Articles
Acceptable Worship (2)
Acceptable Worship (2)
By Greg King
How can I know if my worship is acceptable to God or not. We previously noticed that not all worship is acceptable. What worship will God accept?
1.Worship that is God focused. God is not an object. He is omniscient and all-knowing. We should express our love and respect for God in meditating upon His word without giving any thought to things that are going on in our physical life. Our great God is the creator of all things and He demands our attention. Jesus says in John 4:23, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
2.Acceptable worship involves Singing. Singing is specifically authorized in the New Testament. We find examples of singing as worship. The Lord and His disciples sung a hymn in Matt. 26:30. Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God while in chains (Acts 16:25). Verses like Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19, and 1 Cor. 14:15 all authorize singing. There is no other type of music authorized by the New Testament. Mechanical instruments were not used until centuries after the church was established and instruments were put in by man. There was no divine inspiration from God to do that. It is as spiritual as putting peanut butter on the unleavened bread for the Lord’s supper.
3.Acceptable worship involves giving. Energy and time should be given to God in worship. We are also commanded to give financially as we have prospered to God cheerfully and not grudgingly (2 Cor. 9:7). It should be done on the first day of the week according to 1 Cor. 16:2. This is not an option it is a commandment.
4.Acceptable worship involves the Lord’s supper. The Lord’s supper is partaking of the fruit of the vine and unleavened bread as Christ commanded (1 Cor.11:23-34). It is a time when we, as Christians, reflect on the sacrifice Christ made. We are instructed to examine ourselves (1 Cor. 11:28). By partaking we are “proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). Our only record of when Christians did this is in Acts 20:7 on the first day of the week. We have no right to take it whenever we see fit.
5.Acceptable worship involves prayer. Jesus said to avoid meaningless repetitions in prayer. He then gives us an example of a prayer (Matt. 6:5-15). Jesus instructs us to direct our prayers to God.
We are to worship in spirit and in truth as the Bible instructs. We are never to forsake the assembling of the church according to Heb. 10:25. Worship is about God not ourselves.
Therefore, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Phil. 4:8)
