Identity: The Church's Scriptural Worship
I. The Lord's Day (Rev. 1:10):
1. What day is it?
a. The Sabbath? No.
1. The Sabbath given to Jews because of deliverance from Egypt (Deut. 5:15).
2. God said it would cease (Hosea 2:11).
3. Paul said it did cease with the crucifixion of Christ, with the Law nailed to the Cross
(Col. 2:13-17).
2. The first day of the week is the Lord's day.
a. The day of resurrection (Jn. 20:1, 8; Lk. 24:1, 7).
b. Jesus met with His disciples on this day (Jn. 20:19, 26).
c. Church established and Spirit came on that day (Acts 2: 1-4). Pentecost always came on
first day of week (Lev. 23:15).
d. Churches of New Testament days worshiped on that day (Acts 20:7), came together to
break bread. (I Cor. 16: 1-2) Laid by in common treasury.
II. The Spirit of Their Worship:
1. Must be in Spirit (Jn. 4:24).
2. Worship with grace in your hearts (Col. 3:16).
3. Making melody with our hearts -- our hearts must accompany the singing of our Voices
(Eph. 5:19).
4. Praying and singing with spirit and understanding (I Cor. 14:15).
5. Our hearts must be in our worship (Matt. 15:7, 9).
6. Corinthians due to division, carnality, and revelry could not worship with the heart;
condemned by Paul (I Cor. 11:17, 34).
III. The Items of Worship According To The New
Testament Plan:
1. Lord‘s Supper on first day (Acts 20:7) met to observe it (1 Cor. 11:23-26) received
instructions from Christ through Paul to do so.
2. Singing (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). This is the only music provided in the New Testament plan.
3. Prayer (Acts 2:42; I Tim. 2:1, 8).
4. Fellowship, laying by in store according to prosperity (1 Cor. 16:1, 2; Acts 2:42).
IV. They Continued Steadfastly in This Worship (Acts 2:42):
1. Christians admonished not to neglect assembly of saints (Heb. 10:25).
Conclusion:
A corruption of this plan of worship by changing the day, spirit, or item of worship fmnished by Scriptures, means the destruction of the identity of the Church as the Church of God. The consequence of doing so is the loss of divine recognition (II Jn. 9). "He that goeth onward not God."
Questions For Discussion:
1. What is the leading day of the New Testament?
2. Why was the Sabbath given; how long did it continue?
3. Name some outstanding events of the Lord‘s day.
4. How must God be worshiped?
5. What is always to be present in every act of worship?
6. Name the items of Church worship.
7. What was said of the first church (Acts 2:42)?
8. How may the worship be corrupted?
9. What if the Sabbath day be observed?
10. What if the worship be characterized by will worship?.