April 6, 2008

A Revelation of True Worship

 

There is a diverse selection of thoughts, teachings, doctrines, and “How-To” manuals that are available to us in our modern culture of Christianity that relate to the subject of worship. A few days ago I spent quite a bit of time just browsing a local Christian bookstore and I came to an overwhelming conclusion; somebody knows just enough about something to make you think you know nothing about everything! Every imaginable angle you can conceive has been explored in the subject of Worship. What could possibly be revealed that could serve to enlighten us with a deeper understanding of our worship? I mean, as I looked at all of the four-color book covers, and the complete workbook kits that would guide me to what worship was really meant to be, I had to read them all, at once, without pause, just in case I was missing something about God and His desire regarding worship!

 

I found the same setting I was experiencing in the book of Acts (Acts 17:22-29). Paul was on his evangelistic journey through city after city spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Fresh from the Damascus Road conversion, and of course that little “Jerusalem Council” thing over circumcision, and oh yeah, the contest of wills between the preachers about the validity of an assistant named John Mark, Paul comes to the city of Athens. What he finds has an amazing resemblance to what we witness in our church culture of today. This whole picture hit me really hard. After my repentance, I wanted to share it with you.

 

As Paul walks through Athens he makes note of the hundreds of individual altars and designated places of worship to perceived deities. His words, “as I passed by and beheld you devotions,” indicate the religious manner in which the Athenians engaged in worship. One altar that epitomized their worship desire more than any other was inscribed with the title, “To the Unknown God!” This was the opening object lesson of Paul’s preaching to them, “the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.” Is it possible for you and I to be in the same mindset regarding worship as the Greeks of Paul’s day? Do we worship the act of worship? Can we erect altars of worship to a God we do not know?

 

In proclaiming the “Unknown God” to the crowd on Mars Hill that day Paul reveals what true worship really is. First, God made the world and everything in it, so He does not dwell in Temples made with hands. Second, neither is He worshipped with man’s hands as if He needed anything. Third, everyone came from the same blood and functions within the boundaries God set. Fourth, the reason God made the world, put man here, and allows to exist is that we seek Him and feel after Him because He is close to each of us. Finally, the Revelation of True Worship is, “in Him we live and move and have our being.” Worship is meant to be result of God’s creation seeking His heart for His desire. A Revelation of True Worship is not found in what we do, but rather in why we live!