The Nature Of Worship

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The Nature Of Worship

The ECI ConferenceOct. 7-8, 2013

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Jn. 4:19-2419 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that

You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is

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Jn. 4:19-24coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

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Jn. 4:21-24

NT worship is not associated with a particular place (v. 20-21)

Worship what you do not know (v. 22a)

Samaritan worship was ignorant, and Jewish worship was informed

Samaritans were wrong; Jews were right

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The Wrong ObjectHost of heaven (Dt. 4:19)

Idols (2 Ki. 21:21; Isa. 2:8)

gods (Ex. 34:14; Psa. 81:9; Dan. 3:28)

Satan (Mt. 4:8-10 // Lk. 4:5-8; Rev. 13:4)

Demons (Rev. 9:20)

Angels (Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:9-10; 22:8-9)

Men (Acts 10:25-26)

Government (Rev. 13:4, 8, 12; 14:9, 11; 16:2)

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Wrong WorshipDt. 12:3-4: 3 And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things.

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“Worship Is Right”Given O. Blakely: “You

cannot worship wrongly. That is like saying there is an angelic devil. You cannot do that. You cannot – worship is right! It is never wrong. It can be vain, but not wrong.” (Bold emphasis added, The Highers-Blakely Debate, 1988, 106)

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Different Kinds Of WorshipVain Worship (Mt. 15:8-9)

Ignorant Worship (Acts 17:23)

Will-Worship (Col. 2:20-23)

True Worship (Jn. 4:23-25)

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Wrong WorshipersCain (Gen. 4:3-7)

Nadab & Abihu (Lev. 10:1-3)

Israelites (Ex. 32:1-9)

King Saul (1 Sam. 13:8-14)

Uzziah (2 Chr. 26:16-23)

Athenians (Acts 17:22-23)

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Unacceptable Worship Wrong God (Ex. 20:1-3; 32:8; 1 Cor. 10:20)

Wrong Way (Mt. 15:8-9; Jn. 4:23-24; 1 Pet. 2:5)

Wrong Relationship (Eph. 3:21)

Wrong Heart (Mt. 15:8-9; Jn. 4:23-24)

Wrong Life (Isa. 1:10-20; Amos 8:4-7)

Jn. 4:21-24Know what you worship (v. 22b)

True worshipers implies false worshipers (v. 23a)

Worship the Father (v. 23a)

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Worship:

Not ME But HIM2 Ki. 17:36: 36 but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice.

1 Chr. 16:29: 29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

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Worship:

Not ME But HIMPsa. 5:7: 7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

Psa. 29:2: 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

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Worship:

Not ME But HIMRev. 4:9-11: 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

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Worship:

Not ME But HIMRev. 15:3–4: 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”

Jn. 4:21-24Father is seeking true worshipers (v. 23b)

A “must” to worship (v. 24)

Worship in spirit and truth (v. 24)

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Worship In SpiritWith the right attitude

With the inner man

In the new realm God has revealed

Through the Holy Spirit

In substance as opposed to shadow

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Worship In TruthIn keeping with God’s revealed will (Jn. 17:17)

With proper motives (Phil. 1:18)

Through Jesus (Jn. 14:6)

In substance as opposed to shadow

– “Spirit and truth” are one concept

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What Is Worship?

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“Worship”The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary: “...the honor, reverence, and homage paid to superior beings or powers, whether men, angels, or God. The English word means ‘worthship,’ and denotes the worthiness of the individual receiving the special honor due to his worth.” (Bold emphasis added, p. 899)

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Worship In The NTA personal act (Jn. 4:23)

A conscious act (Jn. 4:22; Mt. 28:9)

A selfless act

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Adoring ReverenceRev. 4:9–11: 9 Whenever the living creatures

give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

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Self AbasementNeh. 8:6: 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Psa. 95:6: 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

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Giving Not Receiving2 Sam. 24:22-24: 22 Now Araunah said to David, “Let

my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.” 24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

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Giving The BestMal. 1:7–8: 7 “You offer defiled food on My

altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ 8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts.

