New Covenant Worship

1. Essential Questions and observations

a. Questions
(1) In what New Testament Scriptures do we find commands on how to worship? Actually, there are few references to specific forms of worship, and the examples we see often bear little resemblance to each other.
(2) In what New Testament Scriptures are we given examples of New Covenant Worship? We are given glimpses—the meetings in peoples’ houses, the getting together to hear special speakers, all night Bible studies, and meetings in schools. However, not even one complete New Covenant worship service is given for us to see.
(3) How are the words for “worship” used in the New Testament? They usually refer to the individual prostrating of oneself before someone else, submitting and serving that one.

(Mat 2:11) "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."


(Mat 28:9) "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him."

b. Observations
(1) There are huge blocks of scripture dedicated to establishing and regulating the worship of the Mosaic Covenant.
(2) The majority of the Old Testament passages that relate to or give examples of worship are Mosaic law passages

2. True Worship
a. So, the big questions—
(1) What is New Testament worship?
(2) What form does New Testament Worship take?
(3) How and by what is New Testament worship to be regulated?

b. The bottom line up front.

(1) New Testament worship is about the internal, not the external.
(2) There are no prescribed forms for public New Testament worship, except for:
(a) the preaching of the Word—2 Tim 4:1-2, Acts 20:20-21,24
(b) the confession of Christ as Savior—Rom 10:8-10
(c) the baptism of new believers—Mat 28:19
(d) the breaking of bread—Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17-34
(e) New Testament giving—2 Cor chapters 8 and 9
(f) speaking in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs—Eph 5:18-19
(g) The sacrifice of praise—Heb 13:15
(h) The sacrifice of giving and sharing—Heb 13:16
(i) Mutual submission—Eph 5:21-6:8
(j) Prayers—1 Tim 2:1-6
(k) And these forms are very general—there is a great deal of detail when it comes to the organization and functioning of the local church, and very little at all about how the local church is to worship.
(l) The New Testament church is NEVER told to imitate the Mosaic Covenant worship, rather, that worship form is universally depicted in the New Testament as dead after the death and resurrection of Christ.
(3) We MUST worship God in His way—4:24
(a) We must worship God—it is a heart’s cry that the true believer cannot ignore.
(i) The Must verses in John—there are four verses which relate something which believers MUST do
(ii) (John 3:7) "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
(iii) (John 3:14) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
(iv) (John 3:30) "He must increase, but I must decrease.
(v) (John 4:24) "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
(b) WE must worship God according to His prescription.

3. True Object of New Testament Worship—the Father—a revolutionary and New Testament concept.
a. A New Testament Concept—
(1) In the entire OT, God is referred to as Father only 15 times, and some of those are prophecies of the New Covenant.
(2) There are 115 references to God the Father in John alone, and in the New Testament, there are well over 250 references to God as Father.
(3) The primary concept of God, the primary attribute of God, in the New Covenant, is that He is our Father. “He called God His Father” (John 5:18)

b. A New Testament Doctrine—God, our Father: The full revelation of the Trinity—Mat 3:16-17, Mat 28:19-20, John 1, Heb 1, Col 1, 1 John 1, 2, 4….
c. The Father-Son relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity
(4) The co-eternity—(John 1:1-2).
(5) The co-equality—Jn 5:18
(6) The co-creators—Heb 1:2 “…
(7) The co-workers—John 5:17
d. The ultimate love relationship—(John 17:24) "… You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

e. The Doctrine that allows no errors—1 Jn 2:18-23, 4:1-3, 2 Jn 7-11

f. The Object of New Testament Worship—The Glory of God—Phil 2:9-11


4. The True Worshiper

a. Has been bought—by the blood of Jesus
b. Has been sought—
(1) God seeks people; they do not seek Him—1 John 4:19
(2) They did not seek God at all, because no one seeks God—Rom 3:9-12, Is 64:7

c. Has been taught—and discipled by the church (Mat 28:19-20)
(1) The true worshiper will show the fruit of love to God by their obedience to God
(a) If you love me—Jn 13:34-35
(b) 1 Jn 2:3-6

(2) Thy will show the fruit of Agape Love to other humans
(a) Husbands love their wives
(b) Christians are to love the brethren—1Jn 2:7-11, 4:7-11
(c) Christians are to love their enemies and be good to their persecutors—Mat 5:44

(3) They will show the fruit of a contrite and repentant spirit—they will be people whose hearts have been broken
(a) When true believers repent, they demonstrate an attitude which God loves—Mat 12:20, Ps 34:18, 51:17, Is 57:15

d. A true worshiper worships in spirit
(1) Not speaking of the Holy Spirit, but of the fact that true believers worship God deep down inside (Eph 5:18-19
(2) Spiritual worship is not superficial
(3) Is deep and moving
(4) Is deep and moving
(5) Cannot be taught
(6) Cannot be explained with words
(7) Is the supernatural legacy of the true believers
(8) Will naturally arise from the heart of the redeemed.

e. A True worshiper worships in Truth—1 Jn 2:18-23, 4:1-6, Gal 1:6-9