Worshipping

by J.R. Butler, Halifax | Category: General | Dec 1974

What do we understand by worship? Does it entail more than gathering with the saints on the first day of the week for the Remembrance? The Remembrance does provide a unique opportunity to express our appreciation of the work and worth of our Lord Jesus Christ to His God and Father, but such expression must surely be an extension - an outcome of a worshipping life.

The English word 'worship' is a contraction of 'worthship'. To worship an object is to be taken up with its worth; to hold it in high esteem. A supplementary idea is, to pay homage. This means a recognition by a vassal of the superiority of his lord.

From these ideas it may be seen that worship has to do with attitudes. And the attitudes of a person inevitably give character to his life. For example, a man may worship art, as men have done for centuries. The graven image to which the heathen bow may be classed as art; but whatever form of art a person may be particularly interested in it will be evident to observers by the keenness with which he pursues it. Selfishness is a form of self-worship. A man may so highly regard himself that he will resort to deceit of all kinds in order to satisfy his own desires and comforts. If his interests so possess him that he spends all his time on them, eventually they will become his gods and he may be said to worship them.

In contrast to what we have said, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ cannot worship the work of men's hands. To him God has been revealed; the true God, the only God, Creator and Redeemer. Therefore the believer will be a godly person. He may have a legitimate regard for the things we have mentioned but this will be secondary. He will worship God only, and ideally devote his own interests to the service of God. The believer is subject to temptations from without and within but nevertheless he should be a godly person, and resemble in some degree the Man Christ Jesus.

We may conclude, then, that whatever men worship that is their God, and their worship is expressed by what they say and do. In other words, 'whom we worship we also serve'. This principle is seen in both the Old Testament and the New. Joshua, when pleading with Israel to put away other gods, recounts God's dealings with them from the days of Abraham, their earliest ancestor, and then says, "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and truth" (24:14). The word 'fear' implies reverence, and describes the attitude the people had taken up to these other gods. Joshua's message is that they should transfer this attitude, which is really one of worship, from these false gods to Jehovah who alone is God and therefore the only true object of worship. He goes on to say, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve; ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (v.15).

The apostle Paul expressed his awareness of belonging to God when he said to the men on the ship destined to be wrecked off the coast of Melita, "The God whose I am, whom also I serve" (Acts 27:23). Paul served God because he belonged to Him. He reminded the saints in Corinth, too, "Ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19,20). This has its application to all who would be God's worshippers today.

If Paul-like we recognize God's worth and own that we belong to Him we will serve according to His will. God desires our worship and service. When the Lord answered the tempter in the wilderness he quoted from Deut. 6:13, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4:10). Deut. 6:13 reads, "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God". The Lord used the word 'worship' in His quotation. The Lord not only desires that we worship and serve Him - He commands it.

God has always accepted the worship and service of individuals who loved and feared Him. But Scripture reveals that God desires a people to worship and serve Him in unity, according to His own pattern. He instructed Moses to say to Pharaoh, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me" (Exod. 8:1), and when Israel were delivered from their bondage Jehovah gave explicit instructions as to the way in which they could approach and worship Him. God could not accept

worship which was contrary to these instructions, witness the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10).

What was true under the Old Covenant is true under the New. Men are not permitted to choose how they worship God. Saul of Tarsus had to learn this. In his mistaken zeal he persecuted the Christians, and it was only after his experience on the Damascus road that he properly understood what God-directed worship really was. When he was brought face to face with the Person he had been persecuting he uttered the striking words, "What shall I do Lord?" He had now come to know his God.

The Scriptures provide adequate instructions as to what is and what is not acceptable to God. Service which is the expression of our worship must be according to His will.

J.R. Butler, Halifax | Dec 1974
General