COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

[1watchman]

GODLY COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
[From a paper on faithful testimony]

In christendom we are seeing the modern sects often making Christian assembly gatherings into a social thing for the world, rather than gatherings of Christian saints as we learn in the Epistles, for true scriptural worship by real "born again" saints. There then can be set Gospel meeting times, Bible studies, prayer meetings for all the public interested in coming to learn about God and spiritual truth for a "child of God".

God is seeking Christian worshippers as He shows in His Word (John 4:23), as intended to please and honor Him, and unregenerate man cannot do that (meditate on John 3 and note 1 Cor.2:14). God calls all of man's ideas as "carnality" and unacceptable. Stage shows are often held with musicals by various so-called "worship leaders", who have special singers, musical bands, and entertainment in the name of worship ---with no thought of the Lord's Supper, which should be the very essence of collective worship (note Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.11: 23-29; etc.). We need to bow to Bible-only.

Various social or philosophical sermons (sometimes from Bible verses) occupy also much of the time. The charismatic people often are heard pleading with God in song to "not take your Spirit from me", as one of their songs says ---denying the very promise of God. That is no doubt because they do not think about what Holy Scripture teaches, and the new birth (John 3) and Godly worship (John 4:23-24); and prefer carnal ideas to please the flesh.

The central thought in Christian collective worship is the memorial of the Lord's table for the Lord's supper. It first speaks of the heart in those real saints "sealed" (John 6:27; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13) and in the place and holy ground of gathering by the work of the Spirit (as the saints in Matt. 18:20), and then of the remembrance meeting as God ordained for His saints (Matt.26:26-30; Luke 22:19-20; etc.). It is not at all about man's ideas and innovations. Preceding this holy supper there might very well be thankful prayers, The collective praise by saints in song and Bible readings of the work and sacrifice of the Savior to redeem fallen man. A gathering at the table by the saints shows more of the scriptural way, rather than stage shows.

Worship must be in the praise and thanksgiving to God by the known "born again" saints, and the glory of the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God ---our Savior. A scriptural assembly should have a stated time for true believers to gather at the Lord's Table on the Lord's Day for a remembrance meeting to worship as a "holy" and "royal priesthood" (as 1 Peter 2), of real believers with liberty for all present for the Lord's Supper as God ordained ---not allowing defilement of this holy time. Local saints surely need to know who is among them. It is a quiet time of devotion of the full priesthood there in personal giving of thanks, collective songs of worship, and readings of the works and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus for us as redeemed sinners. Any unknown visitors present need to sit apart in the place of "the unlearned" (1 Cor. 14:16) and may learn and profit from the testimony, and hopefully in time will desire to be gathered to the holiness of the fellowship.

- from Biblecounsel.net by R. L. DeWitt 2016;

 

[HTacianas]

It's called the Divine Liturgy. It has been the ordained form of Christian worship for two thousand years.

 

[1watchman]

I see it simply as the teaching of Holy Scripture and without the religious ideas of men, with both ideas to please the flesh and religious ceremonies, rituals, traditions, hierarchy, etc. I see it happening in Bible-only gatherings from that revival of circa 1800 AD, when saints began to value and return to God's Word alone.

We need to leave the ideas of men and hold to "unity of the faith" in God's Word. One can see something about this from that revival of circa 1800 with that return to the Holy Bible as the given pathway for saints of God. It has been going forth ever since in many places.

Well, we just need to bow to God and His ways in the Gospels and Epistles, and we will then have the mind of God.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

The charismatic people often are heard pleading with God in song to "not take your Spirit from me", as one of their songs says ---denying the very promise of God.

I know that song. It's a quote from Psalm 51:11. It was written by King David, a man after God's own heart.

That is no doubt because they do not think about what Holy Scripture teaches....

That's an ironic assessment, considering the lyrics are holy scripture.

 

[1watchman]

The Church has moved on from the typology in the OT, so we need to see we are "sealed" by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Israelites did not know. They had occasions when the Holy Spirit came upon one at times for purposes, but not as the new birth which we learn of in John 3. I hope this helps.

 

[HTacianas]

GODLY COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
[From a paper on faithful testimony]

In christendom we are seeing the modern sects often making Christian assembly gatherings into a social thing for the world, rather than gatherings of Christian saints as we learn in the Epistles, for true scriptural worship by real "born again" saints. There then can be set Gospel meeting times, Bible studies, prayer meetings for all the public interested in coming to learn about God and spiritual truth for a "child of God".

God is seeking Christian worshippers as He shows in His Word (John 4:23), as intended to please and honor Him, and unregenerate man cannot do that (meditate on John 3 and note 1 Cor.2:14). God calls all of man's ideas as "carnality" and unacceptable. Stage shows are often held with musicals by various so-called "worship leaders", who have special singers, musical bands, and entertainment in the name of worship ---with no thought of the Lord's Supper, which should be the very essence of collective worship (note Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.11: 23-29; etc.). We need to bow to Bible-only.

Various social or philosophical sermons (sometimes from Bible verses) occupy also much of the time. The charismatic people often are heard pleading with God in song to "not take your Spirit from me", as one of their songs says ---denying the very promise of God. That is no doubt because they do not think about what Holy Scripture teaches, and the new birth (John 3) and Godly worship (John 4:23-24); and prefer carnal ideas to please the flesh.

The central thought in Christian collective worship is the memorial of the Lord's table for the Lord's supper. It first speaks of the heart in those real saints "sealed" (John 6:27; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13) and in the place and holy ground of gathering by the work of the Spirit (as the saints in Matt. 18:20), and then of the remembrance meeting as God ordained for His saints (Matt.26:26-30; Luke 22:19-20; etc.). It is not at all about man's ideas and innovations. Preceding this holy supper there might very well be thankful prayers, The collective praise by saints in song and Bible readings of the work and sacrifice of the Savior to redeem fallen man. A gathering at the table by the saints shows more of the scriptural way, rather than stage shows.

Worship must be in the praise and thanksgiving to God by the known "born again" saints, and the glory of the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God ---our Savior. A scriptural assembly should have a stated time for true believers to gather at the Lord's Table on the Lord's Day for a remembrance meeting to worship as a "holy" and "royal priesthood" (as 1 Peter 2), of real believers with liberty for all present for the Lord's Supper as God ordained ---not allowing defilement of this holy time. Local saints surely need to know who is among them. It is a quiet time of devotion of the full priesthood there in personal giving of thanks, collective songs of worship, and readings of the works and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus for us as redeemed sinners. Any unknown visitors present need to sit apart in the place of "the unlearned" (1 Cor. 14:16) and may learn and profit from the testimony, and hopefully in time will desire to be gathered to the holiness of the fellowship.

- from Biblecounsel.net by R. L. DeWitt 2016;

I'm thankful that we have the liturgy for worship as has been since the beginning so we don't have to put up with all of that.

 

[1watchman]

To each his own! I believe Bible-only must be our course, and not by taking verses out of context that is so often done to support religious ideas. There would be true "unity of the faith" worldwide as God ordains, if saints would lay aside various innovations and see what God has given in the pure Word of God. The essence of faith is shown in John 14, and all religious ideas we hear are adding to or taking from the true church as given in the New Testament. Those who add to or take from that have liberty to do it, but I don't think God approves it. Well, keep looking up!