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What Is Worship?The adoring reverence of the creature for the Creator (Rev. 4:8-11)

A selfless act of self-abasement (Rev. 1:10-18)

An emphasis on giving, not receiving

An emphasis on giving the best we have, not the left-overs (2 Sam. 24:24; Mal. 1:7-8, 10; cf. Amos 5:21; Hosea 6:4-6; Isa. 1:11-15)

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Questions To Ask

• “How do I feel?”• “Did I enjoy it?”• “Did I get anything out of it?”

Not:

• “Was God pleased?”• “How did I do?”

But:

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Is All Of Life Worship?

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All Of Life Is WorshipMike Root: “Worship is a life given in

obedience to God. It’s not a when or where proposition, but a what. It’s what we are. You can’t go to it or leave it, dress for it or from it, and you can’t start it or stop it. It’s not formal or informal, horizonal [sic] or vertical, and it’s also not high or low, or contemporary or traditional. It doesn’t open and close with a prayer, and it doesn’t have a human leader or a special day.

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All Of Life Is WorshipWorship is not corporate or private, and it isn’t ‘five acts,’ and it’s not so much what we do to God as what we do for (in the name of) God.” (Bold emphasis added, Unbroken Bread, 115)

Mike Root: “The kind of worship God wants is a living sacrifice that manifests itself through unselfishness and compassion. Every act of ‘doing good’ and every act of ‘sharing’ is a real, biblical act of worship.” (Bold emphasis added, Unbroken Bread, 21-22)

All Of Life Is WorshipMike Root: “Worship is a life given in

obedience to Christ. At one time worship was the act of going to the temple and making a sacrifice, but in Christ, we sacrifice ourselves. Our lives become worship to God.” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 20)

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All Of Life Is WorshipMike Root: “We have done a terrible disservice

to worship when we confine it to a passive, localized and selective gathering and time. Worship is a ‘living sacrifice’ and that life is constant. With every beat of a heart that is living for God, He is glorified and worshiped.” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 23)

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All Of Life Is WorshipMike Root: “When we think of worship, we

should think of living for God and not have mental pictures of buildings, reverent atmospheres, long faces and structured acts. Worship is synonymous with sacrifice, praise, obedience and service. Worship is the person we help who has been left for dead by the roadside, and not just the three hours at ‘church’ on Sunday. Worship is the cup of cold water given on Tuesday

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All Of Life Is Worshipas well as the cup of grape juice taken on the first day of the week. Worship comes from a heart that houses God and not just from what tradition calls ‘the house of God.’” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 25)

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The Christian Must…Present his body as a “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1-2)

Do everything in the name of the Lord (Col. 3:17)

Do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31)

The Christian can and should worship God apart from “worship assemblies” (Acts 16:25; Heb. 13:15; Jas. 5:13)

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Is All Of Life Worship?

Questions To ConsiderWhat do we mean by “worship”?

Is all “worship” the same?

What Hebrew or Greek word are we considering?

Can something be “worship” in one sense and not in another?

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Worship Can BeginGen. 22:5: 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

1 Sam. 1:3: 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh….

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Worship Can Begin2 Sam. 12:20: 20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.

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Worship Can Begin2 Chr. 29:28: 28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

2 Chr. 29:29: 29 And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped.

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Worship Can BeginActs 24:11: 11 because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

Rev. 19:10: 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

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Worship Can End1 Sam. 1:19: 19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

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Worship Can End2 Sam. 12:20: 20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.

Lk. 24:52: 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

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Worship Can EndActs 8:27-28: 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

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Worship: When & WhereAbraham went over yonder (Gen. 22:5)

Eli worshiped God in Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3)

David went into the house of the Lord to worship (2 Sam. 12:20)

The Ethiopian eunuch “had come to Jerusalem to worship” (Acts 8:27)

Paul “went up to Jerusalem to worship” (Acts 24:11)

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Is Everything Worship?Household chores?

