ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP

Man is a worshipful being. He has an innate desire to pay homage to a higher power. Yet, without knowledge of the one true God and the worship desired by that God, his worship will be rejected.

UNACCEPTABLE WORSHIP

There are several kinds of unacceptable worship. Paul addressed the Athenians on Mars' Hill. "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." (Acts 17:22, 23.) While these people had erected an altar to God, they did not know him, and could not please him with their ignorant worship.

Jesus once condemned the Pharisees with the words, "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matt. 15:7-9.) The vain worship of these Jews consisted of placing their traditions upon a par with the commandments of God. Jesus told them, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." (Matt. 15:6.) Traditions and customs are not wrong within themselves, but when man makes law out of them, they become sinful and void the worship offered to the Creator.

In Colossians 2:23 Paul speaks of certain ordinances, "which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body." Will worship is that which is self-imposed as distinguished from what is given by God. If a man says, "I know what the scriptures teach, but I prefer it this way, and I will have it the way I want It," he is guilty of placing his will above that of the Father. This is what Saul did when he personally offered a sacrifice to God in violation of the law of Jehovah. (1 Samuel 13.) This is what he did when he saved some of the flocks of Amalek to offer to God when the Lord had told him to utterly destroy them. Samuel reproved the king by asking, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22.) Assuredly, God will not accept our worship if we insist on offering our adoration contrary to instruction.

WHAT IS TRUE WORSHIP?

When Jesus once passed through the province of Samaria he stopped to rest at Jacob's well outside the city of Sychar. There he engaged in conversation a Samaritan woman. She soon said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." (John 4:19,20.) To both Jews and Samaritans the place of worship was extremely important, but they could not agree upon the proper locality. The reply of Jesus showed that the place is of little consequence, but that the manner of worship is of great importance. "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father...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 4:21, 23, 24.)

Acceptable worship, then, is twofold -- it must be In spirit, or with the proper frame of mind. It must also be in truth, according to the way that God has prescribed. Worship, which is in spirit, but not in the way that he has ordained, is not pleasing to him. Neither is God satisfied with worship carried out in the right way which is devoid of the proper spirit. Acceptable worship requires both the spirit and the truth.

WORSHIPPING IN SPIRIT

There are numerous obstacles to worshipping God in spirit. One is to allow worship to degenerate into a mechanical rite. For example, it is possible to eat the Lord's supper while meditating upon other matters than the death of Christ. It is possible to sing hymns with the lips while the heart is far from God. It is possible to say a prayer without actually praying. When we are guilty of these faults, we do not truly worship. A lack of complete consecration is often responsible for this condition. To worship in spirit is to put out of one's mind everything of the world, and to completely center the heart upon things spiritual.

Likewise, self-righteousness can prevent the proper spirit of worship. In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus relates the parable of two men who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee used his prayer as a means of boasting. The publican confessed his sin. Jesus states that the tax collector was justified rather than the Pharisee because he had humbled himself. The Pharisee was so filled with self-righteousness that he could not prostrate his heart before the Almighty.

A heart filled with iniquity can also block spiritual worship. In the model prayer Jesus implored, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matt. 6:12.) Not only will God not forgive our sins if we do not forgive those who wrong us, but it is impossible for us to have the proper state of mind with a heart full of hatred and bitterness. Nor can we expect God to accept our worship if our lives are overflowing with unrepented sins.

Some fail to worship God in spirit because they mistake esthetic enjoyment for worship. The human emotions are pleased with beautiful music, but the enjoyment of the melodious strains of a spiritual song does not alone constitute worship. One may leave the place of worship feeling comforted because of the spiritual atmosphere. But while this is most desirable, such a sensation does not of itself constitute worship if it has not been accompanied by a heart in tune with God.

Neither can the proper attitude of worship be found where there is a lack of reverence. We read, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." (Heb. 12:28.) Reverence is the profound respect which we hold for God. It is a condition of heart expressing itself in our outward demeanor. If in the presence of the dead we maintain solemn silence, can we expect God to be pleased if our worship is filled with whispering and general inattentiveness?

WORSHIPPING IN TRUTH

If we could transport ourselves to an assembly of the early Christians, we would be struck by the utter simplicity of their worship. It lacked the frills often attached to worship today. Something of the nature of that worship is described in Acts 2:42; "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers."

Mention of the apostles' doctrine implies that teaching was part of the worship of the early church. The apostles' doctrine of the Christians in Jerusalem is the same doctrine we possess in the New Testament scriptures. In the early church it varied in the way it was presented. Preaching, exhortation, reading of the scriptures, or joint study of the same all constituted teaching of the apostles' doctrine. However, Paul warns, "Let all things be done unto edifying." (1 Cor. 14:26.) Any method which does not profit the church should be discontinued.

The early church continued stedfastly in the breaking of bread or the Lord's supper. This institution was given to remind the worshipper of the death of Jesus Christ and to focus his attention upon the supreme sacrifice offered by the Lord. It will be studied in another lesson.

Prayer also constituted a major part of the worship of first century Christians. That the Jerusalem church continued stedfastly in it simply means that they carried out the injunction, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17.) Of course, prayer should not be limited to public assemblies of worship, but should be a part of the personal life of each individual Christian. This subject will be examined in the next lesson.

The assemblies of the early Christians were filled with the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, unaccompanied by instruments of music. Paul admonishes, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Col. 3:16.) Again he adds, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Eph. 5:19.) In singing we exhort one another while at the same time praising God. The emphasis in the scriptures is upon singing from the heart, rather than upon the beauty of the harmony. Naturally, the more beautiful the music the easier it will be to sing from the heart, but one should never refrain from singing because he has difficulty in carrying a tune. The omission of instrumental music in the worship of the early church may be explained by the fact that the Lord is more interested in that which proceeds from our heart than any mechanical melody which we might make. While an instrument of music can only make sound, the lips utter meaningful words which are an expression of the heart of the worshipper.

The period of worship was used by the first century disciples as an opportunity to give of their financial means for the work of the Lord. When Paul took up a collection at Corinth for the needy in Judea he exhorted the Corinthians, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." (1 Cor. 16:2.) Again he wrote, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7.) From these two verses three principles of scriptural giving may be derived; we must give as we are prospered, as we purpose in our heart, and, cheerfully.

THE DAY OF WORSHIP

While the early Christians gathered for worship as opportunity and need afforded itself, there was one special day of worship. This was the first day of each week, called the Lord's day by John. (Rev. 1:10.) It was on this day that Jesus arose from the grave and it was celebrated in his memory. Particularly on this day did Christians meet to eat the Lord's supper. (Acts 20:7.) And as already noticed they used this day to give according to their prosperity. (1 Cor. 16:2.) The Lord's day is the first day and should not be confused with the Jewish sabbath which was the seventh day. All Christians should faithfully worship God on this day, "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" (Heb. 10:25.)

Author Unknown