Walking down the sidewalk one day, I saw something interesting: a tree was growing out of a small crack, and it was breaking the concrete itself. In what would seem to be the worst place ever, life was growing, and overcoming the massive odds against it.
In the parable of the sower, the man throwing seeds threw them on all the types of ground. (Luke 8) We should do the same spiritually, because no matter how unlikely the place looks, even if it's paved over with concrete, you never know when that one tiny crack will allow a seed to sprout up with explosive, abundant, powerful growth. Those with the most stacked against them can be the strongest examples. Give them a shot.
"For the entire Law is fulfilled in in this one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."—Gal 5:14
Sleep intertia.
Have you ever been unexpectedly woken up, and found that you just couldn't get going—were you all groggy, feeling like your brain just wasn't working right, and neither was your body? This is a physiological state known as sleep inertia, and it can be brief, but it can also last for very long periods of time! Often people battle it with caffeine, which is a stimulant.
When we become Christians, we can have some worldly inertia, with sin and stuff just trying to resist any change, trying to move forward in our lives with us. Just like sleep inertia, we can battle it with stimulants. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us what sort of stimulant to take, saying,
"Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Take every opportunity to get over the grogginess that the world produces—start spending time every day with Christians.
Murders on college campuses.
Why would someone murder college kids? Isn't that pointless? Why would someone propose marriage? Richard Dawkins’ assessment of human worth may be depressing, but why on atheism is he wrong when he says, “There is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference...We are machines for propagating DNA...It is every living object’s sole reason for being?”
In a world where there is no objective good or evil, emotions in the moment ultimately rule supreme: there is nothing beyond them, and so marriage is no better or worse than how it makes someone feel, which puts it at the level of a mass shooting. There could not even be such a thing as free will, because human "will" is an intangible concept that supersedes the level of chemical reactions in the brain. Saying that someone can "choose" to do something else in the moment is nonsense—they are a mere physical machine, using chemicals instead of cogs, but cogs turn with pointless indifference.
Such confusion and such pointless indifference. There is no hope, only a desire for pleasure until death. 1 Cor 2:14 sums it up well, saying, "But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because spiritually they are discerned."
Two types of people. (And politics, too.)
Sometimes I see Christians spend tons of time worrying about evil government and its conspiracies who will be the next president, etc. This does not surprise me, but it is a tactic Satan uses to distract us. Let me make some simple points.
There was a conspiracy against Jesus, and it even killed Him. There were horrifically barbarous and evil governments full of plots. And the record is that Satan and his angels are often behind world powers (Dan 10; 11, Eze 28), and they are supernaturally strong forces that resist even God's angels. The record is also that yes, Christians may be killed by governments or evil men for their beliefs. (Rev 12:11, Rom 8)
But you know what Christ didn't do? He didn't talk about who took down the world trade centers or if Sandy Hook was a hoax. That would have been a distraction. Christ realized that the real struggle isn't against governments, because there are two classes of people: those in Christ, and those captive to do Satan's will. (Gal 3; 2 Tim 2) Indeed, we should expect all sorts of evil, but this thought should not overtake us with shock and awe.
You see, Christ's example and God's word are what we should follow, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph 6)
There is only one way to change the world eternally and spiritually, and that's by making less people captive to Satan to do Satan's will. Otherwise, no matter how it seems, it's a passing, fleeting change, and it's not going to be stored up in heaven. Don't let Satan distract you. Follow Christ's example, even if it initially upsets you to ignore Satan's machinations playing out in the flesh and blood.
Rattlesnakes and salvation.
Want an antivenin for the Serpent's poison? In Luke 4:13, Satan kept trying his tricks with Jesus, but he failed, so 'he left Him until an opportune time." Notice that Satan is looking for opportunities. Have you ever failed again and again? Seen a brother or sister who keeps failing? Let's talk about our part in giving Satan opportunity, and what we can do about it.
Here it is again, opportunity for Satan: "For you brothers were called to freedom, but not the freedom for an opportunity to the flesh. Rather, serve one another through love." (2 Cor 5:17) Ah ha! It's the counteragent to sin and letting Satan win, and it's serving one another through love!
