Volume 2 Issue 3 July 1996
by John Veyon
changes in our worship practices. They believe that much of our worship is not exhilarating and therefore must be changed. In a book entitled "The Second Incarnation" it is suggested that, "We abandon the worship authorized in the Bible for spontaneous, unavoidable celebration." In this book, which has been reviewed by Brother Curtis A. Cates, it states that our; "tired, uninspiring event called worship...must give way to an exhilarating experience of God" (p. 13). It is also said to be, "boring and irrelevant" (p. 114). Besides, they say, "early Christian worship adopted it's (the synagogue's) tradition (emph., CAC) of reading the Scriptures, prayers, the singing of hymns, and the sermon as it's own order of service" (p. 135). If the afore mentioned acts of worship were simply traditions adopted by the early Christians, why is it called 'the apostles' doctrine? (Acts 2:42) "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
The acts of worship in which we engage; singing, praying, giving, teaching or preaching,
and taking of the Lord's Supper, are not boring or irrelevant, nor are they simply some adopted tradition. We are commanded to sing, (Eph. 5:19)..."singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." We are to, "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). We are to give of our means; "lay by in store as God has prospered us," (1 Cor. 16:1-2). We are to; "go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). We are also to partake of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26). Notice what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:23; "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you." Where did Paul get this act of worship? Was it from traditions of the early Christians or of the synagogue worshippers, or was it from the Lord?
I believe that most of our problems among liberal thinking brethren today, and those who
are always looking for change, is subjectivism. What is subjectivism? Webster says; ("The
philosophic theory that all knowledge is subjective and relative, never objective; any philosophic theory that restricts knowledge in some way to the subjective element, as by limiting external reality to only what can be known or inferred by subjective standards of truth.") This is basically saying what Judges 17:6 says; "every man did that which was right in his own eyes." They have rejected the inspiration of the Bible and have denied it's authority and power to guide the apostles into all truth (John 16:13; John 17:17). This is the same truth for which we are to "earnestly contend," "which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).
