BLOGGING BREAK

I've just returned from an eight day ministry trip to Texas with two meetings back to back at two fine churches. I appreciate the comments that continued and the readership. Blogging is fun and a real part of my life and even my ministry in a manner of speaking I think.

That said however, it will be important for me to take a break for a short while. I'll be having surgery [left shoulder rotator cuff] this next Thursday and the recovery will be a bit more extensive than normal because the tear is complete and the tendon is loose from the bone.  So I'm planning to take the time between now and the first of the year to recover.

I may periodically post if something happens that I feel compelled to write about, but that would only be a couple of times at most I'm sure.

I make it sound like the world is breathlessly awaiting my next post don't I!!   ;)

Really, I'm just attempting to let those half a dozen or so who read my blog know what is going on with me.   LOL

Seriously, I do enjoy this and will be doing it again soon. Thanks for being a part of what is happening.


Paul B.

AMAZING GRACE

In the history of the Church the message of the gospel has often been won or lost at various times with the battle being centered on two extremes, either one of which is heretical and will deprive the gospel of its content and its power as a message of redemption. So both heresies are equally dangerous and damning. I want to address those two heresies. 

The first of those extremes is when our message becomes simply one of moralism. That is conforming to certain principles of behavior as right or wrong and having our spirituality measured by those standards. Paul the Apostle spent much of his time in the New Testament tearing down the message of principled behavior being the measure of our lives when he repeatedly told the Jews that even The Law Of Moses wasn't the standard by which they were to be redeemed OR measured after salvation. That Law was the school master to drive them to the way of redemption, which was a Person. Paul's brilliant declaration of this fact is recorded in his letter to the Galatians, particularly chapters 3-5.

Interestingly enough, this same heresy seems to capture the minds of some who have professed faith in Christ. [Paul found the same problem with those early believers to whom he wrote.] They somehow seem convinced that it is now their job to attain their sanctification by that same moralistic principled way of measuring life. ["If I, when I, because I, THEN, He will.."]

Paul challenged the Galatians to remember that their sanctification was found in the same person from whom they received their salvation and that they were to walk in sanctification in the same faith by which they were redeemed. Remembering this would deliver them from thinking that their life was to be somehow measured by post-salvation law-keeping and remind them that it was, in fact, to be evidenced by a genuine law of love. [Galatians 5:1-14]

Moralism, either before or after salvation, is dangerous and damning for real Christianity. It is heretical.

A second heresy that is just as dangerous and damning is what is popularly called, in theological terms, antinomianism. [No Law or lawless] This is the idea that there are no claims for obedience once you are a Christian and because of grace there is no standard for behavior at all. Some would admit to the fact that the gospel does make demands upon sinners as seen in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, Romans 1:5; 16:26 and other places where it calls upon them trust His atoning work and under His Lordship, become His disciples. But they then attempt to diminish having any standard of behavior as not possible post-salvation for grace to be real. They mistake grace as a license to do whatever they please with no consequenses 

This may be because they know our present society isn't interested in anyone telling them what to do, so, in their way of thinking, subtle though it be, we must adapt our message of the gospel to rule out any standard demanded of those that believe. An easy-believism is the result because the voice heard delivering the message now does so with no authority to it and no power in it. [This because the gospel is lost.] This is both dangerous and damning in its consequences. 

The problem lies in knowing which commands are really for believers and why we obey them AND why the commands of the Law of Moses and obedience to them post-salvation are not those commands.  It's a big problem but one that needs to be faced and understood.There is a genuine standard and law for believers and it found, as always, in the Person of Christ. He IS our Sanctification and He IS our Law-giver.

I'm going to use one verse to illustrate the difference in both the standard, which is new, and the motive, which is new also, for keeping the New Covenant standard for believers. The principle found in this illustration will hold for all commands in that New covenant relationship we have with the Person of Christ, who is our Lord.

