Acts of Worship

Introduction

The topic of today’s sermon is “Acts of Worship.” I have been thinking about this topic for a while now, and particularly since our last camp meeting this past October, and I believe it is particularly relevant on this, a High Day consisting of both the Sabbath of the week and the New Moon. During one of our sessions, we were speaking about sanctification, and I mentioned that even the “ordinary” things, like cleaning a house, or washing the dishes are – for the spiritually-minded person – acts of worship.

This seemed to turn a few lights on in the minds of the listeners, and one or two even commented that they had never thought of these things in that way before. What I would like to do today is to explore that topic a bit more.

Let’s look at a few verses that point out, once they’ve been read and understood, how strongly this idea is present in the Scriptures, and then we will consider what this means on a practical level.

First, let’s turn to 1Cor 10:31

Also, Col 3:17-24

When we think of submissiveness, many thoughts may turn to the relationship between the Christian wife and the Christian husband. Certainly, the Bible explains both the reasons and the benefits of this arrangement. The idea is not limited to the marital arena, however. We find that, as we have seen in a number of previous studies, the concept of submission filters all the way up to the Godhead:

Eph 5:23, 24

1Cor 11:3

In a previous study, we looked at the verse that reads, “the joy of Yahweh is your strength,” (Neh 8:10) and we saw that the rejoicing we have in our loving and merciful Father is one of the vital components of a triumphant faith. It allows us to view even painful trials as opportunities for blessings, and it also allows us to think reasonably, even in crises, so that we can help others.

Today’s talk is a good complement to that idea, because how we feel about the things that happen to us (for which the right response is generally rejoicing) is one aspect of the sanctified life. The other is how well we do them. Consider that we can have a lot of fun and rejoicing doing a bad job of fixing a car, or painting a fence. If we have done a bad job in ignorance, we may still receive some spiritual benefit from this “ordinary” event, but we have missed out on the blessing of doing something well. And that IS a blessing, as we shall see.

We are going to look at acts of worship, including the ordinary things that, for a Christian, are a part of that concept, as a number of different things. We will see that they are 1) A response to salvation, 2) A sanctifying process, 3) A means of personal satisfaction, and 4) A Testimony to others.

Worship as A Response to Salvation

The Sabbath is perhaps one of the most distinguishing features of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church within Christianity. It is so different from what mainstream Christendom does that it is often misunderstood, and often the subject of some very unreasonable attacks.

One of the things that we have sought to do as a people, with varying degrees of success, is to show from the Scriptures that the “rest” outlined in the Sabbath commandment is not a work, but a cessation from “work” to rejoice in the plan of Salvation. It is a gift; it may be a necessary gift from a sanctification perspective, but the way that we respond to the Sabbath truth really tells us how well we know the character of the Almighty.

If He is the kind of God the Bible says He is, then He is just and forgiving, and never arbitrary. If he sets aside a period of time for holy use, and instructs His people to observe it, there’s a reason for that. Even if the reason is not immediately obvious, the one who is offering genuine worship is going to appreciate the fact that Yahweh knows infinitely more than we do. He always provides us with enough information so that we trust His decisions, but we also find, as we do, that He reveals more of Himself and His plans as He does so. Two Bible verses very relevant to this idea, and so important that I use them often in my studies, are these:

John 15:15

John 17:3

We must also take this approach to worship, and the activities commonly associated with it. A relevant question to be asked, since we are using the term so often, is, “What is worship?” If you ask people what the word means, you may get a number of responses including, praying, singing spiritual songs… and these are typically the images that come to mind. In the Hebrew language, the word comes to us from a term that means “to bow down,” and so we see that physical activities are an integral part of what it means.

In essence, “worship” is a mental activity. For the Christian, it is the recognition of Yahweh as Supreme. When we say, “Our Almighty Father,” in prayer, these words are an act of worship, because they declare Yahweh to be almighty. When we sing songs of praise, we are acknowledging in a public way our devotion to the Creator. These are acts of worship, because they both display and encourage the mental activity of worshipping Yahweh. To put it in another way, true worship takes place in the mind, as it says here:

John 4:24

It does not say they will worship Him in prayer and in song. Now, these are the activities of spirit and truth, but worship itself is inward.

