Last updated on 8/8/07

Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #87
		JESUS calls US to be members of His church
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.

Should Christians Frequently
"Go To Worship"?
Date sent: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 19:32:22    
From: A Different Viewpoint
Subject: In praise of God

Dear Ray,   I have been disturbed of late about a turn in the debate over praise of God during corporate worship. What I am hearing <<Ray says -- as Ray's Viewpoint>> is that the main thrust of true Christian gatherings should be the mutual edification of the believers themselves. I appreciate this emphasis for all that it is worth, period.

<<Ray remarks -- I take this to mean that the writer thinks my viewpoint is not at all correct. What else could it mean?>>

At the same time, I question the implications of the expression: God does not need our praises to feel good about himself. This has a good ring to it, but it misses the point that God can freely choose to enjoy our praise and simply appreciates it. I may not need music, art or great literature to live, but these things surely uplift and enrich my soul, and I enjoy them. Is it unreasonable that our God does not NEED our worship to feel good about Himself, but ENJOYS it anyway?

Or, in this argumentation, do you see that I have missed your real meaning? If so, enlighten me.

<<Ray says -- It appears that my writing has been understood to mean that Christians should not love and respect God and praise Him together. What I have said is not exactly that. For giving that impression, I must apologize! My friend does not mean to sound bossy, but is just inviting us to consider his differing viewpoint when he adds the following exhortation.>>

If not, read on.

Taking your challenge to seek validation in the New Testament for congregational worship and praise of God, without quoting anything from Revelation, I put together some thoughts on

THE WORSHIP AND
PRAISE OF GOD By Christians.

John 4:20-24 - The question raised by the Samaritan and solved by Jesus concerned the central place of worship of the assembled people of God. In answering her, Jesus however did not deny the importance of the worshipping congregation, <<why would we think He spoke about ASSEMBLED worshippers?, asks Ray. Was it necessarily in GROUPS that Jews brought their offerings to the temple or to the shrines of the Samaritans?>> but specified that it would not be limited to central sanctuaries or holy places like Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim.

Instead He underlined the spiritual nature and authenticity of <<our individual>> worship, without specifying the place. We must notice however the phrase He used for what the true worshippers would do. We would "worship the Father." How does one worship without praise?

<<Ray says -- Compare this with what Paul exhorts in Romans 12:1,2. Is it possible that the best worship we can give to the Father is to LIVE for Him in simple obedience to what He has taught us through Jesus that He wants us to be daily doing?>>

Acts 2:47 - Since the first Christians worshipped at the temple <<Ray says -- Acts 2:46 reports that they daily met "in the temple courts," adding that they broke bread in their homes ... praising God, which sounds to me like their PRAISES were in their homes instead of in the temple's outer courts where larger groups met>>, their praises to God would have had a distinctively Hebrew flavor, but the point is they "praised God."

<<They ate and praised God in their homes. Since they were Jews, I surely agree that their praises would have a distinctively Hebrew flavor. But that this had anything to do with their meeting in the temple courts, I see no proof.>>

Acts 18:13 - Even though the Jewish accusation about the orthodoxy of Paul's teaching was false, it was however true that he persuaded people to worship God. Not in ways contrary to the law (as his accusers asserted), but in perfect harmony with all that God intended.

<<Ray remarks that Paul did not teach Christians to worship according to the Jewish law. Surely it is not intended that we should believe that this paragraph implies in any way that Paul taught that Christians were to worship according to Jewish law. Christians serve and worship Jesus, which is in harmony with God's will through all eternity, but is not a part of Jewish law.>>

Romans 15:6 - The purpose of Christian unity, notwithstanding the differences that distinguish us, is that we might "with one heart and mouth, glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Must this marvelous display of unity in glorifying God together be given only outside the common assembly?