John 13:34 states clearly that Jesus is giving a NEW commandment. It says,,."A new commandment I give unto you; That you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

How is it that He calls this a "new" commandment when it was clearly stated in Leviticus 19:8, by Moses, that Israel was to love their neighbors as themselves? Jesus even repeated this Old Covenant commandment of Moses when questioned about the greatest of the commandments in Matthew 22:40. "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind and your neighbor as yourself. On this hangs all the law and the prophets." It is quite obvious that loving your neighbor is an old commandment.

But what we have here, when understood, is quite revealing. It is this..

The commandment of Moses is__"Love your neighbor as yourself."

The commandment of Christ is__"Love one another as I have loved you."

So a new twist, even a bit of an unusual novelty [having no precedent] is found here by Jesus introducing Himself as the standard for love. The old criterion had been "as you love yourself." But the New Commandment from the New Lawgiver uses the love of Christ Himself," as I have loved you," as the new model.

We wind up with..

One___A new Lawgiver___Christ Himself.

Two___A new Law___Love as we're loved.

Three__A new motive__Because He's loved us we love.

Four___A new power__His love is shed abroad through us by the Holy Spirit. [Romans 5:5]

It really is true that, as the American Standard says, "Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new." [11 Corinthians 5:17]

So, when that Spirit enters us, His first work is.."The love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which was given unto us." [Romans 5:5]  What He gives us is not only the understanding of how greatly God loves us and the faith to receive it, but something almost as wonderful. He gives us the Love of God, as a genuine spiritual existence, as a Living Power, in our hearts. It cannot be otherwise, for as Andrew Murray says...

"The outpouring of the Spirit is the in-pouring of Love. This Love now possesses our heart: that one same Love with which God loves Jesus, and ourselves, and all His children, and which overflows to all the world, is within us, and is, if we know Him, and trust Him, and give up to Him, the power for us to live love too."

Our law is the law of love. And love will refrain from committing adultery with another man's wife, stealing his property, lying, and all the other things that damage relationships. When we do violate that standard of behavior, and we do, we will be broken and in confession admit it because of our love for Him. But it is His love that is our law.

Both moralism and antinomianism are heresies and are both dangerous to the gospel. Never forget that salvation by grace is not a salvation without demands. But that salvation and the consequential demands upon a disciple are fulfilled in a person who, as we discover how much He loves us, [or forgives, etc.]  we also are commanded to, desire to, and are empowered to love others. [And forgive, etc.]  And it is totally by grace through faith apart from any merit of any kind.

All the law and the prophets are fulfilled in the Person of Christ.

In summary...We died when He died and we were raised when He was raised so that we now have a new relationship with Him. It's a love relationship. This love relationship is what Christianity is all about. Christianity is not a religion, it's not doing something, but it's knowing someone. [1 John 2:3-4]  It is neither a set of rules as a system of morality, nor the absence of a standard. It's a unique love relationship with a Person who is the Son of God which impacts everything in life. [John 17:3]

 It is truly amazing Grace.

Paul B.

WHY BLOG?

Six years ago I started blogging. Nearly 500 posts later, with comments from 10 nations, I continue doing it. Someone may ask why a blog?

My answer back then, and still is, so I can address issues both theological and ministerial in a conversational way. I will, of course, be giving my view on the issues and will do so with the knowledge that my grasp of truth is finite and growing. I trust the Spirit to give understanding, as all Christians do, and am confident He does and will.

 My confidence in my ability to hear Him and to grasp the Truth, however, is not as strong. I've lived with the power of flesh and self too long to have much confidence there. But I will attempt to be open, honest, and careful in what I post so at least you will know where I stand.

I do, however, believe strongly that our ground of unity as believers is not found in agreement on issues or even in agreement on the nuances of "minor doctrine". I'm using the word "minor" here not meaning "unimportant" but unrelated to the essentials of salvation/eternity which are the majors in my way of thinking .

The basis of our unity one with another as Christians, which by the way we are never told to create but to maintain, is that the Spirit HAS ALREADY CREATED OUR UNITY, and that is on the basis of Christ alone and His work on the Cross, as Paul said to the Corinthians in the first three chapters of the First Corinthian letter.

