WHERE WE STAND CONCERNING WORSHIP

The Bible teaches that those who worship God must worship
him in the prescribed way.  Jesus stated in John 4:24, "God
is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth."  God is the object of our worship (cf. Matt.
4:10; Rev. 22:9).  We must worship God "in spirit."  This
refers to worshipping God sincerely and rationally.  God
condemns insincerity in our worship and service to him (cf.
Matt. 23).  We must also worship God "in truth."  The
expression "in truth" simply means that we must worship in
accordance with the truth.  The truth is one and the same
as God's word (John 17:17).  Therefore, we must worship as
the Word of God directs.  It is respecting the authority of
God's Word.  Paul wrote in Col. 3:17, "And whatsoever ye do
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by him."

Contrary to the thinking and practice of many today, not
just any kind of worship is acceptable to God.  As Jesus
stated in John 4:23, the Father seeks "true worshippers."  I
must deduce from this that there is such thing as "false
worshippers."  In Matt. 15:9, Jesus said concerning the
Pharisees of his day, "But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  Paul
spoke of "will worship" in Col. 2:23.  While Paul was in the
city of Athens, he told them they worshipped ignorantly
(Acts 17:23).  Worship that is acceptable to God must be
according to his word -- his truth.  Wherever there is no
authority for a practice, then we must not do it, for such
would constitute vain worship.

The Bible clearly outlines five and only five acts of
authorized worship that the Lord's church engaged in.  
These are:

1.)  Prayers (Acts 2:42; I Cor. 14:15)
2.)  Singing (I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Heb. 2:12).  It
should be noted that the Lord's church did not use
mechanical instruments of music in conjunction with their
singing.  There is no direct statement, implication, or
example that the early church ever used such.
3.)  Partaking of the Lord's Supper every first day of the week
(Acts 20:7).
4.)  Giving of their means through free-will offerings (I Cor.
16:1-2).
5.)  The teaching and preaching of the Word of God (Acts
20:7; 2 Tim. 4:2).

The worship of the early church was simple and
unpretentious.  It is a tragedy indeed that people have
abandoned the prescribed worship set forth in the NT.  It is
the plea of the Sullivan church of Christ for all people
everywhere to forsake all man-made worship and return
back to the pattern for worship as revealed in the NT.