TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lesson
Page
INTRODUCTION
3
Lesson
1: God Seeks
Worshippers
6
Lesson
2: Obligated to
Worship
12
Lesson
3: Worship of God
19
Lesson
4: Worship of God as Spirit
25
Lesson
5: Worship of God as Father 30
Lesson
6: Worship of God in Spirit
35
Lesson
7: Worship of God in Truth 42
Lesson
8: The Basis for
Corporate Worship 50
Lesson
9: Essentials and
Patterns for Corporate Worship 54
Lesson
10: Effective Use of the LordÕs
Day 61
Lesson
11: Why Christians Go to Church 70
Lesson
12: Singing and Musical Instruments
in Corporate Worship 75
Lesson
13: Choirs, Dancing and Drama in
Corporate Worship 84
Lesson
14: Demonstrative Forms of Worship 90
Lesson
15: A Communing Body 97
Lesson
16: A Learning and Listening Body 104
Lesson
17: A Relational Body 111
Lesson
18: A Praying Body 119
The most important activity any Christian does in
this world is to worship the one, true and living Heavenly Father as He is
revealed in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Trinitarian
God is the ChristianÕs only object of worship
ÒSing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praisesÓ (Psa. 47:6).
ÒCome let us
sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with
thanksgiving and extol him with music and songÓ (Psa. 95:1-2).
ÒCome let us
bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker . . .Ó (Psa. 95:6).
ÒShout for joy
to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with musicÓ (Psa. 98:4).
ÒThe LORD
lives! Praise be
to my Rock! Exalted be God my
SaviorÓ (Psa. 18:46)!
Worship
is first an individual act. A Christian must know who God is and why He is to
be worshipped before he or she can offer up acceptable individual worship. All defective worship is essentially a
misunderstanding of the person of God and what He requires of His people to
worship Him correctly.
ÒI will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most HighÓ (Psa. 7:17).
ÒAscribe to
the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his
holinessÓ (Psa. 29:2).
ÒI will sing
to the LORD, for he has been good to meÓ (Psa. 13:6).
The
Christian must also be convinced that the one, true and living God has been
revealed to us in inspired Scripture.
He has told us in the Bible how He wants to be worshipped, and it is our
responsibility to rightly understand the Bible as to how we are to worship God
aright. Only the God of Scripture
is the true God and worthy of our worship.
ÒI call to the LORD, who is worthy of
praiseÓ (Psa. 18:3).
ÒTo
him belongs eternal praiseÓ (Psa. 111:10).
The God of Scripture is the
only one, true and living God. There is no other God, and He is to be exalted above all
false gods.
ÒFor you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all godsÓ (Psa. 96:9).
ÒI will praise
you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the gods I will sing your praiseÓ (Psa.
138:1).
Praise
exalts the Lord God and it is pleasing to Him. He delights in the worship of His people.
ÒPraise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasantÓ (Psa. 135:3).
ÒPraise the
LORD. How good it is to sing
praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise himÓ (Psa. 147:1).
ÒSing joyfully
to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise himÓ (Psa.
33:1).
For
individual worship to be effective, it must come from the inner man that wants
to please God.
ÒI will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most HighÓ (Psa. 9:1-2).
ÒMy heart is
steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with my soulÓ (Psa. 108:1).
Individual
worship is not something we do once a week at church but we do it all the
time. A Christian is to have a
lifestyle of worship and praise.
ÒTherefore,
I urge you, brothers, in view of GodÕs mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to god—this is your spiritual act of
worshipÓ (Rom. 12:1).
ÒI will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I liveÓ (Psa. 104:33).
ÒI will extol
the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lipsÓ (Psa. 34:1).
ÒIt is good to
praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love
in the morning and your faithfulness at night. . .Ó (Psa. 92:1-2).
ÒLet the name
of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermoreÓ (Psa. 113:2).
Worship is secondarily corporate. Once the Christian understands
individual worship, then he must seek to grasp the meaning, motive and method
for corporate worship. Collective
worship is unique. There is a
presence and power of God in corporate worship that cannot be experienced in
individual worship.
ÒGlorify the LORD with me; let us exalt
his name togetherÓ (Psa. 34:3).
AuthorÕs
Comments
One of the major purposes
for this study on worship is to determine what the Bible teaches about
individual and corporate worship.
It is the authorÕs desire to build a biblical theology of individual and
corporate worship. The design of this
material is to reach the average Christian and Christian lay-teacher with the
basic Scriptures about worship.
This work might be called a ÒBiblical Handbook on Worship.Ó The purpose of this book is not to
present every aspect of worship from a scholastic view, but to state what the
Bible teaches with mention of various views on key differences between
Christians on the subject of worship.
All will not agree with the authorÕs conclusions, but hopefully all will
grapple with the Scripture on this vital subject of worship. Ultimately, the worship wars of the
modern church will be solved as all come to the Bible, making it the only
rule of faith and practice for individual and corporate worship. Hopefully, this book will bring
a spirit of love, tolerance and acceptance between those who hold dearly to
their particular traditional or contemporary or blended worship services, which
they honestly believe is the right way to offer up acceptable worship to Almighty God.
This biblical theology may
seem odd to some, inappropriate to others and irrelevant to many. The author clearly understands how
people may react to making an attempt to reproduce New Testament worship. However, all Christians must take
seriously the statement that the Bible is the only rule of faith and
practice, even as it relates to individual and corporate worship. The heart desire of every Christian
should be do make the content, structure
and style of worship conform as nearly as possible to the biblical
pattern.
Lesson 1
John 4:19-24
Christians, who are spiritually mature in the 21st
century, sense there is something missing in the evangelical church, especially
in America. The trumpet gives an uncertain sound. Every conceivable explanation
has been given to explain this missing link in Christendom. Some have suggested
we need less tradition and more freedom of expression. Others have said we need
more Bible teaching and less experience. Still others say we need less doctrine
and more mystical experience in Christianity. May I humbly suggest that the
missing link in modern day evangelicalism is Biblical worship, individually and
collectively.
Our evangelical churches may have sound preaching, good fellowship,
sharp organization and myriad of activities, but they seem to have lost the
ability to worship. The modern evangelical church is not cultivating the art of
worship. A proper attitude of worship will give a balance between tradition and
free forms of worship, and biblical knowledge and experience.
We must give deep thought and contemplation to the
subject of worship, and if we have lost a spirit of worship, we must search for
it until we find it. Why were we created? Did God create us to make a living,
have a good time, and raise a family? Did He create us to be religious and go
to church? Perhaps we think that God created us that we might serve Him. There
is truth in this, for Christians do serve God and will serve Him through all
eternity (Rev. 22:3). Service, however, is not the primary reason God
created a human being. The first and basic reason God created a living soul was
so that person could worship God. Service to God is always secondary to worship
of the one, true and living God. The Presbyterians, who wrote the Westminster
Shorter Catechism, were absolutely right when they said, ÒManÕs chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.Ó ÒSo whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of GodÓ(1 Cor. 10:31). ÒFor from him and through him and to
him are all things. To him be the glory forever! AmenÓ (Rom. 11:36).
When most of us think of worship, we think of a
Sunday morning worship service, but this is only a small part of worship.
Worship is first and foremost individual and personal when a regenerated human
spirit comes into contact with the living God as He is manifested in Christ
Jesus, the Lord. Worship is knowing, loving, obeying
and standing in awe of the sovereign, infinite, almighty God of the universe.
Those who are personal worshippers of God will worship Him in all of life and
gather together collectively to worship Him as an assembly of worshipers.
Collective worship is important but it is only effective as each individual
Christian has been worshipping God in his own daily experience.
GOD IS SEEKING WORSHIPERS - John 4:19-24
ÒÔSirÕ the
woman said, ÔI can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim
that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.Õ Jesus declared, ÔBelieve me, woman, a
time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship
the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what
we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks. God
is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truthÕÓ (John
4:19-24).
The clearest revelation about the true meaning of
worship in the Bible is given to us in John 4:19-24 where Christ encounters the
Samaritan woman by the well. The subject of worship only comes up at the end of
the conversation with this woman because the main topic of discussion was her
desperate need of salvation. We are told that Christ Òhad to pass through SamariaÓ
(4:4). Why? There was a sinful woman who had five husbands and was
presently living with a man who was not her husband (4:17) and she was to be
saved. Christ went through Samaria because it was a definite part of His plan
to save this woman who deserved nothing from God but damnation. This was a
unique encounter because Samaritans and Jews hated one another. Christ, the
master-evangelist, got to know this woman before He witnessed to her. He met
her where she was in life and asked her to do him a favor; that is, to give Him
a drink of water. Christ broke through all of her prejudices and sins in order
to bring her to a saving relationship with Himself. He pointed her to Himself
as the one who quenches a personÕs spiritual thirst for reality by giving
that person eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.
It is significant that this woman was a Samaritan,
and her ancestry was part of the ten tribes of Israel who broke from the tribes
of Judah and Benjamin. Only Judah and Benjamin remained true to the revelation
of God given originally to the twelve tribes of Israel. The apostate ten tribes
set up a rival religion in Samaria to the religion of the Jews in Jerusalem.
The Samaritans had their own priesthood, sacrificial system and temple
that set on Mr. Gerizim. The woman said that her fathers worshiped on Mt. Gerizim, and, as a typical Samaritan, she slammed Jerusalem
as the only place of worship (4:20). She, as all Jews and Samaritans, put her
emphasis upon a place of worship, for
no Jew or Samaritan could think of worship apart from a temple. For them, God
was primarily located in a place, a temple.
True worship in the Old Testament came from the
heart but it was limited because it was centered on the physical aids to
worship—a literal temple, physical animal sacrifices, and a physical
priesthood. A Jew and a Samaritan always thought of worship primarily in terms
of a place.
Christ immediately corrected her thinking and said, ÒBelieve me, woman, a time is coming when
you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in JerusalemÓ (John
4:20). Christ made it clear that since He had come, worship would take on a
new dimension. All the Old Testament physical kinds of worship were but types
or shadows of Christ. The Old Testament kind of worship would pass off the
scene and something totally new, fresh and dynamic would replace this physical
kind of worship. With the coming of Christ, the physical is replaced by the
spiritual.
The Lord Jesus went on to tell this woman that the time is coming Òwhen true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truthÓ (4:23). Real worship would not be going through outward forms, but will take on a new, dynamic, spiritual dimension that is inward. ÒSpirit and truth may mean: 1) Worship will be in freedom of the human spirit as it communes with the Father through Christ, and worship will also be bound up in truth; that is, the truth of GodÕs Holy Word and our response to it in truthfulness and honesty. Worship will spontaneously flow out from the inner recesses of a manÕs spiritual being. This real form of worship frees a person from endless ritual and legalistic practices which kill the very spirit of Christ. 2) The ÒspiritÓ may refer to the Holy Spirit in His Pentecostal power, and ÒtruthÓ refers to the truth of the gospel, with emphasis on the death, resurrection, ascension and return of Christ. This would make worship unique to the New Covenant age.
Then our Lord told the woman, ÒFor such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.Ó The
Heavenly Father is constantly seeking men and women who will worship Him in
spirit and in truth. God wants Christians to shed the externals of physical
worship and spiritually worship Him in spirit and in truth, which will result
in, power and dynamic in the life.
Finally the Lord made a statement that staggers the
human mind, ÒGod is spirit, and his
worshipers must worship in spirit and in truthÓ (John 4:24). In
essence, Christ is saying that there is no real worship of God unless it is
done in spirit and in truth. All of manÕs externals and endless rituals are
worthless if there is not worship in spirit and in truth. God is seeking these
kinds of worshippers.
God has a purpose behind every act He accomplishes.
He never acts without intelligent design. God created man for a specific
purpose. He originally created man that he might be a worshipper of the Most
High God. God had no basic external or internal need for manÕs worship and
fellowship. God could have gone on for all eternity without man, for He is a
self-sufficient God who does not need anything or anyone. Yet, God created man,
so we conclude that God wants man to worship Him. Of all the created animals,
only man has the capacity to worship the living God. While God does not need
our worship, He wants it because we are His creatures and He is delighted when
His creatures elevate, extol and exalt Him as the sovereign God.
Have
you ever been to the place in your private devotional life in which you said,
ÒIÕm not getting a thing out of devotions. Why should
I read my Bible and pray for I am not receiving a thing!Ó O, selfish man! Did
it ever occur to you that God was enjoying your worship? That He delighted
in your fellowship, and that you were pleasing God in these acts? You were
created to worship God and God loves it when His people acknowledge their
dependence on Him and give Him praise and adoration.
We are told that God in the original creation of
Adam and Eve made man in His own image. ÒAnd
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created themÓ (Gen. 1:27). This does not mean that God has a body
like a human being, for the Bible tells us that God is spirit (John 4:23). It
is not the material aspects of man but the immaterial aspects that are made in
the image of God. God is a person and a person consists of will, mind and
emotion, or as some say, volition, intellect and sensibility. God has a
sovereign will, an infinite mind and a complete emotional make-up. When God
created man, He created him also with will, mind and emotion. Why? So that man
could rightly worship the one, true and living God. God gave man a mind so that
he could know God. He gave him a will so he could obey God, and He gave man
emotions so he could love God. Adam and Eve had a perfect worship of God. They
were learning much about God and His purposes; they were obeying His commands
and receiving great blessing, and they were loving
God, entering into deep fellowship with Him.
Because God created within people the capacity for
worship, all men worship. Every
one, everywhere worships something.
Worship is the fundamental drive of life. Atheists worship.
Infidels worship. Skeptics
worship. All people worship for
worship is the basic difference between humans and animals. Animals do not worship. Why then do all people worship? God has set eternity in manÕs heart as
the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us.
ÒHe has made everything beautiful
in its time. He has also set
eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from
the beginning to endÓ (Eccl. 3:11).
This urge from God causes men everywhere to worship. Deep within all of us is the cry for
God. If people are not worshiping
the true God, they are worshiping a god of their own imagination. Their god may be a stick or a stone, or
money, power, sex and fame, or man, nature or Satan. Man will find something to
worship because worship is a universal phenomenon.
No one knows how long Adam and Eve experienced
perfect worship, but God gave them a free will under the sovereignty of God.
Adam and Eve disobeyed GodÕs command not to eat of the forbidden fruit. They
rebelled against GodÕs sovereign command and became sinners at enmity with
God.
Adam and EveÕs natures became corrupted by sin, so
that their minds were alienated from God, their wills were in rebellion to
God and their emotions were estranged from God. The image of God in them had
become deeply marred by sin but not completely destroyed. Because of sin, our
original parents could not know God with their minds, love God with their
emotions or obey God with their wills. Their capacity to worship God aright was
lost. Perfect worship was marred by sin.
According to the Bible, this sin nature has passed
from Adam and Eve to every member of the human race. As sinners, we cannot
worship God rightly or perfectly. Yet, we know that the image of God is still
stamped upon every created human being. Every member of the human race has a corrupted
image but not a destroyed image. Because of the sin nature, every person
has a mind, a will and emotions, which operate but do so against the one, true
and living God as He is manifested in Christ and revealed in Scripture.
This explains how it is that there is a natural
instinct in all men to worship something. Man is a worshiping creature that
distinguishes him from all the other animals. He was originally created to
worship the true God but because of sin he is not able to do so even though there
is enough of the image of God remaining in him, which allows him to be aware of
his need to worship. Some people worship sticks and stones; others worship
birds and creeping things. Still others worship men. Some worship spirits and
demons. Some of GodÕs creatures have more light and they worship an imperfect
concept of God such as the Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and the
modernistic Christian liberals. All men worship something but no man can
worship the one, true and living God apart from divine revelation and divine
intervention on the part of God because man is basically sinful. No created
human being is by nature an atheist. For a man to become an atheist, he must be
educated into this belief, which is also a form of humanistic religion and worship.
All men, by GodÕs image on their souls, are worshippers but sin has invaded
their existence so they cannot worship God as they ought.
God sent His Son Jesus Christ into this world for
the purpose of forgiving sin and granting eternal life so that a person can
come alive to God and worship God. When a person trusts Christ as personal Lord
and Savior, God begins to restore the marred image of God in man because of sin
through the renewing process of the Holy Spirit. In the born again believer,
God begins to enlighten the mind so the person can know God. God progressively
frees the will so it can obey God, and He releases the emotions of a Christian
so he can love God more. The Christian, and only the Christian, can worship the
one, true and living God as He is manifested in Christ and revealed in Holy
Scriptures. GodÕs purpose, then, for sending His Son to die for sinners was
that He might restore to us the ability to worship. As Christians, we can worship
God aright but we will never worship Him perfectly, for we are still in this
sinful body that is being progressively delivered from sin.
A.W. Tozer in his booklet,
Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church, said:
ÒNow, God Almighty sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world for a purpose, and what was the purpose? To hear the average evangelist nowadays youÕd think God sent Christ that we might give up tobacco; that Christ came into the world that we might escape hell; that He sent His Son into the world that when at last we get old and tired we might have some place to go. Now all of these things are true. Jesus Christ does save us from bad habits and He does redeem us from hell and He does prepare us a place in heaven but that is not the ultimate purpose of redemption. The purpose of God in sending His Son to die and rise and live and be at the right hand of God the Father was that He might restore to us the missing jewel, the jewel of worship.Ó
Christians, God has saved you and is renewing your mind so you may know God. Are you using your mind to know more about GodÕs person and works? Are you studying the Bible so you will interact with GodÕs revelation about Himself? Are you grappling with doctrine so you can know God better and live a more consistent Christian life?
ÒAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good workÓ (2 Tim. 3:16).
You are not truly worshiping God unless you are using your mind for His
glory.
ÒI keep asking
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your
heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he
has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his
incomparably great power for us who believeÓ (Eph. 1:17-19).
John
Stott in the book Your Mind Matters
says,
ÒAll Christian worship, public
and private, should be an intelligent response to GodÕs self-revelation in His
words and works recorded in Scripture.Ó
Martin
Luther, seeing the importance of the Bible to oneÕs life, wrote:
ÒIn truth you cannot read
the Scripture too much;
And what you read, you
cannot read too well.
And what you read well, you
cannot too well understand;
And what you understand, you
cannot too well teach;
And what you teach well, you
cannot too well live.Ó
Christians, are you obeying God with your will? God
is setting your will free that you may keep His commandments. You are not
worshipping God unless you are desirous to keep GodÕs laws and precepts as
they are revealed in Scripture. Obedience to God is basic if a Christian is to
truly worship God.
ÒI have kept
my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for
you yourself have taught me. How
sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong pathÓ (Psa. 119:101-104).
Christians, are you loving God with your emotions?
God wants you to feel for Him as well as know and obey Him. ÒJesus replied, ÔLove the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mindÕÓ (Matt.
22:37). God is renewing your sinful emotions so you might feel and
experience the one, true and living God.
Worship, then, is about knowing God in an intimate, personal and dynamic way, which involves the mind, the will and the emotions. Are you experiencing God? Do you really know Him? Is the motivation of your heart to obey and please God? God is seeking true worshippers and He is always pleased when He finds them. The true worshipper can and will say,
ÒAs the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living GodÓ (Psa. 42:1-2).
ACCEPTABLE
INDIVIDUAL WORSHIP
Lesson 2
Obligated to
Worship
John 4:19-24
If we were to approach the average non-Christian man
on the street and ask him, ÒAre you under obligation to worship God?Ó His
answer would probably be, ÒI am under obligation to no one, not even God. Even
if there is a God (and there may not be), I would feel no compulsion to fall
before Him as the Sovereign God of the universe.Ó For the unsaved man, his god
is a god of his imagination; a god carved of sticks or stones or conceived in
his sin-darkened mind. His god is a god he can Òwheel and dealÓ and one who
would be as human or less human than a man. If, however, we were to approach the average professing
Christian on the street and ask him about worship, he would reply, ÒI believe
in God and His Son Jesus Christ. I believe in worship but I also believe I can
worship my God however, whenever and wherever I desire. If I want to worship
God I can; if I do not want to worship God I do not have to!Ó There also seems
to be a humanistic air among many saved people who believe that the worship of
God is optional. It is nice but not necessary. Worship to them is something
done when they feel like it or are in the mood for it. The Bible tells us that
worship is obligatory. God commands worship. God expects worship from all His
creatures. Even the non-Christian is under obligation to worship God because he
is a creature of God with GodÕs image stamped upon his soul. God requires
worship of every person but all men do not give Him worship because they are
sinners and in rebellion to God. They do not want to have the true God ruling
their lives. They want to go their own independent ways, pleasing themselves
rather than God. The Bible tells us that God has given every man some light
about God, but whatever light he receives, he rejects because it means
moral obligation to God and men love darkness rather than light.
ÒThe wrath of
God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of
men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about
God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the
world GodÕs invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine
nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their
foolish hearts were darkened.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the
glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and
animals and reptiles. Therefore
God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for
the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and
served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever
praised. AmenÓ (Rom. 1:18-25).
Every
fiber in the unsaved manÕs body strains at the thought of worship of and
servitude to the true God.
It is an obvious fact that God requires worship from
Christians, His people on this earth. ÒCome,
let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is
our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his careÓ (Psa.
95:6-7). Because of the new
birth from the Father, the renewing by the Spirit and the continual work of
Jesus Christ in a Christian, he can offer acceptable worship to God. As a
Christian, do you know that you are worshipping God in the right way? Are you
sure God is accepting your worship? We all must desire to be enlightened on
this subject of worship so we can know that we are truly pleasing God and not
ourselves or others in worship. We must ask ourselves why do I worship, who
do I worship, when do I worship, where do I worship and how
do I worship?
WHAT
WORSHIP IS
In John 4, Jesus told this Samaritan woman who was
morally lewd and sexually debauched that ÒGod
is seeking worshipersÓ and those
who worship Him Òmust worship Him in
spirit and in truthÓ (John 4:23-24). Men must (obligation) worship
the Father. In His evangelization of this woman, Christ told her about worship
and her moral obligation to God if she was to be saved and be a follower of
Christ. Since Christ put so much emphasis upon worship, we should seek to
define it and do it.
WebsterÕs Dictionary defines worship as Òto adore or
pay divine honors to a deity; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration;
as to worship God.Ó A.W. Tozer in his small pamphlet,
ÒWorship, The Missing Jewel of the
Evangelical Church, defines worship as Òto feel in the heart and to express
this feeling in some appropriate manner.Ó TozerÕs
definition is biblically and theologically weak and leaves the door wide open
to radical experiential Christianity. Al Martin in a series of messages on
worship defines worship as Òthe honor, reverence and homage paid to superior
beings, whether to a false god or the true God.Ó
While it is impossible to give a complete definition
of worship, any definition at all must come out of the words used in the Bible
for worship. In the Old Testament, the primary word for worship is shahah, which
means Òto prostrate oneself before another in order to do him honor and
reverence,Ó (Exo. 4:31). In the Greek New Testament,
five words are used to explain worship but only three have deep significance. Proskuneo means,
Òto kiss the hand, to bow down or to prostrate oneself.Ó
ÒThe
twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him
who lives for ever and ever. They
lay their crowns before the throne and say: ÔYou are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your
will they were created and have their beingÕÓ(Rev. 4:10-11).
Sebomai which
means Òto revere, stressing feeling of awe or devotion.Ó
ÒYou
hypocrites! Isaiah was right when
he prophesied about you: ÔThese people
honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their
teachings are but rules taught by menÕÓ (Matt. 15:7-9).
Latreuo,
which means, Òto render religious service and honor."
ÒFor it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh . . .Ó (Phil. 3:3).
From
these Biblical words, we can readily see that worship involves both reverence
and service.
In light of the Biblical meanings of the words
translated worship in the Bible, a general definition of worship is:
ÒWorship is the activity of
the new life in a born again believer in which he recognizes the fullness of
the Godhead as manifested in Christ and revealed in Scripture. He seeks
according to biblical commands and principles, to render to the living God
that glory, reverence and honor which is His due, which will result in
spiritual service and activity on the part of the true believer.Ó
The
implications of this definition are many.
First, worship involves
prostrating oneself before God as a humble sinner saved by grace. This
prostration may be the bowing of his knees or head, or it may be a mental
attitude where one bows his heart, mind and will to the living God. Second,
God is the supreme Creator of all and He is to be treated with respect and
dignity. God is not Òthe man upstairsÓ or Òmy big buddy in heaven.Ó He is not ÒbuddyÓ but Sovereign. He is
not just a friend but a King. He is not to be talked to flippantly but to be
honored and respected. Third, in our pragmatically oriented evangelical
world where work, witness and warfare are stressed, we need to understand
that service alone is not worship. Service is part of worship but true service
must always be preceded by true reverence of the Most High God. Fourth,
worship is not only giving praises, adorations, thanks and exaltations to God,
but is also offering oneself to God as an obedient servant. It is giving to God
and not necessarily taking from God.
There are so many misconceptions about worship in
the minds of unsaved and saved alike that it is proper at this point to lay the
ax to what some people think is worship but is not true Biblical worship
at all.
Nature Worship. Nature worship is based on the natural
feelings of men. This type of worship comes from the unregenerate heart, which
may or may not relate these natural feelings to God. Nature worship appeals to
the senses of man; it is worship on a poetic and philosophical level. It comes
as one looks at a beautiful sunset, or the moon flashing on the expanding
ocean, or oneÕs soul is enraptured as he hears beautiful music or reads a
moving poem. Many people get rapt feelings as they contemplate and
meditate on a great masterpiece of art. Worship, however, is more than love,
music and poetry. When one listens to BeethovenÕs symphonies, he is not necessarily
worshipping God. Quite often I hear people say, ÒI can worship God better in
the woods than I can in church.Ó This is nature worship but not worship of the
true and living God.
Cain Worship. Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve.
Undoubtedly Adam and Eve taught these boys the type of sacrifice and worship
that was acceptable to God. They were instructed that God is only satisfied
with blood sacrifices, Òfor without the shedding of blood there is no
forgivenessÓ (Heb. 9:22). Abel
obeyed God and his parents teaching and brought an animal sacrifice, but Cain
offered the Lord Òthe fruit of the ground.Ó What was wrong with CainÕs sacrifice? He and his brother
both came to the same altar, both came to the living God, both came at the
right time and both came to sacrifice. What was wrong with CainÕs sacrifice? He
was religious and sincere and this was in his mind an act of worship. What was
wrong? He did not come GodÕs way. Cain offered worship without blood atonement.
God will not accept natural, humanistic, man-centered worship. Cain
worship comes out of a sincere, unregenerate heart whereby a person thinks he
can approach God any way he wants. Yet, there is only one way God will accept
worship and that is through the shedding of blood. There is only one way of
salvation and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ, the mediator of the
New Covenant, and this salvation is appropriated through faith in Christ.
All the people in the world who belong to other
religions are not true worshippers of God no matter how sincere they might be
because they are rejecting the atonement of Christ. Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Shintos or whatever are not
worshipping the true God because they have rejected Christ, the Mediator of the
New Covenant.
Samaritan Worship. Samaritan worship is heretical worship
because a person mixes error with truth. Heresy is picking out of the Bible
what you want to believe and rejecting or ignoring the rest. Heretical
worship springs forth from an unbelieving heart. Samaritan worship can clearly
be seen in the Samaritan woman who Christ spoke to when He stopped at the well
for a drink of water. She worshipped her concept of God. She went to the temple
on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. She made animal sacrifices
and approached God through the priesthood. The Samaritans had set up a rival
religion to the true Jewish religion in Jerusalem. Samaritans were heretics.
They had some truth but this truth was mixed with error. Therefore, Christ said
to this woman, ÒYou Samaritans worship
what you do not knowÓ (John 4:22).
Their worship was close enough to the truth to look real but it was
not grounded on the total revelation of the Old Testament, for the Samaritans
only accepted the five books of Moses. There may be people who call themselves
followers of Christ who are not worshipers of Christ. Mormons, Jehovah
Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Universal Church people, liberal Protestants and
all other cultists and religious modernists are guilty of Samaritan worship.
Their worship is heretical worship and God will not accept this kind of
worship.
Pharisee Worship. Pharisee worship is to have the truth of
God intellectually in the head but not to have a spiritual heart for God.
ÒSo the
Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ÔWhy donÕt your disciples live
according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with
ÔuncleanÕ hands?Õ He replied,
ÔIsaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is
written: ÔThese people honor me
with their lips but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules
taught by men.Õ You have let go of
the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of menÕÓ (Mark
7:5-8).
Pharisee
worship is done to please men and not God. It is holding to the traditions of
men but not really desiring to keep the commands of God as they are revealed in
the Bible. People put on a phony religious show. They have worked up a good worship act, but they do not know
God personally and their hearts do not beat to please God. Pharisee worship is
hypocritical worship.
Both saved and unsaved can perform Pharisee worship.
It is possible for a person to go to church, pray, be religious and go through
the external motions of Christianity and still never be saved. This person is a
mere professing Christian who needs to be born again. However, it is also
possible for a true Christian to have carnal attitudes about the worship of God
and fall into the externals by trying to please men, by trying to uphold
man-made traditions and by having a life spiritually dry and far from God. A
Christian can have head facts without a love relationship with God. Beware of Pharisaical
worship. It is external orthodoxy with no heart for God.
There are some basic underlying principles of
worship that must be understood if we are to plumb the depths of worship
individually and collectively.
God has Commanded Worship of Himself. The Bible declares it is
our solemn duty to worship God. He has commanded it. He requires it. In the Ten
Commandments, God commands His people not to make any idol or likeness of God
to worship, as do the non-believing nations. God states that worship belongs to
Him alone. He is to be worshiped exclusively.
ÒYou shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandmentsÓ (Exo. 20:5-6).
When Christ was tempted in the wilderness by Satan
our Lord told Satan to worship God only. ÒJesus
said to him, ÔAway from me, Satan!
For it is written: ÔWorship the Lord your God, and serve him onlyÕÓ
(Matt. 4:10). If God commanded
Satan to worship Him, how much more are we, GodÕs children, to worship God? Worship
is our duty. Worship is our solemn responsibility. Worship is our basic task to
perform towards God. It is not optional. It is essential. Without a sense of our duty to worship
God, we will never worship God right or acceptably. Worship of God does not depend on how we feel. If we went only by our feelings, we might
never worship Yahweh aright. We
Christians are morally bound to worship the one, true and living God as He is
manifested in Christ and revealed in Scripture.
God is Concerned as to How Men Worship Him. God is not indifferent to the way men approach Him and
worship Him. He is vitally
concerned that people worship Him in the right attitude and the right
manner. God wants His people to
worship Him for the heart.
ÒWhen you come to appear before me, who has
asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and
convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your
appointed feasts my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in
prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will
not listen. Your hands are full of
blood; wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do rightÓ (Isa. 1:12-16)!
God is not impressed with externals. The Jews were meticulously going
through their religious worship but God declared His disgust and hatred of
external religion with no love, heart and devotion to God in it. In the midst of what appeared to be a
thriving Israel politically, economically and religiously, God spoke to the
Israelites through the prophet Amos and declared His disdain for their phony
worship.
ÒÔI hate, I
despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt
offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship
offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harpsÕÓ (Amos
5:21-23).
God
is only pleased with those who worship Him in purity and honesty from the deep
recesses of the devoted heart.
ÒWho may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure
heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God
of JacobÓ (Psa. 24:3-6).
God is not indifferent to how His people worship Him. He is turned off by externalism, hypocrisy and phoniness. For instance, in our public worship on Sunday morning, God is not one bit impressed with any human feelings we may have for being in church. To Him it is not a matter whether we get a good feeling, whether we see our friends, what type of clothes we are wearing, whether we shake the preacherÕs hand or whatever. He is only pleased with our heart toward Him and whether we are in public worship to meet Him, and whether we have assembled to interact with our God. This is rendering acceptable public worship to God. The question is not whether we will be pleased or men will be pleased with us but will God be pleased with our worship.
God
has Revealed to Us How to Worship.
God has not only commanded us to worship Him but has left us divine
revelation in the Bible as to how we should worship Him. Because we have the Bible, we can answer
the question, ÒHow can I show I am rendering acceptable worship?Ó For instance, in the Old Testament, we
are specifically told we are to have no images or likeness of God as the
heathen who materialize their gods.
ÒYou shall have no other gods before
me. You shall not make for
yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters belowÓ (Exo. 20:4-4).
Therefore,
to have any idols of God or likeness of God is idolatry, and we cannot worship
God acceptably with these pagan practices even though we may rationalize our
position by calling them aids to worship.
God hates them! God has
revealed to us in the Bible things that please Him. He does not give two hoots about what we think will please Him. He has told us
what will please Him.
If
we say, ÒI think God is pleased with my worship,Ó or ÒI feel God is pleased
with my worship,Ó we are on very shaky ground. We cannot trust our minds or our feelings when it comes to
the subject of acceptable worship because our minds have been darkened by sin,
and even as redeemed men and women we need special revelation on how to worship
God. All of our traditionalism
that says, ÒI have been taught to worship this way by my church or parents; I
have done it this way and will continue to do it, for I cannot change,Ó must be
put under the scrutiny of the Word of God. All of our subjectivism which says, ÒWorship is what I feel
and experience onlyÓ must be placed under the light of the Bible. All pragmatism that says, ÒWorship is
good as long as it moves a crowd or gets them to respond:Ó must be examined in
light of the Scriptures.
Traditionalism, subjectivism and pragmatism often make the Word of God
void.
God
has Declared that One of the Marks of True Conversion is True Worship. True worship is one of the direct
fruits of the saving work of Christ.