Now, does that mean the activities are without value? Certainly not, and Adventists of all people know that faith, belief, worship, and so on are active words, not passive ones, in the heavenly vocabulary.

And what about sweeping floors and cleaning toilets? You might see praise and worship more easily in songs and hymns than these but remember that Yahweh does not look upon the outward appearance. Because we have been converted, and come to know the Father, we can enter into the experiences of the Son.

We know well that the Gospels present Yahshua as a carpenter. He did not have to be doing any great thing to be great. He was great because He perfectly represented the character of the Father, even when shaping wood and polishing surfaces. But because He had the divine nature, these acts were given meaning. In natural things, Yahshua saw heavenly principles, and He later used the things He observed as parables that changed the hearts of those who heard them.

It is so with us also. In the act of cleaning, we find value, and truth, perhaps parables, because all that we do after coming to know the Father and Son is the direct result, in some way or the other, of that experience.

Worship as A Sanctifying Process

We already read that those who worship the Father do so “in spirit and in truth.” Let’s go to another passage and read a part of Yahshua’s prayer:

John 17:15-19

And this prayer has been answered, has been fulfilled in we His people. We are not (yet) taken out of the world; therefore, we do have the ordinary things to do and to deal with. Yet we are not of the world; our motives are spiritual. Our methods of activity are spiritual, and the results we get may not seem immediately “successful” to the worldly-minded, but as Yahshua taught:

John 3:8

And it is this truth, that we are set apart by the Spirit within us, that sanctifies us. It is in this truth that we worship. Again we read:

Phil 2:13

Here is a passage from the Book of Revelation:

Rev 4:1-11

There is quite a lot going on in those verses, but I want to draw your attention to the four “beasts,” a word better translated as “living creatures,” which are described in verses 6 to 9. They, who are closest to the throne, never cease from speaking words of worship.

But we need not be standing before the Throne to render acceptable worship to Yahweh. In fact, we read this:

James 1:26, 27

Religion is a general term for the outward expression of one’s worship. And yet it is by dealing properly with earthly concerns that we draw near to the Throne, even as the four beasts are near to the throne. If we spend our time on earth as the designated creatures are spending it in Heaven, we will be useless down here.

Each has their appointed role in Yahweh’s orderly universe. The husbands and wives have their roles. The Church and the individual evangelist have their roles. The Father and Son have their roles. The humans and the angels have their roles also. The angels minister to us as we do our part: preaching the Good News to everyone.

As we clean our houses, we may see in this action a symbol of cleansing our hearts from transgression and sin. As we wipe our windows, we may see the Holy Spirit taking away the veil that continues to lie over outer senses and inner hearts of so many. There is a lesson in everything, and it is only by experiencing the things that our Father in Heaven has given us to do that we truly receive them. It is much like Sabbath days; we do not teach that lightning will come down and destroy someone who – knowing the truth – rejects the blessing of the Seventh Day. Yet it may have been upon that very day when worship and fellowship were neglected that the rebellious one may have received a blessing, a teaching, an insight, that would set him or her firmly back on the path to eternal life.

As we do the ordinary things, let us look for the lessons our Father has for us to learn.

Worship as a Means of Personal Satisfaction

Worship as a means of personal satisfaction? What does that mean, and why is it included in this study? What does worship have to do with personal satisfaction anyway? Aren’t we called to a life of toil and sacrifice? Why should we take any joy in the work of our hands?

If we think only along those lines then, spiritually, we have not made it to the end of our personal Book of Ecclesiastes. It is true that we must take up our crosses and walk. It is true that we have dark and darker times to face before the coming of the true light. And yet in all this our Master says:

John 14:27

We have already seen, in other studies, what it means that the peace we receive is not according to the world’s definition, an absence of conflict. What it means for us is that even in the trials, even in the fiery furnace as were Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, there is One with us that protects us and keeps us from spiritual harm.