<<No answer is needed to this rhetorical question, of course. But it might well be pointed out that it is obvious to every reader that Paul was saying that this marvelous display of unity in glorifying God together was not to be given ONLY in the common assembly.>>

Romans 15:9-11 - It is not expressly stated that these praises of God were done in a congregation. However the Psalm cited (18:49 = 2 Samuel 22:50) affirms that the Hebrew believer would have praised God among the nations, and this in turn would have encouraged the Gentiles to respond with praises to the name of God. So Paul correctly affirms that "the Gentiles may glorify God."

<<Saved sinners throughout the world may glorify God if we have been busy taking the gospel TO them so that they have heard that Jesus saves. If we've been so busy in our "worship services" that we did NOT take the gospel to those sinners, for what can they praise God?>>

1 Corinthians 14:25 - The non-believer falls down and worships God during the assembly of the Christians (v. 25), profoundly convinced that God is among them.

<<"During the assembly?" Or possibly AFTER the assembly. Does Paul say WHEN the reaction occurs? Is he here teaching that our assemblies are to be conducted for the purpose of impressing visitors? Is not his point that all things during our assemblies should be done in an orderly and considerate manner FOR THE GOOD OF all the saints assembled?>>

Ephesians 5:19 - Colossians 3:16 - How should we sing and make music to the Lord or to God? Paul underscored the reciprocity of our participation: "Speak to one another ... teach and admonish one another." How can we do this, unless others are present?

<<Ray remarks -- it doesn't take more than two for us to be busy doing what Paul exhorts us to do. And what we are asked to do in contemporary "worship services" is surely NOT what Paul was speaking of!>>

Even if Paul did not explicitly mention the weekly congregational gathering, it is included implicitly: It is impossible to "speak to one another with Psalms" when there is no one else present with whom to speak! Naturally this reciprocal encouragement does not limit itself to certain gatherings, excluding others. But his language does not exclude the congregational meeting.

<<Ray remarks -- I've not heard anyone speaking in opposition to Christians praising God while they're together. Why imply that if we can do some of our worshipping when we're together that it's wrong to point out that we also should worship when we are NOT together? The terrible thing that has been happening is that our actions have been implying that it's ONLY when we can perform with a "worship leader" that we are to worship -- that our worship must be done when we're together. And that's what various Viewpoint studies are protesting against!>>

Further, it is well-known that the Psalms are full of praises to the Lord, exhortations to praise Him and invitations to participate with other believers in praising Him (see Psalm 50:14.23; 69:30-31, etc.). While Paul may have been speaking only of "psalms" as a musical/literary form and not the canonical Psalms per se, should we refuse to do what these Psalms encourage? If so, on what hermeneutical basis?

<<Ray remarks -- This is a hard question. Let's rephrase it, please, to ask, "Are Christians required to do as the O.T. Psalms encourage? Do we live under the new covenant AND PSALMS?" I believe the only doctrinally correct answer Bible students can give to the question is, "No, we do not live under a mixture of the Old Testament and the New Testament." We do not receive instructions as to how to best worship God from the O.T. psalms.>>

Out of these observations come at least two conclusions: * It is right to praise God in our congregational meetings. Colossians 3:17. If "whatever you do" is to be done in the name of Jesus "giving thanks to God the Father," certainly part of the assembly worship could have the character of thanksgiving to the Father for what He has done.

<<Ray remarks -- Let's rephrase this to say, "It's all right to also praise God in our congregational meetings (to which no objection has ever been raised so far as I know)..." Surely we are called to praise Him ALL the time, which does include when we're together.>>

* God appreciates the praise of His people. It is mistaken to affirm that God does not need our praises to feel good about himself, as if this were the only motive for praising Him. Even if He had no psychological need to be praised, it certainly is no sin on His part to enjoy the combined voices of His children openly appreciating what He has done for them.

<<Ray remarks -- Mistaken? Who says "as if this were the only motive for praising Him"? I wish every reader of this Viewpoint study would take time to read Cecil Hook's fine studies about worship to check out the fact that we have not implied that "this" is the only motive we should have for praising God. I call you to understand that our every breath should praise God, and that it is a tragedy for anyone to suppose that ONLY in "worship services" can we praise God. And the best way we can praise and please God is by getting busy doing what He clearly says He WANTS US TO DO, which involves being salt in the outside world rather than being buried in "worship services" based on something other than New Testament Christianity.>>

Philippians 2:9-11 - If one purpose for which God exalted Jesus is that "sooner or later" all people might confess Him Lord and Christ "to the glory of God the Father," surely it would not be inappropriate for those who love and serve Him to do this even during the assembly of the saints.

