Day 82: Religious Worship, part 2

Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter 21, section 6

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VI. N[o] part of religious worship, is now, under the Gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed [c]: but God is to be worshipped everywhere [d], in spirit and truth [e]; as, in private families [f] daily [g], and in secret, each one by himself [h]; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calls thereunto [i].

N[o] part of religious worship, is now, under the Gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed [c]

[c] John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

The Mountain of the Lord -- select verses

but God is to be worshipped everywhere [d],

[d] Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

in spirit and truth [e];

[e] John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Ver.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

as, in private families [f]

[f] Jeremiah 10:25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: Ver.7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
2 Samuel 6:18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. Ver.20 Then David returned to bless his household.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Acts 10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Extra Credit:

• To The Christian Reader, Especially Heads of Families
• Mr. Thomas Manton's Epistle to the Reader
• The Directory for Family-Worship

In Christ we are children of Abraham, heirs of the promise made to Abraham.

• Galatians 3:7
  Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
• Galatians 3:9
  So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
• Galatians 3:14
  . . . that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
• Galatians 3:28-29
  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. {29} And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
• Galatians 4:28
  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
• Romans 4:16
  For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
• Romans 4:13
  Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
• Romans 9:8
  That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
• 1 Peter 1:23
  . . . having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
• Galatians 6:16
  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Abraham's Family - Evangelism In The Old Covenant

• Based on the data in verses like Genesis 14:14, Folker Willeson estimates that Abram's household in may have numbered near 12,000 people: The Yalid in Hebrew Society, 12 STUDIA THEOLOGICA 192-210 (1958).

Abraham as a Model of Community and Government

There was no centralized place of worship in Abraham's day. There was no levitical priesthood. Abraham dealt with the Melchizedek priesthood. Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. In the New Testament (post AD70), the Household, not the temple is the paradigm for worship.

• Acts 2:46
  And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
• Acts 5:42
  And daily in the temple and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
• Acts 20:20
  and how I kept back nothing that was profitable for you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly and from house to house,
• Romans 16:5
  Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
• Romans 16:10
  Salute Apelles, approved in Christ. Salute those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
• Romans 16:11
  Salute Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 1:11
  For it hath been reported unto me about you, my brethren, by those who are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
• 1 Corinthians 1:16
  And I baptized also the household of Stephanas. Besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
• Colossians 4:15
  Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church which is in his house.
• 2 Timothy 4:19
  Salute Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus.
• Philemon 1:2
  and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house:
• 2 John 1:10
  If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed;

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Back to the Confession of Faith:

daily [g],

[g] Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

More Extra Credit:

• Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
• Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: {7} And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. {8} And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. {9} And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
• Psalm 5:3 My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.
• Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.
• Proverbs 8:30,34 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, {34} Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.
• Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens-- wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
• Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
• Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
• Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
• Acts 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
• Acts 19:9 When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
• Luke 19:47 And He taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy Him,
• Luke 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
• Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
• Luke 9:23 And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

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and in secret, each one by himself [h];

[h] Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

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so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calls thereunto [i].

[i] Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Ver.7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Ver.21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying. Ver.24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.
Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

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Is worship a momentary, weekly ceremony -- or a daily lifelong commitment?

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End of Lesson, Day 82

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For Further Study:

"The Holy Mountain"

• Isaiah 11:9
• Isaiah 56:7
• Isaiah 57:13
• Isaiah 65:11
• Isaiah 65:25
• Isaiah 66:20
• Ezekiel 20:40
• Ezekiel 28:14
• Daniel 9:16
• Daniel 9:20
• Daniel 11:45
• Joel 2:1
• Joel 3:17
• Obadiah 1:16
• Zephaniah 3:11
• Zechariah 8:3

"Mountain of the Lord"

• Isaiah 2:3
• Isaiah 30:29
• Micah 4:2
• Zechariah 8:3

"mountain of His holiness."

• Psalm 48:1
  Jeremiah 31:23

"the mountain of Thine inheritance"

• Exodus 15:17