What we truly prize, we really praise. It’s just that simple. Worship is a matter of expression and of completion. We praise Him in worship because we prize Him above all. “Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2). When we truly worship, God means so much to us that there’s a bubbling over. In worship, we express our adoration, awareness, awe, and appreciation of God through the avenues authorized in His inspired word. Sadly, it’s too easy to depreciate or to take the worth and value out of worship. Let’s look at some misunderstandings of worship that quickly depreciate its real purpose and meaning.
“The House of Worship View.” This misunderstanding puts too much emphasis upon a specific location and time (cf. John 4:19-26). Worship to God certainly occurs in our church meetings, but hopefully, it does not exclusively take place there. However, one gets the impression that this is precisely what some brethren think and practice. Those advocating this view apparently think that the church building is the ONLY place where worship can occur. This narrows the biblical meaning of worship because it does not properly consider the privilege of personal worship, family worship, or gatherings of Christians for expression of devotion to God. The limitation of worship to formally stated times and places is one common misunderstanding of worship. This does NOT make the assembly less important (Acts 20:7; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2), but DOES allow for the truth that worship can (and should) take place at other times and places other than the “church building” on the first day of the week.
“The Actions Only View.” This view stresses the external and sees worship as the mere fulfillment of religious exercises. The “routine” is everything! As long as the “right things” are done (a cappella singing, the Lord’s supper observed each Lord’s day, praying, giving, getting into the word of God – and yes, these are right things!), worship is fine and our “heavenly credit rating” gets higher. But isn’t it possible to have the right form but the wrong attitude? Doesn’t Scripture speak of how God must be worshiped “in spirit and in truth?” (John 4:23-24). Didn’t Jesus speak of religious folk who did the right thing, but their hearts were far from God? (Matthew 15:7-10). Respecting biblically authorized avenues of worship is essential, but such avenues are not sufficient of themselves. And just as salvation is not by faith alone, worship is not by the performance of the right actions or avenues alone. True worship involves both action and attitude. Worship should be our response to the awesome character of God – of all that He is, that He has done, and that He will do. But truth (proper actions) without spirit (proper attitude) will not please God any more than would a sincere heart (spirit) without proper emphasis upon truth.
“The Lone Ranger View.” This position sees the personal nature of worship to such an extent that the importance of Christians assembling together is deemphasized. It basically says, “Since a Christian can worship anywhere, I don’t have to assemble with yawl there,” or “I can worship as well at the lake as in the assembly.” But there ARE some things that can only be done in assembling with God’s people. The church is a group of called out people, and to be a “group,” you must meet together as a group! The assembly must assemble. And the “Lord’s day” is when this is to occur (Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10). There is a “one another” characteristic that takes place in the assembling of ourselves together (e.g. Hebrews 10:24-25; Colossians 3:16). Surely the “Lone Ranger” view fails to appreciate the Lord’s supper (1 Corinthians I 0:16-17; 11:17-20, 33). The Lord’s supper is to be compared not to eating alone in a restaurant full of people but to a family meal where being together is an important part of what God desires. Let’s not take the worth out of worship! (More next week. I am indebted to Everett Ferguson’s book, The Church of Christ, for some of these thoughts).
All too often Christians are quick to retort to a brother in the Lord when that person has commented or offered an opinion or suggestion which you do not like, with the following euphemism, “stay in your lane!” What are you really saying to your brother when you make this statement? According to a leading dictionary on American Slang, the phrase, “Stay in your lane is a metaphorical phrase, instructing someone to stick to their own concerns or areas of expertise; to mind their own business and not to meddle in the matters unrelated to them” (www.slanglang.net).
But should the Christian use this type of language? Where is the concern for others? Where is the humility in this expression? Where is care for one another in this? Brethren, let us be careful what we borrow from the world (1 John 2:15-17).
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