Something so simple? Can it be? Yep! If you're busy studying with the lost, you won't be out DUI driving. If you're taking your brothers and sisters in Christ on a hike, you won't be getting an STD with someone you met at a bar. Jesus' entire life was characterized by service, and He was perfect. Are you ready and willing to serve?
The safest road to hell—by CS Lewis.
Have you ever seen a Christian let bad habits slip in—and then after a while they're just totally gone? CS Lewis said, "The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts"
It's rare that a Christian just plummets away from Christ. Instead, it's usually gradual. Often their fellow Christians don't even risk confronting the sin, being scared to lose a friend or to cause offense. Heb 2:1 and 1 Thess 5:21-22 say in part, "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it," and "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thess 5:21-22)
Let's pay close attention to what we've heard, and remember that part of what we've heard is that we need to keep out brothers and sisters from stumbling off alone into the darkness. Be there for them, even if it's tough.
CSI—ENHANCE THAT IMAGE!
Ever seen those CSI shows where they have some low-resolution digital photo and they tell the guy working the computer, "Enhance," and suddenly you can see all sorts of detail. That's not realistic. You can't take a few pixels of data and enlarge it to make it super clear, because you just don't have enough data to work with.
We can make that same mistake with the Bible when we grab just one verse and say, "See, it clearly means..." Satan did the same thing to Jesus, citing a snippet and taking something out of context, and Jesus' reply was, "On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Mt 4:1-11)
It's important (even when I'm reading and writing these) to make sure we're reading everything in context, and not playing proof-text potluck. The more information we have, the more enhanced our understanding of what God was saying will be. The only way we can enhance our image of God's intent is by expanding the data, and that comes by reading more. :)
A reminder about what you are.
Sometimes a reminder of who we are really helps us get back on our feet. Hebrews 9:23 says, "Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."
As Christians, we are the heavenly things. As Heb 12 would say, "you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels." In Christ, we have received the best sacrifice and the best blessing. In Christ, we can accomplish far more than we ever thought possible. There's no reason to hold back from utter excellence, and to show up to others as something different than what the world has to offer—a truly heavenly thing.
Knocked on your butt? Get back up.
My favorite business professor once said, "The reason I'm successful is because I got back up when I got knocked on my butt." As Christians, we can't let a failure haunt us—it should not define us, but rather inform us of areas we need to work on.
Peter denied even knowing Jesus three times while Jesus was being crucified. Jesus had predicted it, and Peter had denied it, yet when the rooster crowed , Peter realized what he had done and wept bitterly. The ANGUISH of failure is intense! But it CAN'T haunt us an ruin us.
In Acts 2, we see Peter giving the first sermon after Jesus’s ascension into heaven–to a crowd of thousands of people when he had previously denied Jesus in front of just a few days earlier. Christians mustn't become discouraged when they fail. They shouldn't wallow in self-pity and give up due to the mishap. Instead, they should pick themselves back up and continue on. As leaders in Christ, for Christ, we will do better next time.
Hitting a plateau!
Have you ever worked out and hit a plateau? Do you want to be useless or unfruitful for Christ? Of course not. 2 Pet 1 tells us to work on our character, starting with diligence, then moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and finally love. Those are all great. But God follows it up with something critical, saying,
"For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (v8)
We need to have these qualities, but God says that they MUST be increasing for us to be useful and fruitful. God does not provide for a state of "acceptable plateau" in spiritual growth, because He only sees two states: growing or dying. Christ is a force so powerful that we need not plateau if we don't want to. Let's encourage those around us who have plateaued to "excel still more." (1 Thess 4)
What's most notable about Solomon?
What is most notable about Solomon isn't that he was so wise, but that he failed.
"For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been." (1 Kings 11:4)
I once knew someone who knew the Bible inside and out, but was having a hard time leaving sin behind. He told me, "I have all the Biblical resources, leaders, and friends I need to manage my life, so I don't need or want help." In many ways, we can become like Solomon: all the wisdom and spiritual resources in the world, but they amount to nothing if we aren't using them to actively grow.
Solomon's romantic partners caused him to fall away, but ultimately he could have heeded this advice, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8) Let's make sure we're not living two lives, and let's remember that there is no provision to "remain at the same distance from God." There is drawing near or falling away. Pick the right one.
I refuse to have my last emotion be anger.
