SCRIPTURAL WORSHIP WITHIN THE CHURCH A Look At Our Worship Services

Introduction WHAT IS WORSHIP? We saw this in a previous lesson. Worship is the act of paying divine honors to deity, religious reverence and homage. To perform acts of homage or adoration. To perform religious service. People throughout the world worship many things, beings, movements, etc.

THIS WORSHIP IS TO BE DIRECTED TO GOD OF HEAVEN When we say this worship, we are referring to scriptural worship. Matthew 4:10 “you shall worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only”; Revelation 22:9. The context of the last passage cited shows that John had fallen at the angel's feet to give him adoration. When he did this, the angel made the statement indicated in the verse—”worship God”. To worship the God of heaven is to worship the only true and living God. Ephesians 4:6. “One God”.

THIS WORSHIP AND GIVING GLORY TO GOD IS TO BE DONE IN THE CHURCH Ephesians 3:21 “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, amen”. The church of our Lord, is the institution that has been established by our Lord through which worship might be offered unto him acceptably. The saved ones make up the church, (Acts 2:47) These are the called out of God (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

THIS WORSHIP IS TO BE RENDERED IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH John 4:23,24. To worship in spirit, is to approach the God of heaven in the right frame of mind with the right attitude. The mind must be drawn away from the things of a worldly nature and be zealously placed upon the spiritual things that are then at hand. To worship in truth, just simply means to worship as the truth directs. The truth is the Word of God. John 8:32; 17:17. So, in order to worship God in spirit and truth, one has to be in the right frame of mind and use the right pattern, the Bible.

THE ELEMENTS OF THIS WORSHIP ARE CLEARLY SET FORTH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT Acts 2: 42 “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. We will notice these elements one by one. If we are doing these things, we will be pleasing God but if we fail to engage in them regularly, decently and orderly, we will not be pleasing unto God. Let's please Him.

THE APOSTLES' DOCTRINE OR TEACHING. This was and continues to be a preached and taught doctrine. Let us now look at some scriptures concerning this doctrine: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2; 1 Timothy 3:15. The above given scriptures, show us that the doctrine that is to be used in the church is to be taught to all for by it all will be saved. We are to be zealous in our teaching, but we must be very sure that the thing we teach is that which will save. Romans 1:16,17. The methods that we use to teach this doctrine are not specified, but regardless of the method used, only the gospel is to be taught. Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16.

THE FELLOWSHIP Fellowship is not primarily referring to meeting together and talking. So many people get this wrong. The Greek word which is translated “fellowship” literally means “a sharing”. So, if we speak of coming together to have fellowship in the Bible sense of the word, let us mean that we are meeting together to combine our efforts in serving the Lord. Fellowship also means a providing of the physical resources so that this doctrine or gospel might be spread abroad, and that the physical expenditures of the church might be met. 1 Corinthians. 16:1,2; 2 Cor. 9:6,7; Phil. 1:3-6; 4:14-19.

Paul said in the Philippian Letter, that the word fellowship had to do with giving and receiving. In his case, the giving and receiving of physical goods to him as a preacher of the Word of God, as it pertained to the church at Philippi. Fellowship does not mean a coming together to drink coffee and eat doughnuts, but it has a spiritual significance. A working together in spiritual matters, supplying one another's needs, etc. A co-operative effort with respect to carrying out the will of God in the proclamation of His Word.

SINGING The music that God requires of Christians, in worship to Him, is vocal music. The melody is to be made in the heart and not upon a mechanical instrument. If mechanical instruments are to be used in worship, it would not suffice for only one or two to play such instruments, but every member would be required to play. For we are all required to sing. Read what Paul has to say in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.

But, no doubt, someone is ready to say, "But preacher, it does not say not to use mechanical instruments of music in the worship." No, not in so many words, but neither was Noah told not to build the ark out of pine, oak, or balsam wood or some other wood, in so many words. Since this is true, I wonder why he decided to use only gopher wood? We all know why he used gopher wood, don't we? Because God specified gopher, and if Noah had used any other type of wood, he would have sinned.

Since God did not say in so many words, "Don't use mechanical instruments of music in worship," then why don't we use it? Because God said "Sing". Just like He said, "Gopher wood". If there is authority for using mechanical instruments of music in our worship today, there is also authority for Noah to have built the ark out of any wood he chose. If God authorizes a specific thing to be done in worship, it eliminates everything else. And God gave us the command to “Sing”.

But someone will say, "Preacher, David used mechanical instruments of music in worship". He also killed animals and offered their blood and then burned them. He burned incense. He couldn't go more than about a thousand yards from his dwelling place on the Sabbath day. He could not light a fire on that day. He could not pick up sticks, or he would have been stoned to death.

He could not wear cotton cloth and wool cloth mixed together. He had to do so many things that are not required of Christians today. The law of Christ is now in effect and supersedes the Mosaic law that governed David and all the other Jews of his day in their worship. Colossians 2:14 explains that Jesus cancelled these rules when He was nailed to the cross. Paul explains in Galatians 5:4 that people to turn back to practice the Law of Moses are severed and fallen from grace.

There are only three more things which we find scriptural in the New Testament church. Prayer, our contribution, and observing the Lord’s Supper. We do not want to rush through these subjects. So we will prepare to cover them in greater detail in a later lesson.

Conclusion We have discussed what worship is. From Acts 2, we see the early church being faithful in these things—”continuing steadfastly in them”. Our worship is to be directed to God by giving Him the glory He deserves. Our worship should be done in spirit and truth.