Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
God's prescription for worship in the NT is "in spirit and in truth." Nothing more, nothing less.
Worship in spirit and truth is thus the proper NT "place," and thus corresponds to the OT temple. The temple is the house of God, which is now the church. Thus, worshiping in spirit and truth implies the church is there, especially when two or three are gathered. Thus no need for "the local ground" to have church.
Since Jesus made it clear the proper place of worship is only "in spirit and truth," insisting on the local ground could be viewed as actually setting up a different place of worship than Jesus prescribed, and thus could be viewed as a sin like Jeroboam's. But clearly the temple was not the only place of worship. The Jews established synagogues, which Jesus attended reverently. Thus the strict idea that the temple was the only proper place of worship is an error.
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The Lord made it clear to the Samaritan women that any physical or earthly place, even one prescribed in scripture, was no longer valid in the New Covenant time, "which is coming and now is." (John 4.24) Whether a church building, a synagogue, a mountain, the temple, or
even the boundaries of a city -- all are done away with in the New Covenant, established through the cross of Christ. Old Testament instructions no longer apply here.
What is crucial is "in spirit and truth." The preposition "
in" describes the
only possible place to worship the Father. Are you in spirit? Are you in truth? These are the questions we all must ask. Any connection to an organization, a ministry, a minister, or a program cannot validate nor invalidate your worship of the Father.
I have worshiped the Father receiving communion at a Catholic wedding mass, in a home meeting, traveling in a car, in my bed, in a university examination, being berated by brothers, being outcast by family. When we consider all of God's children, there is just no limit to the "places" our Father has been worshiped in spirit and reality. When, however, I consider how sectarian leaders, like those of the LCM, mandate self-serving practices on the children of God, I wonder how often we completely missed the mark.
Tonight we are traveling to an old schoolhouse to have a "love feast" or Christmas dinner with some brothers and sisters we occasionally meet with. It is in the middle of no where. It is an unincorporated town or village. There is no "city" out there. There are no city boundaries. No mayor, no Walmart, no gas station. Definitely not "good material" for LC expansion. But God is there! We can worship in spirit and reality. We can gather in His name.