Ever had bad blood between a brother or sister? My end goal when I have an issue with a brother or sister is not to see them get their just desserts, but rather to work with them as effective teammates, truly able to rejoice and love one another, embracing over successes in Christ, for Christ.
"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." (Rom 13:8)
When I die, even if someone detests me, I want to die having a love for them. I can never control how someone feels about me, but I can control one thing: leaving only a debt of love. No bitterness or malice will exist in heaven, and I don't want to try and bring any of that along with me.
The only thing about me is the way I walk!
"Do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Rom 8:4) My buddy Gil McNutt was talking about walking according to the flesh, and he said, "If your sin doesn't bother your conscience, you're walking according to the flesh."
The conscience is a blessing: it can defend us and it can accuse us. If we ignore it and shove it to the back when it's being pricked through conviction about sin, we effectively start to sear it—and the end of that reaction is that we become liars seared in our own consciences.
Is there any sin in your life that you're getting comfy with? Maybe that you're defending a little? That's your warning sign! Reverse your course immediately, get rid of the sin, and be able to say, "I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit!" (Rom 9)
Full-time Christians or part-timers?
"He was a faithful member who attended church every Sunday?" Would you like that to be you? What if we fleshed it out (pun 100% intended) a little more, since it doesn't tell us that much and had it say, "He was a faithful member who attended church every Sunday, watched porn every night, got wasted at least twice per week, and never made a new Christian?"
Hmmm. That sounds just so much more wretchedly worse! Honestly, we're probably all glad at times that God doesn't play the lowlight reel of our last week at assembly on Sunday, but does He want part-time workers? 1-2 hours per week out of 168 isn't many, after all.
In Romans 12:1, we are urged "by the mercies of God, to present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] rational service." As it turns out, God's looking for full-timers. Are you interested? He offers the best retirement package.
Worship—An Inductive Word Study
We are searching for the truth of the word and meaning of what Jesus said in:
Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:21-24)
The word that is translated as “worship” in this passage is the Greek word “proskuneo.” With what Jesus said in mind, let’s review every instance of the word “proskuneo/worship” being used in the New Testament. Ready? Let’s go.
A Look at Worship in Matthew
Matthew 2:2,8,11
Magi and the birth of Jesus.
Mat 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THELEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MYPEOPLE ISRAEL.'"
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Mat 2:11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
****Until we come to verse 11 do we see worship in an action. The magi fell to the ground and worshipped Him.
Matthew 4:9,10
Satan tempts Jesus in the desert.
Mat 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said,
"It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ONBREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST ASTONE.'"
Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; Mat 4:9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
Mat 4:10 Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”
****Satan wants Jesus to make a trade and it includes worship by Jesus of Satan. The action given is the falling down and worship of Satan.
Matthew 8:2
Jesus and the leper, plus a definition translation.
And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean
**** Here, the translators made a definition translation. They did not use the word “worship” but rather its literal meaning, “bowed down.” They could have easily translated it, "And the leper came to Him and worshipped before Him."
Matthew 9:18
While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live."
**** The translators did the same thing in this passage. They used the definition of the word proskuneo instead of the English word, worship.
Matthew 14:33
And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"
**** Here, the translators used the word worship. There is no action given in this passage as to how they worshipped.
Matthew 15:25
But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
**** The translators used the definition.
Matthew 18:26
"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'
**** This passage expands the definition by using, "prostrated himself before him" for the word proskuneo.
Matthew 20:20
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.
**** Again, the definition of the word is used.
Matthew 28:9
And behold, Jesus met them and greeted * them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
**** We have a bit more of a view as to what worship entails. The worship is so low that one can grasp the feet of the Lord.
Matthew 28:17
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
**** Here, there is no action given.
Summary of Worship in Matthew:
Of the 13 verses in Matthew, the word proskuneo shows the following:
-5 times, no description of action
-8 times, falling down, bowing, prostration, grasping of feet
****As we continue our study into the other 25 verses from Mark to Jude, we will see the very same information. There is no deviation from what we see in Matthew's use of the word proskuneo. It should be noted that nowhere are any of the 5 acts commonly called worship in the texts associated with proskuneo. However, some form of prostrated submission is very commonly associated with proskuneo. This reminds me of James 4:4-10, which brings up an important spiritual point about submission and humility, saying,
James 4:4-10
Jas 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSEDTO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Until we are humble before him, we are not a worshipper. Worship is not a group activity until we get to Revelation—but we’ll get there in due time.