Born again Christians are those who are spiritually circumcised in heart
by the saving work of Christ and the regenerating and renewing work of the Holy
Spirit. They are the worshippers
of the Triune God.
ÒFor it is we
(Christians) who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who
glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh . . .Ó (Phil.
3:3).
It is an assumed fact that those who are circumcised
in heart are true worshipers of God.
Therefore, worship will flow to some degree from every genuine
Christian. A Christian can worship
God in a right manner but he can never worship Him perfectly in this life
because sin is still in him. The
Christian can learn the right way to worship, enter into deep understanding and
experience of worship, but he can never perfectly worship until he gets to
heaven. Yet, a true Christian will
worship God, and will desire a deeper experience of the worship of the living
God.
ACCEPTABLE INDIVIDUAL WORSHIP
Lesson 3
Worship of God
John 4:19-24
How much do we know about worship? Are we offering acceptable worship to God? Worship should be the normal employment of all GodÕs creatures. In Isaiah 6, the prophet was given a vision of the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, and angels were around this throne, saying, ÒHoly, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory.Ó The angels were worshipping God because they were created to worship Him. In Revelation 4, the four living creatures did not cease, night nor day to say, ÒHoly, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.Ó The twenty-four elders fell down before GodÕs throne and worshipped Him by saying, ÒYou are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.Ó This worship came natural for these creatures because they were created to worship the living God.
Is worship of God our normal employment as a Christian? Does worship of God concern us and does our God occupy our mind? We know that the unsaved man does not want to worship the one, true and living God as He is manifested in Christ and revealed in Scripture, but what about us who are GodÕs children by grace through faith in Christ? Are we, Bible believing, evangelical Christians, truly worshipping God? The average evangelical in America is defective in his ability to worship the Most High God. Why? Evangelical Christians as a whole do not know who God is. An evangelical has an open Bible but he does not study it. Consequently, he has lost sight of the God of Scripture. The hidden person of the Trinity to most evangelicals is God, the Father. They do not worship aright because they are ignorant of God as He is revealed in Scripture.
Worship stands or falls with our concept of God. As
evangelicals, we abhor the idea of an image of God carved from sticks, stones
or metal. We would oppose pictures of God or any kind of idolatry as a
violation of the Ten Commandments. Yet, it may be that we evangelicals may also
be idolaters of sorts, but our idolatry is in the mind, for we conceive of
a God in our imagination that really does not exist. Idolatry always begins in
the mind before an external image is made of oneÕs mental conception of God.
There is only one, true and living God and that is the God of Scripture. To the degree evangelicals have a wrong
concept of God, then our worship will be defective.
As Christians, we may be idolaters while sitting in church if we have a wrong concept of the God of Scripture. There can be no true and acceptable worship of God if our thoughts of God are not biblical.
The Samaritan woman to whom Christ had spoken
concerning salvation was guilty of mental idolatry. She, as all Samaritans, had
conceived in her mind a God who did not exist. The Samaritans had set up a
rival religion in Samaria to the true Jewish religion in Jerusalem. The
Samaritans had their own priesthood, sacrificial system and temple that set on
Mount Gerizim. The Samaritans only accepted the
Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, as inspired Scripture and rejected all the
other Old Testament books. A SamaritanÕs concept of God was defective because
it was not based on complete revelation. Christ, therefore, in the evangelization
of this woman, had to give her a true concept of God and He said, ÒGod is
spirit.Ó Or more literally, ÒThe God is spirit.Ó ÒGod is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truthÓ
(John 4:24). Before this
woman could correctly worship God, Christ had to correct some of her defective
thinking about God.
The first concept Christ had to correct in this
womanÕs thinking was concerning the person of God. He is Òthe God,Ó (Greek
definite article) the only, true God as revealed in the whole Old Testament.
She ignorantly worshipped because she did not have proper facts about God
because she denied the revelation of the Bible about God. She worshiped a god
of her imagination and her worship was not acceptable, no matter how sincere
she was. She had to worship Òthe GodÓ of the Old Testament if she was to be a
true worshipper of God. Any other god except the God who is revealed in
the Bible is a false god.
Who is the God of Scripture? What is He like? God is
not like a man. No, He is infinitely more superior to the best of men. In fact,
God can never be comprehended totally by any one. No creature on earth or in
heaven will ever completely understand who God is because God is infinite
and to Him there is no end.
We do know some things about God because they have
been revealed to us in the Bible, but even this revelation baffles the human
mind. We know that God is self-containing, omniscient, omnipotent,
omnipresent, sovereign, eternal, immutable, holy, wrath, love and just. God is
all these attributes and more. Yet, we need to try to understand what God
has revealed about Himself so we can worship Him for who He is.
God is All-Powerful. God is the Creator and
Sustainer of the universe. God spoke and the world came into existence, and it
is revealed to us Òin the beginning
God created the heavens and the
earthÓ (Gen. 1:1), and He Òupholds
all things by the word of His powerÓ (Heb. 1:3). God has infinite power to
do as He pleases in this world.
God is All-Knowing. God knows everything and He has absolutely
no need to learn for He knows all things in Himself. God never wonders about
anything. He is never surprised or amazed and He never discovers anything, for
He knows everything. God has Òperfect knowledge.Ó ÒDo
you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in
knowledgeÓ (Job 37:16)?
God is Holy. God is a pure being separate from the slightest
taint of sin. He is absolute perfection and there is not one defect in His
whole essence. God is faultless, spotless, impeccable and unblemished. God is
the complete antithesis of sin, and His majestic holiness makes Him
separate from all other creatures. Holiness speaks of GodÕs awful majesty
and His hatred of sin. ÒWho among the
gods is like you, O LORD? Who is
like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wondersÓ (Exo. 15:11)?
God is Sovereign. God is sovereign and He
does as He pleases in heaven and earth.
ÒRemember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: ÔMy purpose will stand, and I will do all that I pleaseÕÓ (Isa. 46:9-10).
God is supreme. He rules over all. No man can tell God, ÒWhat are you doing?Ó Only a sovereign God is worthy of worship, for a god who is not sovereign is a weak god. In fact, he is not God at all. We worship a sovereign God and we must see Him as preeminent with the right to do all of His good pleasure.
ÒYours, O
LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the
splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are
exalted as head over all. Wealth and
honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give
strength to all. Now, our God, we
give you thanks, and praise your glorious nameÓ (1 Chron. 29:11-13).
God
is Wrath. ÒGod is a consuming fireÓ
(Heb. 12:29). GodÕs wrath is His hot anger against sin that flows out of
His holy nature that hates sin. GodÕs wrath is greatly to be feared, for He
must certainly judge all men for their sinfulness and rebellion to Him.
ÒThe LORD is a
jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with
wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on
his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will
not leave the guilty unpunishedÓ (Nahum 1:2-3).
God
is Love. God is love and He puts His love on whomever He pleases, and He
pleases to put His love on all those who are true believers in Messiah, His
Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. It is GodÕs saving love that makes a person a true
believer and worshipper of God. ÒI have
loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindnessÓ(Jer.
31:3).
It is an obvious fact that when there is ignorance of the one, true and living God there can be no true worship. The starting point to make true worshipers of the Most High God is to teach them knowledge of this God. We must know who God is before we can accurately worship Him. Until men think about God they cannot and will not worship Him right. It is also true that a deficient understanding of God will produce a defective worship of God. Rev. Al Martin says, ÒWhere there is rejection of any revelation of God, worship is defective in proportion to that rejection.Ó In one sense there is no Christian who worships God perfectly because sin has an influence on the mind no matter how far a person has progressed in his understanding of God. God accepts even the imperfect worship of His children because He loves us, but He desires a progressive attitude of deeper worship of Himself. God has left us the revelation of Himself in the Bible, and He is progressively sanctifying us so that we might know more about Him and His works. God expects Christians to grow in their understanding, love, appreciation and respect of Him.
We Christians must accept the God of Scripture or we
are guilty of mental idolatry and will be defective in our worship of the
true God. For instance, any Christian who willfully rejects GodÕs sovereignty
in salvation is guilty of making up a god in his mind that does not exist. If a
Christian insists upon having a God of pure love only and rejects, ignores or
explains away GodÕs absolute justice, holiness and sovereignty in the salvation
of men, he is guilty of mental idolatry, preaching a defective gospel and
offering deficient worship to the one, true and living God. The Bible declares
that God chooses whom He pleases for salvation and He puts His wrath on whom He pleases.
ÒBut we ought always to thank God for you,
brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truthÓ (2
Thess. 2:13).
ÒWhat if God,
choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience
the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches
of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for
glory . . .Ó(Rom. 9:22-23)?
You
cry out, ÒThat is not fair!Ó GodÕs answer to the question of unfairness is that
He is God who rules and controls all and does what He pleases with His
creatures.
ÒBut who are
you, O man, to talk back to God?
ÒShall what is formed say to him who formed it, ÔWhy did you make me
like this?Õ Does not the potter
have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble
purposes and some for common useÓ (Rom. 9:20-21)?
A Christian will always be defective in his worship
of God if he denies GodÕs sovereignty in salvation, for anything less than
a sovereign God is not worthy of a personÕs worship.
As soon as a Christian learns that God rules and reigns, that Christian falls down on his face before God and says, ÒYou chose me to salvation when I should have been damned forever. Because of your grace and love, 0 God, I have been brought into a saving relation with Christ. I have been bought with the price of ChristÕs death. Do with me as you please. I am your servant.Ó
What happens when a person does not see clearly the
holiness of God? It is obvious; he does not understand the seriousness of sin
or the awfulness of GodÕs hatred of sin and His wrath that burns hot against
all sin and sinners. When a man sees God as holy, he will understand the words
given to Moses by God, ÒDo not come any
closer,Ó God said. ÒTake off your
sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy groundÓ (Exo. 3:5). Any denial, perversion or watering down of
GodÕs holiness does not allow a person to give acceptable worship to God.
You say, ÒIt is hard for me to understand the God of
Scripture!Ó Good. That means you are beginning to grasp the grandeur of His
person and the mystery of His greatness. We cannot and will not understand all
about God. We cannot put God in a box or chart Him on a chalkboard. God has
made a revelation of Himself in Scripture and we are to stand in awesome wonder
and overpowering love as we contemplate the greatness of His person. He has
unspeakable majesty and there will always be a mysterious aspect of God we will
never understand because we are finite creatures and He is an infinite God.
However, we must learn all we can about the God of the Bible even if we will
never comprehend Him. There are aspects of GodÕs character that we will
never figure out, but we can believe them and stand in total wonderment of His
glorious person. This feeling of awe and astonishment can only come as we know
more about God, and we can only know through the Scriptures. Al Martin says,
ÒAs knowledge of God increases, a person becomes more accurate in his worship
and his worship becomes more acceptable to God.Ó We must be growing in
admiration and appreciation of God so that our minds are captivated,
charmed and entranced with His person. A terrible thing has happened to us when
we think we can totally explain, understand and rationalize God. If a person
thinks he understands God, he has absolutely no grasp of the mystery and
majesty of God, and he is guilty of mental idolatry because he puts God on a
level with man. A.W. Tozer says,
ÒThe evangelical rationalism
which tries to explain everything takes the mystery out of life and the mystery
out of worship, When you have taken the mystery out you have taken God out, for
while we may be able to understand Him in some measure, we can never fully
understand God. There must always be that awe upon our spirits that says, ÔAh,
Lord God, Thou knowest!ÕÓ (Worship: The Missing Jewel)
Knowing God is not just having intellectual
understanding of facts. Knowing God is having spiritual understanding of God.
Whenever a Christian gets a glimpse of God, it always has an effect on his
life. A person who encounters God will have a changed life.
Job, who went through horrible sufferings, could not
understand why, but in the midst of these sufferings he received a glimpse of
GodÕs controlling providence. He said, ÒI
am unworthyÓ (Job 40:4). He
saw God through spiritual eyes and then he saw himself as vile or
insignificant. In another place, Job said, ÒI
despise myselfÓ (Job 42:6), for spiritual knowledge of God always causes
one to see his own sinfulness, inadequacies and shortcomings. ÒMy ears had heard of you but now my eyes
have seen you. Therefore I despise
myself and repent in dust and ashesÓ(Job. 42:5-6). When a person sees his
own sinfulness, this causes him to cling to God and to worship Him with more
fervency.
Daniel was given a vision of God. Perhaps this was a
vision of the pre-incarnate Christ. ÒI
looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the
finest gold around his waist. His
body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning,
his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished
bronze, and his voice like the sound of
a multitudeÓ (Dan. 10:5-6).
When he saw God he declared, ÒSo
I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face
turned deathly pale and I was helplessÓ (Dan. 10:8). Daniel spiritually saw
GodÕs almighty, omnipotent power and his own impotence as a man, and he was
sapped of all his strength. When one sees GodÕs power, he sees how puny he is
in himself and turns to God for power to live.
Isaiah entered into the divine presence and saw and
heard the angels saying ÒHoly, holy,
holyÓ(Isa. 6:3). Isaiah received a glimpse of GodÕs
holiness and cried out, ÒWoe to me!Ó I
cried. ÒI am ruined! For I am a
man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes
have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.Ó
Isaiah saw his sin in the presence of GodÕs holiness. God gave him
cleansing. Then God said, ÒWhom shall I
send, and who will go for usÓ(Isa. 6:8)?
Isaiah replied, ÒHere am I.
Send me!Ó (Isa. 6:8). A glimpse of God put the fear of God in Isaiah and he
went out as an obedient prophet of the Most High God. True worship always
results in true service.
The basic reason so called Christian men have lost
the art of worship today is that they have lost a high and exalted concept of
God. Their God is altogether too human. They have not seen Him as the almighty,
holy God who rules and reigns over all. Tozer again
says,
ÒThe God of the modern evangelical
rarely astonishes anybody. He manages to stay pretty much within the
constitution. Never breaks over our bylaws. HeÕs a very well behaved God and
very denominational and very much one of us, and we ask Him to help us when
weÕre in trouble and look to Him to watch over us when weÕre asleep. The God of
the modern evangelical isnÕt a God I could have much respect for. But when the
Holy Ghost shows us God as He is we admire Him to the point of wonder and
delight.Ó(Worship: The Missing Jewel)
There are all kinds of results that come when one begins to get spiritual discernment on the person of God, but there are five very basic things that happen when we really begin to grasp the greatness of God.
We Learn about Our Sinfulness. Just as Job, Daniel and
Isaiah saw their vileness when they saw God, so we too will see our
sinfulness and abhor it. We will never prostrate ourselves or bow down before
God, crying out for cleansing and power, until we see God through spiritual
eyes.
We Learn to be Silent before God. In wonder of a sovereign
God we learn to say, ÒBe still and know that I am GodÓ(Psa. 46:10). We
become awe-struck in His holy presence. While God longs to meet the needs of
His people, true worshippers will revel in GodÕs person and love, praise and
adore Him for being God. We will not always be asking Him for things but
appreciating Him for who He is and what He has done for us. So often our
worship of God in prayer is mainly, ÒLord, give me this or that.Ó God is not
just one who meets needs, but who is to be adored, exalted, extolled,
praised and appreciated.
We Learn that God Controls Our Life. As we learn more about
GodÕs sovereignty, we also come to learn that He is in control of our life. He
loves us as Christians and has a wonderful plan for our life. We learn to
depend more on our God by faith so we can have Him lead us and show us
experientially His plan for us.
We Learn that God Answers Prayer. Since God is almighty and
sovereign, then He has the power to answer prayer. He is not stymied by puny
human wills or what seem to be impossible situations. God has the power to do
anything and He brings about His plans and purposes through the prayers of His
people. God teaches us that we have not because we ask not. Personal prayer and
confidence in God are basic to our worship of God.
We Learn to Expect God to Work for Us. Knowing God not only
involves resigning ourselves to GodÕs sovereign will, but also involves
the excitement of anticipating the supernatural workings of God. We begin to look
for the mysterious workings of God in our life. Part of our worship of God
is expecting Him to work for us.
Lesson 4
John 4:19-24
What we believe about God will affect how we worship
God. Our worship of God will never rise above our concepts of God. If we are
defective in our understanding of God, then we will also be deficient in our
worship of God.
The word ÒGodÓ is a term that people frequently use
but seldom define; therefore, they have some vague, fuzzy or warped
concept of God. Einstein thought of God as Òa pure mathematical mind.Ó Tillich
declared God to be Òthe ground of Being.Ó Others see God as a superhuman person
or an impersonal force. Still others think of God as Òa bully in the skyÓ or Òa
celestial policemanÓ or even worse Òa sentimental grandfather sitting in the
clouds, stroking his beard.Ó
A Christian must always take his definition of God
from the inspired Bible, which is a revelation from God about God. Since God
is, it is our duty to know all we can about Him. GodÕs existence and nature do
not depend upon what men think
about him, for He is all that He is no matter what men think. The only true God
is the God of Scripture. Because God has revealed Himself to us in the Bible,
we have no need or the option of conjuring up ideas and images of God by our
own imagination.
The Samaritan woman at the well obviously had some
very wrong concepts about God that made it impossible for her to render
acceptable worship to God. In His evangelization of this woman, Christ sought
to give her a right understanding of God that she might worship God correctly
after she became a follower of Christ. This woman thought of worship in terms
of a place. She localized God in her thinking to a temple whether it was on Mt.
Gerizim in Samaria or on Mt. Moriah
in Jerusalem. In her own mind, God was limited to a piece of geography and
contained within a particular location. Therefore, Christ corrected her
false thinking by pointing out that with His coming worship would not be
connected with any physical temple anywhere but that worship would be Òin
spirit and in truth.Ó
ÒOur fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.Ó Jesus declared, ÒBelieve me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem . . .Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truthÓ (John 4:20-21,23-24).
The revelation that Christ made to this woman
concerning the person of God was that ÒGod is Spirit.Ó She had to clearly
understand that God is Spirit in order to break her false concepts of God.
Literally this says, ÒThe God is Spirit.Ó God is not a spirit as though
He were one of many. God is in essence, substance and being Spirit. This
womanÕs acceptable worship of God was directly dependent upon her understanding
of the spiritual nature of God. The Greek text puts the word ÔSpiritÓ first in
the sentence in order to stress the Spirit aspect of God.
The revelation that God is Spirit is a truth that
Presbyterians have taught their children so they could worship God correctly. The Westminster Shorter Catechism
says, ÒGod is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being
wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.Ó(Question and Answer 4)
In the words ÒGod is SpiritÓ we understand that God
can have no physical body or human parts. He is not of any corporeal substance;
therefore, He has no physical limitations, as do humans. Since God is
Spirit, He is never to be materialized, for the Second Commandment
strictly forbids any physical representation of God. ÒYou shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or
worship them. . .Ó (Exo. 20:4-5). Any man-made physical representation of
God or mental materializing of God is a willful breaking of GodÕs command.
The Samaritan woman had associated God with the temple at Mt. Gerizim. She undoubtedly believed that when a person finds his deity, a temple should be erected to this deity whereby a person comes to worship, offer sacrifices and go through certain rituals to please this deity. Perhaps this woman associated God with a temple to such a degree that she could not separate the two in her thinking. She became guilty of materializing God in her mind so as to make Him like a human who must be in one place at one time. She was most certainly guilty of a form of idolatry.
It is perfectly natural for men to humanize and
materialize their deities because they have no real understanding that God
is Spirit. This is why God said to wicked Israel, ÒTo whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?Ó (Isa. 40:18) and ÒYou thought I was altogether like youÓ (Psa. 50:21). God is never like
a man in substance or essence, for He has no human body. Why? God is Spirit.
The epistles of the New Testament also confirm the
fact that God is invisible, for a Spirit cannot be seen. It is said of Christ
that ÒHe is the image of the invisible
GodÓ (Col. 1:15) and in a burst of praise it is said, ÒNow to the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim. l:17). ÒWait,Ó you say, ÒIf God has no body, then why in
the Bible are there references to God having ÔhandsÕ (Exo.
3:20), ÔarmsÕ (Exo. 6:6), ÔearsÕ (Isa. 37:17) and
ÔeyesÕ (Psa. 34:15)?Ó These are figures of speech to be understood
metaphorically. When we speak of the Òhand of GodÓ or the Ònostrils of GodÓ we
are using anthropomorphisms. Anthropomorphisms are using human expressions to
describe God though we know they are not literally true because we have the
revelation that God is Spirit. (John 4:24).
The Samaritan woman tried to localize God; that is,
she thought of God as being contained in one place that was the temple. Christ
revealed to this woman that God is Spirit so she would know that God is
everywhere, not just in a particular location like a temple.
God is Spirit teaches the omnipresence of God; that
is, God is everywhere present because only a being that is spirit can be
everywhere at once. God is boundless and limitless. God is over all things,
under all things and outside of all things. Only God can be ten billion places
and more at once because He is Spirit. God is too vast, too immense to be
contained in one place. God fills the heavens and the earth.
ÒÔAm I only a
God nearby,Õ declares the LORD, Ôand not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so
that I cannot see him?Õ declares the LORD. ÔDo not I fill heaven and earth?Õ
declares the LordÓ (Jer. 23:23-24).
God as Spirit is an immanent God. GodÕs presence and
power pervade His entire creation. He does not stand apart from the world as a
mere spectator of the things He has made. As Spirit, God is everywhere present
in His creation. God is and God is both here and there. This is also true in
relation to GodÕs creation of man. God is present near him, next to him, and
this God sees man and knows him through and through. It is because God is
Spirit that every man has existence, ÒFor
in him we live and move and have our beingÓ (Acts 17:28).
God is not so immanent, however, that He is indistinguishable from the universe. This would be Pantheism, which states that God is all and that all is God; that God is in everything. Hindus, who are Pantheists, are said to tap on trees and stones and whisper, ÒAre you there? Are you there?Ó to the god they hope might reside within. What we mean as Christians by immanence is that God as Spirit has universal presence. A.W. Tozer says,
ÒHe
(God) is there as He is here and everywhere, not confined to tree or stone, but
free in the universe, near to everything, next to everyone, and through
Jesus Christ immediately accessible to every loving heart. The doctrine of the
divine omnipresence decides this forever.Ó(Worship:
The Missing Jewel)
For
Christians, the immanence of God is blessed truth, for we are always, immediately
in His presence. God sees, He hears, He acts immediately everywhere in the
universe. ChristianÕs cannot escape GodÕs Spirit.
ÒWhere can I
go from your Spirit? Where can I
flee from your presence? If I go
up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are
there. If I rise on the wings of
the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will
guide me, your right hand will hold me fastÓ (Psa. 139:7-10).
Because
we know God is Spirit, we can offer acceptable worship by being conscious of
the presence of God. We can practice the presence of God who is already
here. GodÕs presence with us never
leaves and He is closer to us than our very thoughts. Only God can be with
every Christian at once, comfort every Christian at once and answer every
ChristianÕs prayer at once. Why? God is Spirit and an awareness of this fact
should cause a deep sense of worship to come over us as GodÕs people.
For the Samaritan woman at the well, she had no
personal God. She had some very limited understanding of God but it was a God
of her own imagination. Whatever concepts she had of God, whatever
religious understanding she had, and whatever external worship she
rendered to her concept of God, this God did not change her life. She was an
immoral woman who had five husbands and was presently living with a man who was
not her husband (John 4:17,18). Her concept of God was depersonalized so
that it had absolutely no effect upon the way she lived. Worship to her was an
external exercise that had absolutely no effect upon the way she conducted her
daily life. She, in her mind, had localized God in one spot, the temple. She
could do as she pleased as long as she was not where God was. Whenever men lose
the concept that God is Spirit and everywhere present, they will go down hill
into moral degeneration, for God will become depersonalized to the point where
one thinks he can isolate himself from God.
God is a person that cannot be localized or
confined. Because God is a person, He can be known in a personal way. God is a
personal God with whom men can talk, whom they can trust, who enters into their
experiences, who helps them in their difficulties and who fills their hearts
with joy and gladness. This personal God, who is Spirit, has been revealed in
Christ and we can know this God intimately. ÒNow this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sentÓ (John 17:3). God has promised to all
those who trust Christ, ÒI will be their
God, and they will be My peopleÓ (Jer. 31:33).
Those who know God as a personal Spirit know Him vitally and intimately and
their God changes their lives and they worship Him from the heart.
The truth that God is Spirit has some very profound
implications in the area of worship. Perhaps more confusion has come into
worship because of a wrong understanding of the spirituality of God than
for any other reason.
God Does Not Dwell in Buildings. God is not confined to
special places or special structures. God obviously can be worshipped anywhere
because He is everywhere. The Scriptures are clear that God does not dwell
in man-made temples. ÒThe God who made
the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not
live in temples built by handsÓ (Acts 17:24). God is not so interested in where He is worshipped as
much as how He is worshipped. Since the first advent of Christ, God is finished
with temples and buildings as houses for God. God is not primarily interested in the structure of church
buildings or even the beauty of them. These things may appeal to the aesthetic
side of man but not to God. Even structures in the Old Testament did not house
God completely. This is not to say
that God does not love beauty.
Both the tabernacle and temple were beautiful structures, but in the New
Testament age the emphasis is not placed on buildings, but on Christians who
are the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
ÒThis is what the LORD says: ÔHeaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?Õ declares the LORDÓ (Isa. 66:1).
Remember a church building is not a holy sanctuary.
The holy sanctuary was in the tabernacle and the temple and these were types
that pointed forward to Christ who would come as the Messiah. The tabernacle is
destroyed; the temple is demolished. A church building is a building. The building is to be respected and may
be quite beautiful, but there is nothing holy about it. God is concerned about
who worships and how we worship and not so much where we worship. We can
worship at home, in bed, in school, in the shower, on the job and even in
church.
God is Primarily Worshipped by Faith. God is Spirit and He must be communicated with and
worshipped by spiritual means. The God who is Spirit is known only by
faith. We contact the true God in
Christ by means of the Bible through faith. ÒWe live by faith,
not by sightÓ (2 Cor. 5:7). This
does not mean that God does not use the whole man (body, soul, heart, mind) to
worship Him. God can use the five
senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste) as physical means to move the
emotions to worship Him spiritually.
However, these five senses are to be used as the Bible itself
prescribes. While there is no
strict dichotomy between the spiritual and physical, the New Testament places
the emphasis on the spiritual side of worship, not the physical.
Do not misunderstand. Emotions are not to be
eliminated from worship. God does want us to feel, experience and enjoy Him.
However, manÕs emotions are moved because he first comes into contact with God
who is Spirit through the spiritual means of faith. When Christians contact the
God of Scripture through faith, then they get a proper, balanced Christian
experience. The whole man (body, soul, heart and mind) will worship God (Matt.
22:37).
Emotions can fool us sometimes. We can be deceived into thinking we are
worshipping God when we are not.
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics
and some Protestants all have external forms of worship that appeal to the five
senses, moving the emotions, but this is not necessarily worship unless it is
done according to the rules and principles of the Bible. If the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit, the Bible and faith cannot bring Christians true
worshipful experiences, then surely no unbiblical liturgical ritual, excited
feelings or pumped up emotions can do it.
Acceptable worship must involve the whole man as the worshipper seeks to
exalt the Triune God biblically.
ACCEPTABLE
INDIVIDUAL WORSHIP
John 4:19-24
When a man says, ÒI am the father of my childrenÓ or
a child says, ÒThatÕs my father,Ó what is meant by the term ÒfatherÓ? A father
is a creator, author and head of a family. He is one who is respected, loved
and feared by his children. A father also has the responsibility of loving,
protecting, caring and providing for needs, guiding and disciplining his
children.
One of the great revelations of the Bible concerning
the person of God is that He is the Father. The Old Testament has only a few
references to God as Father and they are always in relationship to Him as
Father of the Jewish nation.
ÒIs this the
way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your creator, who made you and formed
youÓ (Deut. 32:6)?
ÒHave we not
all one Father? Did not one God
create us? Why do we profane the
covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one anotherÓ (Mal. 2:10).
As
the Father of Israel, GodÕs special care for His people was seen in that He
loved, pitied, rebuked and required obedience from them. It is in the New
Testament that the fatherhood of God is brought into full revelation.
All through the New Testament we see honor,
worship and prayer directed to God the Father. In John 4:19-24, Christ made a
full revelation to the Samaritan woman showing that the primary object of
worship was God the Father.
ÒJesus
declared, ÔBelieve me, woman, a time is coming when
you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem . . . Yet
a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks. God is spirit, and his
worshipers much worship in spirit and in truthÕÓ (John 4:21, 23-24).
This womanÕs problem was that she did not have a
personal God. She had some limited facts about God (most of them were
perverted) but she did not know the one, true and living God. Her God was a
distant God, a concept but not in any way personal. She had localized God to a
temple but did not see God as Father and God as Spirit who is everywhere
present. She really did not communicate with her God, and her false and
perverted views of God did not change her life. The Samaritan woman did not
understand that God was to be worshipped as the Father. He was to be
loved, respected and feared as the one who protects, loves, guides and
disciplines His children. She had to learn that God was a Father before she
could really offer up acceptable worship to God.
FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST
There are many behind the scene implications of the
word ÒFatherÓ in John 4. One of these is that Christ wanted the Samaritan woman
to learn that God the Father is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a
New Testament revelation and has great implications to our acceptable worship. ÒPraise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing in ChristÓ (Eph. 13). This verse clearly teaches that
God the Father is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father of the
Lord Jesus Christ in a very special and unique sense. The relationship of the
Father to Christ is Trinitarian in nature. If there is a father, there must be
a son, and since there is God the Father, He must also have a Son, even Jesus
Christ. ÒFor God so loved the world that
he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal lifeÓ (John 3:16). God
the Father sustains a particular relationship to Jesus Christ that He does not
sustain with any other creature or human being. This is why Christ in His
teaching always made a distinction between Òmy FatherÓ and Òyour Father.Ó God
the Father is the Father of Jesus Christ in the wonder and mystery of the
Godhead. The Samaritan woman had to learn the doctrine of the Trinity if she
was to offer up acceptable worship to God. She had to understand that the
Father was to be approached through God the Son if she was to worshiped aright.
The Father and the Son are One. The Bible very clearly
teaches that Christ and the Father are Òone.Ó ÒI and the Father are oneÓ (John 10:30). The word ÒoneÓ is neuter
in the Greek and means Òone in essenceÓ or Òone in substance.Ó The Father and
the Son have the sameness in the essence of life. We know that Christ was
claiming equality with God in John 10:30 because the Jews tried to stone Him
for blasphemy. ÒAgain the Jews picked up
stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ÔI have shown you many great
miracles from the Father. For
which of these do you stone meÕÓ (John 10:31-32)? When Christ called God
His Father He was claiming a special oneness in relationship with the Father
not true of any created human being, and the Jews clearly understood His
claim. ÒFor this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only
was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making
himself equal with God (John 5:18).
Christ did not become God, for He was always God in the Second
Person of the Trinity. God the Son robed His divine personality with perfect
humanity and became a man. However, Christ was always God before He became a
man. In eternity past, He shared the FatherÕs glory. ÒAnd now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with
you before the world beganÓ (John 17:5).
Christ alone knows God the Father because He is God in the flesh.
ÒAll things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal himÓ (Matt. 11:17).
The New Testament writers tell us that the Jehovah
of the Old Testament is the Christ of the New Testament. For instance, in
Isaiah 40:3 we have a prophetic reference to John the BaptistÕs ministry that
prepared the way for Christ. Isaiah 40:3 says the message of John would be, ÒA voice of one calling: ÔIn the desert
prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our
God.ÕÓ The word for ÒLORDÓ in the Hebrew is Jehovah. In Matthew 3:3, Isaiah
40 is quoted and we see that John the BaptistÕs message was, ÒThis is he who was spoken of through the
prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the desert, ÔPrepare the way for the
Lord, make straight paths for him.ÕÓ The Lord here refers to Christ. The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the
Christ of the New Testament. Jesus Christ is God and this is clearly affirmed
by the Apostle Paul. Ò(Jesus Christ),
who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to
be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likenessÓ (Phil. 2:6-7).
Since Jesus Christ is God, then we see that He is an
equal object of worship with the Father. ÒWhen
they saw him (Christ), they worshiped himÓ (Matt. 28:17). He is an equal object of honor with
the Father. ÒThat all may honor the Son just as they honor the
Father. He who does not honor the
Son does not honor the Father, who sent himÓ (John 5:23). He is also an
equal object of eternal life. ÒNow this is eternal life: that they may
know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sentÓ (John
17:3). Only one who is God is
to be worshipped, and Christ qualifies for our worship because He is God.
Jesus said Himself that to see the attributes of the Father people were to look
at Him.
ÒPhilip said, ÔLord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.Õ Jesus answered, ÔDonÕt you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ÔShow us the FatherÕ? DonÕt you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?Ó (John 14:8-10).
The
Bible teaches three persons in one Godhead; three
personalities subsisting in one eternal Being. The Father is God; the Son is
God, the Spirit is God, There are not three Gods, but three persons in the
Godhead. This is a great mystery, and yet, without an understanding of the
Trinity, no one can offer acceptable worship to the God of Scripture. Someone has said, ÒIf you deny the
Trinity, you lose your soul. If you try to figure out the Trinity, you lose
your mind.Ó
The Father is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. The writers of the New
Testament recognized the unique relationship between the Father and the
Son. ÒPraise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus ChristÓ (1 Pet. 1:3).
ÒI keep asking that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him betterÓ (Eph. 1:17).
ÒMay the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus ChristÓ (Rom. 15:5-6).
