What Does the Scripture Say?

Interestingly when I did a search for the terms “worship” and “service” in the NASB, the two results demonstrate a huge contrast between old and new covenants.

Basically in the OT, they “performed” physical acts of worship by going to a physical place and offering up physical sacrifices. In the NT we are told to offer up spiritual sacrifices (not physical bulls, but spiritual self) which is a part of our spiritual worship. This spiritual worship of offering up spiritual sacrifices (like thanksgiving of praise) can and should be “performed” any and everywhere we are. Today we don’t have to go to a physical place to worship God. In John 4 Jesus tells us that the Father is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He’s done looking for physical worshippers.

I think that it is in man’s flesh to want to perform works that will somehow merit favor with God. Part of motive for many “worship service” goers is that they hope this physical act will earn favor with God. I really dislike the term “worship service” as to my mind it engenders the idea that Christians physically go to a physical place to do their physical service of worship. I rather like the term ‘meeting of the church’ or ‘the assembly of the brethren’, etc. Instead of “What time does the worship service start?”, how about “What time do the brethren start to meet?”

Another big concept is the question “What is the purpose of the church gathering together”? Many Christians might say, “To worship God”. But does that really have biblical support? Of course when we meet, an element of the meeting is worshipping God, but it seems to me, the main purposes of the body assembling together is found in Acts chapter 2.

So four fold 1) apostle’s teaching  (preaching)

2) Fellowship (real heart level koinonia)

3) Breaking of bread (either Lord’s Supper or simply a meal)

4) Prayer

To substantiate that a primary purpose was the Lord’s Supper look at 1 Cor 11:17-22

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

From 1 Cor chapters 12 and 14, I would say another main purpose is edification of the brethren. 1 Cor 14:26 summarizes

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

But the goal of the church meeting does not seem to be with the explicit purpose of “worshipping God”. Of course those 5 biblical points I found should be done as acts of spiritual worship, but so should the laundry, fixing computers, changing diapers, etc. Perhaps another underlying issue is that I believe the Scriptures teach that the meeting of the church is for believers, not non-believers. It seems to me that the church gathers to fellowship, etc. and be edified by one another’s spiritual gifts to the point where they are built up to go out and preach the gospel to the world. Then when by the grace of God a person comes into the family of God, they are brought into the church to become edified, spiritually matured. This doesn’t mean that we should prohibit non-believers from coming, but it means they are not the primary purpose of the church meeting, so the content of the meeting does not need to be geared to them, but rather to believers.

One of the blessings of Heritage is that a primary purpose of our church meeting together is to edify and equip the fathers to do the work of ministry in their families. Fathers are encouraged to be the primary disciplers of their wives and children. We are done with outsourcing our parenting (to the government) and outsourcing our spiritual responsibilities (to the youth pastors/youth groups). I enjoy the fact that fathers/husbands are the ‘target audience’ for much of the church meeting , specifically the preaching part. Since we have our children with us during this preaching time, many of them will have questions and that gives fathers the privilege and responsibility to answer them (either there, on the way, or at home after further study).

Another concept that has become confusing is the idea of ‘worship’ in a ‘worship service’ basically being the music part of the meeting. The term worship in some circles simply refers to the music/singing. Of course singing and making melody in your heart or with instruments should be a part of your worship to God, but it is not the only nor primary means of worship. In some churches, it seems that the ‘worship service’ gives an emotional or spiritual high that once the person leaves the church building, they start dropping down low and they can’t wait to get that ‘high’ from the ‘worship team’ the next Sunday. By the way I find the term ‘worship practice’ very humorous. As if before strumming their guitars the ‘worship leader’ looks up to Heaven and says, “This one’s not for real. It just practice.” In fact, the term worship comes from the old English “worth-ship” that is, we are acknowledging the ultimate worth of God and ascribing to God the supreme worth that He deserves. We can do that almost anytime, anywhere and in any physical activity.

All this to say I believe our real worship service should be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our spiritual worship service is constantly presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, which is well-pleasing to God because we stand in the righteousness of His Son.