A Look at Worship in Mark
Mark 5:6
Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;
Mark 15:19
They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.
****Mark's two usages uses the definition form of proskuneo.
Summary of Worship in Mark:
-2 times, bowing down
A Look at Worship in Luke
Luke 4:7
"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
Summary of Worship in Luke:
-3 times, no definitive action, but “before me” is mentioned.
A Look at Worship in John
"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
Jesus *said to her, "Woman, believe Me,an hour is coming when neither inthis mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
"You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”
"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him.
Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
Summary of Worship in John:
-7 times, translators used the word worship with no action given to it.
A Look at Worship in Acts
Acts 7:43
'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OFTHE GOD ROMPHA , THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP.I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'
So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.
since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.
Summary of Worship in Acts:
-3 times, no action given
-1 time, the action is described along with, “fell at his feet and worshiped,” some sort of bowing
A Look at Worship in 1 Corinthians
**** Paul used the word one time in 1 Corinthians, and it is one of my favorites when discussing this topic. It is the only one that shows worship at an assembly. What is interesting is that the group of Christians are not worshipping. It is the unbeliever who comes to a point of worship in his life. This worshipper is shown to be doing proskuneo by its definition.
1 Corinthians 14:25
the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
Summary of Worship in 1 Corinthians:
-1 time, the action is described along with, “falling on one’s face.”
A Look at Worship in Hebrews
****To round out the final two passages before we get to Revelation, the book of Hebrews uses the word twice. Once there is no description of action given, and the other gives us the only divergence from the definition.
I believe that this divergence is due to Jacob’s age, which made it impossible to bend his physical body into a fully bowed down/prostrated position. He was about to die, and this was the best he could do.
Hebrews 1:6
And when He again brings the first born into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP”
Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Summary of Worship in Hebrews:
-1 time, no action given.
-1 time, “leaning on top of staff” in the infirmity of old age
Summary of Worship from Matthew to Jude:
-19 times, No description of action
-13 times, falling down, bowing, prostration, grasping the feet, leaning on a staff
A Look at Worship in Revelation
**** Revelation contains much of the same information, but it is less definitive in meaning, as the book is one of symbols and visions, and even starts out saying that it “signifies” things. Much of the imagery—such as physical harps being handed out, a massive dragon, and 144,000 saved—is indeed symbolic. For that reason, it is more difficult to use when discerning the meaning of “worship.” Still, we’ll take a look, because it’s packed with proskuneo. Ready? Here we go.
'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie --I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.’
the twenty-four * elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen. "And the elders fell down and worshiped.”
And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;
Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.
And the twenty-four * elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
Then another angel, a third one followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever andever they have no restday and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever *receives the mark of his name."
"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."
So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore onthe people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
And the twenty-four * elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark ofthe beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ fora thousand years.
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things
But he *said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.
Summary of Worship from Matthew through Revelation:
Combining all 60 references from Matthew to Revelation we have this:
9 times- worship of the dragon and the image of the dragon.
1 time- worship of demons with no action given to describe that worship
1 time- liars bowing down to the saints
24 times- no description of action
19 times- falling down, bowing, prostration, grasping the feet, leaning on a staff, falling down AND proclaiming “Amen, Hallelujah!”
My Thoughts:
As Christians, it is important that we let God define words the way that He wishes them to be defined. “Proskuneo” seems to always be some form of bowing down, prostration, or submission. Bowing is a sign of submission across many cultures and continents, from Japan to Saudi Arabia. Jesus said that this submission/prostration would occur in a location—spirit.
As Christians who are baptized into Christ and receive the gift and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, when are we not in Spirit? When should we not be in submission?
Notably, there is no such thing as a “worship service” ever listed in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 11, the Corinthians were rebuked, and it says in verse 20, “Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.” They were rebuked for not doing what they were supposed to, and what they were supposed to be doing was assembling to take the Lord’s Supper—yet nothing is said about worshiping. In the Bible, there is no denotation of “five acts of worship,” or even anything like that. People were never even said to be “going to worship,” “assembling to worship,” or having a “worship service.”
