1011_3; Matthew 12:1, Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn The Cessation Cf. Gateway: Matthew 12:1 (1)The Sabbath appears in Scripture as the day of God's rest in the finished work of creation (Genesis 2:2, 3). For 2500 years of human life absolutely no mention is made of it. Then the Sabbath was revealed (Ref. Nehemiah 9:13,14; Cf. Gateway: Exodus 16:23; Nehemiah 9:13,14); made a part of the law (Exodus 20:8-11); and invested with the character of a "sign" between Jehovah and Israel, and a perpetual reminder to Israel of their separation to God (Exodus 31:13-17). It was observed by complete rest (Exodus 35:2,3), and by Jehovah's express order a man was put to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day (Numbers 15:32-36). Apart from maintaining the continued burnt-offering (Numbers 28:9), and its connection with the annual feasts (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:3,8; Numbers 28:25), the seventh-day Sabbath was never made a day of sacrifice, worship, or any manner of religious service. It was simply and only a day of complete rest for man and beast, a humane provision for man's needs. In Christ's words, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). (2) Our Lord found the observance of the day encrusted with rabbinical evasions (Matthew 12:2) and restrictions, wholly unknown to the law, so that He was Himself held to be a Sabbath-breaker by the religious authorities of the time. The Sabbath will be again observed during the kingdom-age (Isaiah 66:23). (3) The Christian first day perpetuates in the dispensation of grace the principle that one-seventh of the time is especially sacred, but in all other respects is in contrast with the Sabbath. One is the seventh day, the other the first. The Sabbath commemorates God's creation rest, the first day Christ's resurrection. On the seventh day God rested, on the first day Christ was ceaselessly active. The Sabbath commemorates a finished creation, the first day a finished redemption. The Sabbath was a day of legal obligation, the first day one of voluntary worship and service. The Sabbath is mentioned in the Acts only in connection with the Jews, and in the rest of the New Testament but twice (Ref. Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 4:4; Cf. Gateway: Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 4:4). In these passages the seventh-day Sabbath is explained to be to the Christian not a day to be observed, but a type of the present rest into which he enters when "he also ceases from his own works" and trusts Christ. v.1, j - (The Sabbath.) v.1, jj - Sabbath. (Gen. 2:3.) v.1, 3 - See Note page 1011_3 v.3, a Inspiration. v.3, a - * See Note Page 1012_1 v.13, h - New Testament Miracles v.3, b Kingdom N.T.Summary: See also Matt. 12:38-45. (Luke 1:31-33; 1 Cor 15:24.) v.18, k Holy Spirit Matt. 12:18, 28, 32; Matt 22:43; (Matt. 1:18; Acts 2:4.) v.18, l - Christ's First Advent Matt 21:1-5; Gen 3:15; Acts 1:9. v.18, 2l - Note 1012_2 v.21, m i.e., hope, or to place one's hope in; related to faith in v.41, o - Repentance. Repentace Summary. Mark 1:4. [Matt. 3:2; Acts 17:30]. v.24, p - Greek: daimoniazomai,demonized See Matthew 7:22, note. ) v.50, bb - Kingdom (N.T.). Matthew 13:1-50. [Luke 1:31-33; 1 Cor. 15:24.] v.23, o - (See Matthew 9:27; and Matthew 21:9) v.24, p - (domons. Matt 7:22, Read Matthew 7:22, note,) v.26, a - (aa) Satan. vs 26, 27; Matt 18:39. [Gen. 3:1; Rev. 20:10].) v.31, d - (dd Forgiveness. Vs. 31,32; Matt. 18:21; Matt 18:27, 32, 35. (Lev. 4:20; Matt. 26:28) v.32, Day of judgement. Matthew 12:36; Matthew 12:41; Mark 6:11. [Matt. 10:15; Rev. 20:11]). v.32, f - ff i.e., age v.34, i - Progeny. Matthew 3:7; Matthew 23:33.) v.36, j - Day of judgement. v. 36 Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 6:11. (Matt. 10:15; Rev. 20:11.) M_52; Matthew 12:36, every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account What does the word worship really mean? Before we can come together on this matter, we first have to understand that the Contemporary and the Traditional are speaking different languages. The very meaning of the word worship has been changed by Contemporaries to suit Contemporary Christian Music philosophies. It no longer refers to the biblical practice of bowing in reverence and humility before a holy God. The word itself has been expanded beyond this basic meaning to include all the forms used for worship: any style of music played by any musician, dancing, drama and art. It can mean the service itself, and anything that occurs within it. This kind of re-definition is a major cause for concern for me, and should alarm every believer. The Word of God has specific inspired and inerrant meanings in the original languages. We must be careful not to corrupt the words of Scripture by changing or expanding their meanings to suit our latest tastes, fashions or styles. The Lord Jesus also made it clear that we will be held accountable for all our words (Matthew 12:36-37). What does the word 'worship' really mean? How can we discover the true 'heart' and be faithful to the Bible? God has given us clear definitions. Biblical worship Let's start with the very meaning of biblical worship. Worship is an English word. According to Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, worship means: reverence or devotion for a deity religious homage or veneration'. The word combines two Old English words with German origins: worth (to honor) and -ship (to create). When English-speaking people worship God, we literally create honor to God with our actions and words. Worship has also been described as 'ascribing (assigning, attributing) honor to' God. Oxford Univewrsity Press Dictionary: worship [n.] 1) the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. - religious rites and ceremonies. 2) great admiration or devotion. 3) (His/Your Worship) chiefly Brit. a title of respect used chiefly to or of a magistrate or mayor. 4 archaic honor given in recognition of merit. >v. (worshiped, worshiping; Brit. also worshipped, worshipping) 1 show reverence and adoration for (a deity). 2 feel great admiration or devotion for. -DERIVATIVES worshiper [n.] -ORIGIN OE weorthscipe 'worthiness, acknowledgement of worth' (see worth, -ship). Comptons Thesaurus: [v] love unquestioningly and uncritically [v] show religious devotion to, as of a deity [v] attend religious services; "They worship in the traditional manner" [n] (activity) [n] (reverence) [n] (love) ~The OXFORD and Comption added by editor, b craig The word 'worship' was chosen by the translators because it is as close as we have in our English language to the Hebrew and Greek words. But as you will see next, this word alone simply cannot convey the totality of what God is saying when we are told to worship him. I believe this lack of biblical knowledge contributes to our acceptance of worship practices that are not acceptable to God. Without this knowledge to give us boundaries, we devise too easily our own ideas about how to worship God. That is why every Christian should learn to use a Hebrew and Greek lexicon such as Strong's Concordance. With all the great Bible study books and software, we do not have to become Greek or Hebrew scholars to gain more insight into the words of God. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated as 'worship' is shachah, Strong's Concordance defines to worship as: 'to depress to prostrate (especially in homage to royalty or God) to bow oneself down to crouch, to fall down flat to humbly beseech'. In the New Testament, the Greek word translated most commonly as 'worship' is proskuneo which means: 'to kiss like a dog licking his master's hand to fawn or to crouch to prostrate oneself in homage'. In Middle Eastern societies, especially Persia, which had exerted much influence over the region, the ancient mode of greeting one another was determined by rank. Zodhiates vividly describes the cultural meaning of proskuneo: Persons of equal rank kissed each other on the lips. When the difference of rank was slight, they kissed each other on the cheek. When one was much inferior, he fell upon his knees and touched his forehead to the ground or prostrated himself, throwing kisses at the same time towards the superior. M_54 It is this latter mode of salutation that Greek writers expressed by proskuneo. In the NT, generally, to do reverence or homage to someone, usually by kneeling or prostrating oneself in reverence, homage. *1 When we approach God in worship, is our attitude in keeping with these definitions? The thought that we are to be like dogs subservient to their master is quite repulsive to a Contemporary, who prefers to keep his or her dignity and self-esteem intact while worshiping. Let's face it — we would rather undertake activities that lift ourselves up, than wait upon God to do the lifting. But Peter wrote in his first epistle, 'Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time' (1 Peter 5:6). What about the physical position described so vividly above? Should we literally prostrate ourselves whenever we worship God, just as our spiritual forefathers did? We may recoil from that thought as we consider the images on our television sets of Muslims, for example, performing their prayer ritual, which includes an act of prostration that at least in its form fits the meaning of worship. But God sees our hearts; he is not fooled by the form of prostration, he desires a broken and penitent heart that is committed to him. What about the New Testament believers who are privileged to live in this 'age of grace'? We no longer worship according to prescribed rituals, but we must still worship God 'in spirit and truth' (John 4:24). 54 When Satan tempted him (Matthew 4:8-10), Jesus clarified what he meant by worshiping in truth: 'It is written.' He quoted the Old Testament law to Satan: 'You shall fear the lord your God and serve him' (Deuteronomy 6:13). Our worship must be based on truth as 'it is written', not on our experience, our feelings, the felt needs of the consumer, or our man-centered version of the truth. What about worshiping God in spirit? According to Barnes, 55 As he is such a spirit, he dwells not in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48), neither is worshiped with men's hands as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things, Acts 17:25. A pure, a holy, a spiritual worship, therefore, is such as he seeks — the offering of the soul rather than the formal offering of the body — the homage of the heart rather than that of the lips (emphasis added) ~Albert Barnes, New Testament Commentary. How can we be sure to worship God in both spirit and truth at the same time? In his Commentary Adam Clarke said, A man worships God in spirit, when, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, he brings all his affections, appetites, and desires to the throne of God; and he worships him in truth, when every purpose and passion of his heart, and when every act of his religious worship, is guided and regulated by the word of God. Complete submission Is it clear now what the 'heart of worship' truly is? When we approach God, the attitude of our hearts must be one of complete submission. We have nothing to offer God except our total devotion and obedience. We must examine our own worship service in light of the true meaning of worship. Does anything occur in that service that does not fit the biblical meaning? 56 When we worship we must be very careful not to exalt our feelings over truth, as I did on more than one occasion. 'Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord', a popular Contemporary Christian Music worship song, was one of my favorites. I used this song to 'usher people into the presence of God' (a standard line of the Contemporary worship leader). The lyrics are taken from James 4:10. Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord, And He will lift you up, higher and higher (emphasis added). ~ Bob Hudson, 1978 Maranatha! Music In the main translations James 4:10 does not include the phrase 'higher and higher'. Whatever the reason it was added by the song writer, I believe this aptly illustrates a major problem with the Contemporary's notion of worship: that God wants to affirm us through worship, to make us feel good about ourselves with the result that we will have this grand experience of feeling higher and higher. In my own experience, I noticed that we Contemporaries preferred to raise our faces and hands up to God, and called that worship. But as we saw earlier in this chapter, worship is not looking up and feeling good, it is bowing down and feeling lowly. If we try to add any other experience to worship, we have left the true meaning and are traveling into experiential territory where man is the judge of what is right and wrong. I thought back to when I first changed my personal worship style from bowing my head to looking up. I was influenced by charismatics praying in one of our city-wide prayer meetings. I remember the good feeling it gave me that I was for the first time a participant in worship with God, not some lowly worm who had to prostrate myself. I felt better about myself! 57 It is certainly biblical to feel happy in Jesus but I now realize that a good personal feeling is not part of biblical worship. When we try to feel an experience of affirmation from worship, we are not worshiping God. We are worshiping our own egos. If we are to be lifted up by God, we simply cannot create that experience through the pseudo style of worship we practice as Contemporaries. We must pay attention to what Scripture teaches. One lesson I learned from my study was that I cannot bring any of my old sinful desires and practices into worship to a holy God and expect him to accept them! I am now convinced that God will not accept our worship when it is offered with music styles that are also used by pagans for their immoral practices. If I am wrong, why was he so harsh in judging Israel when they sacrificed to him using the pagan high places and rituals? He is a jealous God. If you grasp this principle alone, it will change for ever the way you lead a worship service. Another lesson I drew from my study is that our worship must also contain a sense of the fear of God, not just the comfortable 'Abba Father' feeling that many Contemporaries seem to prefer. I had lost that fear in my Contemporary Christian Music worship practice; it was replaced by a much more comfortable feeling that I was doing something good for God and he would bless me. I relegated fear of God to the Old Testament and if someone told me I should be worshiping in fear, I considered they were being legalistic. I have been to many other Contemporary Christian Music worship services and have not seen this fear manifested by anyone — ever. The feelings we sought and produced in people were 180 degrees from fear; our worship made us feel closer to God, accepted for who we are! 58 Sense of fear We can now see that true worship must produce a sense of fear in the worshiped towards the worshiped. Do not be afraid (no pun intended) to embrace the word/ear. The baby boomers banned fear from church because it conflicted with our self-esteem and our acceptance doctrine, but it is still there in the Bible. If you think the fear of God ceased after the book of Malachi was completed to end the Old Testament, then why did Peter command us to 'fear God' (1 Peter 2:17)? You may be thinking that what he really meant there was to respect God; I too have often heard that translation from pastors and Christian counselors. But the Greek word is phobos; it means to frighten; to be alarmed; to be in awe of; to revere; to be sore afraid; to fear exceedingly {Strong's Concordance). Why would these pastors and counselors change the meaning to something softer and easier? Was it to support the self-esteem of their flock? Commenting on 1 Peter 2:17, Barnes said, 'A holy veneration or fear is always an elementary principle of religion. It is the fear not so much of punishment as of his disapprobation [disapproval]; not so much the dread of suffering as the dread of doing wrong.' See also Colossians 3:22. In 1 John 4:18 (which states 'there is no fear in love'), John was not reversing what Peter and Paul said. Some Contemporaries have misinterpreted this passage to justify their opinion that we are no longer to have any fear of God as part of our relationship with him. But in the context, John is comforting believers who still feared eternal punishment. He tells them that perfect love will give us boldness, not fear, in the day of judgement. For more on this subject see Hebrews 12:28-29; Ref. Note Page M_59. ~Dan Lucarini, "Why I Left The Contemporary Christian Music Movement." Evangelical Press, p. [sales@evangelicalpress.org] Footnotes: 1. 1. Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, 1992, p. 1233.

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