Thursday, April 10, 2008

Thesis 31/36: Worship

DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 31 / 36: Worship

The first mention of the word "worship" in the Bible is found when Abraham was taking his son Isaac, at God's command, to sacrifice him. He told the men that had been going with him that they two were going to worship (Genesis 22:5). Somehow, the word in America today has been associated to mean simply a church service and specifically to the music part of the service. Worship is ascribing worth to someone, ascribing divine respect to someone.

In the Old Testament, worship was almost always associated with two things, sacrifices and a person falling on their knees or face (Genesis 24:26; 1 Samuel 1:3). It did not always take place at the temple (Joshua 5:14), but that was the normal place. It always had to do with an external act, whether it be falling on the ground before someone, or meeting together at the temple for a religious ceremony. It is this external act of worship from the Old Testament which is why some call a church service a worship service. It is not incorrect, but it has much greater meaning.

When Jesus met the woman at the well in Samaria, they began to discuss where the right place was to worship. She said that worship was to be done in the mountain where they were, and the Jews taught that it was in Jerusalem (John 4:20). Jesus answers her question to Him by saying, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father" (John 4:21). He was not simply saying that the place of worship was going to be changing, but rather the method. He goes on to say in verse 23, "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." The external act is not the primary thing that God wanted. He even despised the "worship services" of the Jews (Amos 5:21-23). The fact is that God is not able to be worshipped by "men's hands" (Acts 17:25), as He is the creator of them all. He desires true worship, a true sense of divine reverence to be hand by man in his spirit. God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6).

"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). When a man truly worships God, he will end up demonstrating it with external actions. He will praise the Lord in song; he will fall on his face in humility; he will sacrifice of himself for the Lord. However, it is the confusion of these external acts with the reverence that must be had on the inside, which causes vain religions to spread. In regards to music used during a church service, it must be music that is made out of the abundance of a heart that has a divine respect towards God. If the music is made to please man, then God will hate and despise it as He did that in Amos 5.

"Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

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