(I have "cut & pasted" this from a larger writing that I have done.)
Worship:
There are three forms of worship that we dont want to find ourselves:
A. Vain worship.
Matthew 15:6-9
6 he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men. NIV
B. Ignorant worship.
Acts 17:23
23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. NIV
C. Will-worship.
Colossians 2:18,23
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. KJV
The worship of the church of Christ has been designed by God and revealed in His Word. This design is sufficient to satisfy mans inner desire to express that worship. We can even worship Him through the study of His Word. God seeks those that will worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
John 4:23-24
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. KJV
We must all bow our knees to Him, through His Son, through His Word. Praise His Name!
The New Covenant writings open and closes with the same admonition to all: Worship God. God revealed Himself to men everywhere that they should seek God.
Acts 17:24-28
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. KJV
When man at an earlier date rejected that revelation given in natural law, moral law, and written law, he plunged into the revolting excesses of idolatry and reaped the consequences of his own willful perversion.
Paul speaks of this:
Romans 1:25
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.KJV
Today, we can look around us and see the same kind of perversion. Paul warned that after he left:
Acts 20:28-30
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. KJV
Paul was speaking to the elders of a church at this time. In the second century, just after Pauls departure, you can read the writings of those leaders(?) of that time and see the changes taking place. Man changed the design of the church, worship, and titles etc. etc. Men are called Reverend, Pastor, Father, etc. etc. Their false titles and works are legion.
I have taken this (Worship) from a part of a larger writing that I did. I titled the larger writing Pattern of New Testament Christianity and it deals with the government of the church as set up in the New Covenant by our Lord Jesus. If you want a copy of this writing, please send me a private email and let me know where I can email it.
The church of our Lord has certainly changed from the first century when Jesus set it up.
Your servant in Messiah, Jesus,
Charlesj
Worship:
There are three forms of worship that we dont want to find ourselves:
A. Vain worship.
Matthew 15:6-9
6 he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men. NIV
B. Ignorant worship.
Acts 17:23
23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. NIV
C. Will-worship.
Colossians 2:18,23
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. KJV
The worship of the church of Christ has been designed by God and revealed in His Word. This design is sufficient to satisfy mans inner desire to express that worship. We can even worship Him through the study of His Word. God seeks those that will worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
John 4:23-24
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. KJV
We must all bow our knees to Him, through His Son, through His Word. Praise His Name!
The New Covenant writings open and closes with the same admonition to all: Worship God. God revealed Himself to men everywhere that they should seek God.
Acts 17:24-28
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. KJV
When man at an earlier date rejected that revelation given in natural law, moral law, and written law, he plunged into the revolting excesses of idolatry and reaped the consequences of his own willful perversion.
Paul speaks of this:
Romans 1:25
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.KJV
Today, we can look around us and see the same kind of perversion. Paul warned that after he left:
Acts 20:28-30
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. KJV
Paul was speaking to the elders of a church at this time. In the second century, just after Pauls departure, you can read the writings of those leaders(?) of that time and see the changes taking place. Man changed the design of the church, worship, and titles etc. etc. Men are called Reverend, Pastor, Father, etc. etc. Their false titles and works are legion.
I have taken this (Worship) from a part of a larger writing that I did. I titled the larger writing Pattern of New Testament Christianity and it deals with the government of the church as set up in the New Covenant by our Lord Jesus. If you want a copy of this writing, please send me a private email and let me know where I can email it.
The church of our Lord has certainly changed from the first century when Jesus set it up.
Your servant in Messiah, Jesus,
Charlesj