Did Jesus Ever Ask People To Worship Him?

Can a focus on worshipping Jesus become a substitute for actually obeying Jesus?

Many of our Christian hymns and worship songs are about the worship and praise of Jesus as Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the Revelation, when this non-violent, suffering and slain "Lamb of God" is introduced, all heaven breaks loose with a new song, 

Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered, 

to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing.

This is followed by a description of every living creature on earth joining heaven's hosts with,

To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb 
be blessings and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!

Yet when Jesus was here on earth he never asked anyone, neither his disciples, any individuals with whom he spoke, nor any of the crowds he addressed, to actually worship him.

By contrast, there are at least 22 instances in the gospels where Jesus called people to follow him, even at the cost of their reputations, their relationships, and their very lives. 

Clarence Jordan, a Baptist Jesus-follower who founded Koinonia Farm, an integrated Christian community in a then racially segregated Georgia, once remarked, “We worship the hind legs off Jesus, then not lift a finger to do a single thing he says.”

While that blanket statement was no doubt an expression of sheer frustration on Jordan’s part, it may also contain far too much truth.

It was Jesus himself who declared,

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

This does make clear that Jesus is enlisting fearless and faithful followers, not simply cheering fans.

                (scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version)