Hi – 

Thanks as always for stopping by. 😎

I look forward to hearing of your freedom and fruit in the Lord along the way.

The Lord is exceedingly zealous for His bride. 

Problematically, for centuries men have planted things contrary to His Word, which was given to set her free and empower her to live fruitfully; but those traditions contrary to His Word have instead confused her, oppressed her, and hindered her from living the fruitful life He has for her. Therefore every high thing that has exalted itself against His Word must be cut down and destroyed, so that she would live a free and fruitful life.

Let’s have a look at teachings and actions surrounding worship in America.

Current State: Loyal to Whom?

When you look at the way worship takes place in most of the modern American professing church, do you believe that it’s representative of what the Lord wants for His people? 

I think the way most American Christians worship – by attending a weekly gathering at any particular location within any particular denomination – was passed down to them by their forefathers (or mothers).  Attend the weekly service, and if you’re really on fire, go to a weekly bible study. That’s the status quo in America – the lukewarm, indifferent status quo. And it’s very loyal to the traditions of our forefathers.

But please pause to consider whether that’s what Jesus wants from His people. After all – the sheep belong to the Good Shepherd.  We are not our own, and we don’t have the authority to do whatever we want to represent Him.

We know our obedience is our worship (Rom. 12).  We know the Lord wants His people unified.  But nothing shows the division within the modern American professing church more than a Sunday morning. Some go to the Baptist church, others go to the Presbyterian church, others go to the Pentecostal church – and people think this glorifies the Lord. 

Is tolerating this systemically divisive system truly loyal to the Lord – or is it more loyal to the traditions of men?

Is it possible to be loyal to both the Lord and to the traditions of men?

I think the Lord wants us to collectively repent.

So to that point, I want to lay six foundations for unified worship which are demonstrated in Scripture. Perhaps if we can align on these six foundations, we may find ourselves walking more in accordance with God’s desire for His people; and in so doing, find ourselves more free and fruitful.

Foundation 1: Corporate Identity

It is critically important that we understand that the church has a new, corporate, spiritual identity in Christ. It is the new defining reality for us collectively through Him and it is simply who we are now. To reject that corporate identity is to live in denial – because it’s just true of us now in Him.

In Scripture, God has indicated to all disciples that…

• You (plural) are the Temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16): You are collectively a single temple in the Lord, in whom the Spirit of God dwells. The temple is no longer a physical place – we are rather living stones being fitted together into one spiritual temple in the Lord. He very truly walks among us as we agree to be joined together with one another in fellowship and humility and sincere love.
  
• You (plural) are One Flock with One Shepherd (John 10:16): Jesus said that “There will be one flock and one Shepherd.”  There are not many flocks with many shepherds – there will be one flock and one shepherd. That singular flock is overseen by many under-shepherds, through whom the Good Shepherd shepherds His people by His Spirit. But there is one flock.
  
• You (plural) are the Body of Christ (collectively), and members individually (1 Cor. 12:27): All believers make up the body of Christ, with each believer being an individual member. How can a lung be healthy if it’s convinced that it doesn’t need the heart?  With what kind of wisdom do you reason when you determine that your brother across the street is not important to your healthy functioning?
  
• You (plural) are Citizens of the Kingdom of God (Eph. 2:19): Our primary citizenship as believers is now the Kingdom of God. We are to live in all submission to all authority on earth – whether to kings, or rulers, or governors, or law enforcement – because all authority is from God, and it is meant as a gift to subdue the evildoer.  But we are sojourners here – this is not our primary residence anymore.
  
• You (plural) are Members of the Household of God (Eph. 2:19): We have One Father now – God our Creator, and Jesus is our eldest brother. That is the new, preeminent, defining familial reality for all disciples.
  
• You (plural) are a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation (Singular; 1 Peter 2:9): If you are a disciple, you are a priest to God through Jesus Christ.  We are a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek – meaning, after the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace, who is Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest.  There is no longer a special class of priests to go between the people and God – we all have that unique privilege and responsibility.

Problematically, most believers don’t see themselves this way, and their actions therefore show it; because your actions will always reveal who you see yourself as.  Many see the local church building as the temple, so they go there once a week to worship once a week. Many see their local church as the singular flock of God on earth, so they reject any association to or support for sheep at other local gatherings.  Many see their local gathering as one of many bodies, so they don’t see the interdependent nature of their relationship to other disciples. And we all live at 25% capacity because of it.