Mowing the lawn?

Conjugal duties?

Spanking a disobedient child?

Sleeping?

Dreaming?

Sin?

Ray Hawk: “When I sin or if I reject God, then I would no longer be bowing before him in service when I am engaged in that sin or rejection. My imperfections are not presenting my ‘body as a living sacrifice.’” (Bold emphasis added, personal correspondence: “Ray Hawk’s 5th Response, p. 2)

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Worship = Praise = GlorifyMike Root: “For all practical purposes, worship

and praise are synonymous words in the New Testament when applied to what the child of God is and does. Another synonym of both these terms is glory or glorify. To glorify is to magnify, extol, praise, or ascribe honor to someone. When we worship, praise, and glorify God, we are exalting Him. This means that we are reflecting positively on Him and showing His preeminence in our lives.” (Bold emphasis added, Unbroken Bread, 141)

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Glorifying ≠ WorshippingRev. 14:6–7: 6 Then I saw another angel

flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

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Glorifying GodAchan’s confession of sin (Josh. 7:19-20)Judgment on Sidon (Ezek. 28:22)Christ’s obedience (Jn. 14:13)Christians’ fruit-bearing (Jn. 15:8)HS revealing God’s will (Jn. 16:14)Father to glorify the Son (Jn. 17:1, 5)Jesus finishing His work (Jn. 17:4)Peter’s death (Jn. 21:18-19)Avoiding sin (1 Cor. 6:18-20)

Did the Father “worship” the Son when He glorified Him?

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Praising GodWords of praise (Lk. 1:64; 2:13-14; 19:37-38; 1 Pet. 2:9)

Songs of praise (Heb. 2:12)

Giving thanks (Heb. 13:15-16)

Genuine faith tested by fire (1 Pet. 1:7)

– Is this praise for God or the faithful Christian?

Fruits of righteousness (Phil. 1:11)

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Rom. 12:1NKJV: 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

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Latreia(Rom. 12:1)

“Service” “Worship”“Spiritual service” (ASV) “Spiritual worship” (ESV;

HCSB; NRSV; RSV)

“Reasonable service” (KJV; LEB; NET; NKJV)

“Spiritual service of worship” (NASB)

“Intelligent service” (YLT) “True and proper worship” (NIV)

“Spiritual act of worship” (NIV84)

“Reasonable way for you to worship” (ISV)

Latreia In The NT

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S DS W SW D TW MNKJV 5KJV 4 1

NASB 2 2 1ESV 1 3 1NIV 1 2 1 1

NIV84 1 2 1 1NRSV 4 1LEB 4 1S = Service(s); DS = Divine Service; W = Worship; SW = Service of

worship; D = Duties; TW = Temple worship; M = Ministry

Latreuo In The NT

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S W Se O Off OW MNKJV 16 4 1KJV 16 4 1

NASB 17 3 1ESV 10 11NIV 13 7 1

NIV84 12 8 1NRSV 5 13 1 1 1LEB 15 6

S = Serve, Served, or Serving; W = Worship, Worshipped, or Worshiper(s); Se = Service or Did Service or Offer Service; O =

Offer; Off = Officiate; OW = Offer Worship; M = Minister

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Observations On Rom. 12:11. Precarious to build concept on one verse

“Baptism for the dead” (1 Cor. 15:29)

2. Rom. 12:1 does not explicitly say that all of life is worship

Perhaps what Paul implies

BIG difference between possible, reasonable, probable, and necessary inferences

Can infer what isn’t implied (Jn. 21:21-23)

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Infer What Isn’t ImpliedJn. 21:21–23: 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” 23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”



3. If all of life is latreia, is all of life proskuneo?

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“Worship”(Greek Words)

Proskuneo (60x)

Latreia (5x)

Latreuo (21x)

Sebo (7x)

Eusebeo (1x)

Therapeuo (1x)

Sebazomai (1x)

Threskeia (1x)

Bearing BurdensGal. 6:2 [KJV]: Bear ye one another’s burdens [baros], and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Gal. 6:5 [KJV]: For every man shall bear his own burden [phortion].

