Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #46 |
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JESUS calls US to be |
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The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide. |
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Why did Jesus say "Go" and "Tell"
When What We Do Is "Come" and "Worship"?(Additional comments about Viewpoint study #27)
In the Christian Standard for 6/22/97 is a very interesting article by BRUCE E. SHIELDS, one of the faculty at Emmanuel School of Religion in Johnson City, TN.
The Standard editor each year selects twelve men who are active leaders in the Restoration Movement and invites them to submit four articles to be published in the Standard that year reflecting on matters which at the time and for us who share their concerns are thought to be of considerable interest throughout our Christian world.
This REFLECTIONS article by Brother Shields is titled, "Reflecting on WORSHIP." He asks, "Do we think the activity which will occupy us for eternity is unimportant? Do we think we have restored the Lord's will for worship by practicing weekly Communion?...
"It appears from the last book of our Bible that we shall spend much of our eternity worshipping God. ... Add to that the indication in 1 Peter 2 (especially verses 5-9) that the purpose of the church is to offer praise to God. As important as evangelism is, it is secondary to worship, since our ultimate purpose is not just to gather people into God's kingdom, but to engage those people in the worship of God now and for eternity."
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I reflect that Shields is rethinking the great commission, perhaps feeling that the Lord didn't know what was most important for His church to do.
He correctly affirms that, "In most congregations (of the independent, undenominational fellowship to which most readers of Christian Standard belong) what we label 'worship' engages more people per week than any other single activity." Wouldn't you also have to agree that this is a true fact? Most who seek to honor Christ DO devote more time to "what we call 'worship'" than to putting our faith into practice.
This does not make what we're doing RIGHT, but it is an honest appraisal of what we ARE doing, I believe.
But the commission Jesus gave still does not agree with the Reflections of Bruce E. Shields. Nor, for that matter, with the only instructions the New Testament give us concerning our gatherings.
Yes, the church's actions will glorify God. They'll do so because we're obeying what the Lord wants us to do -- not because we've attempted because of OUR wants to CHANGE what He wants us to make primary.
Shields says we need to train people in good worship practices. But shouldn't we rather urge one another to do what the Lord Jesus tells us is what we should be doing for Him?
In Heaven, we'll worship. I doubt that we'll need special training to be able to worship well. Obviously we DO need to be taught what the Lord wants us to do here on earth. But "proper" worship is NOT what He thought important for us.
Shields' article is well worth your consideration, yet I choose not to copy it here. The 6/22/97 issue of Christian Standard is the place to go to see Shields' good words about the place of Jesus Christ in any worship program of Christians. Not only does he urge us to remember our Savior, God's living Word. He also points out that in our assemblies, we should give considerable attention to God's WRITTEN word. And he reminds us of the centrality of the Meal of Remembrance.
A good article. It's just mistaking the relative importance of our gatherings and our real WORSHIP, which is seldom done in our gatherings.
The heart of the WORSHIP doctrine is seen in a sub-heading in the Bruce E. Shields REFLECTIONS -- "If we go to our assemblies every weekend expecting to meet God -- to hear God's Word, and to respond as Christ's body -- we shall certainly worship 'in spirit and in truth.'"
The author of those words supposes that Christians perform their worship in the "worship hour" when they have met together on Sunday. Many in our churches today act as if they fully agreed with this idea. If they DO worship, it's in the church house. We spend far too little time reading the Bible, praying, and witnessing about Jesus when we are NOT in the church "house."
How could our hearts possibly be RIGHT when we are together if we spend so little time in creating in our hearts the sense of awe which MUST accompany worship in spirit and truth?
Brief Bible Study #46 from Ray Downen. To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here. Or here to go on to Viewpoint Study 47. For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.
