Exalting Christ

Evangelism is something the church does when it is scattered and edification is something the church does when it is gathered.  Another function of the gathered church is exalting Christ.  This describes our active worship of the Lord Jesus, both personally and as a group.  Acceptable worship is regulated in Holy Scripture.  In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus tells us two things God the Father is looking for in worship.  The first is spirit.  This means that our hearts and minds must be fully engaged when we are magnifying Jesus and praising His name.  The second thing God requires in worship is that it be according to the truth.  This means that we must follow the Bible in our private and corporate worship.  With these two things in mind we can offer acceptable worship like Abel did.  If we ignore these we will be offering unacceptable worship like Cain or strange fire like Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-7.  These latter two lost their lives by not following Scripture in their worship.  God is very particular about worship.  Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) and the Corinthians can all testify to that truth (1 Cor. 11:29-34).

Therefore, we should have a New Testament text for everything we do in corporate worship.  Every activity in the bulletin should be supported by a text.  Furthermore, the changes from the old covenant to the new covenant made some switches in what should and should not be done in the worship of the Triune God.  For example, it would not be proper any longer to offer an animal sacrifice in worship of God, because Jesus was sacrificed for our sins once for all time.  The book of Hebrews makes that clear.  So if we go to the New Testament, we can find what pleases God in new covenant worship.  This will not contradict the Old Testament, but the New Testament informs us of the changes in worship.  Acts 2:42 tells us what the early church practice was when they met together.  We also can learn a lot from 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. Actually 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are clear manuals for church life and order and should be given much attention on this subject.  Externals in worship can be dictated by culture or by the light of reason as long as these are not forbidden in Scripture (i.e., pew cushions and electric lights are acceptable in America, but a statue of Buddha is not [see Exodus 20]).

Exalting Christ is a very important function of the church.  It is worship in action.  It is actively praising the Lord and magnifying the name and person of the Lord.  Warren Weirsbe writes that:

. . . .worship involves both attitudes (awe, reverence, respect) and actions (bowing, praising, serving).  It is both a subjective experience and an objective activity.  Worship is not an unexpressed feeling or empty formality.  True worship is balanced and involves the mind, the emotions, and the will.  It must be intelligent; it must reach deep within and be motivated by love; and it must lead to obedient actions that glorify God. (Real Worship, 21)

Exalting Christ requires our time.  If a man does not constantly check their watch during a sports game, then neither should he be checking his watch and sighing if worship has the priority in their life required by the Bible.  Open Door does not have a time clock in the building where you can insert your time card and prove you put in the “time” by design.  True worshipers of God are willing to put in the time and are flexible in their time investments.

Another thing to consider is that worship displaces worry and worry displaces worship.  It is like a seesaw.  When worship is up, worry is down, and the reverse is also true.  It is very important for a Christian to worship the Lord Jesus during the week wherever he or she is.  Likewise, it is vital to gather regularly for corporate worship.  We do this out of love for Jesus and to obey the Bible’s direct command concerning public worship (Heb. 10:24-31).  So, let’s worship Jesus together.  We have found true worshipers of God share their faith so that men and women are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and become worshipers of God.  Let the Nations Be Glad!