"MUSIC IN NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIP (I)"

Types Of Worship In The New Testament

INTRODUCTION
  1. The example of Nadab and Abihu serves as a very important example for us today in regards to rendering worship to God - Lev 10:1-3
    1. When they offered in worship something the Lord had not commanded, it was taken by the Lord as a sign of disrespect for His Holiness
    2. Such examples were written for our learning - cf. 1Co 10:11
  2. As children of God ...
    1. We are to be holy before the Holy One who called us - cf. 1Pe 1:14-16
    2. Therefore it is equally important that we treat God as holy!
    3. This we can do in our worship by doing exactly as He instructs in His Word!
  3. To be sure that we do this in regards to our MUSIC in worship, I would like for us to consider what the NT has to say about:
    1. The nature of worship in general
    2. And especially about the music in NT worship

[In this lesson, we will investigate what the NT says about worship in general. Beginning with the fact that there are different ...]

  1. TYPES OF WORSHIP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
    1. "TRUE" WORSHIP...
      1. Referred to by Jesus in Jn 4:20-24
      2. This is the type of worship expected by God today ("an hour is coming, and NOW IS")
      3. Since this concerns us personally, we shall deal with it in more detail later
    2. "VAIN" WORSHIP...
      1. Referred to by Jesus in Mt 15:7-9
      2. This worship is the result of:
        1. Following traditions of men and ignoring the commands of God on a particular subject
        2. Also, when worship is not done "from the heart"
    3. "IGNORANT" WORSHIP...
      1. Referred to by Paul in Ac 17:22-23
      2. This is worship offered in the absence of a knowledge of God's will concerning who He is and how He is to be worshipped
    4. "WILL" (SELF-IMPOSED) WORHSIP...
      1. Referred to by Paul in Col 2:20-23 (KJV)
      2. This worship, closely aligned with VAIN worship:
        1. Is the result of doing what WE like and WE think is good
        2. But not taught by God in His Word (cf. Nadab & Abihu)

        [It should be evident, then, that not just ANY worship is acceptable to God! There are different kinds that can be offered, but only ONE is acceptable.

        Since God will only accept "TRUE" WORSHIP, we had better understand what is involved ...]

  2. THE MEANING OF "TRUE" WORSHIP
    1. AS DEFINED BY JESUS...
      1. "the true worshipers will worship the Father IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH;" - Jn 4:23
      2. But what is meant by the phrase "in spirit and truth"?
      3. Notice first the contrast being made by Jesus - cf. Jn 4:19-24
        1. The Jews had been worshiping correctly by going to Jerusalem
        2. But now the time was coming when place was not important (as it was in the OT)
      4. Thus the contrast is between OT and NT worship!
        1. Somehow, OT worship had not been "in spirit and truth"
        2. But NT worship would be!

        [The contrast becomes more evident now as we define what is meant to worship "in spirit and in truth"]

    2. WORSHIPPING GOD "IN SPIRIT"...
      1. Some understand this to mean "to do so with sincerity, from the heart"
        1. But this does not fit in with the idea that Jesus is making a contrast between OT and NT worship
        2. For sincerity was required just as much under the OT - Deut 6:4-7; Isa 1:10-18
      2. A better interpretation is that to worship in spirit means to offer "spiritual worship"
        1. In contrast to worship that is physical or fleshly
        2. This contrast is in harmony with the context
          1. Jesus began by saying "God is Spirit"
          2. Therefore the worship of Him is to be "spiritual", that is, more in keeping with His nature
        3. This interpretation is in harmony with what we learn else- where about the contrast between OT and NT worship
          1. From He 9:1-10 we learn that OT worship consisted of FLESHLY ordinances; e.g.:
            1. A physical structure (tabernacle)
            2. Special clothing for priests
            3. Lampstands
            4. Burning of incense
            5. Instruments of music
            6. Animal sacrifices
            -- all of which appeal to the PHYSICAL senses
          2. But NT worship is geared more toward the SPIRITUAL side of man:
            1. God's temple is spiritual, made up of Christians - 1Co 3:16; Ep 2:19-22
            2. All Christians are priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices - 1Pe 2:5,9; Ro 12:1; He 13:15
            3. Our prayers are sweet incense - Re 5:8
            4. Our music is making melody with the HEART - Ep 5:19
          3. The physical ordinances of the OT were to last until a "time of reformation" - He 9:9-10 (which has occured with the coming of the New Covenant)
      3. To "worship in spirit", then, is to offer up SPIRITUAL worship as taught in the NT and not the PHYSICAL as found in the OT.
    3. WORSHIPPING GOD IN "TRUTH"...
      1. What is meant to worship in "truth"?
        1. To worship according to the commands of God? (as so often interpreted)
        2. Certainly we should do this
        3. But again, this is no contrast to what God expected in the OT - cf. Deut 5:32-33
        4. Jesus admitted that the Jews were right in their worship - Jn 4:22
        5. So the contrast is NOT between "TRUE" and "FALSE" worship
      2. The contrast is between that which is "TRUE" (or real), and that which had been a "SHADOW" pointing toward the true!
        1. Many elements of OT worship were simply a "shadow" or "figure" of what was to come
          1. The Tabernacle was a symbol - He 9:8-9
          2. The Law with its worship was only a "shadow" of that which was to come - He 10:1
        2. Christ is now in the the TRUE tabernacle (heaven)- He 9:11-12,24
          1. Therefore we should expect the worship of the TRUE to be different from that of the SHADOW
          2. And we have already seen that to be the case:
            1. The OT worship, which was but a SHADOW, was PHYSICAL in nature
            2. But N. T. worship, which God now expects of "true worshipers", is according to the TRUE realities (God is Spirit, Christ in heaven) and is therefore SPIRITUAL in nature
CONCLUSION
  1. We see that there are different types of worship, but only one is now acceptable to the Father
  2. We see that this worship is "in spirit and in truth"...
    1. It is not the physical worship found in the OT which was only a "shadow" of what was to come
    2. But a spiritual worship which is the true substance of what God wants of us in worship
  3. Our next study shall examine the TRUE, SPIRITUAL music God wants in the worship of the church, as revealed in the NT