I recall the conversation between Yahushua
(Yeshua) and the woman of Samaria in John chapter 4 regarding worship; and
can’t help but to reflect on we as believers today. For the most part we tie our worship to that of
a congregational experience in the place of a personal lifestyle of devotion
and commitment or the walking out of our faith.
Even though at times congregational worship is needed and beneficial;
however, it will and has on occasion became our focal point or object of
spiritual affection with the deception of being in right standing with HIM
(Yahweh).
In the 4th chapter of John during
Yahushua’s (Yeshua’s) conversation with this women of Samaria in verse 21 --
Yahushua (Yeshua) stated “believe me, the
hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father” Now why would
Yahushua (Yeshua) make this statement to that woman? Historical background: the Judeans focal point of worship was
Jerusalem; the Samaritans focal point of worship was Mt. Gerizim. The error of both sets of believers was the
making of locations and or events as their focal point of worship; as we do
today when we place congregational worship as more important than our personal
lifestyle of devotion and commitment or the walking out of our faith.
Congregational worship is beneficial and
needed, for Ephesians 4:16 says “the
whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”. So we actually support and grow up
collectively as we congregate and fellowship with each other. But the caveat (limitation) to congregational
worship is that at times it allows the camouflage and disguise-ment of personal
responsibility. It can cause one to
blend in and not necessarily live up to the Torah scripture calling. Philippians 2:12 says ….. “as ye
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling”. Work
out in this text is katergazomai,
which means to perform, to bring about, to result in or accomplish. Salvation
in this text is soteria, which means
deliverance to the safety of the soul in this present and future world; in other words it must translate into a
personal outward lifestyle…. (emphasis mine)….Selah’
Side
note: There’s no doubt that Yahweh does bless and
pour out his Ruach (Spirit) upon those within and without the congregational
event. Read Moses in Numbers 11:24-29…
And Moses went out, and told the people the
words of Yahweh, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and
set them round about the tabernacle. And Yahweh came down in a cloud, and spoke
unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the
seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them,
they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the
camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the
spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not
out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and
said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the
servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses,
forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Envies thou for my sake? I wish that all
Yahweh people were prophets, and that Yahweh would put his spirit upon them!
Notice the two (2) that were not within the
congregation, Eldad and Medad? Then notice Moses’s reply to Joshua…. Envies thou for my sake? I wish that all
Yahweh people were prophets, and that Yahweh would put his spirit upon them! Without
is just as important as Within.… Selah’
Our congregating and our living has to match
HIS Torah (scripture instructions)……Selah’
Mark 7:1-23 KJV
1And the
Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem, are gathered together
to him, 2 and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is,
unwashed, hands,3 (for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their
hands diligently, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the tradition
of the elders; 4 and [on coming] from the market-place, unless they are washed,
they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to
hold, the washing of cups and vessels, and brazen utensils, and couches), 5
then the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why do thy disciples not walk
according to what has been delivered by the tradition of the elders, but eat
the bread with defiled hands? 6 But he answering said to them, Well did Esaias
prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour me
with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. 7 But in vain do they
worship me, teaching [as their] teachings commandments of men. 8 [For], leaving
the commandment of God, ye hold what is delivered by men [to keep]—washings of
vessels and cups, and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he
said to them, Well do ye set aside the commandment of God, that ye may observe
what is delivered by yourselves [to keep]. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father
and thy mother; and, he who speaks ill of father or mother, let him surely die.
11 But *ye* say, If a man say to his father or his mother, [It is] corban (that
is, gift), whatsoever thou mightest have profit from me by … 12 And ye no
longer suffer him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 making void
the word of God by your traditional teaching which ye have delivered; and many
such like things ye do. 14 And having called again the crowd, he said to them,
Hear me, all [of you], and understand: 15 There is nothing from outside a man
entering into him which can defile him; but the things which go out from him,
those it is which defile the man. 16 If any one have ears to hear, let him
hear. 17 And when he went indoors from the crowd, his disciples asked him
concerning the parable. 18 And he says to them, Are *ye* also thus unintelligent? Do ye not perceive that all that is
outside entering into the man cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter
into his heart but into his belly, and goes out into the draught, purging all
meats? 20 And he said, That which goes forth out of the man, that defiles the
man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, go forth evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickednesses,
deceit, licentiousness, a wicked eye, injurious language, haughtiness, folly;
23 all these wicked things go forth from within and defile the man.
The whole premise of these verses is not about
what foods a person can eat (albeit some bible translators inserted foods into
this text which is uncalled for), but these verses are about not washing hands
before eating which is a tradition that says if one does this they have become
defiled. What Foods to eat is not the
issue here ---remember these people/disciples/Pharisees and Yahushua (Yeshua)
(Jesus) are Hebrews, Judeans….they don’t eat pork or anything unclean found in
Deuteronomy 14 or Leviticus 11 anyway.
You know several years ago songs with words of
Deeper, Depth, Higher or Higher Place became popular within Christendom
congregational worship. It prodded
people to get in the spirit (zone if you will) during congregational
singing. Supposedly this was to bring
the singer or congregation to a closer walk, experience or spiritual awakening
with YAH.
I read once;
that the highest form of worship is a life devoted to study. Now within this study one will ultimately
draw closer to HIM. Do you know why that is? Because……
*man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that comes from the mouth of Elohim
*thy word (Torah) have I hidden in my heart that
I may not sin (miss the mark on Torah) towards you
*thy word (spoken Torah) is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path
Congregational worship is needed and beneficial,
but it is not a substitute. If you study
right then you will believe right, if you believe right then you will live
right, and if you live right then you will worship right. Selah’
I’ll leave you with this question: How’s Your Worship?
Selah’
