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When we assemble together on the first day of the week, we come to worship God in a manner that is well pleasing in his sight. Jesus said,
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).Worship is not only a time for hearing the word of God preached (Acts 2:42), singing "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs," (Ephesians 5:19), praying (Acts 2:42), partaking of the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7), and giving to the Lord as we have been prospered (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), it is also a time for teaching and admonishing one another. Many denominations offer entertainment as part of their worship service. Sadly, some churches of Christ who once were known for standing up for the truth, now have followed in their footsteps. Will your church follow the same pattern?
In the Bible we read about two kinds of worship, vain and true worship. Vain worship is that which is unauthorized by the Scriptures. Jesus said,
In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine, the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9).Whenever man tampers with the New Testament pattern for worship, anything goes. Historically, it began with the introduction of instrumental music into the church after the close of the New Testament canon. Since then, we have seen widespread use of instrumental music, choirs, special singing groups, praise teams, dance teams, celebration of religious festivals, dramatized sermons etc.
Nadab and Abihu were guilty of vain worship when they offered "strange fire" to the Lord (Num. 3:4). The Bible says in Leviticus 10:1-2,
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
In the New Testament we find that the Corinthian church was guilty of vain worship by turning the Lord's Supper into a common meal. Paul rebuked the church in 1 Corinthians 11:20-22, 34 when he said,
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
The only type of worship that God accepts is true worship. True worship is done in "spirit and in truth," (John 4:24). God is worthy to be praised. It is His desire that we worship him in the right spirit and according to truth. Many churches are worshipping in spirit, but not in truth.
If we are not careful, our worship will not be in the right spirit. While singing a hymn with the rest of the congregation, do we understand what we sing (Ephesians 5:19)? When we give to the Lord, do we give with a cheerful heart and a willing mind (2 Corinthians 9:7)? As we partake of the Lord's Supper, do we discern the Lord's body and blood in a rightful manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-28)? It is important that we are both hearers and doers of the word, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," (Romans 10:17). Let us put forth an effort to worship God in the right spirit.
Our worship must also be in truth. This simply means that what we do in worship must be done in accordance with his will. It cannot be determined by what "feels right" or the doctrines of men. This has gotten many churches in trouble. Some have thought that just because something is not specifically mentioned in the Bible then it must mean God accepts it. Others have gone to the Old Testament to find their authority. But, the New Testament is the authority for the worship of the church.
The New Testament church practiced five items of worship, namely, preaching, praying, singing, observing the Lord's Supper, and giving on the first day of the week. Anything that is not authorized by the word of God is not of faith. Paul said, "whatsoever is not of faith is sin," (Romans 14:23).
Under the Mosaical covenant, the Israelites were commanded to observe the sabbath (Exodus 20:8). Today, we are no longer under this covenant because Jesus nailed it to his cross and instituted the "new testament" (Hebrews 9:15) which he had preached during his three year ministry. Hence, we are not to worship on the sabbath, but rather on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
Preaching. The preaching of the word must not be done in order to satisfy the demands of "itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3). In other words, one must not become an advocate of the doctrine of positive preaching only. The Israelites demanded of the prophets of God saying,
Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits (Isaiah 30:10).Likewise, there are churches today who are supporters of this type of preaching. Paul, when preaching in Miletus to the elders of the church at Ephesus, said,
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God (Acts 20:27).This means that he preached everything that is taught in the word of God, although some might be offended through their unbelief.
Praying. The church is a people of prayer. Prayer is a direct line of open communication between God and man. The Scripture says,
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (I John 5:14).When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He gave them a model prayer in Matthew 6:5-15. We are not to pray, "Thy kingdom come," for Christ's kingdom has already come. In addition, God forbids the recitation of prayers (Matthew 6:7).
Singing. The early church was a singing church. God gave specific instructions through the apostle Paul to the churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, and elsewhere that they were to sing. Paul, in Colossians 3:16, said,
Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.There were no instruments of music, choirs, praise teams, invited singing groups, etc. found in the Lord's church, for they were added after the Bible was completed. Neither should there be any found in churches of Christ today.
The Lord's Supper. The church observed the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week. Christ instituted this supper the same night he was to be betrayed and crucified (Matthew 26:26-29). This memorial feast signified his death, burial, and resurrection from the dead on the third day, being Sunday. Christ, after "he rose from the dead," (Acts 10:40-41), observed the Lord's Supper new with his disciples. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-24, Paul gave the church further instructions on how the Lord's Supper was to be observed.
Giving. Upon the first day of the week the church is commanded to lay by in store as God has prospered us (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul reminded the Corinthian church that he gave the same command to the churches of Galatia. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to give unto God a tenth of everything they owned. Today, we are no longer required to give that amount. Paul said,
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).The early church did not have any kind of fund raising activities to raise the necessary funds for church benevolence.
It is not enough to worship God in spirit. We must worship him "in spirit and in truth," (John 4:24). If we truly claim to be Christ's church in worship, then we must follow the pattern set forth by the first century church in the New Testament. The worship of the church cannot be determined by what "feels right" or the doctrines of men. It must be based on the word of God alone. Does the church where you attend subscribe to the New Testament pattern of worship? If not, then we encourage you to find a church of Christ in your area who does follow this pattern.
Ira Mikell
ira@thechristianexaminer.com
Their lives had not been the same for some time as they struggled to adjust to a new land. The language was the tongue of a foreign land and the customs were rooted in the idolatrous worship of man-made images. Gone were the days of the Hebrew language and customs of the children of Abraham. They were captives in Babylon as God had delivered the nation of Israel into bondage. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were living in a world filled with ungodly morals and actions.