We are to have peace. And more than this, we read:

1Tim 6:3-8

Phil 4:11

Paul encourages believers with the very short, Phil 4:4, 5.

I will return to that last part in a moment, but for now we see that we are to be content, and joyful, with what we have, and also with what we do. John the Baptist had this experience with those coming unto him:

Luke 3:12-14

Paul echoes the idea in this passage:

1Cor 7:20-24

And of course, one need not be a “slave” to have work that needs to be done. But if we remember that everything we have we have received from Yahweh, we can take great pleasure in our work, and great joy in the completion of our tasks, without becoming prideful with respect to our skills. The work we have done has been the result of Yahweh’s presence in our lives, and as a means of giving honor and glory to Him.

Worship as A Testimony to Others

Now what about worship as a testimony to other people? Going back to that passage we read before:

Phil 4:4, 5.

We find that there is also an outward component to the work we are called to do, whether it is a great work or a small one. We all know how important a sound testimony is, as we read from the Book of Revelation:

Rev 12:11

Many in Christendom do not understand the need for, or the power of, the testimony. So many see the Biblical figures being spoken of as “perfect.” So many see them praising Yahweh with none of the doubt and uncertainty that is ever-present in modern Christians’ declarations of faith. And yes, they also see the failures of those who have not had the “perfect” faith that came with the ministry of Yahshua, as described in 1Cor 13:7, but instead of trying to harmonize these two ideas with the perfect mind of Christ, most see it as an endorsement of occasional sin.

This is the evidence of the carnality still clinging to those who have experienced only a partial conversion.

But the life lived free from sin is certainly a testimony to others. The fact of the matter is, however, that nobody can look at you and see you ceasing from sin. They may see you avoid individual acts of wrongdoing. They may see you avoiding participation in acts that they are aware are wrong, but many things we do might seem strange, or even incorrect, to the worldly mind.

Our position on the name “Seventh Day Adventist” is one such act. The worldly-minded, because they do not understand the power of the testimony, may see the name as being unimportant. As such, they are mystified as to why we would rather suffer persecution and hardship rather than just giving it up, or changing it to some “non-offending” title. And to be honest, I don’t even like that term “non offending.” The name “Seventh-day Adventist” is intended to offend the transgressors of Yahweh’s law. The name “Creation Seventh Day Adventist” is designed by Heaven to offend the transgressors of the last generation. If someone, or some organization, is offended at that name, the name of Yahshua’s Bride, this is a very solemn indication of their spiritual state.

But in general, those who observe us will not see a “sinless life” because the quality of that life is not revealed by the occasional victory over some particular sin. The victorious life is revealed only by the heavenly transcript, which shows the power of Yahshua abiding always in us, that makes the commission of known sin an absolute impossibility on a practical level, and that draws the character into perfect communion with Christ’s own Spirit.

For us, and not for observers, that victorious life is revealed in the little things that we do. The house kept clean, the dishes properly washed, the garbage taken out. We read:

Luke 12:6, 7

It is Yahweh who made the forests, and the stars and the mighty mountains. But it is also Yahweh who fashioned the cells, and the atoms, and the insects. His beauty is seen in both the large things and the small, and it is so with those who are His. We do the “grand” things; we pray and miracles happen. We overcome Satan and his host of evil angels. We preserve the world as ten righteous men may have preserved Sodom and the other cities in that valley. But we also do the small things, because we are recreated in the image of Yahweh. And the small things we do, we do well, and this is a testimony not only to ourselves, but to the on-looking universe, and to those among mankind who are discerning enough to recognize the handiwork of Heaven in humanity’s daily endeavors.

Let us keep these things in mind as we do our daily work, and then we will see the value Heaven places on it. As it is written, and this is relevant also to the concept of worship as a sanctifying process I mentioned before:

Luke 16:10

And to close let me read this passage:

Eph 5:13-21