[The following is part of an article by J. Ervin Waters which was Published
in September 1945 by Homer L. King in the book, OLD PATHS PULPIT (pp.
81-85). This is "A Book of 33 Sermons and Essays By Evangelists of the
CHURCH OF CHRIST." If you have a copy of the book you can read this for
yourself. The question is, brethren – Do we still believe these
principles?].
When Moses came to the burning bush the Lord spoke to him in these
impressive words: "Take off thy shoes from they feet, for the place
whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5). Surely coming to the
investigation of such a subject as this, the admonition given to Moses,
may not be inapplicable. Let us approach this study with a reverential
spirit, realizing that we are treading on holy ground. A subject of
such magnitude and importance cannot be satisfactorily treated in one
sermon, but, if I can succeed in arousing interest and caution in the
study of it, my efforts will have been productive of good. The church
today faces a situation pregnant with possibilities for either good or
evil. To accept present departures from the truth, or append to them
newer errors, is to be a blight upon and a curse to that world which God
loved and for which he gave his only Son; but to humbly accept the
divine instructions in the Scriptures, which completely furnish "unto
all good works" (2 Tim. 3:17), and to draw the sword of the spirit
against those innovators who have encroached upon sacred soil is to be a
blessing to that world and the cause of "joy unspeakable and full of
glory."
By the word "spiritual" I mean "holy, sacred, and pure." By "worship" I
mean "the act of paying divine honor and religious service to God."
"Spiritual worship" would then be "sacred and pure religious service to
God." That we may understand more fully what spiritual worship is, we
consider,—
1. THE OBJECT OF WORSHIP
This was most effectively taught when Jesus said, under the lure of the
strong temptation of the devil who offered all the kingdoms of the world
to Jesus if he would fall down and worship him, "Get thee hence, Satan:
for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord they God, and him only
shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10).
When the apostle John fell at the feet of a man to worship him, he was
rebuked, "And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:
worship God" (Revelation 19:10).
Idolatry, the worship of anything made by hands or which is not God, was
the chief error in most of Israel's apostasies. Since it displeases God
it provokes him to consuming anger. "Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into
an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted
beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their
own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie,
and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Amen." (Rom. 1:22-25). Since idolatry is not a thing
of the past and there are millions of fetishists in the world today,
John closed his first general epistle with this admonition, "Little
children, Keep yourselves from idols. Amen" (1 John 5:21).
Some, whom Satan the "God of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4), has blinded,
worship money and become mad in their lust for it. Others, drunken on
power's wine, hold high carnival in trying to subjugate most of the
human race, and the world is hurled into a bloody holocaust of confusion
by the power worshiping dictators. Some, how few, are willing to
worship God. Next we consider—
2. THE PLACE OF WORSHIP
(1) For Israel– " Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt
offerings in every place that thou seest: But in the place which the
LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt
offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee" (Deuteronomy
12:13,14). Jerusalem was the place chosen: "And Rehoboam the son of
Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city
which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his
name there" (1 Kings 14:21). Truly, Jerusalem was a city rich in
tradition, honored by historic mention, and blessed by divine selection.
Time passes, Israel is prosperous. All recognize Jerusalem as the place
where men ought to worship. The house of David was established. His
grandson, Rehoboam, comes to the throne. And, now, the long smouldering
fires of dissatisfaction burst into flames. Ten tribes revolt under
Jeroboam and set up a new government with different laws, capitol and
worship. Jeroboam told his people, "It is too much for you to go up to
Jerusalem" (1 Kings 12:28), and he set up apostate altars for Israel.
The Samaritans were the mongrel descendants of these ten tribes of
Israel. In the time of Christ they were still worshiping God in the
wrong place. The woman of Samaria, with whom Jesus conversed at Jacob's
well, said, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that
in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship" (John 4:20). The
Jews could have worshiped the right God in the wrong place and it would
not have been acceptable.
(2) For Christians– Jesus said unto the woman of Samaria, " Woman,
believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor
yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we
know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour
cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him"
(John 4:21-23). The Jews had to worship God at Jerusalem. There the
temple of God was erected. Under the Christian economy our place of
worship is not at any exclusive geographical location or in any special
house made with hands. Stephen gave voice to this truth, "The most High
dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 7:48). God dwells in his
spiritual temple, "For ye are the temple of God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them (2 Corinthians 6:16). This temple
is the church through which we must glorify God, "Unto him be glory in
the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end"
(Ephesians 3:21). Our place of worship is not the earthly Jerusalem but
the "heavenly Jerusalem, which is the church of the firstborn" (Hebrews
12:22-
23). No one outside the church of Jesus Christ has the right to worship
God because his worship would be vain. This should be a strong
incentive to every sinner to become a Christian.
As members of the church, we come "together" (Hebrews 10:25), "on the
first day of the week" (Acts 20:7), in assemblies of two or more, "For
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). But we must be careful that we worship
God with a congregation which is conducting the worship scripturally.
In the beatific vision which John saw on the Isle of Patmos, Christ
stood in the midst of seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:13).
Christ said, "The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven
churches" (Revelation 1:20). This forcefully teaches that Christ is in
the midst of his congregations to own and to bless them. But Christ
rebuked the church at Ephesus, "Remember therefore from whence thou are
fallen, and repent, an do the first works; or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou
repent" (Revelation 2:5). The Lord did not threaten to destroy the
Ephesian church. The congregation might still remain and worship God
regularly, but, if because of their rebellion their candlestick were
removed, Christ would not be in their midst any longer. Some brethren
think that the calling of a congregation the church of Christ proves
that Christ abides with that congregation and blesses it. Let us be
careful not to worship with a congregation whose candlestick has been
removed because of their departure from the truth.
3. IGNORANT WORSHIP
When the apostle Paul visited Athens, his spirit was stirred within him
by the idolatry of the city. He disputed with the philosophers of the
Epicureans and Stoics and finally, at their invitation, stood on Mars'
hill to proclaim the gospel. The profound logic of Paul on that
occasion is wonderful to read. Among the edifices and altars erected to
the Athenian gods, Paul had beheld one to the "Unknown God," "For as I
passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this
inscription, To the Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship,
him declare I unto you" (Acts 17:23). These people were ignorantly
worshiping the true God. It profited them nothing.
4. VAIN WORSHIP
"But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men" (Matthew 15:9). Vain worship is "worship producing no
results." It is not only spiritually unfruitful but brings condemnation
upon the worshipers. To set aside the divine instructions and
substitute the commandments of men is to hurl the church into the
wilderness of sectarian error. So many congregations are bound with the
shackles of unscriptural traditions and refuse the assistance of those
who desire to extricate them.
[Do you hear that sound condemnation of changes from the Divine pattern
of worship? Are we all "old fashioned" enough to believe and practice
these same principles taught and penned over sixty years ago? If our
hearts deceive us not, we who print this little paper still believe that
it is sinful, "to accept...departures from the truth, or append to them
newer errors." We today hold such "to be a blight upon and a curse to
that world which God loved and for which he gave his only Son." We hope
to continue to humbly accept, submit to and follow only the divine
instructions in the Scriptures, which completely furnish "unto all good
works" (2 Timothy 3:17). We repeat the admonition issued so long ago —
"Let us be careful not to worship with a congregation whose candlestick
has been removed because of their departure from the truth." Brethren ,
do we all still believe this? We are convinced that this warning
continues to be valid. Remember, the inspired apostle commands,
"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same
rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me,
and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many
walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that
they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction,
whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind
earthly things)" (Philippians 3:16-19). "Now I beseech you, brethren,
mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine
which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not
our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair
speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans 16:17,18)].