If someone says Christ was human only and not the divine Son of God who died on the Cross for us, that person is not my brother. I will love them and share my life with them, but they are in need of the gospel. My brothers/sisters are those who name Jesus as Lord. And although we may be as different as daylight and dark in our understanding of some minor doctrines, our association with various denominations, our having differing views on some issues and our embracing of a multitude of various methods in mission and evangelism, we are still in unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.

So we are brothers/sisters because of who Christ is to us and our acceptance of what He accomplished on the Cross and the empty tomb. This obviously presupposes a confidence in the integrity of the Scriptures as they are the divinely inspired record of who He is and what He has accomplished.

This blog will address those issues, differences, and nuances, but as a brother in Christ. I will be doing what many others have been doing and some quite successfully. I only hope I can help lead the way in being gracious and kind to those who differ on issues and other things written about. For this to happen my goal will NOT be one of being right, but being honest and at the same time respectful, in other words, Christian. Then, perhaps, this little personal word on this particular blog, will be a help to many and an enjoyment to some.

Paul Burleson

NEW WORSHIP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

NEW WORSHIP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT


Definitions are completely necessary and constantly dangerous. Necessary, because to talk and act on a level playing field with each other we have to define things. Dangerous, because, well, let me say it in a quote, "Every definition is dangerous because when you give a simple and precise one you often end up missing significant aspects of the word defined." This is certainly true concerning the subject of my writing today. I'm talking about worship, and since the before mentioned danger may apply here, and it does, I want to tread softly.

What is worship? That's difficult to answer. One person said in his book entitled "Worship is a Verb" that true worshippers are never spectators in the scriptures because they are either hearing Him with the rapt attention He deserves or they are speaking to Him with the reverence, gratitude, and joy He deserves. That is certainly food for thought, but, maybe an illustration of the above quote about why definitions are dangerous.

Major Ian Thomas said this in a message that I heard him deliver,  "Worship is simply obedience." His message was taken from the Abraham/Isaac incident where Abraham, speaking to his servants telling them to wait as he was going to slay his son, used the words "the lad and I will go yonder and worship" [He did not know of the ram]  Abraham and Ian Thomas were right. Worship IS obedience. There is no greater worship than living a life of loving obedience. This is what Paul was referencing perhaps when he called it "our reasonable service" [the word is worship] in Romans 12 where he spoke of the presenting of our bodies a living sacrifice.

The word 'worship' as a verb means to treat or show the worth or value of someone. As a noun is speaks of the ways that reverence is shown. The Hebrew word for worship emphasizes bowing down or to do homage to God while the Greek words emphasize kissing the hand of or to serve. Putting it all together you have worship involving all that we are__our attitudes__our emotions__our actions__our mind__and our will responding to all He is and does. In worship we are occupied with God not ourselves.

The way we worship is a different thing altogether. Moving from recognizing that life itself is to be lived as worship and we are to live it in loving obedience thereby truly worshipping Him, I want to now discuss the ways and means we may use to express that worship of Him. More than that, I'm going to look at the ways and means we may have of worshipping Him together or corporately as the people of God. You could even call it 'styles' of worship or the 'manner' in which we do worship corporately. How do we do worship as a body of believers?

But first I want to address the two basic and, it even seems to me , intrinsic modes that people follow in corporate worship. [Or private too for that matter.] The first is what I call a 'performance' mode. We perform assuming God is the audience and as He observes us He desires we do what we are doing right and well. Then there is the 'relational' mode. We relate to Him and each other as persons present and involved in the moment. One lends itself to doing things correctly. [As if there were a standard] The other lends itself to relating to Him and others with relational authenticity. I opt for the second as you will not be surprised I'm sure, based on what Jesus said in John 4 about the hour coming and now is when they that truly worship will not worry about where [this mountain or Jerusalem] or even what you are doing, [sacrifices and feast days] but it will be in spirit and truth or relating in intimacy and truthfulness with God and each other. [John 4:20-26]

Now with the grunt work done, maybe we can address the title on this particular blog post.

