Worship

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises"Hebrews:2:12

 Worship is a highly personal act that we  preform together, even in a gathering our Lord meets us as individuals.  Worship is an expression and grows out of our relationship with the Creator God.

Worship helps us to understand our proper practical relationship with our God.Worship helps us to recalibrate and be renewed spiritually.

Worship 

From the very beginning the people of God have always worshiped. After being called by God Abram ,he built an alter and worshiped the Lord.

"Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him."Genesis:12:6-7

Old Covenant

Under the Old Covenant, that the Lord had made with the Children of Israel there were elaborate rituals and ceremonies  a  specific day of the week , Holy days  and times of worship, all presided over by a sanctified priesthood that ministered  first in the Wilderness Tabernacle then at the glorious Temple of God at Jerusalem.

The structures was  highly formalized but the end was always the same, that God's people of Israel would  come to know the Creator God and serve Him alone.

However worship is conducted the most important thing is that ,the God of the Holy Bible be the object of all our worship both public and private.

 "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me"Isaiah:45:5

 A  Book of Worship

All through the pages of the Scriptures we see Patriarchs, Prophets, Priest, Kings,Apostles and everyday people worshiping the Great God.  Sacrifices offered prayers uttered and hymns are sung all in an expression of worship and adoration toward and for the Great God.

Spirit and Truth

The New Testament its self  gives us very few specifics regarding the worship of the first century Christian Church.  The first Christians had been Jews familiar with the Temple worship at Jerusalem and the Synagogue system that was found in the small towns and communities scattered around Palestine and  the Roman Empire.

For a time  they began to meet together often at first in the Temple courts. 

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."Acts 2:46-47

"One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon."Acts:3:1

 However w hen it became obvious to the early Christians either by revaluation or necessity that they could not stay in the Synagogues they began to meet when and where they could. They sought to to worship  in "Spirit and in Truth" with now a focus upon our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself stated that the worship of the true God would be more then just prescribed rituals at a given place and time but rather would transcend all such conventions. That the worship of the Great God would be "in Spirit and in truth".

Jesus in His discussion with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in the village of Sychar speaks of this worship "in Spirit and in truth" .

"Our fathers  worshiped on this mountain , but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. Jesus said to her "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is here , when true worshipers  will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth" . The woman said to Him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (He Who is called the Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all theses things". Jesus said to her,"I who speak to you am He". John:4:20-26

 Jesus in this conversation regarding worship connects the revelation of His Messiahship to the proper worship of God. That is ,when we come to believe in Jesus we are free to worship the Father as He always intended us to do, that is "in Spirit and in truth" . We are no longer  bound to a given place or time to worship,
" neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."  We are now in a relationship with God not in a a religion.

Revelation and Worship, Theology and Doxology

This speaks to us that when we come to believe in Jesus, when we see Who Jesus is and that in Him alone we have the most complete perfect revelation of the Great God and we come to see that Jesus is fully God and yet fully humanity,  the One Who saves us then,    we are truly free of "religion"  .

Theologian Karl Barth

This truth was addressed by the Theologian Karl Barth when he said "right Theology leads to right Doxology".
Right Theology centered upon our Lord Jesus  always will lead us to  a worship  of God in the person of His Son Jesus and leads us ever deeper into this  relationship with the Triune God.

Worship in Jesus

In the epistle  of  Hebrews,  written to the Jewish Christians,  who before their conversion and coming to faith in Jesus, saw their relationship with God through the view of the Old Covenant centered  at the Temple of God at Jerusalem and derived their identity from that relationship. Now their identity was found in Jesus , not in ceremonial religion. The Holy Spirit moves the author of the Epistle to address  this very thing. 

The Holy Spirit constructs,  using Old Testament Scriptures,  the "Divine Dialogue"    that God has within Himself , and then the author elaborates upon this "Divine Dialogue". 

Speaking of worship The Holy Spirit inspires the quote from Psalm:22:22 to speak for Jesus regarding the worship found in the Christian Church. This verse teaches us a powerful truth regarding worship , ours and more so the Humanity of Jesus' worship of the Father.

" He says,:“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;

in the assembly I will sing your praises.”And again, “I will put my trust in him.”And again he says,“Here am I, and the children God has given me" Hebrews:2:12-13

 That is Jesus is the One Who  when the body of Church comes together , Preaches, that is "declares your name" and Who, as well,  leads in the adoration and lifting up of Hymns to God "in the assembly I will sing your praises.".   That is, it is Jesus Whose worship of the Father that  we are participating in and with Him.

Only Jesus can worship the Father perfectly. Jesus,  in His humanity lives perfectly and worships  perfectly. Our worship would not be able to be thus. Only He can do this, for He is fully God yet Fully human.  We in union through His humanity are found to worship.