“Burden” (ASV; KJV; LEB; YLT)

“Load” (ESV; HCSB; ISV; NET; NAB; NASB; NIV; NKJV; NRSV; RSV)

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Latreia ≠ Proskuneo2 Ki. 21:21: 21 So he walked in all the ways that his father had walked; and he served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them. (cf. Dan. 3:12, 14, 18, 28 LXX)

Mt. 4:10: 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” (cf. Lk. 4:8)

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4. All-of-life-is-worship concept ignores clear evidence to the contrary

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Latreia Can Begin & EndJn. 16:2: They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

Rom. 9:4: who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; (cf. Heb. 9:1, 6)

– Cf. Num. 10:33-34

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“Serve” & “Service”(Various Greek Words)

General course of life (Mt. 20:28; Lk. 15:29; 16:13; Jn. 12:26; Acts 10:19; 26:7; 27:23; Rom. 1:9; 12:11; Phil. 2:17, 22; 1 Th. 1:9; 2 Tim. 1:3; Heb. 9:14; 12:28)

Specific acts that begin and end (Lk. 1:8, 23; 4:39; 10:40; 12:37; 17:8; Jn. 12:2; 16:2; Rom. 14:18; 15:31; 1 Cor. 9:13; 2 Cor. 9:12; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 6:7; Phil. 2:30; 1 Pet. 5:2)

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Anna’s ServiceLk. 2:37: and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Did She Never Stop Fasting And Praying?

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24 Elders’ WorshipRev. 4:10: 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

Rev. 5:14: 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

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24 Elders’ WorshipRev. 7:11: 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

– 1 elder stops and talks to John (Rev. 7:13)

Rev. 11:16: 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,

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24 Elders’ WorshipRev. 19:4: 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

Not just being in God’s presence

Not just falling down

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Angel’s CommandRev. 14:6–7: 6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

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Angel’s CommandRev. 19:10: 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

– If all of life is worship, wasn’t John already worshipping God?




4. All-of-life-is-worship concept ignores clear evidence to the contrary

5. What is the significance of the aorist tense?

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The Aorist Tense

• The act of presenting our bodies?

• Our bodies as “living sacrifices”?

• Both?

Is our “reasonable service”

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“Present”(paristemi)

Rom. 6:13: 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Rom. 6:16: 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Present tense

Aorist tense

Present tense

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“Present”(paristemi)

Rom. 6:19: 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Aorist tense

Aorist tense

Observations On Rom. 12:16. Does Rom. 12:2 explain Rom. 12:1?

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Verse 2 Explains Verse 1Robert Mounce: “If v. 1 speaks of a specific act in which we offer ourselves to God, v. 2 tells us of two ongoing activities that carry out the intention of the living sacrifice. The first is negative; the second, positive.” (Bold emphasis added, Mounce, “Romans,” NAC, 27, 232)

“V 2, while grammatically parallel to v 1, really explains in more detail how this giving of ourselves as sacrifices is to be carried out.” (Bold emphasis added, NBC, Elec. Ed., n.p.)


7. Is this figurative language rather than literal?

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“Living Sacrifices”(Rom. 12:1)

OT Sacrifices NT SacrificesAnimals Human bodiesDead LivingOffered periodically Offered ???Without blemish (Lev. 1:3)

Holy

Sweet aroma (Lev. 1:9) Acceptable to GodReasonable Service

Literal Metaphorical

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Figurative Language(Rom. 12:1)

“Spiritual (Gk. logikēn) is derived from ‘word’ (Gk. logos) and so here means ‘figurative, metaphorical’ as distinct from the material worship of OT ritual.” (Bold emphasis added, NIBC, 1338)

Robert Haldane: “Sacrifice.—This term is used figuratively. It intimates that there are now no proper sacrifices. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross has put an end to sacrifices.” (Bold emphasis added, Commentary on Romans, 562)

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Figurative Language(Rom. 12:1)

Craig S. Keener: “Ancient Judaism and some philosophical schools often used ‘sacrifice’ figuratively for praise or for a lifestyle of worship; hence it would be hard for Paul’s readers to miss his point here.” (Bold emphasis added, IVPBBCNT, Elec. Ed., n.p.)

