Passion - The Heart of Worship Lyrics

Passion - The Heart Of Worship (Live) ft. Matt Redman

The Heart of Worship Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration

The song "The Heart of Worship," as presented with lyrics commonly associated with Matt Redman and featured in Passion events, delves into the fundamental nature of worshipping God. It opens with a powerful image of stripping away external layers, such as musical arrangements or elaborate presentations, to arrive at a state of simple, unadorned communion. The lyrics express a desire to bring an offering that possesses true value, not merely a performance or a ritualistic act, but something that genuinely pleases God's heart. This immediately establishes a tension between outward expression and inward reality, questioning the sufficiency of surface-level participation.

The song's pre-chorus emphasizes this distinction, declaring that "more than a song" is being offered, because the song itself is not the ultimate requirement. It highlights God's perspective, which is not focused on outward appearances but searches "much deeper within," examining the sincerity and condition of the heart. This reflects a profound theological truth that God looks past the external facade to the inner person, valuing genuine devotion over polished presentation. The transition from outward performance to inward posture sets the stage for the song's central declaration.

The core message arrives in the chorus, which serves as a confessional turning point. The worshipper declares a return "to the heart of worship," identifying Jesus as the exclusive focus. The repeated assertion, "And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus," underscores the Christocentric nature of true worship, shifting the attention from self, performance, or even the mechanics of worship itself, to the person of Jesus. The heartfelt apology, "I'm sorry, Lord for the thing I've made it," acknowledges a past tendency to complicate worship, perhaps making it about obligation, routine, or seeking personal experience rather than purely about honoring God. This element introduces themes of repentance and recalibration.

The second verse shifts focus to the object of worship, extolling Jesus as the "King of endless worth," someone whose value is beyond human comprehension or expression. This recognition of God's immeasurable worth serves as the foundation for the worshipper's offering. Despite acknowledging personal limitations ("Though I'm weak and poor"), the response is one of complete surrender. The declaration "All I have is Yours, Every single breath" signifies a total offering of one's entire being and existence, recognizing that life itself is a gift from God and therefore belongs to Him. This moves beyond offering a song or a performance to offering one's very life as an act of worship.

The song's background is deeply rooted in the contemporary worship movement, particularly within contexts like the Passion conferences where it has been prominently featured, including live versions such as the 2015 video featuring Matt Redman. While Passion involves various leaders like Charlie Hall, this specific lyric set and musical arrangement are most widely recognized as Matt Redman's work, stemming from a time of reflection within his church community about the true meaning of their worship. The song emerged as a response to a call to return to sincerity when worship seemed to be becoming rote or performance-driven. The meaning is clear: authentic worship is not about the external form but the internal posture – a heart solely focused on God.

Biblical scripture resonates strongly with the themes present in "The Heart of Worship." The emphasis on the heart aligns with passages like 1 Samuel 16:7, where God tells Samuel, "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Jesus Himself quoted Isaiah in Matthew 15:8, saying, "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" The idea of offering one's self connects with Romans 12:1, which calls believers to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Psalm 51:17 speaks of God's preference for "a broken and contrite heart" over mere sacrifices. These verses collectively underline the song's central message that God desires the worshipper's genuine self above outward show.

The context of the song video, often a live recording from a large worship gathering like Passion, visually reinforces the message. Seeing thousands of people singing these words together in a raw, heartfelt manner can amplify the sense of corporate return to the core purpose of worship. The live setting, with minimal production focus on the performance itself and maximal focus on collective expression and surrender, parallels the song's message of valuing genuine participation over staged perfection. It provides a powerful depiction of a community striving to make their worship "all about Jesus," moving beyond spectacle to sincere devotion, making the song not just a personal reflection but a corporate declaration.