Historic Christian Worship

Imagine an ordinary person searching for God. He procures a copy of the Bible and begins reading. He asks his family and neighbors to join him in reading and studying the Bible regularly in his home. They all agree to read through the Bible starting in Genesis. They meet regularly to discuss what they have read in the previous week. They learn how God prepared the Israelites for the eventual coming of the Messiah.

After finishing the Old Testament, they have an earnest expectation that the Messiah will arrive soon. They agree to continue reading. They discover the Messiah has arrived. They read of his immaculate conception, his public life and ministry, miracles, signs, and wonders proving Jesus to be God. They review the testimony of his public execution and historic resurrection. They read his instructions to believers about making disciples and teaching them what Jesus instructed. They immediately confess their own faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They read in Acts 1 of the promised Spirit's coming. They discover Peter’s response in Acts 2. They agree to immerse each other to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God pours out his Spirit into their sincere hearts.

To which denomination would this group belong? They would simply be members of the body of Christ. They would be free to continue studying and meeting regularly for mutually encouragement, or join a local denomination. If they continue with no pastor, no elders, and no deacons, and simple living room style, open worship, they would be no less a Christian assembly. In fact, they may be more so than what we see today.

Their open meeting would not be liturgical services. It would most likely be no dress-up affair. Their casual and open style would follow the Spirit’s lead as he expressed himself in the function of each member in the local body, in and out of worship. They would practice order and give preference to truth-speaking in each assembly as Paul instructed, I Corinthians 14. Problems would naturally arise but be handled by the whole body according to letters of the New Testament.

Several persons would probably speak, each taking their turn. One would come with an encouraging word while another may offer a spontaneous song. Worship would be a time for building up, not tearing down. Discussion would be kept spiritual and not digress to subjects like politics or sports. No discussion leader or moderator need be appointed! No one would take center stage, besides Jesus. Everyone would be expected to speak as the Spirit moved them. Everyone might sing. Spiritual songs would be selected that all would know. All would be done spontaneously keeping order. They would not need a musical instrument, not even a guitar. The singing might begin rough but it would improve over time.

I’ve seen this work successfully countless times. This is especially needed in the mission fields today. There is no need for paid staff or church buildings. Not required! It works very successfully in China and places where no missionary can go! [See the book, MegaShift: Igniting Spiritual Power, by Jim Rutz (pronounced, "ruts").]

Prayer time would probably not be for nosebleeds or hangnails. They would probably stay away from “prayer requests.” Prayers would become expressions of love and appreciation to the Master, like their open worship. Special time might be set aside to pray over a situation or health issue for a member, if the Lord directed. Everything would be kept uplifting to all and glorifying to God according to Paul’s simple instruction, I Cor. 14. Each person would check his motive before speaking. Each would make certain God and his Spirit prompted them before they would speak in corporate assembly.

Jesus established a “kingdom of priests.” This means every Christian has an immediate and personal responsibility for maintaining, sustaining, and propagating God’s rule and reign on earth. This means no one stands between us and our God, save Christ. When Christ died on the cross, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom. God granted equal access to all. All have equal right to lead in God’s kingdom according to God’s call on each life. We do not need certification or ordination. (God does not always call the qualified. But, he certainly qualifies each person he calls!) One is ordained and called the minute God places his Spirit in them and gives them the particular gift he wishes them to express in the body, Eph. 4. We answer to God and no one else!

True New Testament Christian worship recognizes that each person is given a gift for service in God’s kingdom. Christ and the Holy Spirit determine who gets what gift, I Corinthians 12:11. No clergy, elder board, or ecclesiastical elitist assigns these. If one thinks they are not qualified to baptize or serve communion, speak in an assembly or hold a memorial funeral service, then they have been brain-washed and wounded by our 1400 year old pastoral, ecclesiastical system. Please do not contribute to the wounding of God’s precious souls, here or abroad.

There are 1700 years of church history where God’s children have been convinced they are unqualified to lead public worship. There is over 400 years of indoctrination into a British form of worship created by men, for men, thanks to Calvin. We need to encourage all members to minister in the Kingdom. Every person in the body stands deserving and worthy as "priest" before God. There was no lay-clergy distinction in the New Testament church that existed for 300 years after Christ! (Enter Constantine!)

We need to promote the idea that in corporate worship, as well as daily functioning, every member is equally expected to function according to his gift. In the early days, there was no pre-set order of worship. Paul had every opportunity in I Corinthians 14 to command a common form. He did not. He simply stated that everything was to be kept orderly, glorifying to God, and edifying to all. Preference is given to truth-speaking. In speaking truth, God gets glorified and the body is edified!

There is no ritual “tithe” in New Testament Christianity. There is no biblical support for enforcing a "tithe". New Testament Christians give out of their abundance, spontaneously and willingly, as the Spirit leads. They determine in their own hearts how, when and to whom they contribute.

In a typical New Testament congregation, no single person speaks regularly. Regular speakers in early congregations were occasional visitors and rare. There were no spectators at Christian assemblies. Every member was expected to function! The modern sermon didn’t appear until the Fourth Century, with the influence of pagan Greek orators. The pastoral system is 1400 years removed from the New Testament church. They attempted it (I Corinthians 1), but Paul lopped off its ugly head as soon as it raised up in the local church.

If you have never been in an assembly where everyone’s life is being changed through ordered, spontaneous worship and praise, where charity is shown toward a needy member as soon as he expresses a need, where leaders are not visibly leading, you have never tasted the greatest freedom and pleasure known to historic Christianity.

It is time to promote and experience true Christian worship lost to us for 1700 years! Please encourage New Testament, open, living room style worship. The New Testament worshipped house-to-house. There is no reason we cannot do the same today.

My prayer is that all leaders will encourage and permit the Spirit to once again reign supreme (without chaos or liturgical choreography) in our corporate assemblies.