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Adorar, la máxima prioridad
Nada es más importante que adorar. Y adorar es más que las actividades formales que realizamos en la iglesia; adorar es algo personal antes que público.
Este no es un libro acerca de la adoración en la iglesia. John MacArthur realizó muchas encuestas acerca de la enseñanza bíblica sobre la adoración y nos argumenta bíblicamente un nuevo concepto de adoración. La máxima prioridad es un llamado a un tipo de adoración absolutamente radical que busca adorar a Dios continuamente, de acuerdo al modelo bíblico.
Este no es un libro acerca de la adoración en la iglesia. John MacArthur realizó muchas encuestas acerca de la enseñanza bíblica sobre la adoración y nos argumenta bíblicamente un nuevo concepto de adoración. La máxima prioridad es un llamado a un tipo de adoración absolutamente radical que busca adorar a Dios continuamente, de acuerdo al modelo bíblico.
238 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
194 people are currently reading
815 people want to read
About the author
John F. MacArthur Jr.
1,344 books1,916 followersJohn F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 1, 2022
Probably my 2nd favorite book written by Johnny Mac. it does a great job explaining the what, who and why. It goes into detail explaining “what” worship is and looks like. talking about “who” the subject of our worship should be (spoiler it’s God). Why do we worship God? Why does God want worship? Why SHOULD we worship God? Stuff like that. Sometimes I think we forget how powerful, holy, infinite, and merciful God is. Every now and then we might find ourselves just going through the motions when we worship. John wonderfully reminds us that we should worship in reverence and with intention.
Overall a very good read if you read to learn. It’s an easy read while also appealing to the more intellectual reader. You don’t need to be super familiar with theology either in order to appreciate it. It’s usually one of the first books I recommend someone.
Overall a very good read if you read to learn. It’s an easy read while also appealing to the more intellectual reader. You don’t need to be super familiar with theology either in order to appreciate it. It’s usually one of the first books I recommend someone.
November 14, 2020
No había dimensionado la profundidad de la adoración a la luz de la Palabra De Dios pero al muy buen estilo del autor, el libro me ha ayudado a aprender mucho y me reta a ponerlo en práctica.
Actualmente se limita frecuentemente la adoración a cantar o tocar un instrumento pero es mucho más que eso según se evidencia en las ideas del libro. Lo recomiendo mucho!
Actualmente se limita frecuentemente la adoración a cantar o tocar un instrumento pero es mucho más que eso según se evidencia en las ideas del libro. Lo recomiendo mucho!
June 29, 2021
Life Changing perspective on what worship is all about. I loaned my book to my pastor because it's a must read for all in the ministry.
July 2, 2025
Such a powerful and convicting book. It has really helped me reflect on my own life and how I worship. Will definitely be coming back to this book often for insight, wisdom and reminders of what it means to truly worship in Spirit and Truth!
August 30, 2022
One of the best of many great works written by Johnnie Mac! Really strong look at what the Bible and God desires from us as worshipers. So many convicting parts and challenges throughout the book!
June 21, 2025
MacArthur will guide you through scripture, and leave you convicted about the way you worship.
May 31, 2025
An excellent book on worship. It was thought provoking and convicting. It made me look twice at some of the "hymns" I grew up on, and the shallowness of modern contemporary worship. Truth matters.
June 8, 2016
About The Book
Tackling a subject as broad as worship can be intimidating for anyone, but I think MacArthur has specific interests and firmly rooted in his perspective. That perspective guides the worship style and practice of his church on every front. Naturally, when I had the opportunity to hear an in-depth discourse on MacArthur's theology behind worship I had to pick up the book and read it. With the original book written almost thirty years ago it still came across as relevant in today's worship culture inside churches. It's a tribute to MacArthur's core value of basing his theology and practice when it comes to worship on scripture alone.
In the beginning of this book he takes time to build his case of what worship is supposed to be from the Bible and he tackles instances when worship is wrong. He describes how several stories about how the proper practices of worship without the proper heart in worship is still worship gone wrong.
A far more subtle kind of false worship than any of the three we have mentioned is the worship of the true God in the right way, with a wrong attitude."
Aren't we all guilty of this at one point or another in our walk with Christ? It's tremendously easy to go about worship, especially in a corporate church setting, simply going through the motions and never thinking about the state of our heart. As MacArthur states in this book, that's hypocrisy, not worship.
Throughout the book he dives into a rich study of who God is and why He alone is worthy of our worship. He takes a look at the attributes of God, the Holiness of God and several other directions to draw the reader's attention consistently back to God as the sole focus of worship. He also speaks to our response to this foundational truth in how we worship the Lord in spirit and truth and with our mind. He uses the encounter and exchange with the women at the well to drive this point home, which is one of the richest passages regarding worship theology in the New Testament.
