on the infinite worth of God you will respond in worship as surely as the moon reflects the sun. This kind of worship is not in vain. (106).
“WORSHIP IS . . . DONE IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH” (106)
Whitney affirms, as Scripture teaches,—that only those who have become Christ’s disciples by repentance and faith can truly worship Him. This is because these are the only people who have in them the Holy Spirit. This truth is taught by Jesus in John 4:23-24 (106): “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. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Secondly, as Whitney teaches, “we worship God as He is revealed in the Bible, not as we might want Him to be.” Thus we worship Him according to the truth of Scripture, meaning also that “we worship God in the ways to which He has given His approval in Scripture” (107). Whitney emphasizes the richness of this enterprise, teaching (according to Mark 12:30) that worshiping in spirit and in truth “involves both heart and head . . . both emotion and thought.” Wonderfully, he further explains that these two complement one another, as a “heart for God” longs for more of His truth, and knowledge of the truth leads to a heart for God (109).
“WORSHIP IS . . . EXPECTED BOTH PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY” (110)
Whitney cites Hebrews 10:25 as evidence of the necessity of public worship, concluding, “[T]he core of the Discipline of worship involves developing the habit of faithfully assembling with other Christians where the primary purpose is to worship God.” Clearly we cannot be the church if we are isolated [an ever-increasing problem in modern culture]! Jesus was faithful to Sabbath worship in the synagogue (Luke 4:16) and to significant time in private prayer. Finally, Whitney cites God’s eager desire to “bless us” as one of the reasons for private devotions—the blessing that comes from seeking “the glory and enjoyment of God forever” (111-13).
“WORSHIP . . . IS A DISCIPLINE TO BE CULTIVATED” (113)
True worship requires discipline of every believer (113). Whitney states, “. . . [worship] is the response of a heart evoked by the beauty, glory, and allure of the object of your mental focus—holy God.” No one can do this for us, we must discipline ourselves to worship, thus it is “a Discipline that must be cultivated” (emphasis mine). The cultivation of this discipline serves as both “an end and a means.” As Whitney states, “No higher goal or greater spiritual pleasure exists than focusing on and responding to God.” However, the discipline of worship is also a means to our own sanctification, resulting in godliness—“because people become like their focus” (114). Whitney asserts that we should not expect to be able to develop the skills of worship in isolation. He states, “The development of any Discipline, from hitting a golf ball to playing the piano, almost always requires outside help from those with more experience.” We should not shy away from seeking the help of others (115).
CONCLUSION
How can we honor and glorify God through the spiritual discipline of worship? We follow Whitney’s counsel and understand that worship requires focusing upon God through the means He has provided—the revelation of Himself through creation, Scripture, and Christ the Son. Also we recognize that worship is a response to God according to the ways that He has prescribed in his Word, understanding that worship must be done in spirit and in truth. Finally we discipline ourselves to grow in both public and private worship realizing that worship is not only an end in itself, but a means to godliness. Whitney’s instruction can help each of us in these areas. I commend to you this excellent book, that in everything the Church may deepen its practice of God-centered worship.
Source: Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life. Rev. Ed. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014.