Does your weekend worship experience ever leave you empty? Do some elements cause consternation? How do you experience and evaluate real worship from weekend to weekend at your church? Is the value and impact of the gathering tied to the kinds of songs that are sung or the inspiration provided by the sermon? Is the level of positive emotion you feel at any given moment the key criteria? Is the degree to which people make you feel welcomed and accepted a key factor?

Certainly, all of these have value and can enhance our appreciation for a particular worship gathering. But there is a biblical reality that is absolutely essential for a powerful, transformational worship experience. This truth is being clouded by many popular nuances in modern worship, leaving us short of the New Testament ideal, sometimes empty and even disillusioned.

Spirit-Produced Worship

In my book, Transforming Presence, I wrote extensively about widespread misunderstanding in the current Christian culture about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. This confusion is being perpetuated by common phrases promoted in the language of pastors, worship leaders, and congregants. The expressions are sincere but they are not New Testament ideas. Sadly, they create consternation and false expectations. More tragically, Christians across the landscape are missing the true biblical power of Spirit-produced worship; worship that is generated by the very indwelling presence of God in our lives, made real by the sufficiency of the cross and the truth of the gospel.

Christians across the landscape are missing the true biblical power of Spirit-produced worship; worship that is generated by the very indwelling presence of God in our lives, made real by the sufficiency of the cross and the truth of the gospel.

Outside-In Holdovers

In Transforming Presence I identify a wide range of confusing concepts, accompanied by helpful New Testament corrections. Here are just a few common phrases that emphasize more of an Old Testament, outside-in concept of worship rather than a New Testament, inside-out reality.

• “Welcome to the house of the Lord.”
• “Thank you that we can come into your presence.”
• “Holy Spirit, we welcome you.”
• “Holy Spirit, fill the atmosphere.”

Of course, a religious building is not the house of the Lord. In the Old Testament the tabernacle, and later the Temple, were the place of God’s dwelling. Today, our hearts are His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). As new covenant believers we can pray, “Thank you that your presence has come into us.” The power of the cross of Christ has made our hearts the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. We do not need to welcome the Spirit from some distant place. He is in us. Jesus did not die to sanctify atmospheres. He died to sanctify and fill hearts. To speak otherwise is to diminish and confuse the power of the cross.

As new covenant believers we can pray, “Thank you that your presence has come into us.” The power of the cross of Christ has made our hearts the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

We could go on and on. Believe me, in my travels I have heard countless ideas about the work of the Holy Spirit that leave me baffled. Words create worlds and we need to cultivate a truly gospel world when it comes to our worship.

Words create worlds and we need to cultivate a truly gospel world when it comes to our worship.

Eight Transforming Worship Realities

So here is a brief summary of some New Testament truths that have helpfully transformed my worship. This is more a personal testimony than a comprehensive argument[i] but I hope it will be helpful to you as a practical approach to your weekend experience.

1. ENTER worship with the powerful assurance that the presence of God is IN you – Through the person of the Holy Spirit the reality of pure worship lives in us to produce inside-out surrender, adoration, and gratitude.

2. EMBRACE the command to dwell richly on the Christ of the word and to let the word of the Christ dwell richly in you (Galatians 6:14; Colossians 3:16-17) – Paul made it clear that New Testament worship must be gospel-driven, gospel-centered, and gospel-cherished.

3. Consciously SURRENDER to the Spirit as the life-spring of your worship – The command of Ephesians 5:18 is very clear. We should be continually controlled by the indwelling life and character of the Holy Spirit. This is true for our daily walk and is the key to our participation in corporate worship.

4. RELY on the Spirit to produce inside-out worship, expressed in song – Both Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-20 make it clear that our singing is the fruit of the cherished word of Christ and the control of the Spirit. We do not sing to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but are filled with the Holy Spirit to sing. Our music does not mediate the Holy Spirit. The only reality that mediates the presence of the Holy Spirit is the finished work of Christ.

We do not sing to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but are filled with the Holy Spirit to sing. Our music does not mediate the Holy Spirit. The only reality that mediates the presence of the Holy Spirit is the finished work of Christ.

5. TRUST the Spirit to produce mutual ministry and submission as key manifestations of your worship – A clear fruit of the indwelling Spirit in our worship experience is mutual ministry via the Spirit-imparted gifts that manifest His life to others (1 Corinthians 12:7) and ongoing mutual submission to one another in all aspects of life (Ephesians 5:21-6:9; Colossians 3:18-4:1).

6. EXPECT the Spirit to make the word of God authoritative and alive in you – It is ultimately the indwelling Spirit that interprets and applies biblical truth to our hearts (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). The preacher is a mouthpiece. In reality, the Holy Spirit resides in us as a divine tutor, explaining and applying the truth He inspired in Scripture. This assurance changes the way we listen to and respond to the preached word of God.

The Holy Spirit resides in us as a divine tutor, explaining and applying the truth He inspired in Scripture. This assurance changes the way we listen to and respond to the preached word of God.

7. ALLOW the Spirit to produce Christ-honoring emotion – In my book, I took an entire chapter to demonstrate that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exhibit emotion. Paul was often very emotional in the writings and experiences of his ministry. We are to love the Lord with our entire heart, mind, and strength. As we worship we should remember that emotion is a wonderful servant but not always a good master. But we should trust the indwelling Spirit to produce Christ-honoring emotion as we are moved at the core of our being by the glory of the gospel.

As we worship we should remember that emotion is a wonderful servant but not always a good master. But we should trust the indwelling Spirit to produce Christ-honoring emotion as we are moved at the core of our being by the glory of the gospel.

8. PURSUE the Spirit’s primary goal in your worship: The glory of Jesus Christ – Jesus made the Spirit’s purposes clear: “He will glorify me” (John 16:14). The mark of a Spirit-filled, -empowered, and -prompted worship experience is very clear: Jesus is glorified. Anything that overshadows this goal and outcome should be suspect.

The mark of a Spirit-filled, -empowered, and -prompted worship experience is very clear: Jesus is glorified. Anything that overshadows this goal and outcome should be suspect.

A Prayer for Spirit-Filled, New Testament Worship

So this Sunday, whether you are a worship leader, a pastor, or a person in the pew, I encourage you to anchor your worship in the clear, truly New Testament realities. A prayer like this might just transform the meaning and impact of your worship from week to week and every day in between:

“Father, in Jesus’ name, I come to worship today. I set my heart to glory in Christ and cherish the word of His gospel as the driving truth of my experience. Holy Spirit, I submit to your sufficient and supernatural presence in my life – trusting you to produce Christ-exalting worship in and through me as I sing and adore your name and glorious works. Holy Spirit, teach me the word of truth you have inspired, bringing clarity, conviction, and transformation in my life. Holy Spirit, use me to manifest your gracious gifts to build up others today and lead me in a continual lifestyle of willing submission to others. Stir in me passionate and sincere love for God – with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. And I pray that the one ambition and outcome of my worship will be the glory of Jesus Christ, my savior and Lord. Amen.”

Copyright © 2023 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

[i] Transforming Presence presents practical but well-documented teaching on these truths, featuring over 250 footnotes from historic and current theologians. A full array of small group resources is also available at http://www.transformingpresencebook.com/.