My Thoughts
I'll admit it from the outset that there were times I really struggled to push through this book. The bookends of this book I found really encouraging and convicting, but the middle chapters were seemed to be piling one central idea of God being worthy of worship. In my opinion, some of these ideas and well-intentioned focuses could have been condensed just a bit. With that said, I think it is one of the more scriptural founded and well-rounded book on worship that I have seen.
I also found it encouraging that there wasn't a lot of time spent on the culture war or worship styles. That probably has more to do with the time period this book was written in, but it's appreciated none the less. Worship isn't about style, it's about our focus on God and the attitude of our hearts.
Tackling a subject as broad as worship can be intimidating for anyone, but I think MacArthur has specific interests and firmly rooted in his perspective. That perspective guides the worship style and practice of his church on every front. Naturally, when I had the opportunity to hear an in-depth discourse on MacArthur's theology behind worship I had to pick up the book and read it. With the original book written almost thirty years ago it still came across as relevant in today's worship culture inside churches. It's a tribute to MacArthur's core value of basing his theology and practice when it comes to worship on scripture alone.
In the beginning of this book he takes time to build his case of what worship is supposed to be from the Bible and he tackles instances when worship is wrong. He describes how several stories about how the proper practices of worship without the proper heart in worship is still worship gone wrong.
A far more subtle kind of false worship than any of the three we have mentioned is the worship of the true God in the right way, with a wrong attitude."
Aren't we all guilty of this at one point or another in our walk with Christ? It's tremendously easy to go about worship, especially in a corporate church setting, simply going through the motions and never thinking about the state of our heart. As MacArthur states in this book, that's hypocrisy, not worship.
Throughout the book he dives into a rich study of who God is and why He alone is worthy of our worship. He takes a look at the attributes of God, the Holiness of God and several other directions to draw the reader's attention consistently back to God as the sole focus of worship. He also speaks to our response to this foundational truth in how we worship the Lord in spirit and truth and with our mind. He uses the encounter and exchange with the women at the well to drive this point home, which is one of the richest passages regarding worship theology in the New Testament.
My Thoughts
I'll admit it from the outset that there were times I really struggled to push through this book. The bookends of this book I found really encouraging and convicting, but the middle chapters were seemed to be piling one central idea of God being worthy of worship. In my opinion, some of these ideas and well-intentioned focuses could have been condensed just a bit. With that said, I think it is one of the more scriptural founded and well-rounded book on worship that I have seen.
I also found it encouraging that there wasn't a lot of time spent on the culture war or worship styles. That probably has more to do with the time period this book was written in, but it's appreciated none the less. Worship isn't about style, it's about our focus on God and the attitude of our hearts.
July 30, 2012
This is a very good work on worship, and makes a good companion to Gospel Worship, by Jeremiah Burroughs. MacArthur is a very engaging author and his style of writing, as well as the topic, kept me engaged throughout the book. He emphasizes the holiness of God and gives much practical application on how to glorify God and worship him properly, all grounded in scripture. Worship is not something confined to Sundays, in a church building; its a way of life and a worldview that all Christians should strive for, in spite of our sinful natures. MacArthur compares the state of worship in evangelical churches today with what it should be as laid out in Scripture. This was an outstanding, convicting work, and as I mentioned, a worthy adjunct to Gospel Worship.
March 24, 2021
My issue with this book is when MacArthur starts confusing an opinion with biblical revelation. A lot of good solid theology, but when he goes off (again) on what is or isn't acceptable preaching, when there is no biblical mandate, it's frustrating.
December 16, 2023
This book is a 2012 update to the original John MacArthur wrote in 2012. It has much to offer on the subject of worship, beginning with his introduction that emphasizes worship as our ultimate purpose, that it properly understood as a full-time / all the time human activity, and that our modern understanding of worship is sometimes inadequate: in current evangelical parlance, “worship” often is equated with “singing.”
To deal with the subject, MacArthur defines and explores the subject of worship, transitions to the object of worship—God, then to the substantive change in worship that resulted from the work of Christ on the cross. He then examines the where, who and how questions before summarizing his understanding of Biblical teaching on the subject. An appendix that delves into the history of American church sacred music ends the book and has an important perspective on how the genre has changed over the past two centuries.
The strengths of the book are his Biblical understanding of what worship is, his emphasis on worship as our fundamental human purpose, his emphasis on worship as a whole-life / all of life activity, and the idea of worship as giving—not getting.
