What Distinguishes True Worship From False Worship?

Thus we wisely and eagerly separate our worship from that of the heathen, the Turks [Muslims], and the Jews. For true worship differs from false worship particularly in these two very important points: the question of the essence and the question of the will of God. Even though the Turks [Muslims] say that they worship the one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, yet they reject the true God because they deny that He who sent His Son as the Mediator is the true God. Thus they do not worship correctly. For there is an eternal and immutable rule, set forth in John 5:23, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father.” The Turks [Muslims] err first regarding the essence of God because they create for themselves a god who is not the Father of Jesus Christ.

They err in the second place concerning the will of God, since they are ignorant of His promises and deny that the Son is the Mediator. They remain in unending doubt and cannot be certain that they have been received by God or are heard by Him. Those who remain in this doubt do not worship God but flee from Him and run either into contempt for God or into eternal hopelessness and blasphemy.

On the other hand, the church of God affirms that He is God and Creator of all things who has revealed Himself in the Son whom He has sent, in the Gospel which He has given, and in the great testimonies which He has made and which are recorded in the writings of the prophets and evangelists. Thus a person first judges concerning the essence of God not on the basis of human imagination but on the basis of the Word of God and the sure testimonies which have been revealed to us in the Word. In the second place, concerning the will of God, we know with certainty that the Son of God has been set forth as our Mediator. With wondrous, sure, and indescribable wisdom God accepts and hears us when we pray for the sake of the Mediator. When these distinctions are kept in mind from the very beginning, which indeed must be considered every day in our worship, then we will correctly understand how God is to be sought, recognized, and worshiped, rather than on the basis of speculations...

-- Loci Theologici Locus I A. God in General

Comments

[Brian of the Hill People]

Very well stated. It is of interest to recall that we are only made acceptable in Christ Jesus. Men are of no account in the heavens but our Mediator is of account. We are heard only in Him and for Him. It is Him the Father esteems and for His sake that He extends all blessing to us in grace. We know we ought to pray the will of God in Christ Jesus but it is important to be aware that all that we do must be the will of God in Christ Jesus, including worship. It isn't worship if it is about me or anyone or anything except our God. We have only one avenue in all things to the Father, Jesus our Lord. No one can come to the Father except through Him.

[Steve Newell]

Consider this question: Can a non-Christian worship the Triune God in a Christian worship service?

The reason I ask this question is that many churches have focused the Worship Service as a place of evangelical activity. To me, this is a major confusion of the purpose of both evangelism and worship. True evangelism takes place out in the world through our daily lives and our vocation. This is where we share both Law and Gospel to our neighbors. Worship is the gathering of believers to give praise to God, confess our sins and receive the gifts of God in Word and Sacrament. These activities are for believers and not believers within the confines of Christian worship.

Many churches have removed the Christians from Christian worship so that they may have a "seeker sensitive" worship service. Does this act make the service not a true worship service but something else? I am assuming that a "seeker" is a spiritually dead in their sins person and they need to hear both Law and Gospel even though they would not acknowledge this fact.

[Chris Rosebrough]

Steve,

You make a great point. I would add Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.