They
recognized that Jesus Christ was Emanuel (God with us) and that as the Son of
God He sustained a unique relationship with the Father. The Apostles could not
think of God except as the Father who was revealed in Christ and the Father of
Christ. ÒGrace, mercy and peace from God
the Father and from Jesus Christ, the FatherÕs Son, will be with us in truth
and loveÓ (2 John 3). Worship
is acceptable only when given to the God and Father of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Worship is not acceptable
when the object of that worship is not the God and Father of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Both the Father and Christ
are worthy of worship as persons in the Trinity.
Only Trinitarian worship is acceptable to God. Al Martin says, ÒA God who is devoid of the mysterious inter-Trinitarian relationships, a God who can be reduced to mathematical formulas, is an idol.Ó This means that every JehovahÕs Witness is an idolater because he refuses to worship a Trinitarian God, giving the Father and the Son the same honor.
ÒMoreover, the
Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may
honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who
sent him (John 5:22-23).
This
also means that every Protestant liberal who bypasses Christ to get to the
Father is guilty of false worship. The only true Jehovah is Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
Worship is to be Directed to the Father through the
Son.
Worship is primarily to be given to the Father through the Son by means of the
Holy Spirit. While it is true at times that Christ is worshipped in the New
Testament as God, the dominant motif is worship to the Father. Obviously Thomas
said of Christ, ÒMy Lord and my GodÓ
(John 20:28) and when John saw a vision of Christ on the island of Patmos, ÒHe fell at his feet as though deadÓ(Rev.
1:17). It is not wrong to have
as the direct object of worship the person of Christ, but the general mood and
climate of the New Testament is worship to the Father through the Son in the
power of the Holy Spirit. ÒFor through
him (Christ) we both have access to the Father by one SpiritÓ(Eph. 2:18). Absolutely no one can go to the
Father except through Christ. ÒJesus
answered, ÔI am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). When
the Apostle Paul prayed, he prayed to the Father. ÒFor this reason I kneel before the Father, . . . (Eph. 3:14). It is Jesus Christ who takes a
person to God the Father. ÒFor Christ
died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to
GodÓ(1 Pet. 3:18). It is the
purpose of Christ to bring us to the Father that we might offer up acceptable
worship. ÒFor there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,Ó . . . (1 Tim. 2:5). A.W. Tozer
says,
ÒAlso I think we ought not
to talk too much about Jesus just as Jesus. I think we ought to remember who He
is. ÔHe is thy Lord; and worship thou him.Õ And though He comes down to the
lowest point of our need and makes Himself accessible to us as tenderly as a mother
to her child, still donÕt forget that when John saw Him -- that John who had
lain on His bosom -- when John saw Him he fell at His feet as dead.Ó (Worship: The Missing Jewel).
Before Conversion to Christ. Before conversion to Christ
each person as a man is related to Adam his human father and as a sinful man is
sold out to his father the devil
ÒYou belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your fatherÕs desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of liesÓ (John 8:44).
Unsaved
men have the devil as their father. Before conversion, all men are lost, children
of wrath and under the influence of the devil.
After Conversion to Christ. At the moment we received
Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us we were adopted into GodÕs family and became
children of God.
ÒBut when the
time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to
redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the
Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ÔAbba, FatherÕÓ (Gal. 4:4-6).
Because of this new relationship, our first act of
worship is that we cry out, ÒAbba, FatherÓ which is a term of endearment and
deep trust. A very loose translation might be, ÒDaddy, Daddy.Ó Before
conversion, we may have, seen God as sovereign, wrathful and terrible, greatly
fearing this God who is justice, righteousness, holiness and wrath. But Christ,
took us to the Father who is love, so that now we sense His protection,
care and concern for us as His children. The wrathful God as Father loves us.
The sovereign God as Father communicates with us. The holy God as Father
accepts us. We no longer fear God and His wrath but respect Him and only fear
His discipline to us as His children.
Because we know God as Father, we cry out, ÒAbba, Father.Ó Knowing God
as Father through Christ gives us great assurance of our salvation.
ÒFor you did
not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ÔAbba,
FatherÕ. The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are GodÕs childrenÓ (Rom. 8:15-16).
We have confidence to pray and we say, ÒOur Father in heavenÓ (Matt. 6:9). We
enter into the joys of being saved. ÒHow
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of GodÓ (1 John 3:1)! We experience the spiritual blessings of
God. ÒPraise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing in ChristÓ (Eph. 1:3). We also experience the comforts
of the Father in the midst of our trials of life.
ÒPraise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from GodÓ (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
Our first act of worship as a Christian begins with
the words, ÒAbba, FatherÓ but this is just the beginning of our worship of the
Father as He is manifested in the Son and revealed in the Holy Scriptures. We
all must go deeper into our worship of God the Father. We must expand our
horizons of worship. We must all seek to be full worshipPers
of God so as to give Him acceptable worship. Tozer again says,
ÒWell, itÕs (worship) an
attitude, a state of mind, a sustained act, subject to degrees of
perfection and intensity. As soon as He sends the Spirit of His Son into our
hearts we say ÒAbbaÓ and weÕre worshiping. ThatÕs one thing. But itÕs quite
another thing to be worshipers in the full New Testament sense of the word
and up to our possibilities.Ó (Worship: The Missing Jewel)
Lesson 6
Worship of God
in Spirit
John 4:19-24
ÒThe minister tells me I should worship the one,
true and living God as He is manifested in Christ and revealed in Scripture,
but honestly, I am as dry as a bone in my spiritual life. Intellectually I
grasp what the preacher is saying but this deep sense of worship he talks about
is not my own experience. What can I do to get a cool breeze from heaven so
that a vital spiritual life can be restored to me?Ó Perhaps you have asked
yourself these questions. If so, I would like to suggest to you that one of the
keys to a vital spiritual life is to understand what it means to Òworship in
spirit.Ó This must be an important concept because Christ, in His conversation
with the Samaritan woman, stated twice that true worshipPers
must worship God Òin spirit and in truth.Ó
ÒYet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truthÓ (John 4:23-24).
The Samaritan woman had an outward form of worship
but she had no personal relationship with God. The God she worshipPed could not change her life because she had Him
localized in a temple. Her God was a God of her imagination and she worshiped
only when she was around or in the temple. She had no concept of a personal God
who was always with her and who met her deepest spiritual needs. She was
sincere in her religion but she was sincerely wrong. In her conversation with
Christ, this woman referred to two different places of worship – Mount Gerizim in Samaria and Mount Moriah
in Jerusalem.
ÒSir,Ó the
woman said, ÒI can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim
that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.Ó Jesus declared, ÒBelieve
me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this
mountain nor in JerusalemÓ (John 4:19-21).
She
always thought of worship in terms of a temple site. ChristÕs point in this conversation
was that worship would no longer be in terms of a place, a piece of geography
or a temple, but it would be Òin spirit and in truth.Ó
Mount Gerizim in Samaria
and Mount Moriah in Jerusalem represent two kinds of
worship both of which are not acceptable to God because neither one is Òin
spirit and truth.Ó Mount Gerizim worship represents a
sincere worship on the human level but not at all based on the truth, for the
Samaritans rejected all the Old Testament except the five books of Moses. They
had ÒspiritÓ but not Òtruth.Ó The Samaritans had their own temple, priesthood
and sacrificial system. When their temple was destroyed they carried on
their worship for years. They were sincere, earnest and committed to their
religion but their religion was not based on truth.
Mount Moriah worship, on
the other hand, represents the possession of truth without sincerity. The Jews had
the truth of the Old Testament and went through the external forms of worship
as God commanded them. They had the objective truth but lacked subjective
experience and reality of the truth. They had ÒtruthÓ but no Òspirit.Ó They
prayed, fasted, went to the temple, offered sacrifices, gave money and went
through the external forms of religion, but Christ condemned them for their
insincerity and hypocrisy. ÒThis people
honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. They worship me
in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by menÓ (Matt. 15:8-9). The Jews had head knowledge of
truth but no heart for God.
In the words, Òworship in
spiritÓ Christ attempted to correct any false teaching that men can have truth
without reality or head facts without heart response and offer up acceptable
worship to God. Worship must be from the total man - mind, will and emotions.
The words Òin spiritÓ are given by Christ so that Christians will be on guard
about falling into dead orthodoxy, where Christians have an open Bible or a
doctrinal creed but are cold, lifeless and powerless in their lives. The words
Òin spiritÓ are given to warn Christians about the dangers of intellectualism,
hypocrisy, formalism and ritual in worship. God wants His people to experience Him and to have
warm, glowing hearts while being committed to the truth.
In the words Òworship the Father in spirit,Ó Christ
made it clear that since He has come in His first advent, worship will take on
a new dimension. The Old Testament physical kind of worship will pass off the
scene and something new, fresh and dynamic will replace this physical kind of
worship. Worship in the Old Testament was centered on a physical temple,
priesthood and animal sacrifices. These were types and shadows pointing forward
to the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lord who would come. Since Christ has come all
the Old Testament types have been fulfilled in Christ and the Church. ÒThe law is only a shadow of the good
things that are coming—not the realities themselvesÓ (Heb. 10:1). Old Covenant worship has been replaced
by New Covenant worship, and New Covenant worship centers around Jesus Christ.
At the heart of New Covenant worship is worship in Òspirit and truth.Ó
Acceptable worship can only come as we rid ourselves
of all worldly forms of worship and spiritually worship God Òin spirit,"
for the New Testament clearly states that all worship is to be done in a new
spiritual dimension. The true church of Jesus Christ has its temple, its
sacrifices, its priesthood and its worship, but these are found primarily in
the spiritual realm not the physical.
The Individual Christian is Spiritually Circumcised. ÒFor it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of
God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the
flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidenceÓ (Phil. 3:3). Physical circumcision in the Old
Testament was a sign that one belonged to the covenant. In the New Testament,
every Christian has been spiritually circumcised and is part of the Covenant of
Grace. Because of spiritual circumcision of the heart each Christian is a
true worshipper of God.
The Individual Christian is a Spiritual Temple
ÒDo you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought
at a price. Therefore honor God
with your bodyÓ (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
God is not dwelling in buildings any longer. He,
through the Holy Spirit, is indwelling every true believer in Jesus
Christ, and the individual Christian has become the temple of God. God
dwells in spiritual temples, His people, and as temples of God, Christians are
to be holy sanctuaries unto the Lord God. How often people in ignorance will
pray, ÒIt is good to be gathered in the house of God on this LordÕs Day,Ó
referring to the church building. Or they will talk about a church building as
a ÒsanctuaryÓ as if there was something holy and mystical about a building. God
is not in brick and mortar and glass; He is in people who have received His
Son, Jesus Christ. The physical temple is destroyed. God now dwells in spiritual temples and these spiritual
temples are to be dedicated to God and used for His holy service.
One time a woman came out of the morning service all
huffy and puffy and said to the preacher, ÒDid you see that young boy chewing
gum in the sanctuary this morning?Ó The minister knew the boy was a believer
and the preacher smiled and said, ÒLady, I have news for you. The sanctuary was
chewing the gum!Ó
The Individual Christian is a Spiritual Priest
ÒBut you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful lightÓ (1 Pet. 2:9).
The Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament has
been done away with forever. Since Christ has come, every Christian is his own
priest before God. He can represent himself before God in prayer and offer
up his own spiritual sacrifices to the Father through his Great High Priest,
Jesus Christ.
The
great cry of Martin Luther in the Reformation was the universal priesthood of
all believers. He opposed the
Roman Catholic concept of a literal, physical priesthood on earth. Luther was
right and we should still oppose this concept even today. God wants to set men
free, not put them in bondage by placing them back under a system that God said
has been done away with forever.
The Individual Christian Offers Spiritual Sacrifices.
ÒThrough
Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise –
the fruit of lips that confess his name.
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such
sacrifices God is pleasedÓ (Heb. 13:15-16).
As a self-sustaining believer-priest, each Christian is to offer spiritual sacrifices of praise, good works and finances. Real worship involves praise, performance and purse. Part of our worship is to praise God with thanksgiving for His person and His covenant of mercy towards us. Our worship involves good works towards our brothers in Christ and our unsaved neighbors.
A definite part of our worship to God is the liberal giving of our monies to the LordÕs work. When we do not give tithes and offerings, we are robbing God of proper worship that is rightfully His. ÒWill a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ÔHow do we rob you?Õ ÒIn tithes and offeringsÓ (Mal. 3:8). No Christian is fully worshipping God until he is making these spiritual sacrifices to God.
The Individual Christian Offers Up Spiritual Worship.
ÒTherefore, I
urge you, brothers, in view of GodÕs mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of
worshipÓ (Rom. 12:1).
The presentation of the life to God is an act of
spiritual worship. Every Christian is to be a living sacrifice. In the KJV the
presentation of the body as a Òliving sacrificeÓ is said to be the ChristianÕs
Òspiritual act of worship.Ó Do you want to worship God? Then present your life
to Him. The highest form of worship is a life dedicated to God. Real worship is
nothing less than an obedient life. Unless we are daily presenting our lives to
God, we are not offering up acceptable worship. A life committed to God is a living,
spiritual sacrifice. It is much more difficult to live for God than to die for
Him. Martyrdom would be simple compared to living everyday for the one, true
and living God as He is manifested in Christ and revealed in Scripture. We have
not really worshipped until our bodies are presented to God.
The New Testament teaches that as spiritual temples
the Holy Spirit permanently indwells the true believer in Jesus Christ. With
the coming of Christ, there is a new manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the
lives of Christians. The very power of God resides within every believer. It is
the Holy Spirit who energizes GodÕs people in the New Testament. ÒFor it is we who are the circumcision, we
who worship by the Spirit . . .Ó (Phil. 3:3). Worship is to be offered to the Father, through the Son
in the energizing power of the Holy Spirit.
When Christ said to the Samaritan woman that worship
was to be Òin spirit,Ó He undoubtedly had in mind manÕs human spirit, but it is
the Holy Spirit who energizes the human spirit, so this has caused some
commentators to think Christ was indirectly speaking about the Holy Spirit and
directly speaking about the human spirit.
A.W. Tozer says,
ÒOnly the Holy Spirit can
enable a fallen man to worship God acceptably. The Church has been propagated
by the Holy Spirit, so we can only worship in the Spirit, we can only pray in
the Spirit, and we can only preach effectively in the Spirit, and what we
do must be done by the power of the Spirit.Ó (Worship: The Missing Jewel)
The Holy Spirit becomes the power for the Christian
to worship God when offering up his spiritual sacrifices of his person, praise,
performance and purse. Christians are told specifically to pray in the Holy
Spirit ÒBut you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and
pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep
yourselves in GodÕs love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to
bring you to eternal lifeÓ (Jude 20-21). Christians are exhorted to be filled or controlled by the
Spirit. ÒDo not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery. Instead, be
filled with the SpiritÓ (Eph. 5:18). They are also commanded to live (walk)
in the Spirit. ÒSo I say, live by the
Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful natureÓ (Gal. 5:16).
The whole purpose of the Holy SpiritÕs work is to manifest Christ to the
Christian, and Christ in turn takes the Christian to the Father. The Holy
Spirit has come to glorify Christ.
ÒBut when he,
the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will
speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking
from what is mine and making it known to youÓ (John 16:13-14).
Beware
of any Christian or Christian organization that exalts the Holy Spirit above
Christ. The SpiritÕs task is to make Christ real to the Christian. If one is
occupied with Christ, the Holy Spirit will energize him.
The relationship of the Holy Spirit to Christ can be
compared to a spotlight on an actor when on stage. The purpose of the spotlight
is to focus attention on the actor. Without the spotlight no one would see the
actor. The Holy Spirit shines His light on the person of Christ so we can see
Christ. The Holy SpiritÕs work is to put Christ in the spotlight in the life of
the believer.
Christians need the work of the Holy Spirit in order
to worship acceptably and effectively. Without spiritual assistance from God we
cannot worship God aright. If we feel our souls are dry as a parched desert,
then let us fall on our faces before God and cry out for God to have His Holy
Spirit revive us. We can say as the Psalmist, ÒRevive us, and we will call on your nameÓ (Psa. 80:18).
When Christ told the Samaritan woman that worship
was to be Òin spirit,Ó He was most certainly talking about the fact that
worship was to come from the heart of a person who had deep emotional feelings
for his God. Worship was not to be in some geographical sphere but in the
sphere of attitude of heart and mind.
It is the immaterial part of a Christian that
worships God. God communes with Christians through the human spirit. ÒThe Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are GodÕs childrenÓ
(Rom. 8:16). A Christian
serves God through a redeemed human spirit.
For God, whom I serve in my spirit . . . (Rom. 1:9 - NASB).
In worship, the worshipper is
wholly engaged in the act of worship. The renewed mind is also involved in
the act of worship.
ÒAnd that you be
renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the
likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truthÓ
(Eph. 4:23-24 - NASB).
ÒDo not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what GodÕs will is—his good, pleasing
and perfect willÓ (Rom. 12:2).
The heart is the seat of the emotions so we know the
redeemed emotions of Christians seek God with the whole heart. ÒI will praise you, O LORD, with all my
heart; I will tell of all your wondersÓ (Psa. 9:1). ÒI seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your
commandsÓ (Psa. 119:10). Acceptable worship demands a commitment of the whole
immaterial man. ÒPraise the LORD, O my
soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy nameÓ (Psa. 103:1). Worship
involves deep contemplation of the person of God, meditation upon the
works of God and appreciation of our approach to God, through Christ Jesus the
Lord. God also wants the heart as well as the head. It is an insult to give God
a divided and fragmented heart. Love for God is as important as knowledge of
Him.
Worship Is Giving Not Getting. The basic purpose of
worship is not that Christians should get a blessing in worship but
whether God is pleased with the ChristianÕs worship. Worship is the giving of
the mind, the will, the emotions and the body to God. It is the giving of all
that we are or have to the worship of the one, true and living God who is
manifested in Christ and revealed in Holy Scripture. Beware of Christians who
are Òneed centeredÓ in their worship of God. If they stress what God can do for
them more than what they can give God, they have a perverted form of worship.
If a person says, ÒMy needs were not met in worship,Ó he may really be saying
that he is putting nothing of himself into his worship of God. A Christian will
not experience fullness in true worship until he consciously wills to give himself
to the worship of God. Each Christian must ask himself the question, as did the
psalmist, ÒHow can I repay the LORD for
all his goodness to meÓ (Psa. 116:12)?
However worshippers who give
themselves to God will receive spiritual blessings in return, and they should
anticipate blessing. As they give
themselves to God worship, they will receive blessings, but they must give of
themselves whether they receive anything or not.
Worship Is by Faith. A God who is Spirit can
only be communicated with by spiritual means. Spiritual worship is offered through faith in the living God
as He is revealed in the Bible. Worship in spirit is something internal, not
external. Any worship, which tries to reach God through emotions, feelings, and
aesthetics alone is a false worship. God cannot be
reached through beads, crosses, pictures, and buildings or trumped up emotional
meetings. God can only be reached by faith as He is revealed in Holy
Scriptures.
Worship Does Involve Emotions. God does want us to
experience Him. He does want our emotions to be moved towards Him, but He wants
the emotions to be moved by the truth of the Word of God. God wants us to weep
and laugh and get excited and show seriousness of purpose in our worship of
Him. God through the Word, as the
Christian exercises vital faith, must move the emotions. If we are to properly
worship God, we must use the means He has instructed us to use in the Bible.
Worship Is a Moment by Moment Attitude. Worship is not to be
regulated to the hours of eleven and twelve on Sunday morning. Worship is a
moment-by-moment experience. In fact, if we have not been worshipping
during the week, we will get very little out of collective worship on Sunday.
Worship is being occupied with God through Christ and presenting oneÕs body (life)
for the service God has prepared for us. We worship when we read the Bible,
pray, witness, clean house, change diapers, play with the kids, make a business
deal, type a letter, do well in school, do a good job at work or whatever as
long as we do these things for the glory of God.
Worship can Only be Pleasing to God When it is
Spiritual Worship. There are some external aspects of the Christian religion but God
will never be pleased with mere physical aspects of worship. This is clearly
taught through the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. The offering of
sacrifices without a heart for God was repugnant to God.
ÒI hate, I
despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt
offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship
offering, I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harpsÓ (Amos 5:21-23).
What
God always wants is an obedient heart from His people
ÒFor when I
brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give
them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this
command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you,
that it may go well with youÓ (Jer. 7:22-23).
God spoke to disobedient King Saul through
Samuel. ÒBut Samuel replied: ÔDoes the LORD delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and
to heed is better than the fat of ramsÕÓ (1 Sam. 15:22). God desires all true believers to
have a humble and contrite heart before they offer any external kind of
worship.
ÒYou do not
delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt
offerings. The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despiseÓ
(Psa. 51:16-17).
Our bodies sitting in a church pew means nothing to
God unless our hearts are there to worship Him. When we pray out loud, this is
of no consequences to God unless our hearts beat for Him. Praying out loud may
help us and certainly it helps others to enter into this prayer, but God is
interested in our hearts more than our public prayers. God is not one bit
impressed with our singing voices unless we sing out of pure love for Him.
Songs create no sensation to God; they do to us but not to God. God is only
interested in the heart that produces the song. All physical aspects of worship
mean nothing to God and create no sensation to God except they are given by
faith. When given by faith, they
are well pleasing to Him.
ACCEPTABLE
INDIVIDUAL WORSHIP
Lesson
7
Worship
of God in Truth
John 4:19-24
ÒDoctrine, doctrine, doctrine, all I ever hear is
doctrine! I just want to love God and serve Him. Learning wearies my flesh.
Doctrine divides Christians and I want to love them. Why canÕt I just love God
without doctrine?Ó This is a very prevalent attitude among many so-called evangelical
Christians today. Is this the right attitude? I think not, for it is
impossible to worship God aright and serve Him correctly without a proper
understanding of Christian doctrine. Acceptable worship is directly related to
a proper understanding of the Word of God.
The neglect of the doctrines of the Bible was the
very problem of the Samaritan woman. She as all Samaritans accepted only the
five books of Moses and rejected all the other Old Testament books. Her
religion was based on insufficient revelation. While the Samaritans had a
physical temple, an earthly priesthood and literal animal sacrifices based on
partial revelation, their religion was not acceptable because it was not based
on the full revelation of the Old Testament. They were also very sincere and
zealous about their religion, but they were unable to render acceptable worship
to God. Christ specifically told this woman that worship must be Òin spirit and
truth.Ó
ÒYet a time is coming and has now come when
the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are
the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truthÓ
(John 4:23-24).
What was her problem? She had ÒspiritÓ (zeal)
without Òtruth.Ó She was deficient in her understanding of the God of
Scripture; therefore, she could not worship God correctly. She needed to
have a complete revelation of God, so she could worship in truth.
Christ taught the Samaritan woman what every
Christian should know and understand explicitly; that is, Christianity is a
revealed religion and rests on the unveiling of the hidden Creator Himself. ÒFor God, who said, ÔLet light shine out of
darkness,Õ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of ChristÓ (2 Cor. 4:6). Christianity states dogmatically
that the Triune God has made a revelation of Himself in a general way in
creation and the human conscience and in a particular way in Christ and in the
written Bible. Christianity is not a religion thought up by men. It is a
revelation directly from God. Revelation is Òa disclosure of what was
previously unknownÓ or Òthe act of God by which He discloses Himself and truths
concerning Himself to man, which truths could not be obtained by man in any
other mannerÓ or Òthe act of communicating divine knowledge by the Spirit to
the mind.Ó Revelation deals with how God communicates divine truth, making a
manifestation of Himself and His will to men. J.I. Packer, in the book God
Speaks To Man says,
ÒRevelation is a divine
activity: not, therefore, a human achievement. Revelation is not the same
thing as discovery, or the dawning of insight, or the emerging of a bright
idea. Revelation does not mean man finding God, but God finding man, God
sharing His secrets with us, God showing us Himself. In revelation, God is the
agent as well as the object. It is not just that men speak about God, or for
God; God speaks for Himself, and talks to us in person. The New Testament
message is that in Christ God has spoken a word for the world, a word to which
all men in all ages are summoned to listen and to respond.Ó
The whole of the Old Testament is a revelation from
God, but the Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus Christ, GodÕs ultimate
revelation. Christ constitutes the apex or the climax of all revelation, not
chronologically but qualitatively. God has spoken to men in His Son, Jesus
Christ. ÒIn the past God spoke to our
forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in
these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all
things, and through whom he made the universeÓ (Heb. 1:1-2). When God
revealed Himself in Christ, He could go no further. Christ was the ultimate end
of all revelation. All that is written in the New Testament is simply
explanatory of what God has done in revealing Himself in Christ.
Jesus Christ is GodÕs full and final revelation of
truth. ÒFor the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus ChristÓ (John 1:17). All that the Old Testament contained in
types and shadows are now reality and substance in Christ the Lord. The
tabernacle, temple, priesthood, sacrificial system, incense, ornately dressed
priests, and many other things were all types and shadows that pointed forward
to the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ. They were mere reflections of
the true substance and worked upon the human senses. Ultimate reality and
spiritual truth has come in Christ Jesus the Lord. Therefore, all that Christ
taught and did is truth. The reason Christ claimed to be the only way to the
Father was because He was truth. ÒJesus
answered, ÔI am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through meÕÓ (John 14:6).
Worship
Must be Based on the New Covenant.
In Christ, God has established the New Covenant forever and every
Christian is a New Covenant believer. To return to any part of Old Testament
(Old Covenant) worship is to dig up what God has buried and to exchange the
light of the sun for a dimly lit candle.
God has made a final revelation in His Son, the
mediator of the New Covenant, and to go back under Old Covenant worship when He
has established the New Covenant is slapping God in the face. Old Testament
physical worship is no longer acceptable to God, for He will only accept
worship that is Òin spirit and truth.Ó Any earthly physical priesthood
that sees the minister as a priest, has an altar in the church sanctuary, and
allows any ritual designed specifically to appeal to the five senses of man
alone must never be allowed in New Covenant worship. God is speaking to us
today in spiritual realities in Christ and not primarily in physical substances.
Unfortunately there are today many so-called evangelicals who are living in the
types and shadows rather than in the glorious reality of Jesus Christ. Their worship is not Òin spirit and
truth.Ó
Worship in the New Covenant is distinct from worship
in the Old Covenant because it is based on the truth of the gospel, the full
revelation of ChristÕs person and work.
The New Covenant emphasis is upon the truth of ChristÕs death,
resurrection, ascension and return.
Worship Must be Simple. Private and public worship
must be kept simple so that the physical senses do not get in the way of true
worship by faith. God has left us His Son Jesus Christ and the Word and that is
all we need in the New Covenant to worship effectively. Beware of any teaching
that would put the Christian back under the Old Testament dispensation and
forms of worship.
The Bible is a Revelation. The Bible is also truth.
Scriptures are a revelation given in propositional form; that is, real words
are given by God to communicate to man. God has not only spoken in mighty acts
of history such as the incarnation of Christ, His life, His death and His
resurrection, but God has also spoken in verbal form through the Bible.
ÒWe accept manÕs testimony, but GodÕs testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have lifeÓ (1 John 5:9-12).
The
Bible becomes the final interpreter of the Christ event. The Bible as revelation is historical,
objective, verbal and completed. The Bible is a written revelation from God and
is, in an objective sense, the Word of God whether anyone believes it or not.
It is impossible to know the Triune God apart from the Bible, for all we know
about God is in the Bible.
The Bible is Inspired. The Bible makes its own
claim to inspiration. ÒAll Scripture is God-breathed (inspired)
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good workÓ (2 Tim.
3:16). This means that every word of Scripture is God-breathed; that
is, the words are breathed out or spring out from God. It
is the Scripture that is inspired. God inspired the finished product of each
book when the authors of Scripture penned the books. We have, therefore,
inspired Scripture and not inspired writers of Scripture.
Scriptures are not the product of God and man (man
cooperates) or God in man (an inspired man) but God through man. The
Bible also makes the claim that the Holy Spirit controlled the writers at the
time of writing of the Bible.
ÒAbove all,
you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophetÕs
own interpretation. For prophecy
never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were
carried along by the Holy SpiritÓ (2 Pet. 1:20-21).
When
writing, the writers of Scripture were Òcarried along,Ó Òborne alongÓ or
ÒmovedÓ by the Holy Spirit so the exact words God wanted were written down.
Remember, all the writers of Scripture had a sin nature and were capable of
making an error, but God sovereignly and
supernaturally controlled them so that they gave revelation in written form,
which was inspired, authoritative, and without error. The Bible is the infallible
Word. There are no infallible interpreters but there is the infallible
Bible. One of the main reasons to accept the inspiration of Scripture is that
Christ Himself believed the Bible to be inspired and inerrant.
ÒI tell you
the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until
everything is accomplishedÓ (Matt. 5:18)
Ò . . . and the Scripture cannot be broken . . .Ó (John 10:35).
If
the Son of God accepted the inspiration of Scripture, then why should any
servant of His deny it?
Evangelicals today hold to the verbal-plenary
inspiration of Scripture: that is, every word is inspired and the whole (full)
Bible is inspired. A good definition of inspiration would be: God so supernaturally directed the minds of
the writers of Scripture that without waiving their intelligence, literary
style or personal feelings, or any other human factor, His complete and
coherent message to man was recorded with perfect accuracy, the very words of
the original manuscripts bearing the authority of Divine authorship.
The Bible is Truth. The Bible is itself absolute truth.
ÒSanctify them by the truth; your word is truthÓ (John 17:17). Every word can be trusted, for it is the
very Word of God.
ÒAnd we also
thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you
heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is,
the word of God, which is at work in you who believeÓ (1 Thess. 2:13).
We can trust the Bible because it is truth. Are
there not some that claim there are errors in the Bible? Yes, there are, but
these are only claims but they have never been proven to be true. Any honest
evangelical would admit the possibility of error in the transmission of the
text, for we do not have the original manuscripts; however, through the science
of lower textual criticism we can almost reproduce the original manuscript of
the New Testament. It is more difficult to do this in the Old Testament,
but discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls have merely shown how accurate our
present copies of the Old Testament are. Honest evangelicals will admit in a
very few cases there are some apparent contradictions in Scripture, but
the problem is not with GodÕs inspired Word but with our limited knowledge. We
are thousands of years removed from the time of the writing of the Bible.
However, archeology is proving everyday the tremendous accuracy of the Old and
New Testaments. What contradictions there seem to be are few; the textual
problems are minor and there is no major doctrine of the Bible affected by any
of the problems.
Paul Little, in his book Know Why You Believe, gives a solid
answer to the evangelicalÕs problems with the Biblical text. He says,
ÒThere are some other
problems, which as yet do not yield a ready explanation. We must freely admit
this, remembering that many times, in the past, problems resolved themselves
when more data became available. The logical position, then, would seem to
be that where there are areas of apparent conflict, we must hold the problem in
abeyance, admitting our present inability to explain but awaiting the
possibility of new data. The presence of problems does not prevent our
accepting the Bible as the supernatural Word of God.Ó
J. C. Ryle gives an honest evaluation of an
evangelicalÕs position on inspiration.
He says,
ÒGive me plenary, verbal
inspiration with all its difficulties, rather than the doubt. I accept the
difficulties, and humbly wait for their solution; but while I wait I am
standing on a rock.Ó (Source unknown)
The Bible is a Book of Doctrine. The word ÒdoctrineÓ simply
means Òteaching.Ó When we speak about doctrine we are speaking about the
teaching contained in the Bible. There is the doctrine of Christ, of the Second
Advent, of the Bible, of salvation, of Christian living, of witnessing, of
praying and hundreds of other teachings in the Bible. An inspired Bible has
been given so men might know the doctrine of Scripture. ÒAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good workÓ (1 Tim. 3:16). Without doctrine, we cannot live the
Christian life or worship God correctly. Doctrine is nothing but a revelation
of God and how He wants His people to live. In the Book of Acts we find that
doctrine was essential to corporate worship in the early church. ÒThey devoted themselves to the apostlesÕ
teaching (doctrine) and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayerÓ (Acts 2:42). They
continued in the ApostleÕs doctrine and our task is to find out what the
ApostleÕs doctrine was from the written Word of God. Every truth we learn gives
us more understanding of God and appreciation of His greatness. One of the
marks of the last day before ChristÕs second coming is that supposed Christian
men will fall away from the true Faith and follow after the doctrines of demons. ÒThe Spirit clearly says that in later
times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demonsÓ (1 Tim. 4:1). We are warned that men will not want strong
doctrinal teaching and will do everything to get teachers who will compromise
and tell them what they want to hear.
ÒPreach the
Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will
not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great
number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the
truth and turn aside to mythsÓ (2 Tim. 4:2-4).
Faithful ministers teach the Òwhole counsel of GodÓ
to their flocks without compromise, for they are teaching GodÕs inspired
revelation. ÒFor I have not hesitated to
proclaim to you the whole will (counsel) of GodÓ (Acts 20:27). One of the marks of a spiritual
babe in Christ is that he does not want strong doctrine and deep truth. There
is also the problem of spiritual pride, for a little knowledge puffs up. A
person may want to be learning something new all the time, but not reveling in
and obeying the truth he already knows. A person that says when hearing a
message or reading his Bible, ÒI have heard that before. I know what this
passage of Scripture says already. I have already memorized this verse,Ó has a
very serious problem with spiritual pride and immaturity. As a Christian grows
up spiritually, his learning of straight biblical and theological facts
continues because Christianity is a dogmatic religion based on the Bible,
but he never stops learning more about God and knowing God in his experience.
We never stop growing in knowledge of God and fruitfulness to Him.
ÒFor this
reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you
and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual
wisdom and understandingÓ (Col. 1:9-10).