His approach to the subject also has weaknesses. The transition to “whom” to worship leads in a four-chapter discussion of the theology of God. He is the right subject of worship, for sure, but MacArthur’s discussion of God seems over-long for the purpose of the book and woefully short and inadequate to explain God; he focuses on just a few of God’s attributes (immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence and holiness. Are these the only attributes worthy of worship?). Also, though MacArthur strongly supports the idea of worship as a whole life / all of life activity, this prose focuses mostly on worship in the gathering of the community of believers—a church service. It would have been nice to have him explore all of life worship more fully. Finally, a chapter entitled “Worship the Father” invites a reader to think he will argue worship is property given only to the Father. It’s not his view, and the chapter rightly concludes every person of the Godhead is worthy of worship. But it was an odd choice for a chapter heading.
Despite these weaknesses, the book is a good and important study of the subject and worth a reader’s attention.
To deal with the subject, MacArthur defines and explores the subject of worship, transitions to the object of worship—God, then to the substantive change in worship that resulted from the work of Christ on the cross. He then examines the where, who and how questions before summarizing his understanding of Biblical teaching on the subject. An appendix that delves into the history of American church sacred music ends the book and has an important perspective on how the genre has changed over the past two centuries.
The strengths of the book are his Biblical understanding of what worship is, his emphasis on worship as our fundamental human purpose, his emphasis on worship as a whole-life / all of life activity, and the idea of worship as giving—not getting.
His approach to the subject also has weaknesses. The transition to “whom” to worship leads in a four-chapter discussion of the theology of God. He is the right subject of worship, for sure, but MacArthur’s discussion of God seems over-long for the purpose of the book and woefully short and inadequate to explain God; he focuses on just a few of God’s attributes (immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence and holiness. Are these the only attributes worthy of worship?). Also, though MacArthur strongly supports the idea of worship as a whole life / all of life activity, this prose focuses mostly on worship in the gathering of the community of believers—a church service. It would have been nice to have him explore all of life worship more fully. Finally, a chapter entitled “Worship the Father” invites a reader to think he will argue worship is property given only to the Father. It’s not his view, and the chapter rightly concludes every person of the Godhead is worthy of worship. But it was an odd choice for a chapter heading.
Despite these weaknesses, the book is a good and important study of the subject and worth a reader’s attention.
November 15, 2019
This is the best book I have read in describing worship. He argues that the center of worship is the sermon. I would argue that true worship is that which involves the congregation. The sermon requires the congregation to be an observer much as a fan at an athletic event. It seems to me that congregational singing, and giving to the offering and individual prayer time is true worship as well as baptisms and taking the Lord's Supper . In the last chapter he discusses the difference between hymns, gospel music and contemporary music. The later two tend to appeal to our emotions. Hymn focuses our intellect to God. He says most hymn were written before the 19th century, Ira Sankey stated the movement to gospel music. Hymns have more Bible and theology than gospel or contemporary music.
April 30, 2023
One of the books our church gave us. This is one of those "It's not you, it's me" situations. I came to this book hoping it would be one thing (an exploration of examples and directives throughout the Bible regarding the practice of worship), and when it turned out to be another (a gospel presentation bookended with a discussion about why worship is important) it was difficult to make the mental adjustment. Still a very good read, even if it does tend to have a little too much "kids these days" for my taste.
UPDATE: having reread this again this year, I can say that if you go into I with correct expectations, as a theology of worship rather than a how-to guide for weekly worship, it's actually really helpful.
UPDATE: having reread this again this year, I can say that if you go into I with correct expectations, as a theology of worship rather than a how-to guide for weekly worship, it's actually really helpful.
September 16, 2020
John MacArthur on Worship. MacArthur on Worship May be better than MacArthur on Lordship. You knew it was going to be good. Even with all that had been going on in 2020. 2020 is really the real life application of what is seen in this book. He argues for the regulative principle with biblical examples and demonstrates that God is to be worship only is the manner that he has prescribed. This requires an accurate detailed analysis of what exactly worship is. Then understanding by looking at the service you attend and the life you lead to see exactly who it is that is being worshipped. Devotional and analytical as well as convicting.
October 24, 2021
Horrible. Miserable. This book is written by a pandemic-denying cessationist who wants to tell me about worship. I read this as part of a book group and couldn’t wait for us to move on to the next book. This went in the recycling as soon as I was done. Perhaps it should have gone in the compost.
Seriously, I am in the darkest place in my life right now. I am wondering what Christianity is all about, and why worship is something that God would even want. What kind of God demands worship?
So I read this book, trying to answer those questions, and basically this book made me even more angry. It also made me realize that there may be no human on earth who actually understands worship.
Seriously, I am in the darkest place in my life right now. I am wondering what Christianity is all about, and why worship is something that God would even want. What kind of God demands worship?
So I read this book, trying to answer those questions, and basically this book made me even more angry. It also made me realize that there may be no human on earth who actually understands worship.
