Great Bible Doctrines
Lesson No. 10: Worship

Date: July 31, 2002, Wednesday Evening Adult Bible Class
Speaker: John Phillis

Last time we were together, we looked at what the Bible had to say concerning the Kingdom of God—the church. The most natural follow—up to a discussion about the church would be to discuss worship. So this evening we are going to examine what the Bible has to say on the subject of worship in the New Testament church. We’re looking at the doctrine of the Bible—the teaching, the instruction—that is contained in God’s Word on this matter.

Jesus said that those who would worship God “must worship Him in spirit and in Truth,” John 4, verse 24 [“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and Truth.”]. That is the general instruction that is contained in the New Testament regarding worship in the Christian age.

Now, God has always desired and commanded that man worship Him. He has had different types of worship, although there are some similarities, but the nature of the worship that God has directed has been different in each age. For example, in the Patriarchal Age, worship was done within the context primarily of the family. In the Mosaical Age, the Jews’ worship centered primarily at first in the tabernacle, and then in the temple in Jerusalem, and it was based upon a system of sacrifices and ceremonies.

In the Christian Age, the age in which we live, worship is mainly by the church, according to that general instruction that we quoted a moment ago from John 4:24, “in spirit and in Truth,” but more specifically, according to the pattern that is given in the New Testament. Our worship must be worship that is spirit-centered—that is, simple and heartfelt. And it is to be done with decency and in order, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 40 [“Let all things be done decently and in order.”].

Our worship in the church today is related to God’s nature—His being our Creator. All of worship is grounded in the fact that God is and that He is worthy of our worship. He is “adorable” [worthy of adoration], one writer said. Now that’s not “adorable” like a little kitten or a little puppy. He deserves ouradoration. He is worshipful [worthy of reverence, great love, devotion].

We worship God because He made us and sustains our lives, Acts 17, verse 28 [“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”].

We worship God because He is our Heavenly Father, Matthew 6, verse 9 [“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.”].

We worship God because He seeks our worship, John 4, verse 23 [“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”].

We worship God because of His holiness, because of His greatness, because of His love and righteousness, Revelation 22, verse 9 [“Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the Words of this book. Worship God.’”].

And we worship God because He has commanded us to worship Him, John 4:24 [“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and Truth.”].

In a manner of speaking, through worship we “bridge the gap” that exists between ourselves and God. In worship, we commune with God. We are the “finite,” bowing down our hearts before the “infinite” and eternal God of the universe. Using the means that He has given us, we praise Him, we adore Him, we magnify and glorify His Name.

Now there is so much to say on this matter of worship. We could spend several class periods just discussing and analyzing what is involved in the act of worship. We need to do that sometime! I have been working on a series of sermons on the subject of worship, and I’m going to get those ready one of these days! Part of the problem I’m having is not because of a lack of material. There’s so much material that it’s hard to know just exactly how to put that together in a meaningful way. I think we could probably do a two-year series on the subject of worship.

Let’s look at the CONCEPT OF HOLINESS. An understanding of the concept of holiness is essential to an understanding of our worship.

In the Old Testament form of worship, the objects for worship were consecrated, or set apart, for that specific purpose and that purpose only. In other words, they were made holy. There was a holy place, speaking of the tabernacle and the temple, and a holy of holies. Those areas of both the tabernacle and the temple were not used for any other thing. They were not used for public gatherings. They were not used for any purpose except for the prescribed purpose of worship, and that specifically as God had set forth. They were holy places. The Jews had holy days. They had holy furniture and holy vessels. They had holy sacrifices. They had ceremonial holiness, they had spiritual holiness, and they had ethical holiness. Again, the idea here is that these things were for that specific purpose.