The
Bible is a Revelation Not a Medical Book. The Bible is a revelation from
God about God. It is not a book on psychology that helps us to deal with our
daily problems only. God has made a revelation of Himself and every word and
every concept and every doctrine is relevant to us because these truths tell us
about God. It is our human responsibility to learn all we can about the written
revelation so we can experientially know God. The whole counsel of the Bible is
to be taught to men and then application is to be made to oneÕs life. The Bible
is not primarily a book written as a manual to handle problems, although
it gives the spiritual basis for handling the problems of life. We do not go to
the Bible to solve our problems, but we go to the Bible to know God who in
turn meets our deepest needs as we commit to Him. The Bible approached purely
as a manual for problems will never produce deep worshippers of Almighty
God.
A Defective View of the Bible Produces a Defective
Worship.
Where the written Word of God is rejected, neg1ected or perverted, worship is
rendered unacceptable in direct proportion to that rejection or neglect of the
Word of God. Atheists, infidels and agnostics have no worship at all.
Protestant liberals and cultists have a corrupted worship that is not
acceptable to God. Even evangelical Christians are perverted in their worship
to the extent that they are ignorant of the whole counsel of God. Evangelicals
must accept the whole Bible without reservation so as to give God all the glory
in worship.
The Bible is the Only Rule of Faith and Practice. Nothing must be introduced
into our acts of worship in private or public for which there is no biblical
warrant. Acts of private and public worship should be according to the Bible
alone. This was a big issue in the Reformation between Luther and Zwingli.
Luther believed whatever is not specifically forbidden in Scripture was all
right to practice. Zwingli believed there should be nothing in worship except
that which is specifically and clearly taught in the Bible. LutherÕs view permitted
him to keep high liturgical worship in the Lutheran church. Zwingli had
simplicity of architecture and forms of worship. In my opinion, Zwingli had a
more Biblical concept of worship than Luther for he more clearly saw the Bible
as a revelation, which spoke specifically on matters of faith and practice.
Is the Bible like a paper pope? Absolutely not! The
Bible is inspired by God and popes are not biblical. The Bible is the only
authority and not to hold this allows every man to do that that is right in his
own eyes.
The Bible Alone is the Guide for Feelings. Feelings can always be
deceptive. It is quite possible to have a religious experience without Jesus
Christ. It is also possible to worship on a human level without truly worshipping
God. It is possible for men to have some kind of experience of talking with or
to God and still not worship biblically. For sure, God wants Christians to
worship in spirit, but not at the expense of truth. He wants His people to
experience Him but to do so through the Word of God. Subjective Christian
experience is always to operate within the framework of objective biblical
truth. It is through the biblical understanding of Scripture that one comes to
really know God. If we need more faith, then we should read and memorize the
Bible. ÒConsequently, faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of ChristÓ (Rom.
10:17). The Bible is a living book and the more we read it, memorize it,
and meditate upon it, the more we understand about God and His purposes.
ÒFor the word
of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul
and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heartÓ (Heb. 4:12).
Spurgeon said, ÒThis Bible will keep you from sin or
sin will keep you from the Bible.Ó It is always true that dusty Bibles mean
dirty lives.
The Bible should be read as a love letter from God
to us. Each paragraph, each line and each word tells us something of the God
who loves us. The Bible takes us beyond the words to the person of God Himself.
Just as we never tire of reading a love letter, we must never tire of reading
GodÕs Word, for it is through the Bible that we learn of His love for us.
The Bible is Necessary for Worship. Without a right
understanding of the Bible we cannot offer up acceptable worship to God. A
person who continues in the Word is a true disciple of Christ. ÒTo the Jews who had believed him, Jesus
said, ÒIf you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciplesÓ (John 8:31). Since worship comes from a total
revelation of Scripture, it is absolutely essential that each Christian
reads his Bible regularly and studies it consistently. In public worship,
there must be a systematic reading and exposition of Scripture. The Bible must
be read and re-read with a devotional emphasis whether learning a practical
truth, grasping a deep theological concept or parsing a Greek verb. Before we
read books about the Bible, we should be acquainted with the Bible. If we read
books about the Bible, let us be sure we read good, solid Christian literature
that will give us an appreciation for the Bible and the God who wrote it.
Always check the books you read about the Bible with the Bible to be sure what
an author is saying is biblical.
TRUTHFULNESS FROM THE
CHRISTIAN
To worship God in truth may also refer to the fact
that every Christian must be truthful before God, open and honest with his own
life, as he reads the Word of God. If Christians are to understand the
objective revelation of GodÕs written Word, they must subjectively yield
themselves to the truth of GodÕs Word. The Bible is true whether men believe it
or not, but it only becomes a living reality to those who accept what it says
at face value and apply it to the life. We must believe what God says about His
Son Jesus Christ and how He relates to our daily Christian lives. We must yield
ourselves to what God says about us, and, as He shows us our sin, we must
confess it and do what He commands us to do as Christians.
Every Christian must evaluate his life continually
in light of the Word of God. He must allow the Word of God to convict him of
sin and to produce a cleansing effect in him. ÒSanctify them by the truth; your word is truthÓ (John 17:17). The Bible is alive to the
believer who is prepared and ready to accept it. It is not possible to give
acceptable worship to God unless a person is living in the Biblical commands,
promises, principles, concepts and precepts. A hunger for GodÕs written Word
will produce growing, dynamic Christians.
ÒLike newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up
in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is goodÓ (1 Pet.
2:2-3).
Lesson 8
The Basis for
Corporate Worship
How
are Christians to worship God corporately or collectively? How is the gathered church to approach
the Living God? What is the
criterion for worship? Is it found
in how one thinks or feels worship should transpire? Where does one go to find out how the one, true and living
God desires to be corporately worshipped?
The
Bible is the only place we can go to find out how to worship God. The Scriptures are the one source that
tell us why, when and how to worship as a body of believers. Evangelical Christians since the days
of the Reformation have declared that the Bible is the only rule of faith
and practice, and this surely includes the motivations and methods of
corporate worship.
ÒAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of
God may be thoroughly equipped for every good workÓ (2 Tim. 3:16).
The inspired, infallible Word of God
becomes the ultimate criterion to judge all of life, and this certainly
includes the proper way to conduct corporate worship. Without the objective Bible, the church is cast on a sea of
subjectivity so that in worship every person does that which is right in his
own eyes (Judges 17:6). God has
given the church infallible revelation on how He is to be approached in
collective worship, and the body of Christ needs no other man-made criterion to
make worship effective.
The
basic question is not what men think about worship but what does God say? All corporate worship, as all of life,
must be regulated and defined by the Scriptures.
For
those who are Reformed in theology, the foundational
principle for worship has been the Regulative Principle of Worship.
ÒThe living God accepts our
worship when we offer it in obedience to his revelation of worshipÕs true
character. Worship ought not to be
offered according to imagined fantasies and invented techniques, satanic
suggestions, using visible representations of God or through any way not
directed by the Scripture. (Westminster Confession of Faith: Contemporary
Edition—21:1).
The
intention of the Regulative Principle is good in that it seeks to limit worship
to what the Bible teaches, allowing the Bible alone to set the standard for corporate
worship. The motivation of this
principle is to keep GodÕs people from going to extremes in worship, so as to
offer up acceptable worship to the Triune God.
The
problem with the Regulative Principle is that the Bible does not mention many
things that we use is worship in the 21st century – pews,
stain glass windows, crosses, certain types of instruments, sound systems,
hymnals, over-head projectors, calls to worship, benedictions, etc. What is not specifically mentioned in
Scripture must be solved by theological deductions based on biblical texts and
principles. Those who view the
Regulative Principle this way appeal to the Westminster Confession of Faith,
The entire purpose of God
concerning all things necessary for his own glory, human salvation, faith and
life style is expressly written in Scripture or may be reasonably concluded
through careful and logical deduction from Scripture. (Westminster Confesssion: Contemporary Edition—l-4)
Most Christians would agree that they should worship
only in the way God commands.
Anything less or more is a violation of the Second Commandment: ÒYou
shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or
on the earth beneath or in the waters belowÓ(Exo.
20:4).
Various
Christian groups or denominations look at how the regulative principle is
carried out in theory differently. Those who are of the Puritan-Reformed
tradition would say only what is explicitly commanded in Scripture is
acceptable in corporate worship.
Stated negatively they would say anything that is forbidden in Scripture
plus anything not explicitly commanded in Scripture should not be allowed in
worship. The Lutheran and Anglican
traditions would allow anything in public worship except that which is
specifically forbidden. In these
groups, much of the Roman Catholic tradition is retained. The tradition of General Evangelicals
would state that anything that is appropriate and enhances the service is
appropriate for corporate worship.
This is a more pragmatic approach to worship. Perhaps the closest
tradition to the regulative principle is found in the moderately Reformed group
that states all that is forbidden in Scripture plus anything without implicit biblical
warrant is not acceptable for public worship. Stated positively, the moderately Reformed believe that
whatever has explicit or implicit Biblical support is appropriate for corporate
worship. The moderately Reformed accept the premise that whatever is commanded
or stated in principle in the Bible alone is acceptable in collective
worship. Any thing else is not
acceptable. This view says that
the Bible alone (both Old and New Testaments) must be the only criterion for public
worship.
The
biggest issue is how the regulative principle is to be carried out practically. Theory is one thing and the practice of
that theory is something else. All
corporate worship is made up of content, structure and style. Content has to do with the truth
of the gospel and the whole counsel of God. Content is non-negotiable because it is founded upon the
inspired and infallible written Word.
Structure has to do with the way the church orders its
service. Obviously Christian
churches do not structure their services alike. Robert Webber suggests that Christian worship is:
ÒGathering (we
joyfully enter into the presence of God), Word (proclamation in which we
hear God speak), Eucharist (we respond with thanksgiving), and Dismissal
(we are sent out to love and serve othersÓ (Richard Kauffman, ÒBeyond the
Battle for the OrganÓ).
Style has to do with the cultural
context of worship. Style varies
from country to country and culture to culture. Different churches have different styles – some are
traditional and others are contemporary and some have blended worship. It is in the area of style that most of
the controversy over worship occurs.
The issue is over form and function. Function has to do with things that never change
– doctrine, fellowship, communion, prayer and worship.
ÒThey devoted themselves to the apostlesÕ teaching
and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many
wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had
everything in come. Selling their
possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet
together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number
daily those who were being savedÓ (Acts 2:42-47).
No
church is a true church without these basic functions. Form is over how we do certain
things in worship – take offerings, arrange chairs, types of music, ways
of expressing worship, order of worship, use of instruments and choirs,
overhead screens or hymn books, reciting of creeds or Scripture, etc. These will vary among Christians. Those who are more aesthetic in nature
usually drift toward more formal kinds of worship. Those who are more emotive drift towards contemporary
worship. Style of worship so often
has to do with oneÕs personality; therefore, worship is a preference. It is related to what we like and what
we do not like. Christians around
the world worship God in different ways (form) but all are committed to the
basic elements of worship, which never change (function).
The
basis for all corporate worship is the Bible, but the object of worship is the
Trinitarian God and the purpose of worship is to glorify God.
ÒExalt the LORD our God and worship at his
footstool; he is holyÓ (Psa. 99:5).
The
Bible is not God. The Bible leads
us to God. We worship God, not the
Bible.
Worship
comes from the old English worth-ship, which means, Òto ascribe worth to
something or someone.Ó True
worship is to attribute worth to a real Being, one who is truly there and who
is truly worthy.
ÒThe function of believers
is to learn what God is like and acknowledge him – to ascribe worth to
him, to reflect upon the value, beauty, and character of God. This is true worshipÓ (Ray Stedman,
ÒWhy Worship?Ó).
Without
God at the center of worship, there is no true worship.
ÒAscribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the
LORD glory and strength. Ascribe
to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his
holinessÓ (Psa. 29:1-2).
ÒTo
ascribeÓ means Òto give: or Òto acknowledge.Ó True worship is giving to God not necessarily receiving from
God. Worship is not determined by
how much a person gets out of worship but how much he gives or puts into
worship. The worshipper does get
something from worship but only after he gives himself to God in worship.
We
get to know the True God through nature.
God reveals Himself in common grace through the world of nature. Behind this universe is the Great
Designer and through the world the majesty of God is seen in the beauty of His
world. In nature we get a sense of
GodÕs wisdom, majesty and power.
This can cause the Christian to worship God and the unsaved man to stand
in awe of Him.
We
get to know God through the Scriptures.
God has spoken in His Word through special revelation. The Bible reveals His character; it
tells of His work both in creation and redemption, and unfolds the ultimate purposes
of God – what He is doing in the universe and the world in which we
live. We would know none of this
without the Word of God. The Bible
alone reveals to us who God is and how He is to be worshipped.
We
also get to know God through worship both personal and corporate. When we take the facts of nature and
the infallible revelation of Scripture and respond to them in faith, prayer and
obedience, we truly worship God.
Praising Him, ascribing worship to Him and praying to Him, do something
to us internally. This is GodÕs
self-revelation to us through His Spirit to our human spirit. Through worship we get to know God
personally and intimately. When we
pray, our occupation is with our human needs and problems. When we praise, our occupation in our
minds is on GodÕs blessing – the things He has done to us and for
us. Worship is our occupation with
God Himself, with His greatness and majesty of His being. We do not worship the Bible. We worship the God of the Bible. The Bible is merely the vehicle or
instrument that reveals to us the one and only True God.
ÒI will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise
your name for ever and ever. Every
day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of
praise; his greatness no one can fathomÓ (Psa. 145:1-3).
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 9
Confusion
often reigns in the minds of true, committed believers because they are not
able to distinguish in their minds the difference between function and form
in worship. Function relates to
the content of worship that never changes. Form relates to how worship is done in any given culture or
generation and is always subject to change. Function deals with the basics, the fundamentals of
worship. There are some biblical
criteria for corporate worship that can never change. Again, the regulative principle says that only the Bible
should be used in forming oneÕs view of corporate worship.
THE
UNCHANGING FUNCTION OR CONTENT OF WORSHIP
The
first question that must be asked is what does the Scripture command as to the
very essentials of worship? What
may not be commanded but seems to be laid down specifically by biblical
principle? In other words, what
are the things that must show up in corporate worship in order to be biblical?
Necessary Functions. There are five basic functions that are absolutely essential
for effective corporate worship – teaching (doctrine), fellowship, the
LordÕs Table, prayer and praise.
ÒThey devoted
themselves to the apostlesÕ teaching and to fellowship, the breaking of bread
and to prayer. Everyone was filled
with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had
everything in common. Selling
their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet
together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number
daily those who were being savedÓ (Acts 2:42-47).
Teaching,
fellowship, the LordÕs Table, prayer and praise (worship) are fundamental and
without them there is no corporate worship that is pleasing to God. What form these basic functions take in
a worship service is a matter of culture, taste and preference.
These five fundamental points of worship do not have
to occur in every gathering of Christians or in every worship service for Christians
to offer acceptable worship to God.
They do,
however, have to be practiced by a local church generally to offer acceptable
worship. Obviously, corporate
worship can be offered to God at a prayer meeting with no teaching, or the
LordÕs Table does not have to be observed every LordÕs Day. Yet, without these disciplines
occurring generally in the local church, there can be no true worship of God.
Preaching/Teaching. Every worship service is to have the
Word of God either preached (exhortation) or taught (content). The Apostle Paul declared preaching was
entrusted to him by God. ÒAnd
at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching
entrusted to me by the command of God our SaviorÓ (Titus 1:3). This verse may lend weight to the
primacy of preaching in a worship service.
ÒPreach the
Word; be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke and encourageÓ(2
Tim. 4:2).
ÒUntil I come,
devote yourself to . . . preaching and teachingÓ (1 Tim. 4:13).
ÒFor I have
not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will (counsel) of GodÓ (Acts 20:27).
ÒAll Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training
in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good workÓ (2 Tim. 3:16).
ÒTeach and
preach these principlesÓ (1 Tim. 6:2).
Preaching
or teaching is to be from the Bible, and people are to know the truth because
it is impossible to live by truth one does not know. It is to show how to apply
truth to life by faith-obedience.
It is to be from the whole counsel of God, declaring the whole will of
God, for all truth is relevant for the Christian (Acts 20:27). It is to be honest with no compromise
to soothe the whims and sinful patterns of people. All preaching and most teaching are to be under girded with
exhortations to act, and people are to be warned of the consequences if they do
not act on the truth. Preaching
and teaching are to exalt God and not man. They are to center on Christ and His work not man and his
work. They are to show how the
Holy Spirit applies truth to the believer as he or she by faith responds to
truth, and not how the believerÕs pseudo faith manipulates God to meet human
whims and desires.
Reading of the Scriptures. Scriptures are to be read from both the Old and the New
Testaments so the saints can become familiar with the whole counsel of God.
ÒUntil I come,
devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. .
.Ó(1 Tim. 4:13).
Public
prayer.
Public prayer, whether done by a pastor or by the congregation is the
pattern for corporate worship.
ÒI urge, then,
first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for
everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful
and quiet lives in all godliness and holinessÓ (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
Liturgy and Confessions. While this is not as nearly clear in the Bible, it seems to
be something the early Christians practiced.
ÒHe
appeared in a body,
was
vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed in the world,
was taken up in
glory.Ó (1 Tim. 3:16)
ÒHere is a trustworthy
saying:
If
we died with him,
we
will also live with him;
If
we endure,
we
will also reign with him.
If
we disown him,
he will also disown us;
If
we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
For he cannot
disown himself.Ó (2 Tim. 2:11-12)
As early as Acts 13, we see liturgical worship. The Book of Acts was written around 63 A.D., so liturgical worship in some form was possibly occurring around 50 A.D.
ÒWhile they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said, ÒSet apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which
I have called themÓ (Acts 13:2-3).
In the Church of Antioch, the prophets and teachers
were gathered. They were
worshipping the Lord and fasting (Acts 13:2). In various translations of the Bible, this word
ÒworshippingÓ is translated Òministering,Ó or Òpraying.Ó The Greek word for ÒworshippingÓ is leitourgounton, which comes from the word litourgia.
ÒThe word ÒliturgyÓgrows out of this useÓ
(A.T. Robertson, Word Studies in the New Testatment,
Acts, III, p 178). It
becomes obvious that the word refers to some kind of liturgy, and was probably
liturgy based on Old Testament Scripture and Christian oral tradition. While they were going through the
liturgy in worship, the Holy Spirit spoke to the leaders so as to set apart
Barnabas and Paul to be missionaries to the Gentiles (Acts 13:3). The Holy Spirit spoke to these leaders
while doing liturgical worship.
Surely, liturgy has its place in worship. Often Christians rebel at dead liturgy
because of the dead, cold, stilted churches they attended before conversion to
Christ. Yet, it is not dead
liturgy if based on the Word of God, but dead people trying to repeat the
living Word without a changed heart.
There is value for the individual Christian and the church corporately
to have familiar liturgy and confessions.
However, Acts 13 does not tell us what the liturgy actually was, but we
can assume it was based on Scripture.
Nor are we told that they did this liturgy every time they met. It appears this was by Divine design so
that the early Christians and all Christians would not fall into rote repeating
of liturgy with no mind of heart in it.
Also, we need to remember that the early Christians had the Old
Testament for their Bible and oral tradition about Christ and Christianity. Therefore, memorization and liturgy
were given a high place in early church worship.
The
Sacraments. The sacraments or
ordinances of water baptism and the LordÕs Table are essential to corporate
worship when they are practiced in the church.
Sharing
and Exhortation. Not all
Christians would agree that sharing and exhortation are necessary for Biblical
corporate worship, but the Bible seems to connect exhortation with the public
assembly of the local church.
ÒAnd let us
consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. . .Ó (Heb.
10:24-25).
It
was an Old Testament practice for the saints to praise their God among the
people and in the great assembly of the saints.
ÒI will praise
you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is
good. I will praise you in the
presence of your saints.Ó(Psa. 52:9).
ÒI proclaim
righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips as you know, O LORD,
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and
salvationÓ (Psa. 40:9-10).
ÒI will
declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise himÓ
(Psa. 22:22-23).
Sharing may not fit into
most Sunday morning worship services because of time and a tight order of
worship. However, sharing could
take place in the evening service or in small groups during the week.
Any
person in the congregation should have the liberty to share without censure if
there is the prompting of the Spirit to do so. Obviously every Christian wonÕt share every week and some
might share more than others but all should share at some time. However, no person should be made to
feel awkward if he or she does not share.
Some personalities are very private and it takes a long time to get up
the nerve to share. Sharing should
be something God is doing is oneÕs life now not something that happened ten
years ago. A person who is
burdened with some problem should have the freedom to share without the fear of
censure.
God
has commanded Christians to gather together at least weekly to encourage one
another. Yet, ironically the one
hour or so a week Christians gather together as brothers and sisters, they are,
in the modern church, prohibited from interaction during the worship
service. This needs somehow to be
corrected.
Singing. A very significant part of the
ChristianÕs praise to God is through his singing. Singing was definitely part of the worship in New Testament
times.
ÒSpeak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the LordÓ (Eph. 5:19).
This
verse is in the context of the Ephesian local church
so it can apply to singing in the worship service. Notice the things to be sung are psalms (Scripture with
musical instruments), hymns (doctrinal songs based on sound theological
concepts) and spiritual songs (probably a reference to Ònew songs,Ó mentioned
frequently in the Psalms, being close to what we would call praise songs
today).
The
important thing to note is that they were singing to one another about
God. A horizontal relationship
with one another brought a vertical relationship corporately with God. This was a way of lifting their minds
and emotions to the sovereign Christ.
Order. The New Testament corporate worship
services had order. It was not a
free spirited service without any control or continuity.
ÒBut
everything should be done in a fitting and orderly wayÓ (1 Cor. 14:40).
PATTERNS
FOR CORPORATE WORSHIP
Just
as the New Testament writings were built upon the Old Testament writings, so
New Testament public worship is built to a large extent on Old Testament
worship patterns. There is some
continuity between IsraelÕs worship and our worship as Christian. The church is spiritual Israel under
the New Covenant. New Covenant
worship by the church is different because it is spiritual worship and not related
to the physical senses per se.
However, there are many principles of Old Testament worship that carry
over into church worship.
New and Old Testament Worship. First century Christian worship was
born in the context of the Jewish temple and synagogue. For the first seven years of the
Christian church, there were no Gentiles who were Christians. The early church had a Jewish culture,
was made up of converted Jews and proselytes, and had only the Jewish Old
Testament Scriptures. Yet, while
Christianity had Jewish origins, from the very first, it had its distinctly
Christian aspects. Many things
were retained from Jewish worship, but the main emphasis and concern was for
proper recognition of Jesus Christ as the God-Man, the Messiah, and a proper
worship of Him. All aspects of
Jewish worship that did not allow for the finished work of Christ, his
resurrection, his ascension, and the exaltation of Him as the Messiah were
eliminated. Jewish liturgy was
purged of all elements of worship that did not give Christ His proper place,
but much of the liturgy was retained, which shows us the early Christians were
not opposed to liturgy as such.
New
Testament Worship and the Synagogue.
Early Jewish Christians did not pattern their local church worship after
that of the temple but that of the synagogue because they saw all the facets of
the temple as a type of Christ and the church. Elders ruled the synagogue and the form of worship was quite
simple. Synagogue means
ÒgatheringÓ or Ògathering place,Ó and while it was a place of prayer, it was
primarily known as a place of instruction, where the Law was expounded to the
people. There was a definite order
of worship in the synagogue.
First, there was the call to worship known as the Shema,
which was a confession of the unity or oneness of God. This call to worship included three
passages of
Scripture – Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21 and Numbers
15:31-47. Christians dropped the Shema because it did not give a proper place to
Christ, but a call to worship was retained in Christian liturgy. Second, there were prayers called the Shemoneh esreh that
was a cycle of eighteen prayers and the congregation ended each prayer with an
ÒAmenÓ. Third, there was the
reading of the Law and the Prophets and this was so designed that within three
years the whole Old Testament was read.
Fourth, there was the sermon that was usually given by the Rabbi, but
anyone in the congregation might be asked by the Rabbi to preach or anyone
might ask the Rabbi for the permission to preach. Interspersed in the order of worship was the chanting of
hymns and the Psalms. Lastly, came
the benediction pronounced by the Rabbi and the congregation responded by a
hearty ÒAmen.Ó There was people
participation in synagogue worship and yet the whole service was structured but
very simple.
The
early Christians patterned their worship after that of the synagogue. There was a call to worship, reading of
Scripture, chanting of Psalms, common prayer, an exposition of the Scripture
(sermon) and a benediction. The
Christians also attached the LordÕs Table to their worship in order to remember
Christ. New Testament worship was
not highly liturgical but very simple, centering on Christ and the written
Word. Worship had to be simple and
informal if it was done in homes.
For 200 years Christians met in homes.
Place
of Worship. In the very beginning
of the Christian church, the early Christians continued to worship in the
temple (Lk. 24:53; Acts 2:45). Obviously they had no hang ups about
meeting in a building or even in a beautiful building such as the temple. The early Christians observed Jewish
feasts and holy days as long as they did not conflict with the worship of
Christ. Yet, all holy days and
feasts and rituals that were inconsistent with their new life in Christ were
emphatically denounced. Christians
met in the temple and the synagogues until they were accused of being a Jewish
cult and were forced out of the temple and synagogues into homes. Expulsion from Judaism was inevitable
for the early Christians, but, in the sovereign plan of God, this was a leading
out and liberation so Christians could worship God more gloriously and carry on
the work of the ministry more effectively.
Form of Worship. In the New Testament, the church had no fixed form of
worship. There was a liturgy but
it was not rote repetition. There
was an order of worship but it was more casual than what most evangelicals
experience today. It was part of
the Divine plan that no mention is made of a set order of worship in order that
Christians might develop their own forms of worship within their own cultures. There is great freedom in the forms of
worship in the New Testament and the general emphasis is upon simplicity. Form of worship differs from Christian
to Christian, church to church, denomination to denomination and culture to
culture.
Method of Worship. The Bible does not clearly state what went on in a New
Testament worship service. We do
have some hints, however. The early
church practice was to say,
ÒAmen,Ó in unison at the end of prayers (1 Cor. 14:16). This was obviously a carry-over from the
synagogue worship. The early
church also had much laity participation.
ÒWhat then
shall we say, brothers? When you
come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a
tongue or an interpretation. All
of these must be done for the strengthening of the churchÓ (1 Cor. 14:26).
While
the Corinthian Church was abusing the gifts of tongues and prophecy, this verse
does give us a hint as to the form of worship for the Corinthian Church. We may argue as to whether this was
normative for all the other New Testament churches such as Ephesus and
Thessalonica, but it is reasonable to assume other churches had a similar
form. Theologians may argue as to
whether ÒrevelationÓ and Òa tongueÓ are active spiritual gifts in the church
today and miss the point of this passage.
The point to be made is that the Corinthian Church was a participating
church. The people were deeply
engaged in active, participatory worship.
They were not spectators.
It is true that in the Corinthian Church this form of worship got out of
control and the Apostle Paul had to write First Corinthians 12-14 to correct
these abuses. He did
instruct them to bring order and dignity to their worship services, but he never
said stop participating. The early
church also had men (males) lift their hands when praying in the public
assembly of the church (1 Tim. 2:8).
Some have said they think the early Christians clapped their hands in
joy out of appreciation for God (Psa. 47:1).
Justin
Martyr (100-165 A.D.). Martyr
was a neo- Platonian philosopher who was led to
Christ by an insignificant Christian old man while walking on the beach. Philosophy had left Justin empty and he
turned to Christ and at once had a love for the Scriptures. Martyr did leave a description in his First
Apology about early church worship.
ÒOn the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles (the gospels) or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgiving, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying, Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given.Ó
Tertullian (160-225 A.D.). He was an immoral lawyer who came to Christ. He was a radical and for a time was
involved in the Montanist cult but later came back
into fellowship with the established, institutionalized church. He also gave us a hint about worship,
ÒIn our Christian meetings
we have plenty of songs, verses, sentences and proverbs. After hand-washing and bringing in the
lights, each Christian is asked to stand forth and sing, as best he can, a hymn
to God, either of his own composing or one from the Holy Scriptures.Ó
ACCEPTABLE CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 10
Sunday
was the first day in the Roman calendar week. It is not Sunday that is important. It is the LordÕs Day that is important
to Christians, and it just so happens that the first day of the week in the
Roman calendar was Sunday, and it was on this day that Christ rose from the
dead. Sunday was a pagan day and
it was dedicated to the worship of the sun. Christians apparently reinterpreted the heathen name
ÒSundayÓ as applying to the Òthe Son of RighteousnessÓ or ÒSonday,Ó
referring it to ChristÕs day.
Early Christians in Rome adapted their Christianity to their culture.
The
Biblical basis for a special day of worship is all through the Scriptures, both
in the Old and New Testaments. It
is the goal of this lesson to demonstrate that true believers have always had a
special day of worship and it is right to do so.
SABBATH – A CREATION
ORDINANCE
(Genesis 2:2-3)
ÒBy the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.Ó
The Seventh Day. God rested from His creative activity on the seventh day. He did not rest from physical labor
because He was tired, for deity cannot tire. This means God ceased from creation activity on the seventh
day. God blessed the seventh day
(Saturday) and set it apart as a special day from the very beginning. While the word ÒSabbathÓ is not in this
verse, the principle of men ceasing physical labor one day a week can certainly
be concluded from Genesis 2:1-3.
It is part of GodÕs moral law for one day in seven to be for rest from
physical labor.
The Sabbath Until Moses. In the Bible, there are no direct references to the Sabbath
observance from creation to Moses, and the first mention of the word ÒSabbathÓis in Exodus 16:23 which is in relation to the
nation of Israel. However, from
Romans 2:14-15, we can conclude the moral law existed before the Ten
Commandments were ever written.
ÒIndeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the
law, do by nature things
required by
the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also
bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending themÓ
(Rom. 2:14-15).
In
ancient, secular Babylonian literature, we find traces of a week of seven to nine
days, with the rest day or sabbath,
which fell on the particular day.
Perhaps this was an ordinance by these unsaved Gentiles who had
perverted the true religion as given to Noah and his family. Whatever, the idea of rest is in the
creation ordinance and some may have practiced rest before the Mosaic Law was
enacted.
Israel
Received the Sabbath as a Sign.
The word ÒSabbathÓ means Òto ceaseÓ or Òto stopÓ with special reference
to physical labor. The Sabbath was
the seventh day of the week for the Jewish calendar and corresponds to our
Saturday. The Sabbath as written
law was officially instituted at Mount Sinai and was for the nation of Israel.
ÒThen the LORD said to Moses, ÒSay to the Israelites, ÔYou must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.ÕÓ(Exo. 31:12-17)
The Sabbath was in integral part of the Mosaic Law
and it was the possession of that law which distinguished Israel from all the
other people of this earth. The
Sabbath was a sign, which identified Israel as GodÕs covenant nation.
Israel
was Commanded to Keep the Sabbath Holy and to Cease
from Labor.
ÒRemember the
Sabbath day be keeping it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a
Sabbath to the LORD your God. On
it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your
manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your
gates. For in six days the LORD
made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested
on the seventh day. Therefore the
LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holyÓ (Exo.
20:8-11).
Israel was Òto rememberÓ the Sabbath and not forget
it. They were to keep the Sabbath
holy in that they were to separate this day unto the Lord God. Israel was to rest from all physical
labor on the Sabbath, and it was apparently a day when public worship was
carried out at the temple and later the synagogue. The ceasing from labor was based upon the creation ordinance
of Genesis 2:1-3.
Israel Worshiped Their God on the Sabbath.
ÒThere are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORDÓ (Lev. 23:3).
While
Israel did go to the temple or the synagogue, the primary worship was at home
with the family. The Sabbath was a
day on which God expected families to enjoy a leisure time and to contemplate
their relationship with God. The
object of cessation from labor and coming together as families was to give man
an opportunity to engage in such meaningful spiritual exercises as would
quicken the soul and strengthen the spiritual life. This is apparently what the Lord meant when He said the
Sabbath was made for man.
ÒThen he said
to them, ÔThe Sabbath was made for man, not man for the SabbathÕÓ (Mk. 2:27).
Man
was not made to be a slave to the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made to benefit
man.
Israel
was to be Blessed for Keeping the Sabbath.
ÒIf you keep
your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy
day, if you call the Sabbath a delight
. . .Ó (Isa. 58:13-14).
The keeping of the Sabbath was to be a delight and
honorable to the Lord, and for keeping the Sabbath God would bless individual
Israelites and the nation as a whole.
In Israel there was great blessings for those who kept the Sabbath and
severe penalties for those who did not.
There was even death for those who did not repent of their sin of
breaking the Sabbath. Jews were
allowed to do works of piety, necessity and mercy on the Sabbath. Piety had to do with work connected
with worship in the sanctuary by the priests (Matt. 12:5). Necessity had to do with works
necessary for existence beyond the regular law (Matt. 12:2-4). Mercy had to do with special acts of
kindness (Matt. 12:3-4).
THE SABBATH AND CHRIST
Christ Kept the Sabbath. Jesus Christ was a Jew and lived and died under the Mosaic
Law. Christ kept the Sabbath and
all the rule of the Law perfectly to the letter. Jesus Christ was a Sabbath keeper. However, He had a right
understanding of the Mosaic Law.
By the time Christ came into the world, the Jews had hundreds of years
of religious tradition behind them.