The Open Door in Heaven

 

While on the Island of Patmos  John the Apostle sees a door standing open in Heaven and hears the invitation "come up here".  John the finds himself , by way of this open door  in the highths of Heaven, there John witness the Heavenly worship of the Great God Revelation:4:1-11.

Jesus is that Open door through Whom we gain access and join in with the Host of Heavens  worship of the Great God. In John 10 Jesus tells us He is the Door, or gate through which we enter .
Jesus  is there in Heaven and by Him alone we join in Worship God. This also tells us that when we worship even if we are few in numbers as humanity may count numbers,  we are in fact surrounded by an innumerable company of heavenly worshipers of God.

Drawn to Worship

John:6:44 tells us that "no man come to me unless the Father draw him"  .This being drawn to Christ is not just at our moment of conversion, but all our lives. That is, through the Holy Spirit we are always drawn to Jesus all our lives. The Holy Spirit will gently, relentlessly  lead us to come to our Lord. It is the Holy Spirit Who will lay it on our heart to come and worship, to pray to read the Word of God to come into the midst of the Church and gather to join in His worship. 

We of our own selves would rather attend our our pursuits. Paul wrote "there is none who seek after  God" Romans:3:11.  If we are worshiping the Great God it is because we have chosen to respond to the Holy Spirit's lead to do so. 

 In Spirit

When we worship,  the Holy Spirit will speak to us regarding the very Son of God Jesus Christ and give us an ever deepening revelation about Jesus, and  in doing so , we receive a deeper revelation of the Father whom Christ did , is , and will always reveal to us.

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me" John:15:26

 The Holy Spirit will speak to us about and glorify our Lord Jesus.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John:16:13-15

Jesus is the perfect revelation of God,

 "he who sees me sees the One Who sent Me" John:12:45

 "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves."John:14:6-11

When we come to our Lord Jesus to worship we come to all of God the Father, the Son the Holy Spirit. "for in him all the fullness of the Deity  lives in  bodily form" Colssian:2:9

Our Priesthood

All who are Christians are called to be a Priesthood to our God That our lives should be lives of worship that honors and reflects the transformation that we have in Jesus Christ.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."1Peter:2:9-10

Paul wrote to the Christians at Roman that living lives of worship is reasonable and our responsibility as Children of God who have been transformed through Christ.

 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans:12:1-2

Our lives should declare the praises  of God in how we live and conduct our selves. Worship in an ongoing part of our lives it does not just begin and end when we come together, but always in how we live is an act of worship. Eternal life is not just a state or duration of life but rather a quality of life that brings glory to God.

Gather Together

Hebrews:10:25  admonishes Christians  to "not forsake the assembling of yourselves together" . The Greek word for Church, Ekklesia, comes from the classic Greek of Athens it refers to an  summons assembly of the people who came together to govern. This body had two words that were to govern all their proceedings, Isonomier meaning Equality and Eleutheria meaning Freedom. That is all had the equality and  freedom to participate in this gathering of the Ekklesia. 

That when the church comes together all should be able to participate the worship of God. It is God Himself Who summons us to gather and worship in freedom each using their gifts for the good of the whole.

When gather , Jesus Christ by way of the Holy Spirit makes His presences known. He gives a greater revelation of Who He is. 

The Early church understood through the Scriptural narratives that   when the Disciples came together  after the resurrection,  that Jesus was there also. They understood that Jesus was establishing for us that when the church is together He is there also even for us today and forever. John:20:19-28, Mark:16:14,Luke:24:33-49,Matthew:28:16-20

When we gather to praise Him our Lord makes Himself known to us in a unique way. Psalm:22:3- tells us that "God inhabits the Praises of His people." 

Our praises of Him does not "work up" His presences,  but rather,  shows us what is already true, that Jesus is with us. 

God Works in The Worship

At the very outset of creation the Angelic Host sang praises at God brought the natural universe into being. 

"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? "Job:38:4-7

If God created the natural universe   at the Angles' songs of praise, what might He created, while we who are Children of God , sing praises to Him. 

 We are doing far more than just singing  songs,  we are involved in the workings of God, beyond anythings we might have ever imaged.  God works as we worship. 

Worship is a vital part of the Christian life. We are called to join in and Worship the Great God...Amen

 Editors Note: We at the Fountain of Life Church, believe very strongly that all Christians should be a part of a local congregation.  If you do not have a church home please find one. We invite you to worship with us here at the Fountain of Life Church in Washington Pennsylvania, or if you are interested in Grace Communion , of which the Fountain of life is apart of . You can go to our Communion's web page and find the nearest Grace Communion congregation near you. at http://www.gci.org/participate/find

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com