Marvin L. Weir
Far too many people today have convinced themselves that the Lord gave no instructions or pattern for worship, or that what He said does not matter. Either view deludes folks to think they can worship God acceptably according to their own whims and wishes. It has long been my belief that the greatest problem in religion is recognizing and submitting to the authority of Christ. So many do not have a clue as to how the Bible authorizes.
Is what man believes more important than what God said regarding worship? Does the created have more authority than the Creator? Is the Word of God true? The Holy Scriptures answer the last two questions in the affirmative (John 17:17). The Lord clearly taught, “All power (authority) has been given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). Such being true, the Master taught an eternal principle in declining the Devil’s proposition by saying, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10). Let us learn the truth Jesus taught about:
The Proper Object of Worship
Satan takes the Lord to “an exceeding high mountain” and shows Him “all the kingdoms of the world” (Matt. 4:8). Satan then tells Christ He can have those kingdoms if He will but fall down and worship him. One must grasp the much overlooked fact that the proper object of worship is involved in this temptation. The glaring truth is this: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10). The only acceptable and worthy object of worship is Deity (Godhead). This disqualifies Mary the mother of Jesus, the Pope, or any other person or thing in the world. Worship also has a beginning and an ending (2 Sam. 12:20). Abraham, as did David, also realized this truth.
One cannot help but notice that worship and service are used in the above verse. Obviously, these words have different meanings, and it is false doctrine that declares all of life to be worship. Service is a much broader term than worship. It can be stated that all worship is service, but not all service is worship! How terrible it is that even some of our brethren teach that all of life is worship. People do many things in this life that are necessary and decent when done properly, but these mundane matters do not qualify as worship.
The Tragedy of Vain Worship
Much of the religious world is convinced that any type of worship that pleases “them” is acceptable to God. Jesus disagrees in 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 me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9). One may give of his time, be sincere, and put a great deal of effort into vain worship. When the precepts of God do not dictate what we do in worship, the effort is futile and worthless.
Drama presentations loaded with embellishment and designed to entertain may please men, but these presentations do not please God. Special singing groups (choirs, solos, praise teams), the clapping of hands, rocking to and fro, and waving one’s hands overhead, magic and clown tricks, and “gymnastics to the glory of God” may be called worship by many people today, but not by God! The clapping of hands is obviously done in appreciation for man, not God.
Worshipping in Spirit and in Truth
One may consider a certain place to be sacred and the only proper location for worship. The Samaritans believed Mt. Gerizim to be sacred as it was the mountain where Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. The Jews considered Jerusalem to be the sacred place of worship because they were following the law of Moses. Under the New Covenant, however, there is no sacred or appointed place where worship is to be offered unto God.
The Lord taught the Samaritan woman, saying, “the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:21). Under the New Covenant, the place of worship does not matter and neither is it sacred. Worship is what is sacred and this is the reason the emphasis is on how one worships instead of where one worships.
One must not offer something to God which He has not authorized. Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). This is not as many seemingly believe a suggestion or recommendation! If one is to worship God, he is obligated to worship “in spirit and in truth.” It is impossible to overlook the imperative “must” which demands that one is obligated to worship in the way God has demanded.
Coffman comments on John 4:24 as follows: “This speaks thunderously of the fact that the worship of God must be done properly, the two requirements being that it must be engaged in with utmost sincerity and as directed by the word of God. God has revealed the manner in which he should be worshipped, and those who hope to have their worship accepted should heed the restrictions. Worship is as old as the human race, but in the long history of mortal events only two ways to worship God have ever been discovered. These are: God’s revealed way, and any other way that man might have devised himself.”
Defining Truth
One might ask, “Just what is truth regarding religious matters, and how can one be certain of such?” The answer is simple. First, “…it is impossible for God to lie…” (Heb. 6:18). Second, the Lord, speaking of the Father, affirmed, “…thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Third, the Holy Scriptures declare, “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17). To do something in one’s name is to do it by his authority.
Acceptable worship is not doing anything that pleases us and calling it worship. God has defined how we must worship if He is going to accept our worship. A lack of respect, awe, and reverence for God and His Word will always lead to vain, empty, and futile worship.
The lighthearted and casual way most people approach worship today is not good. Acceptable worship is not designed to entertain and please man. We are to worship God, not one another! Let us give Him the glory and not take from or add to what He has authorized (Rev. 22:18-19).d in reverence of all them that are about him” (Psa. 89:7).