But let me ask a question first. Who says we have to gather at 11:00 am on Sunday? Someone will remind me I'm sure that in the NT they gathered on the first day of the week. That's true. But where is it illustrated much less commanded in scripture that corporate worship is be on Sunday morning? You do realize that is a cultural concept__right? The early American culture, following after the European cultures, was basically rural and the people had to milk the cows, feed the chickens and do chores generally, before anything else, so they set a time well into the morning that allowed for such. 


In the NT culturally they undoubtedly met in the evening since we find that Paul preached one of his longer sermons and that tired young man fell asleep and fell out the window, but the sermon hadn't lasted all day. Only mine tend to do that. It's good to also remember that Sunday, or the first day of the week, was a work day in the Roman Empire.

Also, Sunday gatherings, for the early Church, had nothing to do with keeping the Sabbath as Sunday was never the 'Sabbath day' in the Jewish calendar, Their gathering was a celebration of the resurrected and living Lord on the first day of the week. In fact, in the New Covenant, every day is the Sabbath for all who are in Christ as we are resting in an Eternal Sabbath. [Hebrews shows this clearly.]

So, the where and when of corporate worship is left unstated in the NT entirely. The only reference to a 'where' is Hebrews 10:25 where the 'do not forsake the assembling' speaks of it. This 'assembling' is NOT ekklesia. It is a word from which 'synagogue' is derived. It's the only reference to a place we have in the NT since 'ekklesia' does not speak of a place but people and their purpose. In effect, it means wherever you gather [the where is not stated] and whenever you gather [the when is not stated either] don't neglect it. [Whatever neglect means in terms of attendance is not stated either.] You see, there is not much emphasis on 'going' to church in the NT. It's all about 'being' the church in a worshipful manner as you live your life or even when you do gather together at some place for some time with some kind of regularity.

But it's good and needed and fun to gather somewhere at sometime and even with some regularity on the first day of the week. [Or on a lot of other days too if desired.] But the question is when you do, what do you do? That may be the easy part. A quick study of the biblical materials shows that all [men and women] are to participate, all are to share [prophecy/prayers/gifts/etc.] all for the edification of everyone. The hard part is deciding 'how' you do it all.

Some say you preach and do it with the pulpit in the center of the stage area. But that's cultural. Congregationalists believe the Word is to be central and a central pulpit reminds all of us of that. I would agree. Just don't say it the right way or the biblical way. It is one good cultural way of doing it.

Others [liturgical adherents] would make the communion elements central with pulpits a side issue. Literally. Fine. Just don't say it's the biblical way either. It's a way and maybe an OK way, but a cultural way nonetheless.

Do I need to go further to show where I'm going? I could speak of wearing ties and coats, dresses , sitting in pews, choirs in lofts, using hymnals, certain musical instruments, or even one man one sermon for that matter. All these things are but cultural methods and means of doing corporate worship in in a cultural context. Thinking that those ways are more sacred than others is not the truth according to scripture since bible does not address those kinds of matters. Old timers tend to say "Don't touch these things. They're good and godly and essential and if you dare change them, it is obvious you've gone liberal in your christianity."  Oh really! You can't like choruses and a praise team? You can't preach without a tie?


Don't hear me say that hymn books and ties are wrong. If you do you've missed my point entirely. It is the refusal to see them as ONLY cultural that creates a major problem.  I would say the same about the people who say new WAYS OF WORSHIP are more biblical. Things like choruses, testimonies, videos, and horror of horrors, a guitar and drum set backing up a praise team leading a corporate experience. 

I've certainly moved from the old way of thinking to the new way of thinking about all this in my own personal tastes for corporate worship. It just means my personal cultural biases are at play here like everyone else and I join with like minded people in it. 

But none of that FULLY DESCRIBES true worship of the New Testament at all. It's a lot more than Sundays, hymns, choruses, sermons or any other way of doing anything. It is a life lived in worship that's biblical.

Paul B.