“God is spirit. His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23–24)
“Love God with all of your heart, mind and strength.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)
In the Word I read no commandment from God to worship Him. God does not command, demand or regimen that we worship Him. However, God does tell us HOW to worship, if we are to do so.
Worship in word and deed; reflect his righteousness in all that we do. Worship him with an open and contrite heart, being honest enough to know that you are in the presence of immense, glorious, loving power = God. Worship in truth, laying down all grievances, bitterness and hate before entering His presence (which has none of that). Be transparent. To worship God is to be a lamp stand, shining His glory back out in all that you do.
Be the Church
In the Word I do not find a commandment telling us we MUST go to church. This makes sense, as the sanctuary is not for God; but for us. God does not need us in church, He asks us to BE the church.
The church as found on any street is a gathering place where we can connect and grow one another. But that is not the church body. The body is spirit, connected by the Holy Spirit in Christ to be His hands and feet on Earth. We are to emulate Christ in our homes, workplaces, schools, restaurants, basketball courts and in all that we do; and with everyone we encounter. THAT is the church body.
Along with worship and how, and the way to be the church in this world; there is a commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. All of these commandments work together, aligning our spirit with His. It should be so, as the church body is His bride.
Together or separate we belong to Christ.
POINT
Why I note this is that recently there have been outbreaks of covid-19 due to church congregation gatherings. Because of a worldwide pandemic we are mandated to NOT gather. And yet certain Church ‘leaders’ push back and proclaim that no government has the authority to tell the church what to do, or not to do. So, church services happen and people get sick. Sickened people bring undue risk to the community they live in and THAT is a bad reflection of serving God. Namely, it is not a reflection of Him because it is of the ego.
We as the body of Christ are just as saved, restored and loved whether we sit in a church building or stand in an open field. Together or separate we belong to Christ. Consider those saved by Christ who are imprisoned for their faith, do they get to go to church? They ARE the church body even in solitary confinement. To have a local building for gathering is a luxury many in this world can only dream of. We are not being occupied by a foreign enemy, nor forbidden to worship. We have been given a safety rule, akin to wearing a seat belt; stating that this is for our own good and the well-being of those around us. If we (the Body of Christ) choose to defy mandates and opt to be uncaring for our community, then our gatherings are based on ego driven fuel. God will NOT be party to it and God does not support such deviant and divisive behaviors.
Don’t be a bad bride.