Their legalistic traditions were man-made rules and not part of the
Mosaic Law at all. There were at
least five hundred of those legalistic traditions in relation to the
Sabbath. For instance, the Old
Testament says a Jew could not carry a heavy load on the Sabbath or take a
trip. The Jewish legalist said if
a person had too many nails in his shoe he was carrying an excessive load and
was a Sabbath breaker.
Another example of the ridiculous rule was a person
could only travel a certain distance in his own house on the Sabbath and even
the number of steps a person could take were limited. The Lord Jesus opposed these traditions, which men added to
the Law, but our Lord Himself kept the Sabbath. One of the frequent charges brought against the Lord Jesus
by the Pharisees was that He was a Sabbath breaker. This charge was leveled against Him because He healed people
on the Sabbath (act of mercy) and shucked corn on the Sabbath to feed His
disciples (act of necessity).
Christ
Fulfilled the Sabbath. Christ
came not to abolish the Mosaic Law but to fulfill it.
ÒDo not think
that I have come to abolish the Law or he Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfill them. I tell
you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not
the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until
everything is accomplished. Anyone
who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the
same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and
teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heavenÓ (Matt.
5:17-18).
He kept the Law perfectly and He fulfilled all the
types and shadows of the ceremonial aspects of the Law. The moral law is embodied in the Ten
Commandments and the moral law is binding in every age. This includes the command to keep the
Sabbath holy. However, there were
many ceremonial aspects of the Sabbath, which were types and shadows and were
fulfilled in ChristÕs death.
ÒThe law is
only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities
themselvesÓ(Heb. 10:1).
The Jews in the Old Testament could not pick up sticks,
light a fire, or recreate in any way on the Sabbath because these, being
ceremonial, were designed to be a type or shadow of the completed work of
Christ on the cross. It is assumed
that Christ set aside the death penalty for Sabbath breaking based on the fact
that in other instances, such as the woman of adultery in John 4, Christ did
not recommend death for this womanÕs sin.
The JewÕs physical rest was completed in ChristÕs spiritual rest. Christ in His death has fulfilled the
type or shadow of the earthly Sabbath rest by bringing His people the spiritual
rest of salvation.
ÒFor somewhere
he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ÔAnd on the seventh day God
rested from all his work.Õ . . . There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the
people of God; for anyone who enters GodÕs rest also rests from his own work,
just as God did from hisÓ (Heb. 4:4, 9-10).
Christ
is Lord of the Sabbath. Mark
2:28 says, ÒSo the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.Ó As Lord of the Sabbath, Christ could and
did change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday in the new age of the completed
church. Christ did not change the
fact of a Sabbath but He did change the day and the emphasis of the Sabbath. In His death and resurrection, Christ positionally changed the day of worship from Saturday to
Sunday, but it took the church time to make the complete transition from
Judaism to full blown Christianity.
We are told in Luke 22:20 that Christ established the New Covenant which
obviously takes the place of the Mosaic Covenant (Old Covenant).
ÒIn the same
way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ÔThis cup is the new covenant in
my blood, which is poured out for youÕÓ (Luke 22:20).
Now the civil, dietary and ceremonial aspects of the
Mosaic Law have been done away with for the believer under the New
Covenant. However, the moral law
as contained in the Ten Commandments still is binding on Christians. ÒRemember the Sabbath day by keeping
it holyÓ (Exo. 20:8). However, the Ten Commandments must be filtered through
the New Covenant for a new age.
The fact of a Sabbath day is still blinding for Christians but this day
has taken on New Covenant dimensions designed for a whole new age.
Christ
Has a New Law. The New
Covenant includes the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, which is a
reflection of the moral law of God.
However, the Christian is not under the Mosaic Law (Old Covenant) as a
way of life but is under the New Covenant. Christians are now under the Law of Christ, not the Law of
Moses, and the Law of Christ is a higher and more liberating law.
ÒTo the Jews I
became like a Jew, to win the Jews.
To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself
am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became
like one not having the law (though I am not free from GodÕs law but am under
ChristÕs law), so as to win those not having the lawÓ (I Cor. 9:20-21).
ChristÕs Law Has a New Sabbath. All the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament
except the command to keep the Sabbath.
Dispensationalists assume this means there is no Sabbath for the church,
but to do this one would have to say the Ten Commandments do not contain the
essence of the moral law. This is
contrary to the New Testament (Rom. 3:31; 7:12-13,16,22, 13-8-10).
ÒDo we, then,
nullify the law by this faith? Not
at all! Rather, we uphold the lawÓ
(Rom. 3:3l).
ÒSo then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and
goodÓ (Rom. 7:12).
ÒFor in my inner being I delight in GodÕs lawÓ (Rom. 7:22).
ÒLet no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one
another, for he who loves is fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments,
ÔDo not commit adultery,Õ ÔDo not murder,Õ ÔDo not steal,Õ ÔDo not covet,Õ and whatever other commandment
there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ÔLove your neighbor as yourself.Õ Love does no harm to its
neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the lawÓ (Rom. 13:8-10).
Those in the Reformed camp believe the absence of any mention of the
Sabbath in the New Testament may imply a Sabbath was an assumed fact. It is best to say that Christians in
the Gospel Age have a new Sabbath day with a new emphasis for a new age based
on a new covenant. The Christian
Sabbath is New Covenant controlled and not Old Covenant controlled. The Sabbath in the New Covenant is a
special day; it is the first day of the week, the day Christ rose from the dead
and it has a special thrust for this age.
The principle of one day in seven for rest from physical labor is still
binding on Christians today.
THE LORDÕS DAY
AND THE CHURCH
Sabbath in the Book of Acts. In the Book of Acts, we have no mention of Christians
observing the Old Covenant Sabbath.
We read of Paul and others who went into the synagogue on the Sabbath to
preach the gospel to the Jews but they did not worship on that day. At the Jerusalem Council no mention is
made that Gentiles had to keep the Old Covenant Sabbath as it was designed for
the completed church to function in every nation of the world. It would have been impossible for
Gentiles to observe the Sabbath, as did the Jews because religious political
and civic activities were structured in Israel so the Jewish nation could keep
the Old Covenant Sabbath. Gentile
believers could not keep the Old Covenant Sabbath but they could keep the new
Sabbath New Covenant style. The
Book of Acts tells of Christians getting together on the LordÕs Day, the day
Christ rose from the dead, the first day of the week.
ÒOn the first
day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people . . .Ó (Acts 20:7).
Sabbath in the Epistles. In the Epistles, we are never told Christians met on the Old
Covenant Sabbath (Saturday). We
find Christians meeting on the LordÕs Day, the first day of the week.
ÒNow about the
collection for GodÕs people: Do what I told the Galatians churches to do. On the first day of every week, each
one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving
it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be madeÓ (1 Cor.
16:1-2).
What we do find in the Epistles is the Apostle Paul
exhorting Christians about getting all tied up in Jewish legalism when it comes
to understanding the Sabbath.
Christians according to Paul are not to get entangled in rituals,
traditions and ceremonies of the Old Covenant, Jewish Sabbath worship.
ÒTherefore do
not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a
religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that
were to come; the reality, however, is found in ChristÓ (Col. 2:16-17).
ÒBut now that
you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are
turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and
months and seasons and years! I
fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my effortsÓ(Gal. 4:9-10).
Sabbath
and the LordÕs Day. When we
come to the New Testament, we find Christians worshiping on the first day of
the week, Sunday according to our calendar. This is the day of worship for the Christian.
ÒOn
the LordÕs Day I was in the Spirit . . .Ó (Rev. 1:10).
This was a significant day because Christ rose from
the dead on that day (John 20:1).
Christians, after the Day of Pentecost (which also fell on the first day
of the week) that marked the beginning of the New Covenant church, met on
Sunday rather than Saturday. The
LordÕs Day is the New Covenant Sabbath.
It is called the LordÕs Day marking a new age in the history of the
church. The LordÕs Day has a new
thrust, a new emphasis, and a new dimension. Christians are to remember the New Covenant Sabbath and keep
it holy (separate) but now the thrust is different. We know that Jewish Christians at first continued to worship
in the temple and went to the synagogue services on the Old Covenant Sabbath
(Saturday), but at a very early date, the day of worship for Christians
switched to Sunday from Saturday.
This probably occurred when Christians were officially declared a Jewish
cult and thrown out of the synagogues and the temple.
The early Jewish Christians at first observed the
seventh day (Saturday) and the first day (Sunday), but the Gentile Christians
kept only the LordÕs Day, the Christian Sabbath. The Jewish Christians, because of persecution and later the
destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., gave up any worship on the Old Covenant
Sabbath. In the beginning this
caused some trouble among Christians.
Some wanted to observe the Old Covenant Sabbath and others the LordÕs
Day, the New Covenant Sabbath, so Paul wrote to tell them of their Christian
liberty in this area.
ÒWho are you
to judge someone elseÕs servant?
To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand. One man considers one day
more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in
his own mindÓ (Rom. 14:4-5).
Early church history
indicates that there was no keeping of the Old Covenant Sabbath after 200 A.D.
ÒThose who walked in the
ancient practices attain unto newness of hope no longer observing Sabbaths, but
fashioning their lives after the LordÕs Day, on which our life also rose
through Him, that we may be found disciples of Jesus Christ, our only teacher .
. . . No longer keeping the Sabbath, but living according to the LordÕs Day, on
which also our Light aroseÓ (Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch – 110 A.D.)
ÒSunday is the day on which
we hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God having
wrought a change in the darkness and matter made the world, and Jesus our
Savior, on the same day, rose from the dead (Justin Martyr – 135 A.D.)
ÒThe old Sabbath day has
become nothing more than a working day (to Christians)Ó (Clement of Alexandria
–194 A.D.).
Some
have accused Christians of arbitrarily changing the Sabbath from Saturday to
Sunday. They say this was done in
the fourth century under Constantine when he made Christianity the religion of
Rome. However, it must be noted
that the Old Covenant Sabbath day has never been changed from Saturday to
Sunday. Saturday is still
Saturday. Actually a New Covenant
Sabbath day has been substituted for the Old Covenant Sabbath day. It is not that the Sabbath day has
changed (it is still Saturday) but the Christian has been changed because of
his new position in Christ. The
New Covenant Christian is operating under a new economy with a new Sabbath day
for a new age. The day is called
the LordÕs Day (Sunday).
Commanded. In the New Covenant, which includes the
Ten Commandments (moral law), the Christian is commanded to keep the Christian
Sabbath. The Christian is
commanded to meet on the LordÕs Day for corporate worship with GodÕs people in
the church.
ÒAnd let us consider how w may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approachingÓ (Heb. 10:24-25).
Christians
are also to cease from labor whenever possible (Exo. 20:8-11). The slaves in New Testament times had to work on the LordÕs
Day and this is most likely the reason Gentile Christians met on Sunday nights.
When
the Christian has performed his duty for public worship on the LordÕs Day, then
he is to rest. Whatever else rest
may mean to some, it most certainly means we are to cease from the physical
labors we do on the job the other five or six days. Once we have met our responsibility to worship, how we
interpret rest is a matter of individual conscience.
Unregulated. Christians are commanded to worship and
rest on the LordÕs Day, but the Bible nowhere sets down any regulations
regarding personal conduct on the LordÕs Day. Christians should be very careful about setting up Sunday
rules and regulations for fellow believers, telling them what they can do and
cannot do on Sunday. After one has
worshiped and is ceasing from labor, how one keeps the LordÕs Day is strictly a
matter between him and God. No
other person has a right to impose rules and regulations upon him, or judge his
godliness by he way he conducts himself on the LordÕs Day. We must be so careful not to be
Pharisees, forcing legalistic rules on Christians to somehow prove
spirituality.
The
Westminster Confession says, ÒThe Christian Sabbath is to be kept separate and
uniquely the LordÕs With a careful
preparation of priorities, providing for our common affairs beforehand, a holy
rest is observed all day from works, words and thoughts of employment and
recreationÓ 21:8). The Westminster Fathers based their understanding on Isaiah
58:13-14.
ÒIf you keep
your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy
day, if our call the Sabbath a delight and the LORDÕs
holy day honorable and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing
as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the
inheritance of your father JacobÓ (Isa. 58:13-14).
They
stressed the words Òfrom doing as you please on my holy day.Ó It seems as though this was ceremonial
law fulfilled in Christ to teach us about our spiritual rest in Christ. Many Reformers, including John Calvin,
did not give a strict interpretation to Òdoing as you please.Ó It is quite probable that the
Westminster Fathers were victims of their culture and overstated the Sabbath
question as to recreation on the LordÕs Day.
It
is very easy to be legalistic over what one can and cannot do on the LordÕs
Day. Ultimately it comes down to
oneÕs individual conscience, and we are not to judge another brother or sister
no matter what our position may be.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Rest.
God wants us to take a break from our other six days of labor. We are to break the cycle of work. If we do business six days a week, we
should not do it on the LordÕs Day.
If we are a student, we should try not to study on the LordÕs Day. For health reasons, God wants us to
break our routine. Christians may
choose to take a nap on the LordÕs Day, or take a hike, or go on a picnic with
the family, spend time with family and friends, play a ball game or whatever if
that is really rest.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Worship. Sunday is primarily a day given over to the corporate and
private worship of Christ. After
the Christian attends the services of the church, what he does the remainder of
the day is between him and the Lord.
However, the Christian must remember it is the LordÕs Day. It belongs to Him.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Spiritual Activity. The LordÕs Day may be used effectively
to serve Jesus Christ by serving others in need – visiting the sick,
relieving the poor, teaching the Bible, performing duties of piety, love and
mercy.
The LordÕs Day is a Special Day to Learn of Christ. We learn about Christ every day but the LordÕs Day is a
special day to learn GodÕs Word and encounter Christ through corporate worship
and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day with the Family. The Old Covenant Sabbath was a day when the family worshiped
together in the privacy of the home, so the LordÕs Day should be a time when
the family does things together in worship to God, service for Christ and
general recreation together.
The
LordÕs Day is a Special Day of Joy.
Because of the resurrection of Christ and the New Covenant, the emphasis
upon the LordÕs Day is one of joy.
There are some Christians who see the Christian Sabbath through the Old
Covenant rather than the New Covenant.
The result is that Sunday becomes a spiritually somber, gloomy, solemn
day where nothing can be done that smacks of joy or pleasure. Yet, the New Covenant Christian Sabbath
is one of joy, delight and gladness because of the resurrection of Christ from
the dead. The LordÕs Day is
literally a celebration so the Christian can shout, ÒThis is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in itÓ
(Psa. 118:24).
Since
the Bible teaches the LordÕs Day is a special day of the week set aside to
worship the living God, it becomes an issue as to whether it is Scriptural to
have official public worship other days of the week. Many Òseeker friendlyÓ churches today are offering official
corporate worship on Saturday and Monday nights. The Regulative Principle would not allow official worship on
Monday. However, Saturday night
worship may be allowable since the Old Testament Sabbath went from Friday at
dark to Saturday at dark, although this might be stretching the point. Obviously if Christians are
providentially hindered from worshipping on Sunday, then they should try to take
their Sabbath some other day of the week to worship and rest. Ordinarily the day of official
corporate worship for the church is the LordÕs Day, and Christians should do
everything possible to worship on Sunday.
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 11
One
of the great needs of the evangelical church is a return to New Covenant
worship. In mainline Christianity,
there is a desperate need for renewal in corporate worship. This does not, however, mean a return
to the highly liturgical worship of the Roman Catholic Church. Many, especially young people, have
turned away from the established Protestant church because they have failed to
find meaningful worship of the living God. There is a need for revival of New Covenant worship, and
revival always means Òre-Bible,Ó for there can be no revival except there be
obedience to Holy Scripture.
Those in the Reformed tradition need to take a fresh
look at corporate worship. The
Reformation was a return to the Scriptures as the only rule of faith and
practice. The Reformers were
radicals in their day and a big threat to the established Roman Catholic
Church. They challenged the
doctrines and practices of the established church and sought to reform it from
within. In the area of corporate
worship, the Reformers introduced such things as a laity participating in
singing, laity offering up of prayers, laity hearing the preached Word, laity
partaking of the sacraments, the use of instruments, etc. Revival came in doctrine and to some
degree in worship. It was nothing
for Reformed churches to gather in public worship for two or three hours. It was all new. It was a time of discovering the
greatness of God, but it was not a complete reformation in actual
practice. Doctrinally the
Reformation made positive inroads, but in methodology and worship, there was
much to be desired.
The true spirit of the Reformation was not one of
static conformity but rather an openness to constant reformation based on the
Bible. The Reformers, if they were
here today, would tell us that the Reformed church should think of itself as reformed and reforming. They would tell us that Reformed
Christians must still continue to examine the Scriptures and bring every area
of worship into Biblical conformity.
This would help the church produce corporate worship that is complete
and yet open ended to meet the changing needs of any culture.
Definitions
are important if we are to know where we are going. Too much defining can bore us but a simple, plain definition
can set the stage for all future learning about the corporate worship of the
true God.
Corporate worship is the activity of a group
or congregation of true believers in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit,
in which they seek to render to the Triune God that adoration, praise,
confession, intercession, thanksgiving and obedience to which He is entitled by
virtue of the infinite glory of His person and His magnificent acts of
redemption in Jesus Christ.
Worship, therefore, is an outward action that comes
from joyful inward praise from the heart to the Redeemer who is present in the
midst of His people. As the
psalmist says, ÒIt is fitting (becoming)
for the upright to praise himÓ (Psa. 33:1).
Whatever corporate worship
may be, it is to be entered into Òin spirit and in truth.Ó According to ChristÕs own words in John
4:23-24, He declared that worship in essence is not related to tabernacles,
temples, mountains, places, buildings or whatever, but it is to always be Òin
spirit and in truth.Ó Worship is according to spirit; that is, our human spirit
which is making contact with the living God through the Holy Spirit by
faith. Worship is to be creative,
alive and meaningful. It is
possible to have an outward form of worship that is clearly orthodox (in truth)
but is lifeless because there is no dependence upon the Holy Spirit to activate
true worship in the human spirit by faith.
God
Indwells the Church. In the Old Testament, worship primarily centered on the tabernacle
and temple where the Shekinah glory dwelt. GodÕs presence was in a physical place. The tabernacle and temple were types or
shadows of the true church where God would dwell in the midst of His people. God has chosen to manifest Himself in a
special way in the New Testament.
He dwells in the midst of His gathered people, the church.
God
dwells in the universal church, a great and mighty spiritual temple: ÒAnd in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his SpiritÓ(Eph. 2:22). God dwells in each Christian who is an
individual spiritual temple: ÒDo you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from GodÓ (1 Cor.
6:19)? God also dwells in the
local church which is a temple of God:
ÒDonÕt you know that you
yourselves are GodÕs temple and that GodÕs Spirit lives in youÓ (1 Cor.
3:16)? From these verses we
may conclude that God dwells in the midst of Christians in a very special way
when they are gathered together for group worship. In the New Testament, the holy place is not made of brick,
mortar, boards, plaster and beams.
The holy place is the church.
God has committed Himself to and manifests Himself in His people, the
spiritual temple, the church.
ChristÕs
Presence in the Church. Christ
promises to be wherever Christians gather together.
ÒFor where two or three come together in my name, there am I with themÓ (Matt. 18:20).
The context of Matthew 18 is about the church and
the exercising of discipline, but the principle remains that where two or three
Christians are gathered Christ is in their midst in a special way. In New Testament worship, Christ
promises to be in public worship in a unique way and to manifest Himself in a
manner He will not do in private worship.
Therefore, no Christian can be indifferent to the public worship of
God. Since God has appointed
worship to be in the midst of His people gathered, no Christian can shy away
from public worship, for he or she will want to be where Christ is and where
His people are.
An
individual Christian can and must worship God in solitude, and he can have
sweet fellowship with His God when alone.
However, he can never know the full richness of worship unless he unites
in common worship with other members of the body of Christ. In the New Testament, there is no
emphasis upon numbers or the place of assembly or the order of worship or
liturgy or official requirements for those who lead the worship. The one significant thing is the mystical presence of Jesus Christ
Himself. ChristÕs presence in
corporate worship is a gift.
ChristÕs presence cannot be worked up by emotions or prevented by any
efforts of men. ChristÕs presence
is not brought about when the pastor or worship leader invokes the presence of
Christ. Nor is the presence of
Christ dependent upon the faith of those who are gathered together. Christ has promised to be in the midst
of His people and that is an absolute certainty. Therefore, the significance of group worship cannot be
overlooked and any Christian. He
who wishes to experience the richest blessings in worship must enter into a
deliberate, self-identification with his fellow believers as they worship
Almighty God together in the gathering of the church.
The
ChristianÕs Need for the Church.
Even for the most casual reader of the Book of Acts and church history,
it becomes obvious that Christians have always felt that the worship of God was
the single most important aspect of life.
They would do anything to assemble themselves together to worship their
God, even suffering imprisonment and death to do so. This is true today in China, parts of Africa and some
countries in Asia where Christians are taking great risks to gather
together. Why? It is not for the experience of
elaborate ritual or seeing beautiful architecture for they have none of
these. Persecuted Christians will
often meet on the LordÕs Day for two or three hours at great risk to their
personal safety. How sad that
Christians in America often attend public worship infrequently and reluctantly
and are upset if the service goes fifteen minutes past the stated closing
hour. Obviously many so-called
Christians do not believe Christ dwells in the midst of His gathered people in
a special sense or they would not have indifferent attitudes about public
worship.
The
right reasons for going to church have been pointed out, but there are many
reasons people go to church, which are not the real, primary purpose.
Personal
Benefit. Most people go to
church because it makes them feel better.
They derive personal benefit from this activity. It does something emotionally to
them. While it is hard for them to
articulate, it boils down to: Ò It makes me feel good and I feel like a
better person.Ó
Socialization. Many people go to church to be with
others, to meet people and to socialize with a group that they are racially and
economically their equal. They
like to be where other people are, where their friends are. Being with a familiar crowd doing
spiritual things is reassuring.
Obligation. Others go to church because they feel
they have to and if they donÕt God or parents will punish them. Many children, especially teenagers, go
to church because their parents make them go. Rarely do children appreciate the fact that it is a parental
responsibility to train their children to attend church.
Music. Others go to church because they enjoy
the music and singing. They
appreciate hearing people raise their voices in a harmonic expression of their
faith. They like the words of the
great hymns or enjoy the music of a good choir, orchestra or praise band. Music calms the spirit and drives out
the cares of the world.
Preaching. Some people go to church because they
like the preaching and/or the preacher.
Then enjoy hearing a good message because it makes them think or lifts
them above mundane things. They
like the personality of the pastor because he resonates with their souls
– his wit, his stories, his voice.
Solitude. Still others go to church to get away
from the crowd, to experience peace and quiet. Church is a place where one can get away from noise,
constant demands and unpleasant duties.
As one person said, ÒChurch is one place during the week where I can
just relax.Ó
None
of these reasons are really wrong, but they are not the real reason Christians
gather. Christians gather on the
LordÕs Day to honor and praise God.
As the psalmist puts it, ÒAscribe
to the LORD the glory due his nameÓ (Psa. 96:8). God is our Creator. He made us. He
fashioned us. He sustains us. We live and breathe because of His
creative power. He has redeemed us
through Christ, given us eternal life and promised us a place in heaven. God alone is worthy of a personÕs
praise. There is special power
when Christians gather to worship: ÒGlorify
the LORD with me; let us exalt his name togetherÓ (Psa. 34:3).
If the Trinitarian God is
not the focus of a worship service, it quickly deteriorates into pure entertainment
where people tap their feet to the music and like the snappy jokes of the
pastor. It could also deteriorate
into a boring ritual, the same thing every Sunday. Everything is predictable – when to rise, sit, kneel,
bow heads and say certain words.
Without God at the center of worship, it all becomes empty
performance. Sometimes worship
services are so man-centered, focusing on manÕs needs, desires and feelings, it
becomes only a Òme,Ó Òmy,Ó and ÒmineÓ performance. Man-centered worship never satisfies the deepest longings of
the heart.
Worship
services ought to vary because the infinite, living God reflects many different
moods. Most services should be a
joyful celebration for all that we have received from the hand of a merciful
and good God. Some services ought
to be a solemn time of soul searching, a time to be broken before a sovereign,
holy God. In these more solemn
services, we worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. As the psalmist says, ÒLet all the earth fear the LORD; let all
the people of the world revere himÓ (Psa. 33:8). Some worship services should address the conscience so
as to stir and excite the congregation to some particular action like world
missions, saving babies from abortion, helping those in poverty, etc. Some services should be designed to
bring comfort and reassurance to a congregation. If some event happens in the church like a sudden death or
the threat of war, the congregation needs assuring comfort. When the gathered worshippers have had
their faith shaken, they need the God of all comfort to calm their fears and
rest in Him alone. The
congregation needs to know whatever is happening it always brings glory to God,
works for the good of GodÕs elect and is preparing this world for the second
coming of Christ. One other
variety in a worship service may feature a giving of honor to someone, the
recognition of how God has used a man or woman as an instrument of grace. However, this kind of worship service
must be done with great discernment so as not to glorify a man or a woman or a
group above the Almighty God.
Whatever the nature of the service due to the events a congregation is
going through, it ought always to be centered on God.
Public
Worship is a Time of Giving.
Every Christian should come to the public worship service to give
himself to God and to others and not so much to get something from God to meet
his own needs. Corporate worship
is a time each Christian should expect to meet God, and that God will speak to
him so as to prepare him for more effective service. We will get out of a worship service what we put into
it. Every Christian should have an
excited anticipation that God will speak to him through the corporate worship
service of the church. Those who
give of themselves in worship will experience edification and personal
benefits. The order is God first
and us second, and not us first and God second.
Public
Worship Must be Prepared for During the Week. All corporate worship will be useless
and futile if each individual Christian has not been preparing himself
spiritually during the week. If
believers are praying, reading the Bible and meditating on it all week long,
then the LordÕs Day worship will be the climatic event in the week.
Public
Worship is a Celebration.
Christians gather on the LordÕs Day to worship the resurrected Christ
who is in the midst of His people.
Most worship should be a time of joy, excitement and dynamic. Public worship, while to be done
decently and in order, is a celebration of GodÕs people as praise, thanksgiving
and adoration are given to God.
The
most common description for worship in the Old Testament was the word celebration. Israel celebrated the Passover, Feast
of Tabernacles, at festivals and dedications events such as the rebuilt wall
around Jerusalem.
ÒAt the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem . . .Ó (Neh. 12:27-28).
Individuals also
celebrated. King David and Israel
celebrated exuberantly around the ark where Jehovah-God dwelt.
ÒDavid and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might
before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and
trumpetsÓ (1 Chron. 13:8).
Public Worship is Not to be
Stereotyped. To worship in the true spirit of the
Bible and the Reformation is not to be bound in static conformity but rather
openness to constant reformation.
Corporate worship involves revitalizing older, traditional forms and
opening up to fresh approaches to worship. The church needs rejuvenation of the old and discovery of
the new. Where the Spirit of the
Lord is there is freedom.
ÒThere
may be too much religious fervor and excitement in some religious gatherings
but surely not in many, and most churches need to pray earnestly for a new
moving and inspiration of the Holy Spirit in order that the hearts of the
worshipers may know something of the passion, the triumphant hope, which was
the common experience of the early Church . . .(Charles Erdman, First Corinthians).
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 12
What are the unchangeable marks of acceptable
corporate worship by a local church?
According to Acts 2:42-47, the marks are: (1) the ApostlesÕ teaching; (2) fellowship; (3) the LordÕs
Table; (4) prayer. However there
is a fifth mark of the local church that is offering up acceptable corporate
worship—it is the mark of praise.
ÒEvery day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being savedÓ (Acts 2:46-47).
The
New Testament church was a praising church. Praise was an essential part of worship for the early Christians.
SINGING
Praise
would certainly include singing.
The Lord Jesus closed the first LordÕs Supper with a hymn (Matt.
26:30). Paul and Silas were
singing while in jail at Philippi (Acts 16:25). As a body of believers, Christians are exhorted to sing
(Col. 3:16). Singing was a
necessary part of New Testament worship.
Corporate worship would be defunct without music, especially singing,
for music is the natural response of a redeemed heart filled up with
Christ. One of the first impulses
of the soul that has been born from above is to burst into a song of
praise. The redeemed soul breaks
out in melodies almost divine.
Sometimes this praise is singing within oneÕs own soul or it gushes out
with exuberant joy.
Often people who dislike Christian hymns before
conversion spend hundreds of hours singing after conversion. Why? God has put a new song in their hearts. They have been set free from the
bondage of sin.
The
redeemed have something to sing about.
The world wails, the heathen howl, the sinner sighs, but the saved sing
to their God. Christianity is a
singing religion. Pagan religions
have their chants and dirges, but Christianity alone of all the worldÕs
religions, philosophies and ethical systems has come down through the ages
singing like a nightingale. Why?
Christianity is all about a soul set free in liberty from the shackles of sin
and the terrors of hell, and once the grace of God grips the soul, the
Christian wants to shout and sing for joy.
Christians
are to praise their God with song.
ÒCome, let us
sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with
thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.Ó (Psa. 95:1-2).
ÒSing to the
Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saintsÓ (Psa. 149:1).
We
are to come before GodÕs presence with singing. Singing is not only nice but is necessary. Singing is also an enjoyable
experience. ÒIt is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O
Most HighÓ(Psa. 92:1).
Many
of GodÕs people are so busy complaining and griping and carping that they have
no time to praise God. The world
is asking, ÒWhere is your God?Ó
The unsaved world will never be attracted to the true God until they see
and hear Christians giving praise to their God by song. Music is a very moving force and its
power is beyond the comprehension of most people. The power of music can be seen in the comments of the
enemies of Martin Luther. They
said, ÒLutherÕs songs are damning more souls than his messages. The people are singing themselves into
Lutheranism.Ó
Christians have been created to make music. God the Creator sings. ÒThe
Lord will rejoice over you with singingÓ
(Zeph. 3:17). The
angels sing. ÒWhile
the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for
joyÓ(Job 38:7). Even the
mountains sing. ÒShout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O mountainsÓ (Isa. 49:13)! God has given us the ability to sing so that we might praise
Him. Music, therefore, is part and
parcel of our individual and corporate worship of God. Singing should include the
congregation, choirs, duets, solos and trios, etc.
WHAT DO WE SING?
The
New Testament clearly teaches that Christians are to sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs.
ÒLet the word
of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in
your hearts to GodÓ(Col. 3:16).
Old line confessional Presbyterians who advocate
exclusive Psalm-singing, think that psalms and hymns and spiritual songs refer
to singing the Psalms only with different melodies and tempos. However, the majority of modern Bible
scholars see these as different types of songs. A Psalm refers to a sacred song sung with poetic utterances
set to melodic line from the Psalms accompanied by instruments. A hymn is a song of praise directed to
the Trinitarian God with strong theological content. A spiritual song is a song that has spiritual character and
arises out of the human spirit of worship. This would include praise songs, folk spirituals, gospel
songs and folk rock. Spiritual
songs are lighter in theological content, are often repetitive and spring out
of a heart that wants to express emotion to God.
Singing in the church may be traditional,
contemporary or a blended worship.
There is a definite place for creativity in singing for we are told to
sing a new song in worship.
ÒSing to the Lord a new song, his
praise in the assembly of the saintsÓ (Psa. 149:1). However, discernment should be used in determining when
and where certain types of music are used. It may not be wise to sing folk rock in a formal,
traditional service, or HandelÕs Messiah at a Christian rock concert.
All kinds of music and song can be honoring to
God. There is no such thing as
Christian tempo, rhythm, harmony, melody or volume that is sacred and all
others are secular. All music
technique comes from God. All
rhythm, for instance, comes from the Almighty, not from the devil, although
abuse of rhythm can be used by the devil for his own evil ends. Music itself is neither good nor evil,
but it is how it is used and why it is used that makes it evil. The ultimate distinguishing factor that
makes songs Christian or secular are the lyrics, not the tempo or the
rhythm. Words alone convey whether
a song is sacred or secular. If
so-called Christian music feeds oneÕs lust or causes one to get up and dance
wildly in a sensual manner, then it does not honor God.
Music is a force in every society. It may ennoble or it may
degenerate. Music is like so many
things—it can be a virtue or a vice. There is a time and place for all kinds of music in the
Christian sphere as long as the words are Christian and based on Scripture or
biblical principles.
Music is so much a matter of oneÕs personal
preference. So often Christians
think and feel that the music that honors God is the music they like
themselves. Most Christians
approve music they are accustomed to hearing. Likes and dislikes in music are very subjective. Most Christians listen to music,
appreciate art or poetry and absorb spiritual truths only according to their
own comfortable traditions or experiences. A Christian song in Japanese may sound weird to American
ears but it is sweet music to the Japanese. Loud, pulsating drum beats to accompany singing in a worship
service in the villages of Uganda may seem repulsive to a cultured French
Christian, but it is the heart of worship for the Ugandans.
Some Christians love country western gospel and this
same music is repugnant to other Christians who are committed to classical
music in worship. It is all a
matter of our likes and tastes.
Music is a matter of preference and this affects how and where we like
to worship. Christians need to pray,
asking God to give them love and tolerance of other Christians and their styles
of music in worship. God in His
marvelous grace has provided different churches with different worship forms. Each Christian can choose and pick what
style of worship he prefers in the worship service of a church, where he feels
more comfortable, but no Christian has any biblical grounds to mock Christians
who do not accept their worship styles.
There are no right or wrong worship styles as long as they are grounded
on Scripture and fall within the limits biblical principles.
It is by Divine design that the Bible makes no
mention of rhythm, tempo, volume or melody. The Bible is a trans-cultural book and must apply in
every country and culture. By
holding to any one style of music as truly Christian, the Bible then could not
go across cultures and be effective.