<<If we spend our time in our church buildings "praising God," who's going to be winning the lost and feeding the hungry, etc. out in the world? Over and over I'm hearing that it's surely all right to spend our lives in church buildings. But God said for us to get to work in the world doing things in His name and telling sinners about a Savior. He didn't say to invite the sinners to "worship services at church" so we could THERE tell them, or have a fancy orator tell them about Jesus, or about our fine church, or whatever.>>

Hebrews 13:15 - To "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, confessing his name" is not limited to a time of praise on Sunday morning in the gathering of the saints. But what kind of logic could exclude it from this gathering?

<<What kind of logic is it that now repeatedly calls people to come TO WORSHIP at a worship center where a worship leader conducts the "worship." Is that what the writer of Hebrews is advocating in this verse? I say it surely is NOT.>>

1 Peter 2:5 - If the holy priesthood offers spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, where is this to be done? When? Only outside the assembly of the saints?

<<All these verses apply only indirectly to meeting together for worship. They ALL are calling us to worship CONTINUALLY where we are rather than to gather so that we will be able to worship.>>

1 Peter 2:9 - Since Christians are all that they are, because of what Christ has done, it should be normal that they extol the virtues of God. But not just outside the congregational gathering, even if this is their mission too.

<<So in what Viewpoint study is there ever any suggestion that there's something wrong with praising God when we ARE together? What has been said is that our assemblies should not be called "worship services" unless that is indeed the purpose of our meeting, and the New Testament scriptures give no hint that worship is the purpose for which we are to meet together.>>

1 Peter 4:10-11 - The mutuality of the services we render as good administrators of the grace of God, points to the "others" as the principle recipients of our efforts. However, it is clear that the praise, the credit, the applause goes to God who made it all possible. Must these services rendered to others and this praise to God be given only outside the normal assemblies of the saints?

These are random thoughts not particularly for publication. I hope they provide what I believe to be a needed counterbalance to the ideas expressed to the contrary.

<<I'm sharing them because I think many are thinking much as this writer has expressed his thought. So I hope that we all will benefit from seeing in print the comments and my replies. We share the goal of pleasing God by what we do. I'm asking thoughtful readers to realize that God's desire for us is that we SERVE Him rather than spend most of our time in selfish and self-serving "worship services.">>

Subject: Re: In praise of God
Date sent: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 22:38:56

My brother,   How grand to hear from you! And of course you're right that those who love God will want to express that love in many ways. You're right that those whose hearts are full of love for God will want to WORSHIP and praise Him. I don't at all oppose worship of God and Jesus.

I do however feel that we're totally out of balance in recent days, and the majority of our churches suppose that "worship" led by a "worship leader" is what the church is all about. But we are called to WORK and WITNESS for Him rather than to become monks and nuns whose primary work is worship. And so I point out that what the Word says for us to do is not to GATHER for worship services, but rather to scatter for worship by witnessing and serving.

Our pleasant retreats from the world should be AFTER we've worn ourselves out in service to God IN the world. Instead, they have been made the heart of current churchianity. Have we really quit reading the Bible to learn what God WANTS of us? The worship which will best please Him is the cup of cold water given to the thirsting, the heat furnished for the freezing, the food for the hungering, the shared message of God's truth for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

We are NOT told to have "worship services" to which we will invite the hungry and thirsting and at which they will be helped as seekers to find salvation. Did the early church evangelize as we attempt to do it today, in assemblies, in expensive church-owned buildings, with everyone dressed up to the nines to watch a show? You know they did not.

Thanks for sharing.
  Brief Bible Study #87 from Ray Downen. To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here.   Or go on to Viewpoint Study #88.         For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.