Their companion Daniel had been a great source of encouragement to them as they made the transition to their new life. It had a difficult beginning as they stood against defiling themselves with the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. God had blessed these young men to find victory in their stand for purity and holiness to the cause of the Lord. This test would establish the course of devotion later on in their lives to a degree they could not have envisioned.
The second great test of their faith came when Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and demanded his wise men tell him the dream and its interpretation. When they failed to tell him his dream, the king set out to kill all the wise men. Having heard of the proclamation, Daniel interceded and with his three friends, prayed to God for the answer to the King's request. God granted that request and Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar the dream and its meaning. As a result, Daniel was
promoted and made ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king (Daniel 2:48,49).
What a wonderful turn of events for these four young men. The tragedy of being taken away from their home in Canaan and the difficult adjustment in this heathen world had improved as they had the opportunity of leadership. Evidenced by their character in the book of Daniel, these young men would be able to show the power of God living in their lives to all those around them. With the position of leadership, the principles that guided them all their lives would be used to carry on the affairs of state. And then the king made an image.
The king of Babylon - Nebuchadnezzar - had made an image of gold ninety feet high and nine feet wide. The making of the image was not unusual in this day and time. The worship of idols was common in Babylon. But this image was different and so was the decree that went forth.
And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up (Daniel 3:2).Included in these high officials were three young men from Canaan who were over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
The dedication of this new image was a grand affair with every important official in attendance. These were the people that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego worked along side and conducted the affairs of state with each day. Some may have been friends or companions in the work of government. Others were people that were important to know to carry out the business of overseeing the land and its people.
To rub shoulders with these people was to understand the importance of doing a good job and being able to carry out policies of state. They also recognized the King had the ear of many of these people and would know all that happened on this day. Before them stood this giant image of some description made of gold. It was a very beautiful work of art, shaped by mans hand. The artistry was very specific as the king would expect no less for this special image. He had been very insistent about its design and the image itself. The image bore the mark of the king's approval and great pleasure.
Then a herald cried aloud:
To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages.These words settled in the ears of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego with anticipation of what was to come. This was not going to be an ordinary day. The king had made a decree that was prefaced by a command. When the king gave a command, there was no discussion about what it meant apart from how soon to obey. What was coming next came from the hand of the king himself.
At the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.The words stunned the ears of the three young men. There they stood before this great image with all the hosts of officials surrounding them and a command had come from the king to fall down and worship this gold image. The herald further cried out,
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
The fiery furnace was a common fixture in the land of Babylon. When the king meted out punishment, it was swift and it was sure. The Babylonians used fire as capital punishment as the Medes and Persians used animals (lions - Daniel 6) to carry out their policies of punishment. The smoke of the furnace was a horrific sight coupled with the fear of being cast into such a burning inferno. The cries of those punished in the fiery furnace would stay in a man's mind for a long time.
Three men stood before an image of gold awaiting the music to begin. Their eyes looked at each other for the decision that must be made. The musicians took their instruments to ready to begin playing and the first strands of sound began to echo throughout the place of dedication. It grew in volume and intensity as the horn blew along with the flute. The harp played its haunting sound with the lyre and the psaltery. A symphony of great music began to swell with grandeur as the moment of great dedication washed across the crowd.
One by one, each head bowed and fell prostrate on the ground before this great image. One by one - all around three young men - people began to stretch forth their hands toward the great image of gold and bow in reverence to the kings command. Whatever the crowd thought of the image was no match to the reality of the burning fiery furnace and the consequences of not bowing before the image made by King Nebuchadnezzar. As the music built to a final and exploding crescendo the mass of humanity could be seen spread forth before the image in worshipful obedience-- except three young men.
As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood that day before a great image and saw everyone around them bowing their heads and falling prostrate before it, their minds bowed in humble reverence-- not to an image of gold-- but to an image of the eternal God. The penalty of being burned alive was a horrible thing to consider. Worse yet was the penalty of being burned in an eternal flame that would never die.
The consideration of the two fires was important to them. They knew the first commandments given to the children of Israel at the mountain:
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them (Exodus 20:3-5a).To bow down with everyone else would seal their souls to be lost. They believed in the overpowering protection of God to deliver them. Regardless of the outcome, they would serve God.
It must have been a sight for all these people to be bowing down-- in fear of the kings command-- and out of the corner of their eye they see three men still standing. "Are they deaf? Have they not heard the kings command? Is the music not playing?" How out of place Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego felt as the wave of people bowed at once and they remained standing. They stood out in the sea of people as foolish but before God they stood as giants.
As Daniel 3 tells the story, they did get in trouble with the king and were cast into the furnace (made seven times hotter than usual). God delivered them unharmed from the fire and a great example of faith and devotion was given to all men. When the music played in Babylon that day, three young men stood before God and proclaimed their allegiance, even in the face of death.
The same music plays today many times in our lives. The majority of people will heed the music and bow before the god of this world. Only the faithful of God's people will have the courage to remain standing and defy the devil. Through the agency of man, persecution may be the lot of those who remain standing. But on that day in Babylon, three men taught us that standing for God is all that is worth standing for. The image made by Nebuchadnezzar has long perished in decay. The image worshipped by Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego remains today. What do you do when the music plays?
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
Kent E. Heaton, Sr.
others@thechristianexaminer.com
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