Christian music, therefore, must be allowed to develop within various
cultures.
WHY DO WE SING?
To Praise God.
The first reason to sing (or make any kind of music) is to praise
Almighty God. The reason we sing
is to please God because He is listening to our voices and He knows the
attitudes of our hearts. We sing
to extol GodÕs person.
ÒSing to the Lord, you saints of his;
praise his holy nameÓ (Psa. 30:4).
We
exalt the person of Jesus Christ as did the twenty-four elders.
ÒAnd they sang
a new song: ÔYou are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because
you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe
and language and people and nation.ÕÓ
(Rev. 5:9).
We
sing out to God also for what He has done for us.
ÒI will sing
of the LordÕs great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness
known through all generationsÓ (Psa. 89:1).
ÒI will sing
of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praiseÓ (Psa. 101:1).
Our God has saved us. Our God has redeemed us out of the slave market of sin. Our God has set our course towards
heaven. Why do we sing? We sing to worship God who intently
listens to what we have to offer Him in praise.
If
we say our singing has become dull, dry and mechanical, it has only done so
because we have stopped thinking about what God gets out of our singing and
have thought only of what we get out of it. Our singing has become need-centered rather than
God-centered. If this is the case,
we have a deep spiritual problem.
To Communicate Truth. Music is a marvelous way to communicate truth to the
Christian. This is why all the
Psalms were put to music because music is a powerful means to help GodÕs people
remember GodÕs Word. Often
spiritual truth will be retained when sung when it is forgotten when
preached. Putting the Bible to
music helps it to stick in the mind.
Music is a means God uses to communicate with the soul of a believer. Music, coupled with a biblical message,
can make a great impact upon a Christian so as to lift thoughts to God in help
and hope for time and eternity.
To Unite the Body of Christ. Music, especially congregational
singing, has a unique way of helping Christians understand they are one in
Christ. Singing unifies a group
around their God. Singing causes
believers to pull together and gives them a little taste of what heaven will be
like. As the poet said, ÒIf
singing His praises on earth is so sweet, what will it be when around Him we
meet?Ó
To Rally the Saints. God often uses music to stir the emotions of Christians to
action. Many a saint has gained
the confidence to witness, or face a crisis, or confront a brother about sin,
by being moved by God through singing or hearing a rousing Christian song.
After the surrender of
General Robert E. Lee to General Grant at Appomattax
at the end of the Civil War, a group of Confederate Army officers were
listening to some Union officers sing their battle
songs and patriotic marching choruses.
The singing was applauded with great enthusiasm by the Southerners. When the music ended, one of the
Confederate officers said in a voice shaking with emotion, ÒGentlemen, if we
would have had your Yankee songs, weÕd have licked you out of your boots.Ó
(Source Unknown)
To Soothe the Soul. God uses sacred music, especially music with a strong
message, to comfort and soothe the restless spirit and the troubled heart. The psalmist says songs about God relax
the Christian at night when fears and worries seem to be the strongest.
ÒBy day the
Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God
of my lifeÓ(Psa. 42:8).
ÒI remembered
my songs in the night. My heart
mused and my spirit inquiredÓ (Psa. 77:6).
Music can help us gain inward peace of soul. When facing trials, pain and
discouragement, the singing of songs can calm oneÕs heart and bring about a
changed attitude. Music can set
the mood to help a Christian set his affections on things above and not on
earthly cares. Singing can most
certainly give the Christian a sense of GodÕs presence when things seem very
dark. A recommended exercise for a
Christian is to get out a hymnbook and all by himself sing to his God. Or he should listen to recordings and
sing along with the praise music.
This is a tremendous way to draw close to God and soothe oneÕs anxious
cares.
Music can set the mood and soothe oneÕs emotions so
as to make him receptive to receive the preached or taught Word of God. God often uses music to still or change
oneÕs emotions so as to open him up to the truths of Scripture.
To Lift OneÕs Countenance. Music can be used by God to bring a person out of
despondency to joy, lifting the countenance to God and before men. King David said, ÒYou have turned my wailing
into dancingÓ (Psa. 30:11).
Singing Christians should be able to cope with problems a little better
than non-singing Christians because God has given singing as an emotional
release. Music should reflect the
radiant joy of a soul set free in Christ.
One of the obvious evidences of a person filled with the Spirit is that
he desires to sing.
ÒAnd do not
get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody with your heart to the Lord . . .Ó (Eph. 5:18-19 NASB).
To Influence the Unsaved for Christ. Music can be an effective tool in
evangelism. When the unsaved see
Christians singing about Christ, this causes them to sit up and take notice.
ÒHe put a new
song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LordÓ (Psa. 40:3).
Music
may be used as a means to soften the sinnerÕs heart to the preached Word. Many a heart tightly closed to the
evangelistic message has been made pliable by the singing of a significant
song.
A danger to watch for is when music is used only as
a pragmatic tool in reaching the lost.
The attitude often is, ÒIf it works, it must be good,Ó or ÒIf it brings
people to Christ, it must be right.Ó
It is wrong to use music to excessively play on peopleÕs emotions so
that they irrationally make some kind of decision for Christ without a proper
understanding of the gospel. It is
not wrong, however, to use music to get sinners to think about God so as to
make them more receptive to receiving the gospel when it is intelligently
preached. Music is an evangelistic
gimmick when the preacher says, ÒJohn, I want you to play this song at the
invitation because it will bring souls down the aisle.Ó When Christian music of any kind is
used for behavior control or crowd manipulation, it is wrongly used and may
become a tool of Satan rather than God.
To Calm Demonic Activity. God used the music and songs of David to ward off and calm
the demonic spirits of King Saul.
ÒWhenever the
spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he
would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave himÓ (1 Sam. 16:23).
Satan
hates all kinds of Christian music that is Scriptural and glorifies God. Demons flee when Christians praise God
through singing. Martin Luther,
who clearly understood spiritual warfare, said,
ÒWe know that music is
hateful and intolerable to devils.
I really believe, nor am I ashamed to assert, that next to theology
there is no art equal to music, for it is the only one, except theology, which
can give a quiet and happy mind, a manifest proof that the devil, the author of
racking care and perturbation, flees from the sound of music as he does from
the exhortation of religion.Ó
(Source unknown)
HOW SHOULD WE SING?
With Feeling.
God has created man as an emotional creature. ManÕs personality is made up of mind, will and emotion. God wants His people to experience Him
and one specific way to experience God is through music, especially
singing. The Bible teaches the
Christian is to sing in the Spirit.
ÒSo what shall
I do? I will pray with my spirit,
but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also
sing with my mindÓ (1 Cor. 14:15).
Singing is worship and it must come from the
heart. If we take emotions out of
worship, then we are not worshipping God with the whole man. In fact, our worship is lopsided. Singing allows the Christian to get
involved with his God. In
congregational singing, the Christian should really put himself into it. In fact, the person who is worshipping
God should be somewhat exhausted after singing a hymn. Someone has said, ÒA song that can
really be heard on the outside must first be felt on the inside.Ó When singing is dry and mechanical,
there is a spiritual problem; we are not feeling our singing with our emotions. MontovaniÕs
father told him, ÒPut feeling into your music, my boy. Music without feeling is little more
than noise.Ó
With Gusto.
All singing should be done with exuberance and excitement for it is done
first to worship God and secondly to experience God.
ÒShout for joy
to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with musicÓ (Psa. 98:4).
ÒCome, let us
sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvationÓ(Psa.
95:1).
ÒDavid and all
the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and
with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpetsÓ (1 Chron. 13:8)
In all Christian music, we should exude enthusiasm
and purpose. If we are not excited
over what we are singing or playing, we should examine ourselves and find out
what is keeping this enthusiasm from us.
Ira D. Sanky said,
ÒI would not try to say what
is the best singing for every church.
That would vary. Good,
earnest, warm singing, I regard as a necessity in every church.Ó
With Skill.
Every person should sing to the best of his or ability. God has not given all His saints great
musical skills but every saint can sing and should sing to the maximum of his
or her musical skills. For those
who have been given a special talent in the area of singing, they should
develop this skill and sing with a choir, small group or solo. All music done in the public worship
should be done with skill and good taste.
ÒPraise the
Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play
skillfully, and shout for joyÓ (Psa. 33:2-3).
Nothing
can kill the spirit of worship like poor singing and unskilled musicians. Every worship service should begin with
a hymn or spiritual song that everyone knows.
With Understanding. Music must spring out of our understanding and obedience to
the Word of God. Christian music
must be based on the Scripture or on Scriptural principles and concepts, or it
is not Christian music. Singing is
also one way Christians can teach and exhort one another to a deeper walk with
Christ.
ÒLet the word
of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in
your hearts to GodÓ(Col. 3:16).
INSTRUMENTS
In
the New Testament, there is no mention of any use of musical instruments in
worship. This does not mean they
were not used in New Testament worship.
However, the Old Testament is filled with worship accompanied by instruments.
ÒPraise the
Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing
greatness. Praise him with the
sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with
tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with
the clash of cymbals. Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the LordÓ(Psa. 150:1-6).
Any and every kind of instrument can be used in the
worship of God. GodÕs people
should praise their God with all the familiar instruments in their particular
culture. Instruments are not good
or evil but it is how they are used that makes them sacred or secular
instruments. The two instruments
that seem to be the most offensive to some Christians are the guitar and
drums. These instruments are not specifically
mentioned in relation to worship in the Bible. However, the Bible does mention the harp and the lyre, which
are stringed instruments.
ÒI will sing a
new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to youÓ
(Psa. 144:9).
The guitar is also a stringed instrument. If some Christians keep the guitar out
of worship, will they also keep the piano out, which is a stringed
instrument? The drum is a
percussion instrument and so are cymbals, and the Psalms speak of loud clashing
cymbals. Drums can be extremely
effective in the worship of the living God. In some African cultures, only drums are used to accompany
singing. Beauty is in the ears of
the listener. Musicians using
instruments and voices were part of the processional into the temple sanctuary.
ÒYour
procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into
the sanctuary. In front are the
singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing
tambourines. Praise God in the
great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of IsraelÓ (Psa. 68:24-26).
Surely
these verses give warrant for church orchestras and praise bands to accompany
worship.
Does
not the use of instruments in worship also give warrant for the use of taped
background music? We use sound
systems to help in worship so why not taped music? Taped music by skilled musicians honors God more than no
instrumentation or instruments that are played poorly. Whether instruments or taped music,
those doing the performing are doing it for God alone and it springs from the
love of God in the heart.
ÒAs they make
music they will sing, ÔAll my fountains are in
youÕÓ(Psa. 87:7).
THE DANGERS IN MUSIC
There
are some obvious pitfalls to sacred music, and if these are not prayed over and
controlled, they can be used as a tool of the devil.
Pampers the Flesh.
Music can become performance oriented. Those who perform Christian music as artists can have an
added problem with the ego or flesh.
Wanting to show off or liking the accolades of the crowd is not just
true of musicians, however. It
could be true of preachers as well because the sin nature loves the praise of
men. Egotistical musicians can
kill the spirit of worship.
It is normal to perform best before a large crowd
rather than a small crowd, but it is not right to have this attitude if one is
singing for God. Singing should
always depend upon our desire to exalt the Lord and never the size of the
crowd. When musicians get a
swelled head, they have forgotten that their talent is from God, and just as
surely as God gave them that talent, He can take it away.
Musicians as a whole can be very touchy people. By personality trait, they are
melancholic, giving them sensitivity that makes them good artists. But it also makes them hard to get
along with at times. Charles
Spurgeon, a wise preacher, knew that the choir was often the war department of
the church. In one of his sermons
he said, ÒWhen Satan was kicked out of heaven he fell into the choir loft.Ó
Plays
Down the Word. Many times a
music program in a local church replaces or rivals the preached Word. All music, while necessary, must be
subordinated to the exposited Bible.
It is easier to feel with emotions than to think with the mind, and that
is why music often crowds out the preaching of the Scripture. Every local church must have a strong
pulpit and all music must complement the preached Word.
Places
Verbal Witnessing Secondary.
It is very easy for a Christian to get so involved in the music program
of the church that he forgets about his responsibility to be a verbal witness
for Christ. Singing in a choir or
playing in a praise band is not the same as giving a public witness for Christ. Music of any kind must never become a
substitute for personal evangelism.
Puts
Melodies Above Theology. One
of the real dangers of Christian music is that songs with catchy melodies will
be written and sung but the theology may be weak or in error. Many musicians do not care about
theology and that is a tragedy in itself, but it is also disobedience to GodÕs
Word. We need theologians who are
concerned with music and musicians who are concerned with theology.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Music
is a very subjective in nature.
Music in worship is a matter of preference. Therefore, Christians need to become tolerant of one
anotherÕs musical tastes.
Traditional or contemporary worship is neither right nor wrong. It is a matter of oneÕs likes and
dislikes. There needs to be a
spirit of Christian liberty in the whole area of Christian music.
Christian music spans 2000 years of church history,
so we should attempt to perform music that covers the full spectrum of history,
not just a few segments of it, like the 16th and 17th
centuries. The local church should
strive for variety in music and not become bound by any period of history.
Christians are obligated to teach their children the
great hymns of the church as well as teach them to sing new contemporary songs
that also honor Christ. When
Christians love the old and discover the new, then they are truly reformed and reforming.
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 13
Choirs, Dancing and Drama in Corporate Worship
Choirs,
dancing and drama are not mentioned in the New Testament. The question is whether these fit the
Regulative Principle that worship of the living God is to be done by what the
Scriptures alone command or allow.
If the New Testament does not mention a practice or form of worship but
the Old Testament does, then it is acceptable for corporate worship. If neither the Old nor the New
Testaments mention a worship practice, then that practice should not be allowed
in corporate worship.
CHOIRS
Choirs
are not mentioned in the New Testament but were clearly used in the worship of
God in the temple and at others events in the Old Testament. Choirs were part of the Levitical
worship and this was their primary purpose.
ÒAt the
dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were brought out from where
they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication
with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyresÓ
(Neh. 12:17).
Choirs
were made up of skilled musicians (2 Chron. 34:12; Psa. 33:3). The temple choir could exceed 200
participants (Ezra 2:65; Neh. 7:67).
The choirs included men and women (1 Chron. 13:25). Singing went on
while the whole assembly was worshiping.
ÒThe whole
assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters
played. All this continued until
the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completedÓ (2 Chron. 29:28).
The
choir was part of the procession into the sanctuary.
ÒYour
procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into
the sanctuary. In front are the
singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing
tambourinesÓ (Psa. 68:24-26).
Sometimes
singers went out in front of the army of Israel to meet the enemy.
ÒAfter
consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to
praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the
army, saying: ÔGive thanks to the
LORD, for his love endures foreverÕÓ (2 Chron. 20:21).
The
choirs had skilled leaders and directors who were appointed to their positions.
ÒKenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that
was is responsibility because he was skilled at itÓ(1 Chron. 15:22).
ÒFor long ago,
in the days of David and Asaph, there had been
directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to
GodÓ(Neh. 12:46).
ÒThese are the
men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark
came to rest thereÓ(1 Chron. 6:31).
Singers
were paid for their services in the temple.
Ò . . . and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store
the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of
grain, new wine and oil prescribed for he Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as
well as the contributions for the priestsÓ (Neh. 13:5).
ÒSo in the
days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel
contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepersÓ (Neh. 12:47).
These
verses give strong evidence that it is Biblical to hire professional Christian
musicians, paying choir, orchestra and band members. This would insure that musicians would play skillfully.
The use of choirs and musical instruments in worship
has much to do with invoking the presence of the Lord.
ÒThe priests
then withdrew from the Holy Place.
All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of
their divisions. All the Levites
who were musicians – Asaph, Heman,
Jeduthum and their sons and relatives – stood
on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps
and lyres. They were accompanied
by 120 priests sounding trumpets.
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give
praise and thanks to the LORD.
Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised
their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: ÔHe is good; his love endures
forever.Õ
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests
could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD
filled the temple of GodÓ (2 Chron. 5:11-14).
In
New Testament corporate worship, God does not come down to His people in a
cloud (Shekinah glory). He comes
into their presence in a powerful spiritual sense and the people stand in awe
of Him.
DANCE
There is much controversy among Christians as to
whether dance should be allowed in corporate worship of the church. Dance is not found in the New Testament
but it is spoken of in many places in the Old Testament.
ÒLet them
praise his name with dancing, and make music to him with tambourine and harpÓ
(Psa. 149:3).
ÒPraise him
with tambourine and dancingÓ (Psa. 150:4).
Dancing
most certainly fits the Regulative Principle. The real question then becomes what kind of dance is
appropriate for worship?
Dance
took many forms in the Old Testament.
Miriam, AaronÕs sister, was so excited about GodÕs deliverance from Egypt
and the destruction of Pharaoh and his army that she led a group of women in
dancing to the music of tambourines (Exo.
15:20). The Israelites danced when
they observed victory. ÒThe Israelites
sang and danced when David had more victories than Saul: ÔSaul has slain his
thousands, And David his tens of thousandsÕÓ (1 Sam. 21:11). David danced in celebration before the
ark: ÒDavid wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might
while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with
shouts and the sound of trumpetsÓ(2 Sam. 6:14-15). David was so excited that he stripped to his underwear
and danced excitedly and enthusiastically before the Lord. He was so full of joy he leaped and
shouted (1 Chron. 15:29). This was
undoubtedly a very free-spirited dance because it offended his wife Michal (2
Sam. 6:16)
Another incident of possible dancing is at the
dedication of the wall of Jerusalem.
On top of the wall half of the great choir went in one direction and the
other half in the other direction (Neh. 12:31,38).
When God restores Israel it
says, ÒI will build you up again and you
will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel.
Again you will take up our tambourines and go out to dance with the
joyfulÓ (Jer. 31:4).
These dances mentioned could
be free-spirited or choreographed.
From the above verses we can draw some basic conclusions: 1) dance was
an accepted part of IsraelÕs corporate worship; 2) Israel regarded dance as a
natural and valid expression of gratitude to God and a festive way to celebrate
a joyful event; 3) men danced with men or women with women or they danced
alone. No religious dancing had
anything to do with touching the opposite sex.
Dance can be evil as well as
good. When Israel fell into
unbelief, they made a golden calf and worshiped it, singing and dancing in a
lewd way (Exo. 32:18-19). This negative incident compared with other positive
incidents in the Bible indicates that dancing can either be an appropriate
exuberant response to GodÕs grace, or it can be an occasion for degenerate
revelry. It all depends on the
motivation of the heart.
The purpose of dance is to
worship and honor God with the body (1 Cor. 6:19-20). By bodily movement, the worshiper communicates his or her
emotions to God. Dance can be a
very powerful form of worship if done correctly. Liturgical dance with proper choreography can truly honor
God. Free style dance in corporate
worship can be effective if it does not get out of control. Emotions are very powerful whether used
by God or by Satan. The Bible says
there is a time to mourn and a time to dance (Eccl.
3:4). There is also a time to
dance in a worship service and a time not to dance. If liturgical dance is used, it should be done skillfully.
There are dangers to using
dance in a corporate worship service.
These dangers are: (1) when dance calls attention to itself and not to
the message; (2) when dance is done sensually either in movements or dress; (3)
when the dance does not fit the theme of the worship service; (4) when dance
becomes entertainment rather than ministry; (5) when dance is not artistically
pleasing; (6) when dance is so abstract that its meaning is not understandable;
or (7) when dance is performed poorly.
Dance is a worship form
whereby Christians can express worship to God through bodily movement. Most Christians do not dance in the
Spirit because they are embarrassed or are afraid of the abuses that come from
dance. Certainly no one has to
dance in worship if he or she does not want to use this form of worship. There is Christian liberty in forms of
worship. However, dancing should
not be rejected because it makes us feel uncomfortable. All change is uncomfortable. We may never do religious dance
ourselves but we must not reject or despise those who do unless they are
somehow abusing dance. We are
commanded by God to correct all abuses of doctrine or practice according to the
Word of God.
DRAMA
Drama is a difficult issue
to deal with as it relates to corporate worship. Drama is not mentioned as a worship form in the Old or New
Testaments. If drama is to be used
in corporate worship, then an exception must be made to the regulative
principle of worship.
Those
that believe drama is a legitimate form of worship use the following arguments: 1) Drama is all through the
Bible—Israel crossing the Red Sea or the High Priest entering the Holy of
Holies once a year, etc.; 2) A drama that enhances the pastorÕs sermon is not
entertainment, but just another sermon illustration acted out; 3) A preacher is
using dramatic illustrations and movements all the time, so we can transfer
that into acting, 4) Drama is presenting the redemptive acts of God in word and
motion.
Those
that reject drama as a legitimate worship form do so for the following reasons: l) Drama is not mentioned as a worship
form in the Old or New Testaments; 2) Real drama is one person acting out the
part of another character (role playing), and this could be superficial or
deceptive, both of which the Bible rejects; 3) Events in the Old Testament like
the Red Sea or the Holy of Holies are dramatic events, but they are not drama
(one person acting out the part of another), and 4) Drama, while an art form,
lends itself readily to entertainment, and entertainment should be avoided when
possible in the corporate worship of the church.
There
is no clear evidence that drama should be used in a corporate worship
service. However, it is a
wonderful art form that can be used in Christian meetings other than corporate
worship. Drama is neither good nor
bad. It is Christian in so much as
it gives a Christian message.
Christian thespians should be encouraged to use the natural ability of
drama to teach the gospel or some Christian truth. Yet, for some reason, God did not put drama as one of the
forms to be used in corporate worship.
For
those that want to honor the Regulative Principle, drama should not be used in
the official worship service of the church. For those that feel drama can be used in the worship
service, they should be committed to excellence, make sure there is a strong
Christian message and that the message illustrates the sermon, and every effort
should be made to avoid entertainment and the stroking of human egos.
While
the evidence seems to favor not using drama in the worship service of the
church, it is not worth splitting the church over the issue or dividing with
other Christians. It becomes a
matter of Christian liberty or conscience. God has provided all kinds of churches for His people to
attend with various forms of worship.
If
it is questionable that drama should be part of worship, then what about modern
technology—overhead slides, video presentations, sound bites and movie
clips?
God
has allowed the modern world to have many technological tools to enhance
learning. How can these technologies be used by the church in corporate worship
to help Christians learn more about God and to love Him more with the emotions?
How
does the use of technology differ from drama, for neither one is mentioned in
the Old or New Testaments? There
may be a difference between drama and the use of multi-media, namely sound
bites and movie clips. Drama is
real, live actors playing another role, which may or may not be
controlled. Sound bites and movie
clips show real actors, but the situation can always be controlled. Live drama would lend itself more to
entertainment and the stroking of human egos than would multi-media
presentations.
There
is a difference between aids to worship and forms of worship, although
sometimes these two concepts could overlap. The use of multi-media can be a powerful aid to worship,
especially in cultures where the common man is more of a visual learner because
of TV. and cinema than an auditory learner.
Modern
technology is already utilized to some degree by most churches—sound
systems, amplification of instruments, special devices for the hearing
impaired, special lighting, etc.
The issue seems to be over sound bites and movie clips, which are
closely related to drama. While
the Bible does not speak of multi-media (technologies beyond human
comprehension in Biblical times), the Bible also does not mention hymnbooks,
amplification systems, lighting, heating, air conditioning or padded pews (or
pews at all). All of these modern
technologies and comforts are used today to enhance worship.
The
issue with multi-media is whether it enhances or distracts from worship. If overhead projection is used for
reading Bible verses, historic creeds, song lyrics or giving the pastorÕs sermon
outline and enhances worship, then it can be used in corporate worship. If sound bites and movie clips help
people remember a Scriptural truth, gets their attention, makes some poignant
spiritual point, effectively illustrates the sermon, then it is helpful rather
than harmful. However, if sound
bites and movie clips distract from worship by drawing attention to the media
techniques, or is done because it is Òcool,Ó or is pure entertainment, then it
should not be used.
If
any type of multi-media is used in worship, then it must be done well or not at
all. Nothing is more distracting
and frustrating than technology that is used poorly in worship.
Whatever
sound bites or movie clips that might be used should be consistent with the
moral law of God. No explicit sex
or cursing should be shown to make a moral point. Mental images during worship should be on the living God,
and nothing should cause immoral thoughts to enter the mind. One needs to exercise common sense when
using multi-media forms. Just as
it would be unwise for a pastor during his sermon to describe some vivid sex
scene or use curse words, it would be distasteful to do the same with any
multi-media presentation.
Lastly,
we live in a world of high tech, and God wants His church to redeem culture for
GodÕs glory. The church needs to
redeem the multi-media world for Christ, and to do it for GodÕs glory. The 16th century Reformers
were on the cutting edge of the church in their time. They used the printing press for GodÕs glory. They printed Bibles, books and
pamphlets and changed the world forever through the printed word. They introduced preaching/teaching from
the pulpit, the priesthood of the believer, musical instruments in worship,
hymn singing by the laity, etc.
They were the progressives in the 16th and 17th
centuries. They used modern
technology and were not afraid of change, as long as no Biblical truth was
compromised and jeopardized. They were reformed and reforming, as
we in the 21st century should be as well.
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 14
Demonstrative
Forms of Worship
When
we say, ÒThe Bible is our only rule
or standard for faith and practiceÓ we better make sure what we are saying or
we might find ourselves thinking about or actually doing things we never ever
conceived of doing in corporate worship.
The Bible is our authority for all practices, and
the Bible sets forth worship practices some might consider out of the norm or
down right weird. Yet, we must ask ourselves, ÒWhat does the Bible itself allow
in the way of worship forms?Ó ÒWhat does the Bible permit whether we think
these are out of the norm or not?Ó
All of us are victims of our upbringing, prejudices
and culture. We like things because we are used to them and are comfortable
doing them. We may never ask ourselves honestly, ÒWhat does the Bible teach
about forms of worship and what am I doing or not doing to conform to biblical
standards in worship?Ó
We are going to focus our attention on biblical
forms of corporate worship. These are forms so we are not commanded to do these
nor are we obligated in any way to do them in order to worship God. However, these are biblical forms and
God placed them in the Scriptures for a purpose. It should be the desire of the Christian to preserve these biblical
traditions and conform to them whenever possible.
ÒSo then,
brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings (traditions) we passed on to
you, whether by word or by letterÓ (2 Thess. 2:15).
Our
goal should always be to reform the church so as to conform to biblical
standards because as Reformed people we should always be reforming in our
practices and actions.
It would be impossible to reproduce the New
Testament church completely because we are not in the first century, being
separated by two thousand years and are in a different culture. However, there
are biblical forms which supersede time and culture, and we need to reproduce
as nearly as possible the New
Testament model of corporate worship.
Worship is designed to move the emotions towards God.
Cerebral worship alone leaves one flat because the soul needs to release
emotions towards the living Christ. We were designed by God not only to know
God and obey God but also to love God with all our heart. These demonstrative
forms (expressive forms) are ways to release emotion towards our God in
appreciation for His matchless love and His glorious grace. We are not speaking
about emotionalism, where emotions
are unbridled, drawing attention to self and causing great confusion in the
church. We are speaking about love towards God, releasing the emotions to
praise, adore and exalt the living God as
He is manifested in Christ Jesus.
Prayer in corporate worship is a function that must
never change. Positions in prayer are forms and can change and do change from
congregation to congregation.
Standing. ÒAnd she said to him, ÔAs surely as you
live, my lord, I am the woman who stood
here beside you praying to the LordÕÓ (I Sam. 1:26). In both the Old and New Testaments,
there is the form of standing to pray. ÒAnd
when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in
the synagogues and on the street
corners to be seen by men. I tell
you the truth, they have received their reward in fullÓ (Matt. 6:5). Our
Lord prayed while standing with His eyes open and looking into heaven. ÒThen Jesus looked up and said, ÔFather, I thank you that you
have heard meÕÓ (John 11:41). The New Testament church took many of its
forms of worship from the Jewish synagogue. In the synagogue, the men would
stand facing towards Jerusalem and pray with hands lifted up. ÒI want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger
or disputingÓ (I Tim. 2:8).
Kneeling.
ÒCome, let
us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our MakerÓ (Psa.
95:36). ÒWhen he (Paul) had said
this, he knelt down with all of them and prayedÓ (Acts 20:36). ÒFor this reason I kneel before the
Father . . .Ó (Eph. 3:14).
Kneeling With
Hands Towards Heaven.
ÒWhen
Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose
from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands
spread out toward heavenÓ (1 Kgs. 8:54).
Face Between the Knees.
Ò. . . but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his kneesÓ (1 Kgs. 18:42).
Bowed Head and
Beating the Chest.
ÒBut the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven,
but beat his breast and said, ÔGod have mercy on me, a sinnerÕÓ (Luke 18:13).
The only position of prayer not mentioned in the
Bible is sitting down with every head bowed and every eye closed. The closing of the eyes in prayer
appears to be a western culture form that is not wrong but it is not biblical
either.
Kneeling is a position of humility and should be
practiced by the church corporately.
It may not be done all at once or at the ringing of a bell, but is
should be done to express submission and dependence on God, and it should be
done spontaneously whenever possible.
LIFTING OF HANDS
Lifting of Hands in Prayer. Prayer with hands lifted by men (males) was a common form of worship. ÒI want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputingÓ (1 Tim. 2:8).
Lifting of Hands in Praise. ÒI will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my handsÓ (Psa. 63:4). ÒLift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORDÓ (Psa. 134:2).
ÒSo on the first day of the seventh month
Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men
and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak
till noon...And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform...Ezra opened the book...and as
he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God;
and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ÔAmen! Amen!Õ Then they bowed down and worshiped the
LORD with their faces to the groundÓ (Neh. 8:2-6).
With the wall completed, the Israelites assembled to
worship God primarily through the taught Word of God. Notice men and women and
children were there—all who could understand. Apparently, those who could not
understand were not there. There was some kind of child-care going on
somewhere.
As Ezra opened the Book of the Law, reading behind
some kind of a pulpit, the people stood up to listen. They lifted up their
hands in worship and said loudly at times, ÒAmen! Amen!Ó Then overcome with the
awesome God of the universe, they bowed down with their faces to the ground (a
prone position) and worshiped Jehovah-God.
ÒEzra praised
the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded,
ÔAmen! Amen!Õ Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to
the groundÓ(Neh. 8:6).
This position of flat on the floor face down may
seem a little too expressive for most Christians but it is Biblical. If God the
Holy Spirit mightily moved on a congregation in corporate worship some
undoubtedly would find themselves prone before a holy God.
It appears that there were questions and answers
during and after the sermon in early church worship.
ÒOn the first
day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave
the next day, kept on speaking (dialogue) until midnight. There
were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man
named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as
Paul talked (dialogue) on and on. When he was
sound to sleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up
deadÓ (Acts 20:7-9).
We can assume this was a worship service. It occurred on Sunday, the LordÕs
Day. They broke bread, which is a
reference to the LordÕs Table.
Paul spoke to them so we assume this was some form of preaching. We know that Paul must have preached
five or six hours because Christian gatherings in the first century began right
after dark. Surely this was not
one man preaching for six hours.
The key is found in the words ÒspokeÓ and Òtalked.Ó In both cases (verses 7 and 9) the
Greek word is dialogos from which we get the English word dialogue. There was interaction with the
congregation. There must have been
questions and answers and some inter-active argumentation. This was two-way communication during
the sermon.
We
know the early local church was patterned after the Jewish synagogue. Part of the Jewish worship service was
a sermon or discourse that could be brought by the elders or by any man in the
synagogue who felt he had a message from God for the people. During the sermon people could ask
questions and even challenge the speaker if appropriate. It was a dialogue.
CLAPPING HANDS
ÒClap your
hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joyÓ (Psa. 47:1).
The evidence for hand clapping is not as strong as
other forms of worship but there is some evidence.
ÒYou will go out in joy and be led forth in
peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the
trees of the field will clap their handsÓ (Isa. 55:12).
ÒLet the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equityÓ (Psa. 98:8- 9).
Scripture allows the clapping of hands while singing
a song, and it is most certainly a Jewish practice. Clapping after someone has
performed a Christian song should not be to praise the performer but a
spontaneous praise-clap to God for the things He taught us through the song or
the hearing of a testimony. The clap is to God and not for man
ÒLet them praise his name with dancing and make music to him
with tambourine and harpÓ (Psa. 149:3).
ÒPraise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and fluteÓ (Psa. 150:4).
People
in the Old Testament danced. The dances were probably religious dances designed
to bring glory to God. ÒThen Miriam the prophetess, AaronÕs
sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancingÓ (Exo. 15:20). Most likely men danced with men and women
with women or they danced alone.
Dance is a worship form that must be kept from being
sensuous but can express glory to God. The Bible makes no direct reference to
dancing in the Spirit, but sometimes Christians have been so excited about
Christ that they have danced for the pure glory of God.
Morton Smith, the first Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PCA and presently Dean of Faculty at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, gives his reason for not including dance in corporate worship. He says,
ÒThus, as we look to the
Bible for what is warranted in Christian worship, we look primarily to the New
Testament, not the Old. It is for this reason that such things as dance, which
is mentioned in the Old but not the New should not be included in Christian
worshipÓ (Presbyterian Journal).
Dr. Smith needs to be reminded that the same context
of Psalm 150, which mentions dancing also speaks of the use of trumpets, harps, lyres,
tambourines, stringed instruments and cymbals. Are these also not acceptable
for New Testament worship for they are not mentioned in the New Testament? Would he be opposed to the use of a
piano that is also a stringed instrument in worship?
