The New Testament uses two main words for worship:
1. Proskuneō. This primary word for worship is an idiom, that literally means ‘to incline the face to the ground’: to prostrate oneself before someone as an act of reverence, fear, or supplication.
2. Latreuō. This word conveys the idea that worship is a priestly service. In fact, the Bible calls the Church the priesthood of believers. The believer’s entire life should be one of service worship; prayer reflects this kind of worship; the word is also used in relation to giving.
The point is this: our worship is not just something that happens in singing to God at a church gathering. We are called to make everything we do an act of worship because God's holy presence is with us wherever we go:
Colossians 3:17 ESV: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (In the name means consistent with that name)
Colossians 3:23-24 ESV: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
What does this look like? Everything we do we should do as an act of worship. If everything we do is an act of worship there is no division between sacred and secular, a division that Plato taught. For the follower of Jesus, it is all sacred. But we must ask, “Is what we are doing something that is consistent with the name, acts, and reputation of Jesus?”
While I could spend pages of text in the blog exploring this theology much deeper there is a focus in this area of worship that needs some attention: attending weekly worship at your local church in person. This area of discipline seems to be increasingly neglected due in part to what happened to the world during COVID with churches moving to an online format and encouraging people to maintain social distance. Many congregations started doing largely high-quality online productions their members could watch on various video streaming platforms. This had the wonderful effect of getting the Gospel into corners of the world that needed solid teaching. It also gave people a way of staying somewhat connected while limiting the spread of disease. It unfortunately also gave believers what they thought was a legitimate long-term way to attend church. Except, that’s not what the Bible says.
God is all about relationships. God himself is a triunity of Father/Son/Spirit all in constant relationship with each other. God created people first and foremost for their relationship with God. God creates people also to have relationships with each other. In fact, the Bible extensively shows God’s relational desires for people, both vertically with him and horizontally with others. In fact, one of the very last prayers Jesus prayed before he died was a prayer for the unity of the Church. He also taught that the world would know that we are his followers by our love for one another – which requires deep relationships. All that to say, there is no such thing as an obedient Jesus follower that is a “lone ranger”. We need each other.
The New Testament talks about how we need each other in a number of ways:
Hebrews 10:23-27 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near. For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God’s enemies.”
KEY POINT: Going to worship at your local congregation is supposed to be an interactive experience where we are encouraged by others and encourage others to preserve the faith. It is sobering that this is tied directly to steering one another away from sin. Neglecting the results of the meeting in more sin in our lives (not just the sin of not going to weekly worship, but other sins that creep in from lack of encouragement and accountability).
1 Corinthians 12:12-18 For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body—though many—are one body, so too is Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. For, in fact, the body is not a single member, but many. If the foot says, “Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. And if the ear says, “Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided
KEY POINT: God designed each believer to be a part of the larger Church, the Body of Christ. Fact: There is only one church in the whole world and that is the Church made up of Jesus followers. There are many local assemblies where we gather but we are all part of one global Church. Note this verse “But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided”. We all have a role in the body of Christ. Jesus expects us to seek our role and carry it out in the context of the body. Our weekly meeting is one place where our role is carried out.
Acts 2:42-45 “They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.
KEY POINT: The body of Christ is to take care of its own and be together experiencing teaching, fellowship, and sharing meals together. Often this is done in the community or small groups or house churches but the point is, it is expected that the body of Christ works this way.
Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”
KEY POINT: The text is very clear that when people are assembled together in Jesus' name he is manifest there among them in a special way. This is NOT a bunch of people watching a live stream together. The original text had no such meaning in mind. This is face-to-face.
Attending weekly worship is a discipline and sometimes a real battle to get to. It is so important that we as men go so that we encourage each other and strengthen each other in our walks. Our presence is also a visible testimony to the value of the gathering and our support for the body of Christ. Let’s go!
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