When we see ourselves for who we really are now in Christ (both individually and collectively), then our actions tend to naturally flow appropriately; and commands serve more as reminders and warnings when we err.  Let’s see ourselves rightly in the Lord – both individually and collectively – and so live accordingly.

Foundation 2: The Pattern

Do you know what the pattern for the church is?

Do you know where to find the pattern for the church in Scripture? 

God gave Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle on Mount Sinai. “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it” (Ex. 25:9). As the place of the worship of God, the Tabernacle had a pattern, and it was to be constructed according to that pattern.

The same truth applies so much more for the church (Heb. 8:3-6). The church is not to be built however we deem most wise according to our own wisdom. Men do not have the authority to build the church however we want. The pattern for the church was put in place by the Lord through His apostles, and the pattern is described most clearly throughout the book of Acts (and elaborated upon in the epistles).

What is that pattern? 

Well, there is one church in every city overseen by elders. Apostles – prophets and teachers entrusted with the gospel and directly called by God – go in to a city to set in order the things that are lacking (according to the pattern; Titus 1:5). Prophets serve a critical, foundational role in the life of the wider church (1 Cor. 12:28). Teachers train and exhort, evangelists lead the proclamation of the gospel, people speak with new tongues, demons are cast out, disciples lay hands and heal, and the saints do the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). The sick call for the elders and the prayer of faith raises up the sick (James 5:14).

How does that pattern play out?

The saints continue steadfastly in the apostles teaching, in fellowship, in prayer, and in breaking bread together (Acts 2:42). The saints have all things in common, they don’t consider things their own, and needs get met (Acts 2:46). There is a healthy equality of resources through effective needs identification and free-will giving (2 Cor. 8:13, Acts 2:45).  The elders of the city come together with the apostles and saints to address false doctrines and problems in the church, and the gospel remains uniformly defended (Acts 15).

Is this what the church in your city looks like? 

It might in pockets; but statistically, it probably it doesn’t – not in America.

When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4, He showed her that localized, divided, schismatic worship was being done away with. Worship was no longer going to take place here or there – at this place or that place – but rather, those who worship God would worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. But we’re convinced that attending a building once a week with our affiliated denomination or sect is faithful worship of God.

Freedom is not lived out by erring from the pattern laid out in Scripture. Following Jesus is not checking a list of do’s and don’ts; it’s a way of life. Let’s choose to order our lives after the pattern set forth in the New Testament.

Foundation 3: Loyalty

The truth is, schismatic, localized worship has been instituted by the traditions of men. Somewhere along the way, men departed from God and decided to erect monestaries and seminaries to preserve, institute, and standardize their way of doing things – and to punish any who disagreed with their preferences. They lusted after worldly power and set their eyes on selfish gain, and their hearts departed from the Lord.

God sent men to the wilderness for preparation, but men chose a school room and a tuition rate. God called ministers to preach the whole counsel of God, but men picked and normalized their favorite parts, while cutting out the rest.  Like savage wolves, men have instituted lawlessness and with blind eyes they have led the blind into a pit.

It shows, and the entire system is unfaithfulness to the Lord. 

In Matthew 15, some pharisees and scholars tried to rebuke Jesus because His disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating. This tradition was put in place by the elders of their time, but in reality, that requirement had not been commanded by God in the Law.  And so accurately someone has written somewhere, “Lawlessness sprouted up from Babylon; from elders, judges intended to guide the people.”

Jesus instead rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and asked, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” Additions to the Law and customs of the Pharisees had negated the original commands of God.  And so Jesus applied this prophesy to them:

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth, 

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9).

So there’s nothing new under the sun. 

The modern American church has accepted the status quo of 34 denominations in their city. They have normalized a weekly, one hour worship gathering and called it sufficient. They puff themselves up because they think their denomination is the right one. And in so doing, they nullify the command of God to be made perfectly one – “that there should be no divisions among you.”

So who does this divided system really live loyally to? Because it’s not the Lord Jesus Christ. It is rather loyal to the traditions of men.

Final Warning:

Jesus said that “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Israel and Judah were divided for a few hundred years. Their leaders were perpetually at war with one another and the people were brutal to one another.  And God brought devastating judgment upon them both.

Christ is not divided. There is an alternative to the modern status quo. It is not a house church model, it is not a non-denominational church model, it is not new traditions and new preferences.

The alternative is repentance and faith;

It is true love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.

It is loyalty to the Lord.

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

The time to seek unity with fellow disciples is right now. Please do not be caught on the wrong side of judgment, because it has drawn near.

In the next post, I’ll cover the other three foundations: Humility, A Willingness to Follow the Lord, and Faithful Shepherds.