What
Do We Know About Worship?
Those that became Christians in the first century
assembled for worship steadfastly or regularly. They understood their own
spiritual need and the spiritual need of other Christians for worship. They
also understood the commandments of God to worship in spirit and in truth.
Those that fail to worship as God commanded will die spiritually. Worship is of
such importance that God will punish with vengeance those who willfully neglect
it. "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth
unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And
again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:30-31)
The Bible does not give a specific
definition of the word "worship."
By observing words such as friendship and sportsmanship we are able to
gain some idea about worship. The word "ship" has to do with
"something like" or a "quality of." Thus friendship is the
quality of being friendly. Sportsmanship is the quality of being a good sport.
"Worship" (worth-ship) is the quality of giving worth to our great
God, Jehovah. Worship declares an attitude of worth toward the Almighty.
Christians should declare that God is worthy. "But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light." (1 Peter 2:9) The purpose of a Christian is to praise or worship
God. In worship we bow down before God and serve Him. Worship involves
speaking, listening and doing as God commands. Our worship has an effect on our
daily conduct!
We know that God seeks our
worship. God made man for companionship with Himself. In some very real
sense Adam and Eve walked in close fellowship with God. "And they heard
the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the
trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8) God is our loving Father. He seeks our
worship, just as we want to be with our children. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh
such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24) Jesus expressed His desire for
worship with His disciples in the words of Luke 22:15. "And he said unto
them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer." It is the desire of Jesus that we worship God
through Him. Is it your desire to be faithful in worship?
Those that come to see God as our
great Creator will worship Him or give Him "worth." The psalmist
wrote, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the
heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalms 46:10) God deserves our
worship because He is Creator or Maker. His "will" caused all of creation.
The Bible says, "Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made
us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his
pasture." (Psalms 100:3) Worship grows out of thankfulness for and
appreciation to God for His goodness and greatness. The unthankful will not worship
as they should. "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened." (Romans 1:21) Thankfulness within me is
expressed in my outward worship.
We know that ignorant worship
and vain worship is sinful. Worship is our attitude response to God.
Therefore, not all worship is acceptable to God. It is possible our worship to
be in vain. Cain is an example of one that worshipped God in an unacceptable
manner. "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the
fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the
firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto
Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.
And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:3-5)
Jesus said men's commands and
traditions make worship vain or useless. "But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9) A careful
study of the Bible must be made so as to distinguish between truth and
tradition because worship by tradition is as vain as idolatry. Worship to
please man is an abomination to God. "He that turneth
away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."
(Proverbs 28:9) Jesus came to this earth to do the will of God. "For I
came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent
me." (John 6:38) Both in living and in worship our aim must be to do the
will of God. God's way of worship is acceptable while man's way is always
unacceptable! Matthew 15:8 says, "This people draweth
nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with
their lips; but their heart is far from me."
We
know that true worship is done according to truth and that it must come from
our heart. In John
Communion is part of true worship.
Jesus gave His body and blood on the cross to provide remission of our sins. If
it was not for Jesus' sin-offering we could not have fellowship with God.
(Matthew 26:26-28)
Bible Christians prayed together.
Prayer is our communication with God. "Pray without ceasing." (1
Thessalonians 5:17)
Singing is also a part of worship
"in spirit and in truth." "Saying, I will declare thy name unto
my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."
(Hebrews 2:12) The only instrument to be used is our "heart."
Original steadfast worship also
involved giving. "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay
by him in store, as God hath prospered him..." (1 Corinthians 16:2) Give
with gladness because you will never out give God.
Bible Christians heard gospel preaching.
"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20:7)
We
know that the worship of a Christian must be steadfast and regular.
Hebrews 10:23-31 is a warning to Christians. "Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto
love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye
see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that
despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how
much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the
Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth
unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And
again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God." Christians are commanded not to forsake
assembling for worship.
Acts 20:7 tells us how the early
Christians assembled for communion regularly every Lord's Day or Sunday. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread." Forsaking worship indicates that you are
neglecting salvation. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;
which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him." (Hebrews 2:3) Those that
deliberately miss worship are allowing their salvation to slip away.
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we
have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." (Hebrews 2:1)
Christians grow weak and sickly without the strength of worship. (1 Corinthians
11:30) Therefore it is important that Christians encourage one another so none
will be hardened by neglecting worship. (Hebrews 3:13)
Our attitude toward worship should
be that expressed by David in Psalms 122:1. "I was glad when they said
unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."
Let us worship for our own spiritual strength and growth. Let us worship to encourage
others. Let us worship because it is our duty to God. Jesus will be looking for
you in the next assembly of the church. Will you keep your appointment with
Him?
Will you accept God's wonderful good
news that Jesus died for your sins? Will you be baptized into Christ to put on
Christ so that your sins can be forgiven by His blood? "For you are all
sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized
into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:26-27) Believers contact
Christ's saving blood by being baptized into His death. Those that become
children of God have reason to rejoice. (Acts
By Charles Box,