Bible Reference—Revelation 4:8:
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’’
Worship: More Than Music
Firstly, worship is not music.
Worship is anything that pleases God—your behavior, your thoughts, your actions, and your devotion. Worship is a life posture, not just a sound or a song (Colossians 3:17).
The Role of Emotion in Worship
Emotion is like the seat we occupy in worship—it is where our human response is stirred and expressed. The sincere expression of the heart cannot be downplayed. The Holy Spirit does not force Himself into the part of us that governs our will and actions. Instead, emotion serves as the point where our inner life is moved and expressed through physical action. It is the engine room of our visible response, but it is not the driver of worship itself (Psalm 103:1).
Spirit, Soul, and Light
The spirit of a man is not under his full control.
Man was created a living soul (Genesis 2:7). It was the spirit, breathed by God, that gave life to the soul. Think of the spirit as a light—the divine spark that animates and connects us to God. As John 1:4 says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”
God is the Father of lights (James 1:17), and it is from Him that this light—this spirit—originates.
Worship, therefore, must flow from the whole man:
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Grounded in truth
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Stirred by emotion
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Expressed through the soul
- Ignited by the spirit
Man’s Light Went Out
Every man (Adam) was created to be sustained in God’s presence.
The light within him—his spirit—was designed to remain alive and burning through continual connection with God’s presence and purpose. That light was never meant to be self-sustaining; it drew life from communion with the Creator.
But when man fell, the light went out.
He became a dead soul—still breathing, still thinking, but spiritually disconnected from the source of life. Separated from God, the spirit of man became darkened, and the soul lost its direction.
Man is only truly alive to God through the things of the Spirit.
It is by the Spirit that we are reawakened—our light rekindled—and our worship restored. As Romans 8:10 says:
If Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Soul, Not Just Spirit
Emotion is also what Scripture often refers to as the heart.
Notice that Psalm 103:1 says:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,”
—not “Bless the Lord, O my spirit.”
The soul, which includes emotion, mind, and will, is central to how we respond to God in worship.
Emotion is a healthy part of worship, but it is not the heart of it.
It must be guided by truth and spirit, not led by feeling alone.
In conclusion
In Part 2, we will explore the four key expressions of worship seen throughout Scripture and even reflected in the four living creatures described in Revelation 4:
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Worship as Dominion – the lion
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Worship as Sacrifice – the calf (or ox)
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Worship as Communion – the man
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Worship as Ascension – the eagle
Each expression represents a vital dimension of how we were created to worship as believers.
