Empty Building Part V; What Is Worship?

We've learned in the previous parts in this series that you are salvaged from a dangerous fate, that you are in fact the temple God created to hold His Holy Spirit, that you are on a journey removing daily the things of this world while daily clothing yourself with the attributes of Yeshua and that you are granted certain responsibilities in forwarding the mystery of Christ.

Why do people think when they go to their religious 'service' that they are worshiping the Lord at that location?  This activity of coming together in His memory is only a very small part of the Way that was revealed in Christ and the understanding of what was made known through Him.  Yet, there is a way to conduct oneself and to really have 'communion' with God and others when coming together in His Name and in His memory:

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.  In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.  No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.  So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.  As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.  Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in?  Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing?  What shall I say to you?  Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
 

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Yeshua, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
 

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 

- 1 Corinthians 11:17-27

Who is the physical body and blood of Christ if not your spiritual brothers and sisters; the community of believers, the new temple?  Notice the believers actually ate together, they didn't simply participate in a token and symbolic bread and juice.  They most likely had face to face conversations over a meal.  Those who come together may have also shared their personal victories and challenges experienced that week over a meal.  In this particular passage the believers are being chastised for losing the essence of family Yeshua exemplified.  Can any of us relate Today?

When Christ is speaking with the Samaritan woman and she gets a bit testy, this is where the conversation goes:


“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.  Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
 

“Woman,” Yeshua replied, “believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 

- John 4:19-24

Christ sets aside the physical temple worship and establishes keeping holy and clean the new temple: your body, mind, heart and soul.  It is a shame some folks still believe they need to fight over some strip of dirt when the practice of physical temple worship was fulfilled and made obsolete.  It isn't easily understood or always physically observed this new Way of worship.  Today's worship of God is a moment by moment sacrifice before the Lord.  The 'church clothes' do not depict the condition of the heart.  It is who you are when alone, when among your relatives or among friends who don't like hearing about God.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 

- Matthew 23:25-26

We can see it is who you are in the inside which matters, this is worship in the spirit and truth.  Isn't this the greater part of the Way?  It is quite easy to fall away from the basic examples of Christ and the teaching of righteousness.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Romans 12:1-2

Some highlights: "offer your bodies as living sacrifices" "this is your true and proper worship" "do not conform to the pattern of this world" "be transformed" "renewing your mind" "then you will be able to test and approve God's will" "His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Consider what it means to offer your body as a living sacrifice?  Consider what it means to worship in spirit and in truth.  Consider how the coming together of the body / church was exemplified and consider what people do today in what they call 'church.' 

Peace be with all who read this and may the Lord guide you in the Way of true and proper worship.

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