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Latreuo(Figurative Usage)

“Latreuo in a Generalized Figurative Sense” Lk. 1:74 Acts 24:14 Acts 27:23 2 Tim. 1:3 Heb. 12:28 Heb. 9:14 Rom. 1:9 Phil. 3:3 (TDNT, 4:63-65)

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Latreuo(Figurative Usage)

“The Generalized Figurative Sense” Righteous conduct (Lk. 1:74; Acts 24:14;

Heb. 12:28; 9:14 [?])

Paul’s missionary work (Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 8:18)

The Christian life in the Spirit (Phil. 3:3) (Little Kittel, 504)

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7. Is this figurative language rather than literal?

8. If everything I do with my body is “worship” (latreia), is it “worship” in every sense of that term?

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Ekklesia In NT UsageSecular Usage

Riotous mob (Acts 19:32, 41)

Regular town meeting (Acts 19:39)

Spiritual Usage

Congregation of Israel (Acts 7:38; Heb. 2:12)

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• “Universal” (Mt. 16:18; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22; 5:23)• “Local” (Acts 13:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 1 Th. 1:1; Rev. 1:11)• “Assembled” (1 Cor. 11:18; 14:19, 28, 34-35; 3 Jn. 10)

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Different Senses

• Older man (Acts 2:17; 1 Tim. 5:1)• Member of Sanhedrin (Mt. 16:21; 26:41)• Bishop/Pastor (Acts 20:17, 28; Tit. 1:5, 7)

Elder (presbuteros)

• Domestic servant (Jn. 2:5, 9) • Christians (Jn. 12:26) • Preachers (1 Cor. 3:5; 1 Th. 3:2)• Deacons (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12)

Deacon (diakonos)

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Different Senses

• One sent out (Jn. 13:16) • The twelve (Mt. 10:2; Lk. 6:13) • Messengers of churches (2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25)

Apostle (apostolos)

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A Certain Kind Of WorshipJack Cottrell: “The point is that all Christian

living is worship offered up to God. Public, corporate worship is special and must not be neglected, but that is not the only part of the Christian life that may be called ‘worship.’” (Bold emphasis added, “Romans,” CPNIVC, 2:n.p.)

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A Certain Kind Of WorshipJim McGuiggan: “Now any person who doesn’t

know there is a difference between public and corporate ‘worship’ and daily ‘worship’ just isn’t thinking. But it doesn’t follow that one is ‘worship’ and the other is not ‘worship’. We know the difference between teaching ‘publicly’ and ‘house to house’ but it never enters our mind to say one is ‘teaching’ and the other isn’t ‘teaching’.” (Bold emphasis added, “Romans.” Looking Into The Bible Series, 349)

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ObjectionsOT examples of worship do not apply to NT worship

No one can prove that there are only “five acts” of worship

Are we to present our bodies as living sacrifices only 3 or 4 hours a week in the worship services of the local church?

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ObjectionsKen Green: “Since when is the offering of a sacrifice not an act of worship?”

The so-called five acts of worship (prayer, singing, preaching, Lord’s Supper, & giving) are never explicitly identified as “worship”

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“What’s It All About, Alfie?”

