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What is worship? Today few think about worship as something that needs defining. Some who
classify themselves as "Christian" would say it is an experience which brings them closer to
God (i.e. "experiencing God"). They even speak of a "worship experience" like one speaks of
the emotional satisfaction one gains from seeing an inspiring movie. But if you peel away
the emotion this definition is like an onion — there is nothing in the center. If there is a
core at all it is simply entertainment — a titillating of the senses.
Yet the Son of God gives us the definition of worship which is straight from Heaven. "God is spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). God is a spiritual being and so cannot be represented by images and icons of wood, gold or stone. He is the object of our worship along with His Son. Notice that my "needs" or "wants" are not mentioned. The melodious music of an organ, the tricks of a "Christian" magician, the performance of choir, or the strumming of an electric guitar do not enter into the equation. These all fade like a shadow in the presence of King of the Universe and the brilliance of the only begotten Son. In Christian worship God is the audience. He is the one who accepts or rejects our worship. We must never forget that awesome fact. "...And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect" (Genesis 4:4-5). The word "spirit" does not refer to the Holy Spirit but the attitude of the worshipper. Joshua told ancient Israel that God expected them to serve Him "in sincerity and in truth" (Joshua 24:14), a similar thought to John 4:24. Today many brethren come to worship God with the wrong spirit. They want to be entertained and "uplifted". They are not satisfied with the simplicity and purity of New Testament worship. It all seems dull and boring. But they are simply missing the point of Christian worship. We are the ones that are bringing our offering to God and that offering is our heart. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalms 51:17). These "I-didn’t-get-a-thing-out-of-the-service" folks need to humble themselves and re-examine their participation in worship. Do they think about the words of the songs they sing instead of just how it sounds? Do they concentrate on the prayer and agree with it? Do they strive to "discern" (discriminating what the elements represent) the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine in His Supper as they eat it (1 Corinthians 11:29)? Do they humble themselves before the exhortation from God’s word and apply it to their fleeting lives? And do they truly give as they have been prospered, cheerfully thankful for what God generously grants them each moment of time? Friends, right worship involves not just emotion, but our whole being — mind and feelings. A century or so after the establishment of the church she began to depart from God’s truth or pattern (the New Testament — John 17:17) concerning Christian worship. The apostate Roman church borrowed freely from pagan worship and even Old Testament temple worship. Preaching from God’s word was seldom heard. The focus in worship became a corrupted Lord’s Supper called the Mass. Superstition, pageantry and ceremony replaced the Truth. It may have been emotionally satisfying but it was spiritually bankrupt. During the Reformation of the 16th Century people rejected Romanism. Once again the exhortation from the Bible or preaching took its proper place in worship. Individual lives and whole nations were transformed. Men began to study the word of God and tried to make it their standard. Some eventually left the traditions of men and restored New Testament Christianity seeking a "thus saith the Lord" for their worship of God (i.e. "in truth"). But as time passed men grew tired of the Old Paths and demanded a preacher with a white collar and robes. He had to be well educated and eloquent in all things. He knew more about current events and worldly wisdom than the word God. Digression soon followed. Recently many in the Lord’s church have again digressed from the Truth. Just like the apostates of old they have departed from Bible preaching and are demanding a focus on the titillating. Whether it is the use of mechanical instruments of music, choirs, unscriptural changes in the observance of the Lord’s Supper or the use of emotional testimonials; the result is the same. They have forsaken the Truth. No longer does gospel preaching find its authorized place in their worship. "...but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3). |