Worship

This appeared in the August 1973 edition of the "Christian Courier", published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California and edited by Wayne Jackson.

The word worship occurs scores of times in the Bible in one form or another, and yet significantly, man is never simply commanded to worship. Human beings are by inherent need worshipping creatures. The philosopher Immanuel Kant observed: "Man is a creature of religious instincts, and must worship something." Other writers have acknowledged the universal religious tendency characteristic of humanity. "As far back as Cicero in the first century B.C., or even earlier, pagan thinkers had observed that religion in some form or other is a universal trait in human nature. And though in modern days apparent exceptions of 'atheistical tribes' have been adduced to prove the contrary, the trend of anthropological science may be said on the whole to support the judgment of antiquity. There may indeed be savages (though the point has not been proved) among whom no definite trace of religious observance can be discerned; but are they normal representatives even of undeveloped humanity? Is there no such thing as degradation? And have not even these poor savages some vestige at least of the religious faculty? For that is all our argument requires. The world-wide progress of Christian missions to the heathen seems to testify quite triumphantly that no race or tribe of men, however degraded and apparently atheistic, lacks that spark of religious capacity which may be fanned or fed into a mighty flame." (The One Volume Bible Commentary, J.R. Dummelow, Editor, Ci.)

WORSHIP DEFINED - Worship, generally defined, carries "the idea of reverence, of humility, of bowing down, prostrating ourselves in recognition of our dependence upon a superior power." The Bible suggest certain qualities that will characterize worship. First of all, true worship involves an attitude that is continuously with the child of God. Now I'm perfectly aware of the fact that Jehovah has commanded certain specified "act of worship" which are to be rendered to Him on stated occasions, and I intend to discuss these later, but presently I'm talking about that worshipful disposition which many ought to constantly have toward his Creator. Worship is not something that is "turned on" and "turned off" like a switch, though at times of course, we will be more meditative than at other periods. Jesus made it clear that "worship" and "service" to God go hand in hand. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10). And the writer of Hebrews exhorts: "Through Him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Secondly, a spirit of happiness should attend the worshipful disposition. The Psalmist could exclaim: "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of Jehovah" (Psalm 122:1). The true worshipper of God does not live in a climate of fear (I John 4:18) nor is he a perpetual malcontent (Philippians 4:11), rather life for him is a pleasant, indeed an exhilarating experience. It was this spirit that enabled Paul to rejoice from a dark, bug-ridden prison cell (Phillipians 4:4). There is no advertisement any worse for the Christian religion than the grouchy, down in the mouth disposition of some who profess to be worshipers of God.

PRESCRIBED WORSHIP - Jehovah has not left man to his own ingenuity concerning worship. The popular notion of "let every man do his own thing" has no warrant in the Word of God. In fact, it is plainly condemned (Judges 17:6). Not all worship is acceptable to God. He seeks true worshippers (John 4:23) and if there are true worshippers, there must be false ones. The Creator has prescribed a proper order of worship and those who attempt to worship otherwise, either through rebellion or ignorance (Acts 17:23) are not acceptable to Him. Note the following passages. "Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth" (Joshua 24:14). "God is Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). An analysis of the foregoing reveals that acceptable worship consists of three elements: the proper Object, Attitude and Method.

Object of True Worship Only God is to be worshipped. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10). By the term "God" we mean DEITY, the Divine Nature. We worship the three personalities who possess the nature of Deity. The Father is God (Ephesians 1:3), the Son is God (Hebrews 1:8) and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). These are not three gods (as though their natures were divergent) but one, unified Divine Nature manifest in three Persons. To worship other than God is idolatry and all who practice this crime against Deity will surely be lost (Revelation 21:8). Some forms of idolatry are:

     (a) Worship of men. No man, not even an apostle of Christ, is worthy of worship. When Cornelius attempted to worship Peter, he was prohibited (Acts 10:25-26). The Pope of Rome claims to be the "successor of St. Peter." Isn't it strikingly strange however, that Peter refused to accept that veneration which the Pope so earnestly covets? The papacy is not the only idol of Catholicism. The worship of Mary, the "saints", etc. is equally sinful.

     (b) Worship of angels. When the apostle John fell at the feet of an angel to worship, he was told: "Do it not" (Revelation 22:8-9). Worshipping of angels will cause one to lose his prize (Colossians 2:18). Incidentally, this is one of the ways we know that Christ was not a mere angel, as the Jehovah's Witnesses allege, for He accepted worship (Matthew 8:2, John 20:28), thus demonstrating the He was divine as well as human.

     (c) Worship of material things. Some, who would actually be appalled at the thought of bowing to a god of stone or gold, are Biblically speaking, idolaters. Their sin is evidenced by their attitude toward their possessions. This was the problem of the rich ruler who sadly turned from following Christ (Luke 18:18). Covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). And such idolatry is rampant even in the body of Christ.

     (d) Worship of self. Paul wrote that many serve the god of their own belly, and significantly he added, "whose end is perdition" (Philippians 3:19). Again, in Romans 16:18 some are charged with serving their own bellies and not our Lord Jesus. Belly-serving is simply a figurative expression for self-serving. Countless thousands excuse themselves from a life of dedication to God on the grounds that they are too busy making a living, too occupied with family, friends and fun. Will such gods save one in the day of judgment?

     (e) Will-worship. The religious precepts and doctrines of men as a substitute for the objective revelation of God (the Bible) is an example of will-worship (Colossians 2:23). Modernists elevate human wisdom above the Bible. The existentialist searches his "inner self" for truth and the neo-pentecostal exclaims: "I don't care what the Bible says. I know what I feel" thus making his emotions supreme. All of these forms of will-worship are idolatrous in sentiment. (To be continued)