ÒWith praise
and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: ÔHe is good; his love to Israel endures
forever.Õ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because
the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the older priests
and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when
they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted
for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound
of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far awayÓ (Ezra 3:11-13)
Sometimes the Christian is so overtaken by his joy in Christ he just has to shout for the glory of God. Shouting can be abused and may be disturbing but there is a place for it in corporate worship if done decently and in order.
ÒGreet all the
brothers with a holy kissÓ (1 Thess. 5:26).
ÒGreet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetingsÓ (Rom. 16:16).
The holy kiss was a Christian greeting of love and
affection. Although we have no historical evidence from the Bible or
extra-biblical material as to how the holy kiss was practiced, we may assume
that men kissed men and women kissed women on the cheek. In countries today where the holy kiss
is practiced, no one of the opposite sex is kissed. Apparently, this is to avoid any appearance of evil.
Most Christians in our American culture have dropped
the holy kiss, which is a form of worship. It is sad when we eliminate biblical
traditions although, thankfully, it is still practiced by many European,
African and Asian Christians.
ÒOtherwise if you bless in the spirit only,
how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the ÔAmenÕ at your
giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are sayingÓ (1 Cor.
14:16-17)?
The saying of ÒAmenÓ in
unison at the end of a prayer was obviously a carry-over from the synagogue
worship. This tradition became so
strong among the New Testament churches that the synagogue abandoned the use of
the ÒAmenÓ so as not to be identified with Christians. Saint Jerome, in the fourth century,
said that in his day the ÒAmenÓ sounded like a clap of thunder at the end of
the prayer.
ÒIf I then, the Lord and the Teacher,
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one anotherÕs feet for I give you an
example that you also should do as I did to youÓ (John 13:14-15).
Foot washing is not a
sacrament. The only two sacraments
(ordinances) of the church are the LordÕs Table and water baptism. The church is not bound by Scripture to
do foot washing, but the Lord Jesus set forth this act as an example of
humility. Foot washing is a valid
form of worship for the church.
PRAYER FOR PHYSICAL HEALING
ÒIs any one of you sick? He should call the
elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of
the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the
Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore
confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be
healed. The prayer of a righteous
If
we never ask, we will never get healing from God.
ÒYou want something but donÕt get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask GodÓ (James 4:2).
Why donÕt we practice these demonstrative forms more
often? We are self-conscious and embarrassed about what others might think of
us. We donÕt want to be radicals or thought of as weird. While no one has to
avail themselves of these expressive forms to be spiritual, they are the
biblical means God has set forth for us to release our emotions to God. We are
not just machines; we have emotions that want to tell God in words and actions
that we love Him dearly. Demonstrative worship does allow us to get out of our
protective shell and worship God with more enthusiasm. Demonstrative worship is
not designed to make us feel better but to release our emotions to God which
may or may not make us feel better. In fact, we may end up weeping with
conviction or shouting for joy. Whichever, God is pleased when our love for Him
is spoken and demonstrated, being done for God and not for man.
No one can force another person to use these
demonstrative forms of worship. It is an individual matter. If you would like
to use some or all of them, you may want to first practice individually alone
and then with a small group. Perhaps as time passes you will feel comfortable
using these in corporate worship.
Whatever forms you choose to use, do them for the
glorification of God and not to draw attention to yourself. Only God ultimately
knows the motivation of the heart.
Because these are forms of worship, they do not have
to be used at all in corporate worship today in the 21st church
although God put them the Scripture for a definite reason. Furthermore, a church might sanction
all these forms but they do not all have to be used in the morning worship
service. Some may be used in a
more informal evening or mid-week service. Others may be used only at special worship services.
ACCEPTABLE CORPORATE
WORSHIP
Lesson 15
A Communing Body
Why do Christians put such an emphasis upon the LordÕs Table? Why is eating a little piece of bread and drinking wine (in many cases grape juice) so important to Christians? Why do most Christians observe this Table with solemnity and reverence? Why canÕt Christians agree on the true meaning of the LordÕs Table? What is all the fuss about?
The LordÕs Table is important for all Christians but all Christians do not view the LordÕs Table the same way. However, some Christians make too big a deal out of the LordÕs Table and others donÕt see it as enough of a big deal. The only way Christians will ever get together on the essence of the LordÕs Table is for all Christians to submit themselves to the Bible as their only authority and be willing to deal honestly with their prejudices and traditions. Coming over our backgrounds, prejudices and hang ups in spiritual matters is tough, and nowhere is this more evident than when partaking of the LordÕs Table.
The Lord Jesus left us with only two physical things by which to worship Him—bread and wine. All physical buildings (tabernacles and temples) are gone. There are to be no icons, statues, stained glass windows, fancy architecture or anything else physical or material as necessary aids to worship God, who is a Spirit. Buildings are not wrong but they are not to be used as necessary aids to worship. But Christ did leave us the bread and the wine, so this act of worship must be important in GodÕs mind and should be important to every true Christian.
THE LORDÕS TABLE SHADOWED IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT
Passover
(Exo. 12:2-14).
The Passover was a significant event for the children of Israel. In order for Israel to be physically
delivered from bondage in Egypt, every father was commanded to make a sacrifice
and put the blood on the door of every Jewish home. When the death angel came to take the first born of every
family, the Jews would be protected by the blood and would pass out of Egypt to
move towards the Promised Land.
The Jews that night observed a special Passover supper, and the Jews
have been observing this supper for thousands of years. The Passover is a big deal for the Jews
and it is directly related to the Old, Mosaic Covenant.
Passover Lamb—Jesus. ÒFor Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificedÓ(1 Cor. 5:7). Christ is said to be the ultimate
Passover lamb that was sacrificed by God for the sins of all that would ever
believe on Christ as Savior and Lord. The Passover foreshadowed the final
redemption provided by Jesus Christ, the Messiah. There is a direct link between Jesus Christ and the
Passover. He is the fulfillment of the Passover in His death that delivers men
out of spiritual bondage to sin.
ÒThey left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, ÔI have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.Õ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ÔTake this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.Õ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ÔThis is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.Õ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup saying, ÔThis cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for youÕÓ (Luke 22:13-20).
The
Passover Supper. Jesus established the
LordÕs Table while He and his disciples were partaking of the Passover Supper.
The Jews had a set ritual they went through at the Passover Supper. They sang
hymns, quoted Old Testament Scripture and heartily entered into fellowship.
During the supper, there were times of seriousness and times of joyfulness. In
the ritual, there was even time for dialogue. Somewhere at two different points
of the ritual, Jesus introduced the bread and the wine.
Jesus
made it very clear He would not partake of the bread and the wine again with
His disciples Òuntil it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of GodÓ and Òuntil the
kingdom of God comes.Ó This is an obvious reference to the second coming of
Christ.
The bread represented
(symbolic of) the actual body of Christ that was given for GodÕs people as a
sacrifice for sin. By the words, ÒThis is my bodyÓ our Lord did not mean it was
His actual body because if that were so then there were two bodies of Christ
present - His actual body and the body He was holding in His hand. This is
speaking symbolically. Furthermore, in the same context, Jesus said, ÒThis cup
is the New Covenant in by blood.Ó Obviously neither the cup nor the wine was
the actual New Covenant but they were symbolic of or representative of the New
Covenant.
Placing
into Effect the New Covenant. The
cup (wine) represented or was symbolic of the New Covenant that was well known
by the Jews.
ÒÔThe time is coming,Õ declares the
LORD, Ôwhen I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my
covenant, though I was a husband to them,Õ declares the LORD. ÔThis is the
covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,Õ declares the
LORD. ÔI will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be
their God, and they will be my peopleÕÓ (Jer. 31:31-33).
This New Covenant for Israel
would be made when Messiah would come.
Imagine what these words meant to these twelve Jewish men. Messiah had
come! Israel has the New Covenant established! IsraelÕs future is secured! What
the disciples did not comprehend is that the Church, the spiritual Israel of
God, would partake of the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant until the
blood of the New Covenant would be applied to Israel as a nation at or around
the second coming of Christ.
THE LORDÕS TABLE AND THE CHURCH
Prime Mention ÒThey devoted themselves to the apostlesÕ
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayerÓ(Acts
2:42). The first mention of the LordÕs Table being observed by the church
is in Acts 2:42. They Òdevoted
themselves to the breaking of bread.Ó
The term Òbreaking of breadÓ is often used in the New Testament and
refers to the LordÕs Table. The
early church always observed the LordÕs Table with a supper. This supper was called the Agape (love feast). This was a supper
with lots of food and drink for all, probably provided by the people. The actual partaking of the LordÕs
Table was done during the Agape Feast and called the Eucharist. Historians are not clear on the
procedure for the Eucharist during the supper. It probably varied from church to church or region to
region. The important thing to
note is the LordÕs Table was taken during a supper called the Agape Feast. There were obviously times of joy,
seriousness and inter-active fellowship.
Christians soon corrupted the Agape Feast because men are sinful. One of the problems was that people were not waiting for all to arrive before eating, and others were drinking too much wine and getting drunk (1 Cor. 11-17, 20-22). This custom brought much debauchery and soon passed out of existence. It is very sad that the church dropped the tradition because the LordÕs Table was taken in an atmosphere of joy, excitement, fellowship and seriousness.
Proper Observance.
ÒFor I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ÔThis is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.Õ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ÔThis cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.Õ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LordÕs death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup on the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the worldÓ (1 Cor. 11:23-32).
Those who partake of the bread and wine Òin an
unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the
Lord.Ó In context, partaking in an
unworthy manner was being selfish by not waiting for all to eat and getting
drunk (1 Cor. 11:17-22). However,
Òunworthy mannerÓ can be applied to any known sin of which we may be
guilty. When we do acts of sin, we
sin against the body and blood of Christ that speaks of His death. Christ died to deliver us from sin and
when we do acts of sin we are saying the death of Christ is not sufficient to
deliver us from sin.
We are told that a Christian Òought to examineÓ
himself before he partakes of the LordÕs Table. He is not examining himself to see if he is in essence
worthy to partake, for no one is worthy in that sense. He is to examine to see if there by any
known acts of sin that have not been confessed. We all have sin but this is speaking of known acts of sin.
When the Christian fails to confess his known acts
of sin, he is eating and drinking judgment on himself. The judgment in context
is not the judgment of hell, for no Christian ever has to fear hell because
Christ died for every sin that would put a Christian in hell. This is referring to the judgment of
discipline from the Lord. All
Christians need to fear the disciplinary hand of God. The Lord brings loving discipline on His children because He
desires that they should be holy and experience practical righteousness in
their lives.
When a Christian fails to confess known acts of sin
before partaking of the LordÕs Table, he opens himself up to possible physical
weakness, sickness and even death.
It says, "That is why many among you are weak, sick and a number of
you have fallen asleep" (physical death). It is a very serious matter to partake of the Lord's Table
with known, unconfessed sins. How
much weakness, sickness and death in a congregation might be due to partaking
of the LordÕs Table in an unworthy manner? None of us will ever know until we get to glory.
The Christian is to judge himself in that he
examines his life for any known sin and deals with it by confession and showing
a desire to turn from it, for it says, ÒBut if we judged ourselves, we would
not come under judgment.Ó By
confession, a Christian may avoid the discipline of God on his life.
When the Lord is judging a Christian, he is being disciplined in a loving way so that he will not be condemned with the world. The world is condemned because it has no Savior and Lord. The Lord disciplines the Christian so he will not be like the world and be different from it.
THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST
Most Christians would not disagree too much over what has been said up to this point about the LordÕs Table. However, Christians have deep disagreements over to what extent Jesus Christ is present in the elements or at all.
ÒIs not the
cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of
Christ? And is not the bread that
we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loafÓ(1 Cor. 10:16).
Roman Catholics (transubstantiation). The bread and the wine that retain their outward appearance
actually become the body and blood of Christ through a miracle. For a Roman Catholic, the LordÕs Table is
a big event because without it, he loses his salvation. There are many mystical and even
magical aspects of communion for a Roman Catholic.
Lutherans
(consubstantiation). Martin Luther, who was never able to
make a clean break from his Roman Catholic background, believed no miracle took
place but it was just as though it did.
Therefore, ChristÕs body and blood are physically present in, under and
around the bread and the wine.
While modern day Lutherans may not hold the exact position of Luther on
the LordÕs Table, there are still many mystical aspects in the Table for the
Lutherans.
Baptists (memorial). This view was set forth in the Reformation by Zwingli. The bread and the wine are merely
symbols or memorials of ChristÕs death for the Christian. There is absolutely no mystical aspect
to the LordÕs Table for a Baptist or any person or group holding to the Zwinglian view.
Presbyterians
(spiritual presence). John Calvin
who taught that Christ is really present at the LordÕs Table set forth this
view. The bread and the wine are symbols but the presence of Christ is
spiritual not physical. A
Presbyterian or anyone in the Reformed tradition holds that Christ is
mystically present at the Table, not in the bread and wine but in a spiritual
sense.
The real issue is how one interprets 1 Corinthians 10:16: ÒIs not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation (fellowship, communion) in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?Ó Obviously, Christians somehow participate in the body and blood of Christ when partaking of the bread and wine. This is participation, a communion, and a fellowship by faith. This is certainly more than a mere memorial and less than transubstantiation and consubstantiation. There seems to be a real presence of Christ in a spiritual sense but that presence is related to the ChristianÕs faith. CalvinÕs view seems to be the closest to Scripture but he probably needed to stress the believerÕs faith more.
What is the point? Christ is spiritually present at the Table and more real to
the believerÕs faith when partaking of the LordÕs Table than at any other time
because it is during this time that by faith the Christian is eating and
drinking the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual sense.
ÒJesus said to
them,Õ ÒI tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and
drink his bloods, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my
blood remains in me and I in himÕÓ (John 6:53-56).
THE LORDÕS TABLE AND THE SECOND ADVENT OF
CHRIST
When Jesus established the LordÕs Table, He made it clear He would not participate in the Table again with His people Òuntil the kingdom of God comesÓ (Luke 22:17). This is an obvious reference to the Second Advent.
The Apostle Paul taught that Christians are to
partake of the LordÕs Table as a witness of ChristÕs death until He comes
again: ÒFor whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the
LordÕs death until he comesÓ(1 Cor. 11:26).
THE LORDÕS TABLE AND CHILDREN
Most Reformed people and
evangelicals believe that children are not allowed to take the LordÕs Table
until they can make a credible profession of faith in Christ before the elders
of the church and understand the spiritual meaning of the Table. There are Roman Catholics, Lutherans
and some Reformed people who believe in paedo-communion
(children participating in communion as infants because of the covenant). The basic issue is over 1 Corinthians
11:28,31 that indicates a person must be able Òto examine himselfÓ and Òjudge
himselfÓ before partaking of the Table.
Children
of Christian parents (covenant children) should be allowed to partake of the
Table when they make a credible profession of faith in Christ and are assumed
to be true believers in the covenant.
If the child desires to partake, the parents should question the child
as to his/her faith in Christ. The parents of the child should make an initial
decision as to when the child is ready to partake. When parents sense their child is a believer and understands
the spiritual realities of the LordÕs Table, then the child should give
testimony before the elders of the church. The elders will make the final decision as to whether the
child can partake of the Table.
Parents who allow children to partake ought to remember to partake in an unworthy manner brings discipline for the child as well as an adult. Furthermore, if a child is allowed to partake but later shows no evidence of salvation, parents, who observe the child all day every day, should alert the Elders, and the Elders should re-examine the child. If necessary, the Elders should remove the privilege of the Table from the child.
THE LORDÕS TABLE AND THE FREQUENCY OF
PARTAKING
The Bible does not say
specifically how often the LordÕs Table should be observed. It says, ÒDo this, whenever you drink
itÓ (1 Cor. 11:25). At first the early church observed
the Table every day (Acts 2:46) and later as the church grew, it was observed
every week (Acts 20:7). However,
there is no command to observe the LordÕs Table weekly, although that seemed to
be the form the early church used.
The Word and the sacrament of the LordÕs Table seemed to be the center
of New Testament corporate worship.
THE LORDÕS TABLE AND PROPER
ADMINISTRATORS
The Bible does not say anything about who can and cannot administer the LordÕs Table. Most ecclesiastical traditions insist that an ordained minister administer the Table to protect it from abuse and becoming a common meal. We do know the Table was observed in small groups (Acts 2:46) and in large groups (1 Cor. 11).
THE LORDÕS TABLE AND RIGHT
ATTITUDES
Prepare
for the LordÕs Table. Whenever
you know you are to partake of the LordÕs Table, take time to pray, confess
your sins, and right your life before God so that you may partake in a worthy
manner.
Exercise
Faith. You must believe Christ
will meet you in a very special way while partaking of the LordÕs Table. You must trust Christ to make His
mystical, spiritual presence felt in your life.
Fear
God. You must have a high
concept of GodÕs holiness and hatred of sin and understand that He desires for
you to walk a holy life. God will
discipline all that partake of the LordÕs Supper in an unworthy manner. It is better for the rebellious
Christian to abstain from the LordÕs Table rather than to partake in an
unworthy manner and receive GodÕs discipline.
Observing
of the LordÕs Table does not always have to be done in a solemn and somber
way. The Passover and the Agape
Feast were both suppers where there was joy and laughter. Yet, the Table is always to be taken with
respect for the sovereign Christ.
Satan
hates for Christians to partake of the LordÕs Table because Christ is
spiritually present and is very real to the believerÕs faith. Therefore, there is much spiritual
warfare going on around the Table.
This is why sometimes when partaking of the Table terrible, horrible,
filthy thoughts may flash through the mind. There may be other kinds of distracting thoughts. Satan and his demons do not want
Christians to participate in the body and blood of Christ by faith.
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 16
Every church is a learning
and listening body. Learning and
listening are definitely part of a worship service. At least 30 minutes of every service is given over to
preaching. Yet preaching is not
effective unless the person in the pew has some listening skills to comprehend
what the preacher is saying.
ÒIn the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience an careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to mythsÓ (2 Tim. 4:1-4).
This passage was written to Timothy who was the
pastor-teacher or teaching-elder at the Church of Ephesus. The Bible does teach
there are some men who are specifically called by God to be ministers of the
gospel and for this call there is to be remuneration so a man can give himself
to the truth without worldly concerns. The teaching-elderÕs task is primarily
to study the Word of God, pray and preach the Word of God. ÒUntil
I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to
teachingÓ (1 Tim. 4:13). He is
not primarily an administrator or an evangelist or a counselor but a declarer
of GodÕs Word, the Bible. The ministries of administration, visitation,
Christian education, evangelism, care for the sick and widows and so forth are
to be done by the people. The one ministry the average Christian cannot do as
well as can a trained pastor is teach and preach the Word of God. The church
through its history has gotten into much trouble because of an untrained
clergy. This, of course, does not
mean that a pastor is never to do administration, evangelism or Christian
education. He does do these things
but it is not his primary task.
Also part of being a pastor is that he visits and shepherds his flock.
Timothy struggled with fear of
men as a pastor and had a tendency to compromise the gospel in the face of
persecution. At times, it appeared he was ashamed of the true gospel. ÒSo do not be ashamed to testify about our
Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the
gospelÓ (2 Tim. 1:8).
According to 2 Timothy 4:1-4, the Word of God must
be the core and very heart of any churchesÕ ministry. Any other way of thinking
replaces the voice of God with the wisdom of men. Philosophy, politics, humor,
psychology, homespun advice and human opinion can never accomplish what the
Word of God does. These things can
be interesting, informative, entertaining and sometimes helpful, but they are
not spiritually transforming. Only
the Word of God driven home to the heart by the Holy Spirit and applied by the
Christian transforms a life.
Whoever Ministers Ultimately Gives an Account to God (4:1). ÒIn the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living
and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge.Ó The Apostle Paul clearly understood that Timothy and all
ministers of the gospel do not ultimately answer to man but to God for what
they preach. Ministers need to concern themselves about what God thinks of
their ministries not what people think.
What Ministers are to Do - Preach the Bible
(4:2a). ÒPreach the Word.Ó This is a command and preaching the Word must be the central
point of every true ministry. The preacherÕs task is to declare the Bible in
ChristÕs authority and the SpiritÕs power.
Timothy was to preach the Word in its whole counsel.
ÒFor I have not hesitated to proclaim
to you the whole will (counsel) of GodÓ
(Acts 20:27). The Bible alone is inspired and it alone coupled with the
Holy SpiritÕs work can change lives. ÒAll
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the
man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good workÓ (2 Tim. 3:16). Ministers are to study the
Bible and handle it accurately. ÒDo your
best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to
be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truthÓ (2 Tim.
2:15). The minister must guard the Word, study the Word and proclaim the
Word, whether men want to hear it or not. Moral lectures and motivational pep
talks are no substitute for GodÕs Word.
How Ministers are to Preach - Consistently with
authority (2b). ÒBe prepared in season and out of season,
correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful
instruction.Ó The minister is
to preach the Word regardless of the climate of opinion around him. He is to be
faithful to preach the Word even when such preaching is not popular or
tolerated. LetÕs face it. Right now in Christian circles the preaching of the
Word (the whole counsel) is out of season. Today exposition of the Bible and
theology are seen as old fashioned and irrelevant. The cry today is for Òneed-centeredÓ preaching, which
demands that the Bible be preached topically rather than expositionally.
What is needed today is not less preachers preaching
expositionally but more preachers doing it
uncompromisingly and with passion, as when Jeremiah said the Word of God was a
fire in his bones. Only the Bible will set people free.
Martin Lloyd Jones, the late famous British preacher
who preached expositionally at the Westminster Chapel
in London said this, ÒIn many ways it is the departure of the Church from
preaching that is responsible in a large measure for the state of modern
society. The Church, having abandoned her real task, has left humanity more or
less to its own devicesÓ (Preaching and
Preachers).
The Bible proclaimed faithfully will many times be
an offense to the unsaved man and a drag to carnal minded Christians. The
preaching of Christ will be offensive to unspiritual people. ÒBut we preach Christ crucified: a
stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of GodÓ (1 Cor. 1:23-24). It is pure folly
to ignore, water down or compromise the gospel to please the base appetites of
carnal men. Those who proclaim the Bible faithfully will suffer for Christ and
with Christ and will never be a friend of the unsaved world.
Preachers are told specifically to correct, rebuke and encourage. A biblical preaching ministry must have a balance
between the positive and negative. ManÕs deepest needs are spiritual - he needs
to confess sin and overcome guilt. So any preaching that fails to confront and
correct through the Word of God does not meet peopleÕs real needs but is only
making the situation worse by pandering the ego-centricity of the flesh.
To negatively correct and positively encourage is to
be done with great patience. It takes time for people to face their sins and
repent of them. The way to get them to come to grips with their sin is to instruct
them carefully, not giving them superficial pop-psychology answers that
make them feel good for the moment but have no lasting, life-changing power.
Why Ministers are to Preach - There will be rebellion
to truth (4:3-4). ÒFor the time will
come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear. They will
turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.Ó
The ÒmenÓ in this context were the people to whom Timothy preached - Christian men and woman. Surely it would include the unsaved but the direct reference is to the saved. They will not put up with sound doctrine. This is exactly what many Christian leaders are telling us today - people donÕt want to have truth. They want to be entertained and feel good about themselves. People want a watered down theology that pampers their own fleshy desires allowing them to have heaven without a changed life. The Apostle Paul, however, never even hints that preachers should soften the message so that people will be comfortable with it. In fact, he says just the opposite. Preachers are to preach the whole counsel of God and let the chips fall where they will.
Christians will gather around them preachers who
will tell them what they want to hear. They tickle their ears and feed their
lusts. They will flock to preachers who make them feel good about themselves,
and they will avoid preachers who tell them the truth about themselves from the
Word of God.
These Christians will turn their ears away from the
truth of GodÕs Word, which makes demands on the life to conform to Christ and
the teaching of Scripture. When they turn from the truth, they become victims
of deception. They make up myths about God, Christ and the Bible. They leave
out of the Bible what it clearly teaches and they read into the Bible what they
want it to say. When Christians leave the authority of GodÕs Word, they turn to
human wisdom, being left to their own ideas, devices and whims. Saved or
unsaved, who do not have the Bible as their absolute authority for life, are
cast on a sea of subjectivity and become the pawns of Satan. They reject the
Bible and men who preach it with authority because it does not tickle their
ears but burns them with the truth.
It is very important to understand the spirit of the
age, especially in America.
Absolutes and truth are no longer considered valuable. What is important is how man feels, not
what is truth. This relativistic
spirit has invaded the church so that today Christians want to feel good. They
want their ears tickled and reject all confrontational preaching. They donÕt
want to be confronted but want to be entertained. They want preaching that
produces pleasant sensations. They just want to feel good even at the expense
of ignoring or denying the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
ÒThere have always been those in the pulpit who gathered
crowds because they are gifted orators, interesting storytellers, entertaining
speakers, dynamic personalities, shrewd crowd-manipulators, rousing
speech-makers, popular politicians, or erudite scholars. Such preaching may be
popular, but it is not necessarily powerful. No one can preach with
supernatural power who does not preach the Word. And no faithful preacher will
water down or neglect the whole counsel of God. Proclaiming the Word - all of
it - is the pastorÕs callingÓ (John MacArthur, Ashamed of the Gospel).
God has one answer and only one answer to a
relativistic society and an evangelical church that has sold out to
Òtouchy-feelyÓ preaching. Preach the Word! Preach the whole counsel of God!
Preach doctrinally! Preach theologically! Preach expositionally!
Preach patiently! Preach uncompromisingly! Preach lovingly!
Often when Christ taught a parable, He would end it
with the words, ÒLet him who has ears to hear, hearÓ (Matt. 13:4)! What
our Lord was saying is it is important how we listen to the Word of God when it
is taught. Obviously if we donÕt hear properly, we cannot apply properly. What
the preacher says and what the people hear is often not the same thing, and
what the people hear and apply is not the same. There is usually a tremendous
gap between what the preacher says and what the people actually hear and a
wider gap between what they hear and apply. Therefore, it is imperative that
Christians know how to listen to a sermon.
Think of the thousands of sermons you have heard.
You can probably remember very few, and compared with how many sermons you have
heard, how has your life been changed? Is it the preacherÕs fault or your fault
that your life has not been changed?
How Not To Listen To A Sermon. There are certain attitudes we must
avoid if we are going to learn to be good listeners. These attitudes are:
ÒI have heard this before; I
already know this truth.Ó
ÒI dare you, preacher, teach
me something new.Ó
ÒI donÕt like the way the preacher is dressed.Ó
ÒHis tonal inflection is irritating to me.Ó
ÒHe uses notes. He wanders on the stage too much.Ó
ÒIf I was preaching this
sermon, I would do it this way.Ó
ÒWill this sermon ever end? I need to get out of
church early so I can get to the cafeteria line.Ó
ÒThis sermon doesnÕt meet my needs nor does it make
me feel good so it canÕt be of God.Ó
ÒThis sermon does not apply
to me but IÕm sure it applies to Joe Smith.Ó
ÒI wonder if the preacher
applies this stuff to himself.Ó
Before the Sermon (Preparation). Read every day from the book of the Bible the preacher is
expounding. Just keep reading the
book over and over whether you understand everything or not. You may want to read two or three
translations. Be sure and pray
that the Holy Spirit will give you understanding and a desire to apply truth.
Pray daily for the pastor that he will communicate the truth accurately and
clearly.
On Saturday night or Sunday morning, read the
passage the preacher will be expounding on that Sunday. If you read 15 to 20
verses ahead of the last message, you will usually have the right text for the
sermon.
Go to bed at a decent hour on Saturday night so the
mind will be alert for the taught Word.
When you come into the auditorium, read the outline
in the bulletin and look up any verses. Start then thinking about questions you
might have and write them down.
Pray and ask God to give you understanding of the
passage and how it applies to your life. Your goal is not to be a hearer only
but a doer of GodÕs Word. ÒDo not merely
listen to the word, and so deceive yourselvesÓ (James 1:22).
Pray for the pastor that he will make the message
clear, interesting, challenging and applicable.
During the Sermon (Listening). You must believe that God
is going to speak to you through the preached Word; therefore, there must be an
attitude of anticipation.
Take notes during the sermon so that you can
remember what was said the day after the sermon. Jot down illustrations – a few words so you can
remember the gist of what was said.
Jot down applications. Have your Bible open and circle key verses or draw lines
between connections in thought.
When your mind begins to wander (as it will), bring
it back into focus on the sermon. Mentally confess evil thoughts that may flash
through your mind while listening to a sermon. Demons do not want you to
understand or apply the sermon.
Jot down any questions that the sermon may have
caused to arise in your mind.
After the Sermon
(Applying).
When you are home around the Sunday dinner table, instead of having roast
preacher for lunch, take a few minutes to discuss with the family what was said
in the sermon. Use your notes taken during the sermon. Ask how this truth can
be applied to life. It is best if the father, who is the spiritual priest in a
covenant family, leads this discussion.
If there are questions left unanswered, call the
pastor or an elder for clarification. Nothing is more important than
understanding spiritual truth.
Put the outline and your notes in your Bible and
look at them at least once during the week.
Be a good hearer and student and check what your
pastor says in the sermon with what the Bible teaches. Pastors may not give all
the truth or the right emphasis. It is possible he even taught error and the
only way to find out is to check it with the objective truth of the infallible
Bible.
ÒNow the Bereans
were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the
message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if
what Paul said was trueÓ (Acts 17:11).
Mix the Truth with Faith. ÒFor we also have had the gospel preached
to us, just as they did, but the message they heard was of no value to them,
because those who heard did not combine it with faithÓ (Heb. 4:2). If the Word preached is not
combined or mixed with faith by the hearer, the preached Word is of no value to
the individual. The preacher cannot believe for the hearer. The hearer must
believe for himself or herself before a sovereign God. Preachers can challenge
and motivate, but they cannot believe for the hearer. Faith never happens
unless it is somehow connected with truth as it is found in the Word of God.
DonÕt Harden the Heart to
Truth. ÒSo, as the
Holy Spirit says: ÔToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as
you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your
fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I
was angry with that generation, and I said, ÔTheir hearts are always going
astray, and they have not known my ways.Õ So I declared on oath in my anger,
ÔThey shall never enter my restÕÓ (Heb. 3:7-11). When the truth was preached to Israel in the wilderness,
they spurned it because they hardened their hearts. When Christians refuse to
believe and obey, they harden their hearts to the truth and are in line for
GodÕs loving discipline.
Be DoerÕs of the Truth. ÒDo not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does
not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after
looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But
the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will
be blessed in what he doesÓ (James 1:22-25). Those who hear the Word of God
and earnestly and honestly apply it will receive blessing from God. If you want
GodÕs blessing, then obey the truth that you hear and know.
DonÕt Neglect The Truth. ÒWe must pay more careful attention,
therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift awayÓ (Heb.
2:1). When we neglect the
truth we hear, refusing to apply it, then we will drift from the truth. We will
either get preachers to tell us what we want to hear or we will throw over the
faith altogether.
When the Lord Jesus gave the
story of the ÒWise and Foolish Builders,Ó he said,
ÒEveryone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is
like a wise man who built his house on the rock,Ó and ÒEveryone who hears these
words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who
built his house on sandÓ (Matt. 7:24, 26).
From this teaching we see again it is not hearing a
message that is important or even feeling good or convicted by a message that
counts, but whether we hear, believe and practice what we have heard.
The preacher can tell the
listener the truth. He can
challenge and motivate the listener to apply truth, but the preacher cannot
apply truth for the listener. Do
you want to be a wise man or woman?
The way to do it is to hear ChristÕs words and practice them by faith. ÒLet
him who has ears to hear, hearÓ (Matt. 13:4).
ACCEPTABLE CORPORATE WORSHIP
Are you dry spiritually? Do you feel you are like a
machine going through the motions of Christianity with little or no reality?
Are you at a point in your experience where you are deeply struggling with
the real meaning of Christianity? This is not an abnormal experience for many
Christians that sit under a teaching ministry. Sometimes you may feel you
cannot sit under another biblical sermon and get one more doctrinal teaching in
your already crowded mind. Perhaps you sense your Christianity has become heady
and complicated. If this is your condition, you are experiencing something that
in the end will make you a stronger Christian. You are experiencing the rough
road of changing your Christianity from an emotional level to a biblical level.
You are going through spiritual withdrawal whereby you are beginning to use
your mind to develop a total world-life viewpoint from Scripture. This is a
painful experience but it is absolutely essential if you are going to become a
mature Christian who is able to teach, exhort and lead other Christians.
The early Christians continued in the ApostleÕs
doctrine and so must we today. However, doctrine is not all there is to biblical
corporate worship. The Bible makes it clear that the early Christians also Òdevoted themselves to fellowshipÓ (Acts
2:42). These early Christians experienced a dynamic and power from group
worship that changed their lives individually and made the unsaved world
sit up and take notice. The pagan world of the first century could easily shrug
off the preaching of the gospel as foolishness, but they found it difficult to
explain the Christian practice of fellowship. The pagans would say,
ÒBehold, how these Christians love one another!Ó The non-Christian world of
that day had to admit that Christians were sharing a common life even though
they did not believe in Christ themselves.