So what does calling our assembly “worship” do? Look at most congregations. They have a “Bible class” at 10AM and “worship” at 11. Because we use the word “worship” in a way that God does not, we put an emphasis on one hour of the week. It becomes a rote ritual to please God. Suddenly only 20% of the people show up for Bible class—because it’s just not that important. Shouldn’t we call it assembling? Isn’t the time where we study the Bible, as the Bereans did, noble and edifying? With one simple twisted word, Satan has changed the entire purpose of our assembly.
It would seem to me that we assemble to instruct one another through various means, including Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph, Col), and that we take the Lord’s Supper in remembrance and proclamation of all that He is, including His death. It is safe to say that our assembling is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Eph 5:12)
Hebrews 10:24-25 really sums it up, saying, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to assemble together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
For more of my thoughts on this subject, please see the following resources:
A podcast/sermon on “Looking for Worship in All the Wrong Places” http://bit.ly/1R6D6Ad
The visual aid to go along with the podcast—you’ll need it: http://bit.ly/1MODCUP
More notes on worship, plus a look at service: https://www.facebook.com/notes/lucas-necessary/what-is-worship-what-is-service/602241239871046
So you're saved—now what?
"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another..." I think that's referring to Sunday's assembly and more.
The New Testament records how Christians were meeting up to hang out daily (Acts 2:46), and often focuses on us having the right relationships: family, friendship, and partnership with each other, and loving, caring ambassadorship to the world, who we fight to rescue from Satan.
Every day we have chances to assemble with two groups of people: Christians, or those who aren't. Who do you assemble with most? The more we assemble with those who stir us up to love and good works, and who encourage us in Christ, the better we'll be as ambassadors and warriors for Christ.
God's program by women, for women.
Did you know that God has a program by women, for women? If you're young or old, are you in this program? It goes a little like this:
"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children..." (Titus 2:3-4)
I find it interesting that women are to teach women to love this husbands and kids, and that a part of what makes a successful marriage is avoiding slander and being drunk. Does your assembly have a program like this? Do you think training centered around how to find a good Christian and have a good marriage would help some of your younger women?
What happens to the church in the long run if the next generation ends up married to non-Christians, routinely drunk, gossiping, etc?
Emotions follow our investment.
As a spiritual principle, our emotions follow our investment. If we're invested in Christ, we'll have romantic emotions for those in Christ, joy around those in Christ, and love when we work for Christ. This is summed up in Christ's teaching that,
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Our emotions follow our investment. If we find ourselves loving the things of the flesh, it's a sign that we need to invest more in the things of the Spirit. And when we do that, our love for the things of the Spirit will grow. Where is your treasure, and where is your heart?
It's all about the fruit.
The parable of the soil that I mentioned from Luke 8 is VERY interesting, but sometimes we can kind of think, "Ok, so the person who is baptized and confesses and yadda yadda, that's the best soil. That's what I'm lookin' for." For romantic interests, it can be tempting to say, "Ok, so I've gotta have this guy/gal become a Christian, then I know it's a definite match made in heaven!"
But the parable is actually a lot more specific than that. In fact, it mentions a rocky soil where there are those who, "when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root;they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away." (13)
So what is the result that God's looking for, and that we should look for in others and in ourselves? Well, the "seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (15)
It's all about fruit. If we always fall to temptation, if we never bear fruit for Christ, we're not what we need to be. So let's bear some fruit today!
How easy is it to judge the soil?
In Luke 8, a sower threw seeds on four different kinds of ground, and in only one of those types of ground did the seed grow to bear fruit. Since this was a parable, it's applied in the spiritual sense.
You know, I have this bad habit. I sometimes like people, especially if they're, ya know, a pretty, outdoorsy girl or something, and I find myself saying, "Wow, she's got tons of spiritual potential." Now some other girl, maybe a city slicker who hangs out at the bars a lot, well I might find myself saying, "Yeah, no potential there."
What's really going on? Well, my mind is not able to see the spiritual reality of the "soil" of these people, but it's eager to have one be a Christian—for me! "She's make a great Christian...for me." That can be tempting, but remember, we don't know what sort of soil we're seeing, so we need to scatter it evenly, everywhere.