From the creation of man, God has commanded and expected worship. In the 11th chapter of the Book of Hebrews we learn that “by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (v. 4). Since the kind of faith that pleases God comes by hearing His Word, we know that God had told these two boys what He wanted as proper worship. In John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In this passage several things are worthy or attention. God is the object of our worship; man is expected to worship Him; it is imperative that man worship correctly (“must worship”); there must be the proper attitude in worship (“in spirit”); and worship must be according to truth. The one who worships must remember that he is trying to please God, the object of his worship, rather than please himself. Therefore, if we desire to worship God correctly, we must turn to His Word to learn what pleases Him.
Let me illustrate. Suppose someone wanted to invite me, the author, to eat a meal with him. Suppose my host or hostess really liked liver and prepared such for me. Frankly, I would just have to disappoint my host or hostess and ask for a cheese or bologna sandwich, simply because I just will not eat liver. I don’t like it, and I never have liked it! Regardless of how sincere the one who invited me may be, that one simply did not please me. Now a question: How do we know what pleases God? In Isaiah 55 He stated that His ways are above our ways, as the heavens are above the earth. We also learn that in the Old Testament period that He required many different ways for man to offer worship. In the New Testament, however, He has given man a way to worship Him that man can do, regardless in what part of the world he may find himself. The worship He directs man to give is simple, and must be from the heart, and by faith. What does God tell us in His Word about worship that pleases Him?
First, we are told that Christians met upon the first day of the week (Sunday) to offer worship to God. (cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Under the Old Testament system, man was commanded to observe the Sabbath Day, but that law was taken out of the way by Jesus and was nailed to His cross. (cf. Colossians 2 14-17). On the first day of the week, they were to teach, preach, and study the Word of God. They had no manuals, creed books or catechisms, nor did they need them. They had the Word of God, whether in the inspired preachers of the day, or the inspired Word that had been committed to writing. Their’s was not a worship of relics, beads, statues, icons or any such thing. On that day, they also approached the Father in prayer. It was centuries after the establishment of the church that we find men offering prayers to “saints” or to Mary. Nor, did the early Christians attempt to pray to God through some earthly priesthood. Notice Acts 2:41-42: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” To whom, and through whom were they praying? They could not have been praying through Mary for she was still among them, according to Acts 1:14, which, by the way, is the last time she is mentioned in the Scriptures. Since 1 Timothy 2:5 tell us that there is only one Mediator between God and man, this eliminates trying to reach God through anyone else, regardless of how popular the doctrine may be.