A life devoted to fellowship will balance the
absolute necessity of learning the ApostleÕs doctrine. Sharing a common life in
Christ among the brethren will move the doctrine from the head to the heart. It
seems as though this New Testament fellowship is critically lacking in most of
our institutional churches today. The larger a church grows, the more it faces
a Òfellowship crisis,Ó and to fill the fellowship vacuum a church resorts
to keeping people happy by Christian entertainment. That is, people come to
church to be entertained by the choir, the preacher and the programs. The
institutional church is highly organized at a time when the people in the
church are hungering for reality, caring less about organization and more about
community. There is a need today in the church for winsome intimacy among the
people where masks are dropped, honesty prevails and there is a sense of
communication and community beyond the human. There is a desperate need in the
church for the awareness of supernatural fellowship in the person of Jesus
Christ through the Holy Spirit.
ÒOur churches are filled
with people who outwardly look contented and at peace but inwardly are crying
out for someone to love them . . . Just as they are confused, frustrated, often
frightened, guilty, and often unable to communicate even within their own
families. But the other people in the church look so happy and contented that
one seldom has the courage to admit his own deep needs before such a
self-sufficient group as the average church meeting appears to beÓ (Keith
Miller, A Taste of New Wine).
What is missing in our evangelical churches today is
the warm fellowship of Christians with Christians, which the Bible calls koinonia,
Òfellowship.Ó This koinonia
or ÒfellowshipÓ is basic to our corporate worship and it is a vital part of
true Christianity. In fact, a local church has not offered up acceptable
worship to God until the members of that local body know each other closely and
intimately enough to have real Christian fellowship with one another. Christian
fellowship has too often been equated with potluck suppers, baby showers,
Sunday school class socials and church picnics. Conversation at Christian events is mostly about jobs,
families, sports, weather, hobbies, romance and mutual acquaintances, but there
is very little spontaneous talk about our common faith in Christ and its
implications for our lives. It seems as though it is with great difficulty that
Christians bare the condition of any of their inmost problems. In fact, it is
not only difficult to share agonies, frustrations and failures of oneÕs life,
but also the triumphs and victories lest one be thought too super-pious.
Some may cry out, ÒAny church when it gets too large
cannot have real fellowship around Christ!Ó I disagree, for the church at
Jerusalem had three thousand people respond to Christ in one day and
several days later five thousand and they were able to have a spirit of oneness
around Christ in spite of the massive numbers of people. If the early
Christians could experience genuine fellowship in their church in Jerusalem
when it was large, then Christians today can also experience genuine fellowship
in large churches. However, we must do it the same way the early church did it
or we will fail in all of our efforts. No local church can be a healthy church without
fellowship. A local church without
genuine fellowship will never be an effective witness to the world.
Meaning
The basic idea in fellowship is Òto shareÓ and from
its derivatives we find that it means Òcommunion, fellowship, association,
relationship, participation, sociable, partnership and companionship.Ó
Fellowship is a word that denotes personal relationships and communications
between people.
Fellowship must be done with other Christians. It is group worship whereby we serve
God by serving others.
Sociologists speak of two kinds of groups: integrated and
non-integrated. The non-integrated group does not meet regularly to communicate
with one another about their common interest. A non-integrated group would be like a crowd at a sporting
event. An integrated group on the other hand has sustained interaction
regarding some common interest through which the members mutually adjust their
behavior. A body of believers in Christ should be a very integrated group
centering all their lives on Christ and His commands for them in Scripture.
However, many churches are really non-integrated groups, not because they do
not meet regularly but because they fail to talk about their common interest,
Christ, when they are together. Real fellowship demands interaction with the lives and heartbeat of
other Christians, and without this interaction a Christian is offering up
defective worship to God.
Usage
A Common Salvation. The Bible tells us that all
Christians are sovereignly called into fellowship
with Christ. ÒGod, who has called you
into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithfulÓ (1 Cor. 1:9).
All Christians have a common salvation.
ÒDear friends, although I was very eager to
write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you
to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saintsÓ (Jude
3).
All Christians have a common faith. ÒTo Titus my true son in our
common faithÓ (Titus 1:4). Christians, therefore, have a fellowship
in the gospel, which the world knows nothing about. ÒBecause
of your partnership (fellowship) in the gospel from the first day until nowÓ (Phil.
1:5). The universal church consists of the called out ones who have
all things spiritually in common. The strongest ties in the world are spiritual
ties among truly saved people. All
Christians have a common salvation in Christ. We are GodÕs children and
numbered among the elect of God. Our fellowship is in Christ, our Lord. Our
fellowship is not primarily in premillennialism, Calvinism, pre or post tribulationalism, charismatic gifts, independency or
denominationalism. It is important to have doctrinal convictions on these
things but they can often build spiritual pride and appeal to the flesh. Our
fellowship must always be around the real and living person of Jesus Christ.
A Common Fellowship. Christians have a common
fellowship that is produced by the Holy Spirit.
ÒIf you have
any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make
my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit
and purpose.Ó (Phil. 2:1-2).
Fellowship with the Spirit results in fellowship in
the Spirit among true believers. The Holy Spirit can only give true Christian
fellowship, as men are dependent upon the Holy Spirit to produce it. Christian
fellowship is supernatural and cannot be reproduced in the unsaved world.
Christian fellowship is not social fellowship such as friendly fraternizing.
Superficial sociality is no more supernatural than the weekly Kiwanis or Rotary
Club meetings. Most churches do not understand, expect or seek after real
Christian fellowship. Sociality has become a cheap substitute for genuine
Christian fellowship. Real fellowship does not depend upon pastors, buildings
or programs that may only appeal to human pride but on Christ who is the focal
point and purpose of all fellowship.
A Common Practice. The outward manifestation
of inward common fellowship is common practice, so that the early Christians
had fellowship through spiritual sharing. ÒAnd
they devoted themselves to the apostlesÕ teaching and to the fellowshipÓ (Acts
2:42). They shared their money. ÒAll
believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as
he had need.Ó (Acts 2:44-45). When they realized their common
spiritual ties, the early church became united in effort, purpose, desires,
goals and giving.
Christianity in the Book of Acts was not a religion
but a life, a real, vital, personal life centered in Jesus Christ. The life of
Christ flowing through Christians to other Christians met manÕs deepest needs.
The early church was a personal church. They knew their brothers and sisters.
They knew their hurts and needs. They ministered to one another
spiritually and physically. In the early church, it was impossible to hide
in the pew and to slip out unnoticed. They confronted one another eyeball to
eyeball. Christians were noticed, reached out to and loved, and they were not
just numbers in a local church. These early Christians were not just 11:00 to
12:00 oÕclock Christians but they knew and loved their brothers and sisters in
Christ. It was a life lived as
Christ poured out His life through Christians to love others. In short, the
early Christians had a Òcaring fellowshipÓ and so should we today. Anything
less than caring fellowship is cheating ourselves and others of real fellowship
with one another and ultimately of the true fellowship of God.
ÒIn the first century
Church, unbelievers became believers at gatherings of the believers(1
Cor. 14:24-25), but that does not seem to be the purpose that brought them
together. In Acts 2:42-47, the Lord added new converts to the church daily, but
the reason for gathering together was so that those who were already believers
could be taught by the apostles, enjoy spiritual fellowship with one another,
remember the LordÕs death and its benefits by sharing communion, and praying
together.
As they did this, they began
to love each other and to care for each other. They became personal enough with
each other to notice their brothers and sisters in need. So they started -
spontaneously - sharing everything together.
And when the doors opened,
and they poured into the streets and market places and neighborhoods, the
believers were so excited about the way they were loved, the life they had to
share with the world, and about what God was doing for them, in them, among
them and through them, that the people they talked to spontaneously,
wanted to get in on the happening.Ó (Robert C. Girard, Brethren, Hang Loose)
The New Testament is quite clear as to the pattern
fellowship should take among Christians. While it would be impossible to set up
a total New Testament church in the twenty-first century, it is possible to
implement the basic principles of New Testament fellowship. These things must
be done if we are to offer up acceptable corporate worship to God.
Christians are to Share Truth with One Another.
ÒWhat then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.Ó (1 Cor. 14:26).
In the early church, the people shared truth with
one another in the worship service. The people were actively participating in
the worship services as the Holy Spirit was directing them. There must be a
time when believers can share truth with one another. They were not passively
being entertained but actively participating in worship.
Christians are to Bear One AnotherÕs Burdens.
ÒCarry each
otherÕs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of ChristÓ (Gal.
6:2).
Christian people have problems and they must be free
to share these problems with other Christians. There must be honesty and openness
with one another and awareness that burdens and problems are not abnormal or
unspiritual for Christians. The masks must come off and the facades penetrated
if reality is to be realized. Christians are to have a loving, non-judgmental
spirit when others share their problems. People need help, not constant
criticism. A person who shares a problem with another Christian must never feel
as though he or she will be rejected.
To bear one anotherÕs burdens certainly means we are
to pray for each other but it also means that we must be willing to spend time
with these people so we can thoroughly understand their problems and seek
to help them to find Biblical solutions. Yet, how can Christians bear one
anotherÕs burdens if they do not know other Christians or if they do not
know what their burdens are?
Christians Are to Exhort One Another.
ÒBut encourage
one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so
that none of you may be hardened by sinÕs deceitfulness.Ó (Heb. 3:13).
ÒLet us not give up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all
the more as you see the Day approaching.Ó (Heb. 10:25).
Exhortation
must certainly include encouragement as well as admonition. Each Christian must
learn to speak the truth in love. If we really love another Christian, we will
tell him the truth, for the Bible says, ÒWounds
from a friend can be trustedÓ (Prov. 27:6)
ÒWe all tend to shy away
from an unpleasant confrontation. If someone has an unpleasant or irritating
habit or manner we are willing enough to talk about it to others, but seldom
say anything to the person directly. If we do, it is usually only when we have
been angered or irritated to the point of sharp and caustic protest. Our reason
for silence is most often that Ôwe donÕt wish to hurt him.Õ That, of course, is
self-deception. It is ourselves that we donÕt wish to hurt by having to tell
someone a painful truth. In actual fact we do the other person incalculable
harm by our unloving silence, for we condemn him or her to go on offending
others and suffering rejection without realizing what it is that is creating
the problem. No one loves him enough to take him aside and lovingly and
understandingly point out the offending practiceÓ (Ray Stedman, Body Life).
Christians are to Confess Their Faults to One
Another.
ÒTherefore
confess your sins to each other and pray for each otherÓ (James 5:16).
This confession in context is probably about a
brother who had fallen into sin and as a result was experiencing sickness
because of divine discipline (James 5:13-15). Confession may be made to the elders only, but it may go
beyond the elders to all Christians in order that effective prayer may be
offered up by all. Confession means admitting weaknesses and acknowledging failures
in Christian living. This is so difficult to do because we all have pride and
do not want to tarnish our images before others. It is contrary to our sin
natures to give an honest evaluation of ourselves. There are certain
intimate and scandalous matters that should never be voiced in an open meeting.
Some types of sharing should be done privately between Christians who are
trustworthy and have mature insights. However, every Christian should have
two or three Christians to whom he or she may pour out the heart.
Christians are to Care for One Another.
ÒNo widow may be put on the list of widows
unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known
for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing
the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all
kinds of good deedsÓ (1 Tim. 5:9-10).
Christians are to care for the sick, the aged, and
the widows when there is a need in the local church. There must be concern for
one another, so much so that when there are needs they shall be met, even by
sharing of money if the situation warrants It.
Christians are to Pray for One Another.
ÒAnd pray in
the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me
so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.Ó (Eph. 6:18-19).
We must pray for one another. However, to pray
intelligently, we must know one another and this type of close relationship can
only be brought about by genuine fellowship.
Christians are to Instruct One Another.
ÒTeach the
older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in
faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not
to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women
to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy
at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will
malign the word of God. Similarly,
encourage the young men to be self-controlledÓ (Titus 2:2-6).
Older men are to teach younger men about godliness
and holy living. Older women are to instruct young women on how to be
affectionate wives toward their husbands, loving towards their children and
good homemakers. There must be a mutual love and respect between young and old
in the local church.
It is one thing to know what the Bible teaches about
fellowship, but is quite another thing to implement it in a practical way in
the local church. However, it can be done, and every local church must seek
after this kind of fellowship until it finds it.
Commitment of Heart. The primary reason that
fellowship does not exist for an individual Christian or in a local body of
believers is that oneÕs heart is not right. Christians have a spiritual problem
whereby they are so occupied with their own lives that they have no heart for
Christ. A person must want to worship God correctly by being obedient to the
principle of fellowship. God wants every Christian to be people-centered. Men
are not mere animals of chance or machines to be manipulated, but they are
persons, creations of God and are to be loved and respected. Dr. Francis
Schaeffer says manÕs problem is that of his selfish desire for personal peace
and affluence. By personal peace, he means that men want peace at
any price. They do not want to get involved. They want to be left alone to do
their own things. This attitude is so clearly seen in so-called Christians who
come to church every Sunday morning and leave, being totally uninvolved in the
real life of the church. At the basis of all personal peace is pride that wants
to serve self rather than God and others. Then there is affluence, which
is modern manÕs preoccupation with materialism. The lust for things and
pleasure keeps men from giving of themselves to God.
The craving for things kills the spirit of Christ.
Commitment of Time. If genuine fellowship is to
happen, then each individual Christian must set time aside in his busy schedule
to get to know and love other Christians in the local church and outside the
church. We must discipline our time and set priorities so that fellowship is
high on the list. A commitment of three or four hours a week to be with other
Christians to interact in Biblical fellowship would revolutionize oneÕs life.
Commitment of Life. Real fellowship comes as a
Christian decides to give of his life to God and to others. His emphasis is not
upon getting his needs met as much as on making sure he is meeting other
peopleÕs needs. Real fellowship is the giving of self to others and this is
very much a part of true Christian worship.
Commitment to Change. If personal renewal is to take place, then each individual
must be willing to change as he is directed by God. We must be ready to forsake
traditions, cultural hang-ups, stereotyped thinking, fear of people, fear of
rejection and open up our lives to God and others. Change is very difficult for
we all like to be comfortable, but no Christian is an island and no Christian
can be a spiritual loner. We must all be intimately tied up spiritually with our
brethren in Christ and this requires change of attitude and action.
If local church renewal is to take place, then a
local church must be willing to forsake traditional thinking and establish new
structures with the local body to allow fellowship to flourish. According to
the Book of Acts, the early Christians met in the temple and also met in
individual homes. ÒEvery day they
continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad
and sincere heartsÓ (Acts 2:46). They had large group worship in the temple
and small group worship in homes. Situations must be set up today whereby
believers are encouraged to meet in smaller groups, where communication is
encouraged, where there is an informal atmosphere which allows for the freedom
of the Spirit and where there is interaction about Christ. There is a place for
the large group to meet on Sunday, primarily for instruction and group worship,
and there is also a place to meet in smaller groups of no more than twelve
people during the week. A biblical local church should include many smaller
groups within a large group. It is interesting to note that whenever spiritual
awakenings have occurred in the history of the church, they have always been
accompanied by a revival of small, cell group fellowship.
The Holy Spirit must be seen elsewhere than in the
pages of that Òold, old storyÓ in Acts. In genuine renewal, the Holy Spirit is
real. He really speaks. He really leads. He really works. He really convicts.
He really baptizes. He really indwells. He really equips us for ministry to the
body of Christ. He really fills. He really empowers. He really comforts. He
really disciplines. He really communicates Jesus Christ to us, and through us,
to others. He really illuminates the Word. He really glorifies Christ in
us. He really produces the fruit of ChristÕs life through us. He really moves
in us so we can count on the Living Christ.
The key to renewal is whatever releases the activity
of the Holy Spirit among us!
ÒIf structures hinder Him—change the
structures.
If attitudes hinder
Him—change the attitudes (confessing the sin involved).
If procedures, programs, patterns, forms,
approaches, methods, facilities, plans, goals, or ideals hinder Him—let
them be changed
Let the irreplaceable activity of the Spirit be
released.Ó (Robert C. Girard, Brethren, Hang Loose).Ó
ACCEPTABLE
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Lesson 18
A Praying Body
Have you ever asked yourself as a Christian, ÒWhy
does God seem so far away? Why am I so dry in my life? Why arenÕt I
experiencing the supernatural workings of God?Ó If you have asked yourself
these questions, you are probably a very normal Christian. All true Christians
hunger for spiritual reality and for the mystical workings of God in their lives.
All Christians experience spiritual valleys, mountain tops and plateaus.
Perhaps the hardest place to live the Christian life is when we are on a
spiritual plateau in which nothing significant seems to be happening in our
lives. When we are on a spiritual plateau, the one thing we need the most is a
consistent prayer life and yet this is the last thing we want to do.
Consistent, dynamic prayer was the mark of the first
century church, for we read Òthey devoted themselves to prayerÓ (Acts 2:42). Individual and group prayer was a way
of life for the early Christians. They devoted themselves to an understanding
and propagation of the ApostleÕs doctrine; they were deeply involved in rich
and open fellowship around Christ and the LordÕs Table, but the power behind
the dynamic of the first century church was that they were a praying people.
They devoted themselves to prayer. Their Christianity was not only a
learning process but it was a life lived in dependence on God through prayer.
Prayer was essential for the first century church
and it is no less essential for us today. Yet, most Christians, if they were
honest, would confess that they are dissatisfied with their prayer life.
They would feel it was inadequate and infrequent. However, prayer is an absolute
necessity for our personal lives and church life, and without it, we have dead
orthodoxy without power. A prayer less Christian or a prayer less local church
is not offering up acceptable worship to God.
PRAYING
CHURCHES
The Book of Acts records for us that the early church was a praying church. There are over thirty mentions of prayer in the Book of Acts alone. They had a world-life viewpoint in which God was sovereign over all. They were deeply committed to the supernatural workings of an omnipotent God. They understood it was God who had to remove all roadblocks, difficulties and stubborn human wills and they petitioned their God to do the humanly impossible.
Prayer for Church Actions. The appointing of elders
for the local churches was bathed in prayer. ÒPaul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with
prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their
trustÓ (Acts 14:23). Deacons, who were chosen to do the physical tasks of
the ministry, were prayed over before hands were laid on them for this sacred
office. ÒThey presented these men to the
apostles, who prayed and laid their hands
on themÓ (Acts 6:6). The work
of the deacons freed up the Apostles so they could give themselves to
prayer and the Word. ÒWe will turn the
responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the
ministry of the wordÓ (Acts 6:4). The result of effective prayer and shrewd
organization was a great evangelization of the lost. ÒSo the word of God spread.
The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large
number of priests became obedient to the faithÓ(Acts 6:7).
Prayer for Missions.
ÒIn the church
at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had
been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy
Spirit said, ÔSet apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have
called them.Õ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on
them and sent them offÓ (Acts 13:1-3).
While the leaders in the church at Antioch were
fasting and praying, God mystically led them to a unanimous decision that
Barnabas and Paul were to be sent out as missionaries from that local church.
They Òfasted and prayedÓ and sent them on their way. A praying church will be a
missionary church for those who are praying are in tune with GodÕs will which
is to save a multitude of people which no man can number.
Prayer for the Brethren. (Acts 12:12-17). The
Apostle Peter was cast into prison. Obviously Peter had a need and the whole
church prayed for this need. ÒSo Peter
was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for himÓ (Acts
12:5). God marvelously and supernaturally answered the prayers of these
committed Christians, but they too were only human. God released Peter. He
showed up at the place of the prayer meeting and the Christians could not
believe that God had done a supernatural act.
ÒWhen she recognized PeterÕs voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, ÔPeter is at the door!Õ ÔYouÕre out of you mind,Õ they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, ÔIt must be his angelÕÓ(Acts 12:14,15).
God answers prayer and we must not question how but
we must believe. We have not because we ask not and only our unbelief keeps God
from doing mighty things for us.
Prayer for Strength to
Witness.
ÒAfter they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and spoke the word of God boldlyÓ (Acts 4:31).
Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin
because of their strong witness for Christ and were told to stop telling people
about Christ. They were warned and released. Peter and John shared this
with their brethren who immediately took the whole matter to God in prayer.
(Acts 4:31). It was during this season of prayer that God mightily filled these
Christians with the Holy Spirit and they were able to speak the Word of God with
boldness.
In the Book of Acts, there are no prayers for the
lost but all the prayers are for the Christians that they might be bold to
speak the gospel. God will supernaturally move upon men providing they
hear the gospel. Therefore, Christians must have special grace to speak boldly
for Christ.
The dynamic of the early church was that they were a
praying church. They expected to see the mysterious workings of God in
their midst as they prayed. They prayed and kept on praying because they
remembered the words of Christ, ÒThey
should always pray and not give upÓ (Luke 18:1). Christians pray once or twice and, if they get no
immediate answer, they go back to the human schemes and fleshly methods to get
things done, which always result in chaos.
Invisible Powers.
ÒFinally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devilÕs schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realmsÓ (Eph. 6:10-12).
Every Christian is in a spiritual battle. The
Christian is told to put on the full armor of God in order that he might stand
against the schemes of the devil. The ChristianÕs real battle takes place in
the unseen world, in the invisible world. The spiritual world is more real than
the physical world, and, furthermore, the spiritual world will be in existence
when the physical world as we know it shall be destroyed. Right now the forces
of God and the forces of Satan are in an invisible war and this war centers
around human history and Christians in particular. Satan is the god of this
world and is taking who ever he can into the way of evil. Yet, God has His invisible
kingdom as well. Christians, who know God, are persuaded that the things
happening to this world are the direct result of something happening in the
realm of invisibility. They know that the way to change the visible world is to
start with the invisible world. Our prayers to the invisible God play a direct
and essential part in bringing GodÕs invisible power to bear on visible life.
Our human prayers are somehow linked up with the working of God in this life.
Our prayers do not change GodÕs plan but our prayers are part of GodÕs plan to
bring about His ends. Prayer is
GodÕs means to bring about His own sovereign plan. Prayer is essential. Without prayer, God does not often
work, with it, He certainly does. Prayer brings the invisible powers of God
into our personal experience and we begin to experience the mystical
workings of God.
Invincible Prayer.
ÒAnd pray in
the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all the saintsÓ (Eph. 5:18).
After having put on the Christian armor of truth,
righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God, the Christian
is to surround himself with prayer. Prayer releases GodÕs power in our lives so
as to give us the dynamic to make truth, righteousness, peace, faith,
salvation and the Word practical. Christians are to pray ÒalwaysÓ and Òon all
occasions.Ó It is to be a
constant exercise. They are to persevere in prayer not only for themselves but
also for other Christians who are in the spiritual battle.
As we learn to pray, we will discover that exciting
and otherwise unexpected things are constantly happening. We will experience
the quiet but mighty power of God at work. As we learn to pray, we will find at
our disposal a tremendous weapon, a mighty power to influence our lives and the
lives of others. Every Christian must put on the armor of God for himself, but
every Christian can pray for other Christians. We can call in spiritual
reinforcements when we find our brothers and sisters engaged in a greater
struggle than they can handle at the moment. By prayer for our brethren, we can
see the mysterious workings of God come into their lives, releasing the invisible
power in a visible way.
Imperative Need.
ÒPray also for
me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will
fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador
in chains. Pray that I may declare
it fearlessly, as I shouldÓ (Eph. 6:19-20).
Even the Apostle Paul sensed his great need for
prayer. He needed boldness to
speak the gospel to others. The devil tries to get Christians to shut down
their witness by terrifying them with fear or causing them to rationalize their
responsibility to reach the whole world for Christ. Vicious Satanic
opposition comes when Christians become active witnesses and telling others
about Christ. We must understand the schemes of the devil. The devil whispers
to us, ÒWe must not offend anyone or we will drive them away! Let the preacher
do the witnessing because we pay him to do it! I just donÕt have enough
knowledge yet to be a good witness.
If we get the unsaved active in church, then they will automatically
come to know the Lord. IÕm a
silent witness but I do give money to missions! I donÕt want people to think I
am a fanatic. Leave people alone for they are free moral agents and have the
right to believe whatever they want.Ó These and hundreds of others are the
schemes of the devil to get Christians to hold back in their witness for
Christ. The only way to push back the Satanic
opposition is constant, dynamic prayer for one another that we may speak the
gospel boldly. It is our task to speak the gospel; it is GodÕs task to save
souls!
A person may have numerous needs and no two people
may have the same needs but all Christians have needs and we are to pray for
these needs. Most of our confusion about needs can be placed under one specific
category and that is in the area of worry. Worry is probably the biggest
problem among Christians today. Worry is one of the major reasons Christians
are stumbling blocks to non-Christians, for we preach our beliefs in God and
live like atheists in practical matters.
Command Not to Worry. ÒDo not be anxious about anythingÓ(Phil. 4:6a). Literally this means, ÒStop worrying
about anything.Ó This does not mean that we are not to have proper interest and
concern about the circumstances of life. There is no reference here to
mental indifference and stoicism. We Christians are not to be anxious, fretful
or worried. We are commanded by God not to worry and to worry is sin. Yet worry
so often characterizes the ChristianÕs life. Someone has said, ÒI am so loaded
up with worries that if anything happened to me this week it would be two weeks
before I could get around to worrying about it.Ó Or as the poet put it so well:
ÒIÕve joined the new ÔDonÕt
WorryÕ Club
And now I hold my breath
IÕm so scared IÕm going to
worry
That IÕm worried half to
death.Ó
What is Worry? Worry is undue concern resulting in extreme
anxiety in which a person is more occupied with the circumstances than with the
God who controls circumstances. The first cure for worry is to cast oneÕs
burdens on the Lord, or more literally to roll the burden on the Lord, for He
really does care about every Christian. ÒCast all your anxiety on him because he cares for youÓ (1 Pet. 5:7).
Why Do We Worry? We are concerned about out immediate
circumstances - food, clothes, housing, jobs, money, financial security, social
acceptance or whatever. God promises to meet every need we have if we will seek
His kingdom. ÒBut seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to your as wellÓ
(Matt. 6:33). Worry ultimately comes from fear and the only thing that can
dispel fear is facts or truth. Fear and worry are overcome as we face the
reality of life in light of the unchanging promises of God in Scripture.
What is Behind Worry? The ultimate cause of all
worry is failure to believe God and to trust His promises explicitly. When we
worry, we are saying that God is a liar; that His promises are not true. God
says He rewards them who diligently seek Him. ÒAnd without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek himÓ (Heb. 11:6).
Cure for Worry. ÒBut in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
GodÓ (Phil. 4:6). The cure for worry is believing-prayer. The only way to whip worry
is not by suppression of feelings but expression to God. We must take
everything to God. God is interested in the little things as well as the big
things. Nothing is too big that God cannot handle and too small that He is not
concerned. The God who made the vast universe also made the tiny atom and He
has perfect control over both. God is infinitely involved in the minutest
details of life. Therefore, pray about everything. Talk it all out with your
God. Believing-prayer waits expectantly for the mysterious workings of God in
every circumstance of life.
Counterpart to Worry. ÒAnd the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and your minds in
Christ JesusÓ (Phil. 4:7). When we offer up believing-prayer, God gives us mental stability and a
peace that no one can really explain. In our helter-skelter society, nothing
makes a bigger impact upon non-Christians than to see Christians who can
handle pressure without being anxious, fretful, weary or disturbed. It almost
seems impossible to do. Yet, it is possible for those who offer up
believing-prayer.
Prayer is Talking to God. Prayer is not
superstition; it is not a psychological religious experience of talking to
oneself; nor is it black magic by which some heavenly genie is expected to
manipulate life to our whims, a kind of AladdinÕs lamp that we rub and things
are supposed to happen. Prayer is conversing with God. It is family talk as a
son or daughter would approach a father. Prayer is friendly, intimate, frank,
unrestricted talking with God. You must talk to God about everything for He
alone understands your problems and has a solution. Tell Him everything. Tell
Him how you feel. Tell Him your
complaints. Describe your
circumstances and your personal feelings, good or bad, about the situation.
Prayer is conversation with God but it is not some high, holy and artificial
language that only a preacher can utter. Prayer to God should always be done
with respect and awe but it is in reality having an open and honest talk with
God.
Prayer is an Attitude. The Scriptures say that
Christians are to pray without ceasing.
ÒPray continuallyÓ (1 Thess.
5:17). This verse literally means to pray with the frequency of a hacking
cough. Every Christian should be in an attitude of prayer about everything.
Prayer goes on in all of our conscious moments. Our prayers must rise above the
simple childhood prayer before bed: ÒNow I lay me down to sleep, I pray the
Lord my soul to keep.Ó Prayer is a lifestyle, not just an act.
Prayer Often Involves a Position. There is a time to kneel
when praying. Kneeling is a physical, outward act that symbolizes an inward
spirit of humility. Paul often bowed his knees to the Father when praying (Eph.
3:14). There is a place for kneeling in both private and public worship, and
perhaps evangelicals as a whole have failed to see the value of the position of
kneeling in the offering up of prayer.
Prayer Demands Discipline. Prayer is hard work and
the person who is going to have a consistent prayer life must discipline his
mind to pray. Prayer is a major spiritual work and this accounts for the
tremendous conflicts we have when in prayer. The devil does not want us
releasing the power of God and the flesh hates discipline of any kind. The
person who gives himself to an attitude of prayer all day and fifteen minutes
of concentrated prayer each day will experience the mystical workings of a
sovereign God.
Prayer Involves Faith. If we really believe in
something, we do it. If we really believe in individual and group prayer, we
will make every effort to practice it. True faith must always result in action.
Prayer is a Group Act as Well as an Individual Act. Every Christian must spend
time in individual, closet prayer. This is essential for any healthy Christian
growth. However, the Bible speaks of the necessity for group prayer as part of
corporate worship. In the Book of Acts, most of the prayers offered up
were by groups of Christians. There is a special power of God in group prayer.
Furthermore, group prayer builds a fellowship around Christ and spiritual
things. It is easier to pray in a
group and the motivation for praying is greater in a group. The Lord Jesus
said, ÒThey (men) should always pray and
not give upÓ (Luke 18:1). If
group prayer gives us a motivation to pray that we may not have for individual
prayer, then by all means we should pray with a group. Every Christian should
have at least two or three Christians with whom he can pray on a regular basis.
Also there is a very special blessing for the local church that gathers
together to pray regularly.
D. L. Moody made a statement about prayer that every
Christian should take to heart. He said,
ÒI would sooner know how to
pray aright than to own all the gold in Alaska. I would rather have power to
move the arm that moves the world than to wear the crown of any earthly king.Ó
Books:
Bailey, Robert W. New Ways in Christian Worship. Broadman
Press, 1981.
Beckwith, Roger and Stott,
Wilfred. The Christian Sunday. Baker Book House,
1978.
Burkhart, John E. Worship: A Searching Examination of the
Liturgical Experience, Westminster Press, 1982.
Carroll, Joseph S. How to Worship Jesus Christ. Unpublished.
1984.
Daniels, Harold M. What
to Do With Sunday Morning. Westminster Press, 1979.
Engle, Paul E. Discovering
the Fullness of Worship. Great Commission Publications, 1978.
Erdman, Charles. First
Corinthians. Westminster Press, 1926.
Girard, Robert C. Brethren Hang Loose.
Zondervan, 1972.
Little,
Paul. Know Why You Believe. Scripture Press
Publications, 1970.
MacArthur, John. Ashamed of the Gospel.
Crossway Books, 1993.
______. The Ultimate Priority.
Moody Press, 1983.
Martyr, Justin. First Apology (Translated by Thomas B. Falls). New York Christian Heritage,
1948.
Miller, Keith. A Taste of New Wine. Word Books, 1995.
Packer, J.
I. God Speaks to Man. Westminster Press,
1965.
Rayburn, Robert G. O
Come Let Us Worship. Baker Book House, 1980.
Rutz, James H.
The Open Church. The Seed Sowers,
1992.
Stedman, Ray. Body
Life. Regal
Books, 1972.
Stott, John R. W. Your Mind Matters.
Intervarsity Press, 1973.
Tozer, A. W. Worship: The Missing Jewel of
the Evangelical Church.
Heritage Series.
Westminster Confession of Faith: Contemporary Edition (1643-47).
Presbytery Press, 1988
Westminster Confession of Faith (1643-47).
Publications Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church
of Scotland, 1970.
Westminster Longer Catechism (1643-47).
Publications Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church,
1970.
Westminster Shorter Catechism (1643-47).
Publications Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church, l970
Armstrong, John. ÒReformation in Public Worship,Ó Viewpoint. March-April, 1998.
Deffer, Donald L.
ÒHow to Get Through a Boring Sermon,Ó Lutheran Witness. April, 1995.
Engle, Paul E. Class Notes on Worship. New Geneva Seminary, Unpublished.
Farley, Todd. ÒThe Early Fathers on Mime/Dance.Ó Personal Notes, Unpublished.
Jacob, Charles L. ÒEat the Fat, Drink the Sweet and Be
Merry: A Biblical Defense for Play
on the LordÕs Day,Ó
IIM, Magazine Online.
March 2000.
Kauffman, Richard. ÒBeyond the Battle of the Organ.Ó Magazine Unknown.
Martin, Al. ÒWorship.Ó Personal Tapes.
Myers, Ken. ÒOur Worship,Ó Modern Reformation. September-October, 1993.
Rayburn, Robert G. ÒShould Christians Observe the
Sabbath?Ó
Stedman, Ray. ÒWhy Worship,Ó Personal Notes, June
2000.
Sorge, Bob.
ÒChanging in the Winds of Worship,Ó Ministries
Today. May-June,
1995.
Stonehouse, Bernard J.
ÒWorship Regulated by the Scriptures,Ó Presbyterian Journal. February, 1997.
Papers:
Craig, Raymond A. ÒA Preliminary Philosophy of Worship,Ó Paper—RTS
Orlando, December,
1991.
Parlee, Drew.
ÒIs the Rock Beat From Hell?Ó
Paper—RTS Orlando, April, 1995.