Expressing Reverence for God
“Come, let us adore Him!”

By Jon W. Quinn

 

 

 Do you "worship" God? I would hope that you do. After all, you breathe His air. You are alive because of Him. You owe your very existence unto Him, as do your loved ones, for a baby never draws its first breath apart from God's design (Acts 17:24-28).

Do you "worship" God? He is all powerful. The strongest of men are of no comparison at all to God's strength. The weakness of God is stronger than the most powerful of men. Perhaps we can blow up a planet; but we cannot create one (1 Corinthians 1:25).

Do you "worship" God? He is always watching; alert and aware. He is wise far beyond human abilities. He knows the end of a thing from the beginning, before it happens. He knows what it takes to undo the horrible effects of sin on the human soul. He has devised a plan which no one else could by which we can be saved (1 Corinthians 1:18-21).

Do you "worship" God? He loves you with a perfect love. If He did not, we would not read of a Savior who was willing to die that we might be redeemed. Instead, we would receive the wages of
our sins which is eternal, spiritual death. There is only one reason we can speak of hope; that reason is God's love for us.

Do you "worship" God?

Come, Let us Adore Him
"And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them. I heard saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.' And the four living creatures kept saying 'Amen.' And the elders fell down and worshiped." (Revelation 5:13,14). The word "worship" means to show supreme respect and adoration as to a deity. True worship is expressed through an action which shows reverence for God and comes from a sincere attitude of heart. In fact, no matter how lovely a hymn, if it is not a sincere expression of the heart then it is not truly worship.

Worshiping God From Day to Day
"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." (Ecclesiastes 12:13). There are two kinds of acceptable worship. In a general way, a person worships God by doing the things God says to do in his everyday life. A person who deals honestly with others because he respects God too much to be dishonest shows his adoration of God by his honesty. This fulfills the definition of "worship". Now, a person might be honest who does not even believe in God. In such a case, honesty is not worship at all. Remember, true worship is to show respect as to a deity.

This means that faithful Christians are actually filling up their lives with acts of worship as they do the things God wants them to do because they reverence Him in their lives. When we are godly parents and husbands and wives and children and neighbors
and friends and citizens and employers and employees and so forth, then our reverence for God in our hearts makes itself evident by our actions. We are then His worshipers.

Worshiping God in the Assembly
"Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith...not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:22-25). God has required that His people assemble themselves so that they may worship Him together and mutually benefit from the privilege. The Lord has also given us directions about what actions the assembly is to take as far as its worship is concerned. The disciples of Jesus discover what those actions are by reading the New Covenant which our Lord inaugurated by His sacrifice and by following its commands and examples.

We find that public prayer is commanded. Men are commanded "in every place" or congregation to pray "lifting up holy hands, without wrath or dissension" and that care should be exercised to assure that all present can hear and understand the prayer so that they can say "Amen" to it (1 Timothy 2:8; 1 Corinthians14:15,16).

Also, the singing of praises is commanded by God as an avenue of worship in the assembly. We are to speak "to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord". There is no indication that this aspect of public worship is less important than any other (Ephesians 5:19).

We are commanded to learn more of God's word, and this command is in part satisfied by the instruction that takes place in the assembly. The basis of the preaching and teaching must always be the gospel of God, not the traditions of men (Acts 2:42; 1 Thessalonians 2:13).

While the above is done on any day and at any time the disciples are assembled together, there are also some things that are done only on the Lord's day, the first day of the week, or Sunday. The Lord's supper, a memorial to the Lord's atoning death in our behalf, is to be partaken of on the first day of each week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

Christians are also commanded to use this time to take up a collection for meeting the financial needs of the missions the Lord has given the church, which include evangelism, the teaching and building up of the disciples and helping needy saints. (1 Corinthians 16:1,2; 2 Corinthians 9:6,7).

Both Kinds of Worship Are Necessary
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Faithfulness to God depends upon how we treat Him as well as how we think about Him. One who thinks he can "go to church" and be counted faithful without becoming as God commands each day of his life is in grievous error. Nor can one "be a good person and pray" while ignoring God's command to assemble with disciples to worship Him and still be counted as faithful to God's calling. Both kinds of worship are necessary in order to be acceptable worshipers of God.
 

From The Bradley Banner 12/2/2012
Published by the Bradley Church of Christ
1505 E. Broadway