April 24, 2024
This one is DENSE, but highly informative. MacArthur breaks down the definition of worship, starting with the etymology of the word, then conducting a survey of worship throughout the Bible. The only thing I disagree with is his interpretation of John 4’s “Spirit and Truth” discussion. Even then, I don’t disagree with the application drawn, just the proof test that is used. I think support can be found elsewhere for his conclusion, and a chance for better understanding of Christ’s role in our worship could have been taught using John 4.
If you want to learn more about worship, I highly recommend.
If you want to learn more about worship, I highly recommend.
May 27, 2024
I was expecting more focus specifically on the corporate worship service, especially around singing. This was discussed in the appendix, and that part was really well done. The bulk of the book was on worship being the outpouring of thanks as the result of being bought by Jesus's shed blood, focusing mainly around the verse the Jesus gives in John 4 that we are to worship in spirit and in truth. The exposition of John 4 was great. There were other parts that were harder to push through, like it could've been edited down a bit or reorganized. Overall pretty good, but not great.
October 9, 2025
I have been greatly affected by this book. Hands down, one of the best. Excellent book. I appreciated how Scripture and stories were woven in through the book. It was not a textbook-style reading, and it wasn't self-help'y either. It was as if MacArthur was urging his readers to see how important worship is and how it is not what happens on Sunday mornings.
"Our supreme duty for time and eternity- to honor, adore, delight in, glorify, and enjoy God above all His creation, as He is worthy to be worshiped." MacArthur
"Our supreme duty for time and eternity- to honor, adore, delight in, glorify, and enjoy God above all His creation, as He is worthy to be worshiped." MacArthur
August 4, 2022
Definitely great content about this vast topic of worship. I give only 3 stars because throughout the book, the author seems to equate the manifestation of the spiritual gifts recorded in 1 Corinthians with emotionalism. Operating in the gifts of the spirit in a corporate worship setting is anything but emotional. Also, following God’s commands to bow down in worship is not emotionalism. When the pendulum swings to one extreme, we shouldn’t try to swing that pendulum to the other extreme.
November 13, 2025
This book didn’t exactly cover what I thought it would. Or maybe I should say it didn’t only cover what I thought it would. It covered a wider berth, including some random theology and the gospel. McArthur did a great job of convicting the readers of the way we enter into worship so flippantly, reminding us of the great God we serve, and giving us ways to change our mindset of worship for the better.
February 26, 2019
This book is solid...Good theology and laid out well... but I have a feeling a lot of people are looking for a discussion on worship as it relates to music. If this is you, do yourself a favor and read just the appendix at the end. The appendix lays out good points about modern music as it ties to the true roots of worship, 110% worth a read.
November 20, 2020
When reading MacArthur, I never wonder where in the Bible he is getting his ideas from. He is constantly quoting the Bible, which I enjoy. Worship is something we all do, something we all need to do better, and I thought this book does a great job of not just showing our shortcomings but also how to grow to become better worshippers of God.
March 23, 2021
A thought-provoking read on the ideas and concepts that define worship. Most readers, like myself, would tend to think of worship as music, but John MacArthur breaks worship down into other areas that make up one's life as well and how they pertain to an individual's relationship with God. I would recommend reading this book slowly in order to grasp some of the concepts presented in this book.
January 12, 2023
MacArthur does a good enough job making his main point about worship being the ultimate priority in a Christian’s life and what that ought to look like biblically. However he does get a little hypocritical at times when saying how the style or form of worship doesn’t matter (only content does) and then derides styles other than his personal preference as unacceptable.
March 20, 2023
Although not a new book, I was refreshed as I thought again how worship is a theological exercise. This seems obvious, but so much of today's church equates worship with emotion. MacArthur presents a biblical and theological framework for our worship that does not eliminate emotions, but places them in its rightful place.
May 17, 2021
This was a very rich book. MacArthur goes into the theological roots of worship such as our salvation and the attributes of God. He then goes into the application of what it looks like to worship/glorify God. Highly recommend
December 11, 2021
Supongo que este ha sido el libro de MacArthur que más me ha gustado, me gustó la forma en la que explica las diferentes formas de adorar de una forma correcta.
La verdad si vale mucho la pena leerlo
La verdad si vale mucho la pena leerlo
March 22, 2023
As usual, MacArthur writes another great book!
"The doctrine of worship, then is the soul of evangelism. ... All our apologetics and evangelistic methods can never duplicate the impact of true worship."
"The doctrine of worship, then is the soul of evangelism. ... All our apologetics and evangelistic methods can never duplicate the impact of true worship."
August 31, 2025
3.5, rounded up due to excellent scholarship. Some terms and words are unfamiliar to me, so the writing is rather more erudite then I’m prepared for. The appendix is particularly illuminating regarding contemporary and progressive Christian church music.
November 3, 2017
Fairly intellectual & biblical & holistic. Seems to be somewhat opinionated at times, but overall provided the seriousness of why God deserves worship.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews