Does the Bible Tell Us What a Worship Service Should Look Like?

Does the Bible tell us what a worship service should look like best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question.

At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673, as always, you can post a question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can watch a drill live right now on YouTube on our YouTube channel and send us a question that way you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com will. Today let's go to Carla in St. Louis, Missouri Carla what your question for a drill I don't hear a lot of preaching and had another quick question Christian is not "full Carla blow one.

Thank you for that question is a follow-up to your to your second question when you say when they're being mean to give me some just some specific example me.

Are you seeing something in in pastors or in the Christiansen are around you like, you know the word prejudice is okay go to church. But it hardly fell well Carl, I think the Bible has strong words against things like racism and prejudice. You see this and in the book of James.

You also seem you're talking about love and first and I can't tell you why other pastors don't preach through particular books of the Bible. I know speak for myself.

I died not too long ago preached through the entire book of first John and one of the themes in first John, as you know is that the fact that Christians those who have been born of the Spirit ought to exhibit love that this is one of the characteristics. One of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that it isn't and should be a part of our lives. I think it's one of the primary indicators of the fact that the Lord is at work in us that he's he's cause us to be born of the spirit and in so we look at attacks like first John chapter 3, beginning in verse 11 we read, for this is the message that you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another, we should not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother.

And why did he murder him because his own deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous. Do not be surprised brothers that the world hates you.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and so this is this is something that we are called to.

As Christians it's one of the as I said that the defining marks of a Spirit led life. It's love for the brothers love for the body of Christ. And so there's no place in the church for hating one another for racism for prejudice for those kinds of things and they need to be called out and and seven you said sometimes it's it it's harmless, or seems harmless. It really isn't. It divides the body of Christ. He minimizes her door downplays the fact were made in God's image called to love one another, so it's something that that really should be addressed and I would say if it's happening around you if it's something that you're seeing in in your church. There needs to be a discussion.

Maybe it may be speaking with the leadership may be having a conversation with the pastor, the elders of the church and state. Hey, this is something that I'm seeing and it's affecting me, and I think it needs to be address. It's a part of what we do in the body of Christ and that's part of how we encourage each other and so I pray that the Lord blesses you and that God cultivates in you that love that that he says I should be a part of our lives by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the does the same thing in your church as well.

Carla asked for your question.

They Carla thanks so much for listing the core Christianity.

We really appreciate you would be praying for you in that situation at your church. What we want to mention we have something really special here core Christianity this week. If you are new to the Bible, maybe you just picked up a Bible started reading it for the very first time you thought. I want to get Bible reading plan so I can stick with this this year and maybe you've looked at a few of them and they just seem kind of complicated and overwhelming. Well here core Christianity, we have developed a really simple and clear Bible reading plan just for you yet. It's not too late to start reading through the Bible we want to encourage you to make this a part of your life.

We need to grow in understanding the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and in the primary way that happens is through being a part of the body of Christ and saturating ourselves with the Scriptures, and so we want to encourage you to do that. Get a hold of this resource the Bible reading plan that little take you to the whole year you not to go through the entire Bible, but you are getting get get a lot of the Scripture we just want to help you get started reading the Scripture on a consistent basis, and so get a hold of this resource is our Bible reading plan here core Christianity find over at our website. It's absolutely free.

You can get the download by going to core Christianity.com/reading plan again core Christianity.com/reading plan to really introduce you to the big narrative and the grand themes of the Bible, which is something we often talk about here at core Christianity. Well, one of the things we do here is we allow you to leave voicemails and you can call us 24 hours a day and leave your message leave your question at 833-843-2673, which is 833. The core we received this message from one of our listeners yesterday. I was wondering or lot how we should carry out our worship is a sister thank you for that question question is actually near and dear to my heart because I love thinking about worship. I think it's something that we have minimize downplayed a topic that we've neglected in a lot of evangelical churches in the United States. We sort of just have this this consumer stick mindset with regard to worship what works, what can it draw people in.

And that's how we can organize our worship services were not thinking about what is the Bible say worship is and how can we communicate that to the people who were coming to worship. How can we help them to experience with what the Scripture says they should be experiencing in the gathered assembly now under the old covenant throughout the book of Leviticus and other places.

You have these very specific protocols for worship. These prescriptions God wanted to be worshiped.

And he cared about how he was worship, so much so that if you worship God the wrong way you were under God's judgment. Leviticus chapter 10 Nate Avina by who are are an example of this. They offered strange fire to the Lord and the Lord consume them. He he judge them because of this, is a God just care that we worship him.

He also cares about how he's worshiped and I think that something that a lot of people decided that we just think whatever you want to do a so long as you're sincere and it's from the heart in you can just remake it up as you go.

God doesn't care about how he just cares that you're doing in that you're sincere when it's both. We need to be sincere from the heart were not just giving God lipservice. But God also cares about what's taking place in worship. Now you don't have a book of Leviticus in the New Testament under the new covenant we don't have those that prescriptions for for ceremonies like they didn't in the temple Jesus Christ is fulfilled all of that. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But when you look at the New Testament.

You do get a sense of of these elements of worship that were a part of the early services and you see this in places like acts chapter 2 we read in verse 42 they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Now that the breaking of bread there that could also be translated. The breaking of the bread. There's is a definite article there and in front of the word bread signifying the something specific, probably a reference to the Lord's supper. So the early church in their services. They were devoted to the apostles teaching that is preaching.

Preaching the word of God, the ordinances or sacraments of the church that Jesus left baptism and the Lord's supper. The breaking of the bread of fellowship with the prayers. They were praying together early Christian services. A lot of scholars who study liturgy and worship this illusory came out of what what you hadn't in the synagogue services where there would be Scripture readings and singing of the Psalms in teaching and and that's what you see. I think a lot of these these early services and the focus is on those elements of worship. Is there needs to be preaching. The preaching of God's word prayer singing.

You have examples in places like first Corinthians 16 and and elsewhere of an offering that was being taken when they would gather together they would they would take an offering to care for the needs of the saints, and in the needs of the parts of you that the elements of worship and those the things we need to make sure part of our worship service and I don't have that we just are to make it up as we go.

It has to be centered on God's word and what he's revealed in his word, and so I really think this is something we need to take more seriously as Christians in our churches. Instead of asking ourselves the question when it when it comes to worship what people want. We need to ask ourselves the question what is the Bible say worship is and and what should we be getting in worship out of worship it. It's this it's this experience of God's presence. It's his experience of God's grace through the word, the preached word from the ordinances baptism and the Lord's supper.

That's what's what's taking place so that's when you focus on preaching the question. A man's Universalist church in San Diego called Northpark Presbyterian and if you go there. One of the cool things are. Sometimes the pastor will actually sing like you like a Cantor and it's so beautiful. Yeah anytime Ami Bill yeah I don't know that my congregation would say it's so beautiful. I definitely endure it when I sing the benediction that kind of but yet appreciate that. No, I've heard him say he's got a great voice so that we reduce perceived that about you drill this is core Christianity and we would love to hear from you.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, pick up your phone right now and call us 833-843-2673. That's 833, the court will be taking calls for the next 10 minutes or so. One of the ways you can also communicate with us is through our YouTube channel and Carol is watching on YouTube right now and she has this question. She says I've never been attracted to fasting, but I want to be obedient to God's word does the Bible explain how to execute a fast Carol thank you for this question. I love it because it's a question about just practical Christian piety.

What should we be doing in our lives to draw near to the Lord which our prayer lives look like. Of course Jesus in Matthew chapter 6. He talked about fasting is that when you fast, but don't do it like the hypocrites. Don't put on a frown on your face and let everybody know I'm fasting. I'm just, you know, drawing near to the Lord and and you know everybody thinks are so holy that kind with thing he says this is something between you and your heavenly father now fasting typically in the Bible was was something that was done in response to a need. In other words, that maybe there was the threat of famine. The threat of persecution. The threat of an invading army. For example, in the people of God would call a fast incident.

Will we need a set our face to seek the Lord to call out to him to pray for his mercy is with working to set aside food for a period of time which can beg God for his mercy that he would intervene and I think that there are times in our lives today as Christians, were we do want to take a step back and say hey maybe this is in a good time to fasting and pray for God's mercy upon our family, or upon our church treatment upon this nation were were were written to just seek the face of the Lord and pray that he would pour out his spirit and his mercy upon us, drawing us to the word to be faithful to him but we don't want to be legalistic about it. We don't want to just go through the motions. I had a friend some years ago to the straightest thought it was so funny, said look, I felt like I really needed a fast and I didn't know what to do since I'm not can eat any food. I'm just gonna drink water for a few days, which is a bad idea probably perk for getting started and and then he said you really switched over to I am to beat you and I can I can drink milkshakes and that kind of a thing early smoothies obviously got so hungry that he literally blended lasagna and blended after is there sort of like a cheat right in the middle of the fast as I that's probably not the right way to go about it is so don't be legalistic and and and you not one passage another payment in Matthew chapter 6 but another passage of Scripture that talks about fasting and fasting that pleases the Lord and maybe this is the text Carol that you'll want to want to meditate on is Isaiah 58 where God is rebuking his people for the way in which they were fasting.

He says in verse six is not this the fast that I choose to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh then shall your light break forth like the dawn, in your healing shall spring up speedily. Everything looked you guys are fasting going through these religious ceremonies going through the motions but you're not actually trying to be faithful to my word caring for those who are in need caring for the oppressed, caring for the homeless poor. That's what God wants from us is that that obedience. Obedience better than sacrifice that he calls us to isolate the great text to meditate on and as you pray just asked that the Lord would guide you. You don't there will be times in your life. We feel like I wanted to set aside food for. Or maybe not all food but maybe a meal or a particular kind of food and just say I'm in a devote this time where I would be eating to praying into seeking the face of Jesus and asking him to pour out his spirit for this particular need that I have and I think that's the right way to go about it. And so Carol God bless you and your walk with the Lord and thank you for that question. Thanks for the great counsel or bedroom appreciate that this is core Christianity and just a reminder we have this free Bible reading plan to help you kick off the new year right and start getting into God's word on a daily basis. You can go to our website to find it core, Christianity.com/reading plan and look for that again.

Core, Christianity.com/reading plan if you start reading. Let us know how it goes. We'd love to hear from you both go back to the phones. Anita is on the line from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Anita, what's your question for Pastor Israel and why verse 26, God said, let it be an hour and could be like at my question speaking to an author in Genesis later and tell it was interpreted or great great question. So who is the us, let us make man in our image. Some people have pointed to this is this is a clear reference to the Trinity there in Genesis 1. It's it's the persons of the holy Trinity and there a number of people throughout the history of the church who have taken that view. Others have settled this is just sort of the local Royal we, the plural of royalty. Let us God speaking is the divine king make man in our image, not really a reference to the Trinity per se.

Others have said the us here is a reference to God's heavenly divine council that is the angels who are around him.

God is speaking is the great King in the heavenly council with the Angels there, let us make man in our image, so there are number of different ways in which this this is been taken.

None of those that I would say. Also Anita are heretical or wood would lead you down into two false teachers. It just think there there been different ways of looking at this you do have this idea of the divine counsel throughout the pages of Scripture by the bank to find out to mean that that that the heavenly hosts around God in his throne room you see this in other places, like in the book of Psalms and Psalm chapter 8 verses five and following this, the site of these royal rulers that are there in the presence of the Lord in Isaiah chapter 6.

Also, you think about God there in his throne room with the Angels and saying who will go for sissies. As he's calling Isaiah into the prophetic ministry and so there again.

I think there's some corroboration with the other passages that indicate that the third view that I mentioned where it's it's God speaking in the context of his of his heavenly council to divine council is probably the one that that I think fits the context of Scripture the best but as I said there are others who so this is a reference to to the holy Trinity and so those are those are some of the views that's of you that I take and I appreciate your question. God bless you. Thanks for being one of our listeners rudderless terms here core Christianity.

We really do appreciate you and the fact that you're digging into God's word and asking questions like that.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

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You can also post your question on her Facebook page and Lori posted that she said you recently said we should not be taking communion at home, away from church. But what about shut-ins I work in a convalescent hospital and we've taken communion to the patients before who have been thrilled to do so yeah appreciate this question have a couple things.

I'm actually I think if if the pastor some of the elders and the member the church go and visit someone should which by the way I think is is a really good thing is something we were doing at various points in the pandemic. We would go with a team of people on the Lord's day to take the Lord's supper to get together with those who are shutting to open the Scriptures to have a sort of small worship service. If you will, and to administer the Lord's supper is I do think that something that you've seen in the history of the church, especially from even even the earliest days. There are examples of this taking place just during the time of the apostles, actually. So I'm I'm favorable without, I do think we have to be careful with this is a sort of idea of having private communion and I and and again this is in a week receive the question yesterday about this. I know would be getting some follow-up about about it because of been all sorts of people wonder you know with with the pandemic and people being at home and in watching church services online. You know what, what's the proper way to go about participating the ordinance is still taking the Lord's supper in and I just emphasize that this is something that that needs to be happening in the context of the gathered assembly the church coming together. That's what you see in the New Testament in first grade instead and 11. It's as the church gathered together to do these things, and in part of it was the bread the broken bread was a sign of the unity that we have in Christ as the body of Christ we are one body, even the world were many different members.

Paul highlights that it in verse 20 chapter 12 as well and so is something that's absolutely clear, but I do realize that especially in times of difficulty or with individuals who cannot come to church because her to shut in there. They're sick. Maybe they're there battling with some disease may be that they just can't get around anymore what's really important for us to be sensitive to that to be creative and think how can we continue to encourage them and incorporate them into the life of the church and sometimes that that does look like these visitations that I think are are good for them and for the body of Christ as a whole. And so appreciate that question in an brothers and sister be praying for for your pastors in these times are there in all their decisions that need to be made related to the coronavirus pandemic and thinking about how to care for people well and how to keep people safe and how to continue to do the things that God calls us to do. There is a lot of disagreement.

There's a lot of division I what we need is a lot of prayer we light a prayer for the grace of God to be on us and on our pastors as they think about these things as they seek to minister to us faithfully soap beat be an encouragement to your pastor to leadership in your church and and I just pray that the Lord blesses you as a thank you for that for that question. This is core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez. Here's an email we received from one of our listeners named Cody he said I'm reading through the Old Testament and Numbers 1527 speaks of unintentional sin to the people of ancient Israel sin less or just have a lot of goats between intentional and unintentional sin. I can imagine how many times I would be at the altar with another goat is the sacrificial system, a massive burden that we just can't fathom today yeah hey I made in in in many ways it is effective as of it comes out or was it something comes out in the book of Hebrews is this is constant reminder of sin day after day, year after year that the blood of bulls and goats could never cleanse the conscience of the worshiper perfectly because there was that constant reminder that constant need for another sacrifice to the text. Referring to Numbers 1527. If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering think that they they send more than we do. Just a different administration of God's kingdom. At that time and this is what they were doing it when they would sin that would bring forward these offerings and it was his constant reminder of the need for a perfect offering friends as we have in Jesus Christ. The once for all sacrifice for sin. That's why we don't have animal sacrifices in the church is because to do so would be to deny the sufficiency of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who by his once for all offering sacrifices forever perfected those who are drawing near to God and so were we see is just how heavy a burden that the sacrificial system was and so I think your you're right on as far as that's concerned but reminded of how great God's graces in the work of Jesus being sufficient to do away with all the sacrifices and our sins.

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