InformalityMike Root: “This ‘first day of the week’ assembly [in Acts 20:7, ksk] was as unstructured and informal as an unplanned reunion of college friends.” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 50-51)

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InformalityMike Root: “Just as surely as God sees hearts and not houses, He sees righteousness and not rituals.” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 30-31)

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TogethernessMike Root: “So, why did they meet? They met to be together.” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 40)

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TogethernessMike Root: “Together is the one thing you can't do alone. They, the New Testament church, did not meet to fulfill requirements. They did not meet to pay back God. They did not meet just because it was expected. They did not meet out of a need to get some list of sacramental acts checked off. They met because they wanted to be together and because God wants His children to be together. This is the

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TogethernessMike Root: “Christians assemble to be together. We don't assemble to worship because that’s what our lives are. We don’t assemble to perform rituals because no rituals are found in the New Testament, just togetherness builders. One of the main reasons Christians assemble is to be equipped.” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 116)

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TogethernessMike Root: “Whether it's the temple porch, a living room, a hillside, a prison, or a building specially constructed for Christians, God's people meet only to reap the benefits of togetherness. These benefits can't be obtained alone, even though God is as much in attendance with the lone sentry as He is with the encampment of His army. (Bold emphasis added, Unbroken Bread, 21-22)

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TogethernessMike Root: “The New Testament Christians assembled to break bread, not because they needed to sing, pray, study, give, and meditate on Jesus. These activities, and many others, were all tools to enhance their togetherness, and not rites or rituals to be performed.” (Bold emphasis added, Unbroken Bread, 23)

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Pep-Rally ReligionMike Root: “Encouragement is the glue that keeps us close, the rah-rah that keeps us going, and the hook that keeps us coming back for more. It’s a drug we can’t get enough of and a gift that we never tire of giving” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 73)

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Pep-Rally ReligionMike Root: “People are crying for equipping, and we tell them, sorry, but you come to church to give, not to get.” Again, where are the scriptures to justify such assertions? (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 119-120)

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“What’s It All About, Alfie?”Applause In The Assembly

Mike Root: “What is the primary way in our culture that we show appreciation publicly? Applause. It says to the recipients, ‘We truly appreciate what you have done, and we want to publicly recognize you and honor you.’ Because Christians are into rejoicing and showing appreciation, how could it possibly be out of place to applaud in the assembly?” (Bold emphasis added, Spilt Grape Juice, 135)

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Eating TogetherBreaking the Bread of Life = sharing Jesus

Breaking the bread of the Lord’s Supper = sharing Jesus' death, resurrection, return, indwelling, and our personal struggles.

Breaking the bread of a shared meal = sharing our material possessions and building unity and love (Unbroken Bread, 44-45)

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Paul’s Solution(1 Cor. 11:17-34)

Observe Lord’s Supper properly

Keep common meal separate

Share with poor

Observe Lord’s Supper properly (27-29)

Eat at home (22, 34)

Wait for one another (33)

Paul Did Not Say Paul Said

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“What’s It All About, Alfie?”Expanded Role For Women

Mike Root: “[W]omen can talk all they want before and after those magical opening and closing prayers, because being silent in the church is referring to the formal assembly. Five minutes before that opening prayer, the same women in the same building, sitting in the same seats, could comment, share, and edify others, simply because it was called ‘a Bible class,’ and everyone knows that’s not the same as the formal worship. There is some sense of

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“What’s It All About, Alfie?”Expanded Role For Women

consistency in this; neither Bible classes nor formal worship are found in the New Testament, so we can make up the rules as we go.” (Bold emphasis added, Unbroken Bread, 128)

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Anything Good?Much more to Christianity than “going to church” -- a meet, eat, and retreat religion

A life consecrated to God

Many have emphasized the “what” of assemblies and missed the “why”

Rote ritual is not what God wants

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Anything Good?Christians’ needs should be met

Primary purpose of our assemblies is edification, not evangelism

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Baby Out With BathwaterStressing a life consecrated to God does not require an all-of-life-is worship concept

Emphasizing the “why” does not require that we ignore the “what”

We can stress “want to” without downplaying “have to”

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Baby Out With BathwaterMust meet “felt needs” and “unfelt needs”

By focusing on God and others, we can reap wonderful blessings as a byproduct

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The Nature Of Worship

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Transcript of The Nature Of Worship