The Standard for Worship Pleasing to God

Matthew 5:21-26

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.[1]

W

hen did you last worship? Most of us who call ourselves Christian would contend that we know how to worship. In fact, we would likely say that we worship with a great degree of regularity. However, I wonder if you are able to define what you mean when you speak of worship? Can you, in a sentence or two provide a biblical definition of worship? I fear that few of us are confident of what is meant by the term worship. I suspect that we are especially hesitant to attempt to define the term if the health of the congregation will depend upon our definition.

The text for the message this morning actually has a great deal to say concerning worship, without ever mentioning the act itself. You will recognise the text as occurring early within the portion of Scripture that we have commonly received as “The Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus is providing a series of practical examples of the righteousness which those within His Kingdom must exhibit.

I acknowledge that the text speaks forcefully of anger as a contaminant of righteousness. An angry saint cannot be a righteous saint. Such an individual is in the grip of rage and susceptible to malice and slander and every sort of evil. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that anger is the root cause of murder. What I would have you notice, however, is one little word with which the twenty-third verse begins: so [ἐὰν]. With this device, Jesus moves from the attitude which contaminates the saints, to the impact of attitude on worship itself. Let’s focus on the standard for worship pleasing to God.

Worship Must Focus on God — What is worship but the offering of gifts and sacrifices to God? The unknown author of the letter to the Hebrews, writes that a high priest … is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices [Hebrews 5:1]. This is the essence of worship. The form for worship is nowhere found in the New Testament. There is, according to John Piper, “a stunning silence about the outward forms of corporate worship, and a radical intensification of worship as an inner, Godward experience of the heart. The silence about outward forms is obvious in the fact that the gathered life of the church is never called ‘worship’ in the New Testament.”[2]

In the Greek tongue, there are two primary words, drawn from the language of the Old Testament, which speak of worship— προσκυνέω and λατρεΰω. Consider first, the Greek word προσκυνέω. “Among the Greeks the verb is a technical term for the adoration of the gods, meaning to fall down, prostrate oneself, adore on one’s knees. Probably it came to have this meaning because in order to kiss the earth (i.e. the earth deity) or the image of a god, one had to cast oneself on the ground… In addition to the external act of prostrating oneself in worship, προσκυνέω can denote the corresponding inward attitude of reverence and humility.”[3]

The other term, λατρεΰω, “is derived from λατρον, wages, and means in secular Greek, work for wages, and then to serve without wages. It is not found very frequently. It was originally used predominantly of physical work, but was then used more generally and could include cultic service. Λατρεία has the same meaning, i.e. work for wages, work, care, service. Finally at a later stage it had a cultic use, honouring of the gods, worship.”[4]

These two terms appear a total of seventy-eight times in the New Testament. Προσκυνέω appears a total of fifty-seven times, twenty-six times in the Gospels and twenty-one times in Revelation. In Paul’s letters to the churches, the word appears but once, in 1 Corinthians 14:25. Being present at a well-ordered service of worship, the secrets of [an unbeliever’s] heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Since the term implies physically falling down in reverence before a visible majesty, the choice of this verb in the Gospels and in the Apocalypse would be natural. Whenever people came into the presence of the incarnate Christ, worship frequently occurred. Likewise, in the Book of Revelation, the saints and angels and elders are seen to actually be in the presence of the visible, risen Christ, and they thus worship. However, “in the age between the ascension and the Second Coming, Christ is not visibly here to worship. Therefore, worship is radically internalised and delocalised.”[5]

Worship is a spiritual experience. New Testament worship is “to act in a way that reflects the glory of God—to do a thing in the Name of Jesus with thanks to God.”[6] This definition becomes obvious as we read such passages as 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God… Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The New Testament removes all emphasis from ceremony, from holy days and from locations, shifting the emphasis to what is happening in the heart—not just on Sunday, but every day and all the time in one’s life. If you are perceptive, you are no doubt asking, “What is this experience which occurs in the heart and is called worship?” The focus of worship is God, and as one focuses on God, His greatness and His glory is revealed to us and through us. This revelation of God’s majesty is worship—unbounded, unfettered, glorious worship.

Consider Philippians 1:20, 21. It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. According to this passage, Paul’s mission in life is to honour Christ in his body, whether by life or by death. His mission in life is to worship. Whether through the act of living, or through the act of dying, he made it his ambition to magnify Christ, to exalt Him, to demonstrate that He is great.

Should he die, the Apostle will experience greater intimacy with Christ. Should he live, it meant that he would experience Christ now. “Paul’s point is that life and death, for a Christian, are acts of worship; they exalt Christ, magnify Him, and reveal and express His greatness when they come from an inner experience of treasuring Christ as gain. Christ is praised in death by being prized above life. And Christ is most glorified in life when we are most satisfied in Him even before death.

“The authenticating, inner essence of worship is being satisfied with Christ, prizing Christ, cherishing Christ, treasuring Christ. You can see how this definition of the essence of worship is free from Sunday worship services.”[7] Worship frees us from formal details and permits us to seize the reality of Christ—His beauty and His worth. In worship, the Word will always be central, as will the Lord’s Supper, and singing. How these are arranged are immaterial. The details of worship are not laid down for us in the New Testament.

Listen to what the great Reformer, Calvin, wrote concerning worship. “But as in external discipline and ceremonies, [the Master] has not been pleased to prescribe every particular that we ought to observe (he foresaw that this depended on the nature of the times, and that one form would not suit all ages)… [As] he has not delivered any express command, because things of this nature are not necessary to salvation, and, for the edification of the Church, should be accommodated to the varying circumstances of each age and nation, it will be proper, as the interest of the Church may require, to change and abrogate the old, as well as to introduce new forms. I confess, indeed, that we are not to innovate rashly or incessantly, or for trivial causes. Charity is the best judge of what tends to hurt or to edify: if we allow her to be guide, all things will be safe.”[8]

Our spiritual forebears, the Puritans, were aware of the simplicity of worship and the freedom which must characterise worship. Patrick Collison summarised Puritan theory and practise, noting that “the life of the puritan was in one sense a continuous act of worship, pursued under an unremitting and lively sense of God’s providential purposes and constantly refreshed by religious activity, personal, domestic and public.”[9]

You may wonder if I have wandered rather far afield from the text for the message. I remind you that the Master places us at the altar where we are offering our gift. The context of the text is worship. Whether we are offering up praise in a service of worship, or whether we are offering up the labour of our hands and minds, or whether we are meditating on the goodness of God as we enjoy His great creation, we are engaged in worship. If we will worship, we must be focused on God—His greatness and His glory.

Worship, whether individual or congregational, must be the honouring of Christ. Worship is magnifying God in the heart of the worshipper. That worship of the heart must, of necessity, have an impact on the external life of the worshipper. Worship can never leave the worshipper unchanged. Worship is an act in which the worshipper shows how magnificent God truly is. Through worship, we demonstrate how great and glorious God is. Worship is all about consciously reflecting the worth or value of God.

Should our worship be interrupted by some memory of filial disharmony, we cannot worship. In fact, we must cease every attempt at that point and seek peace. We cannot enjoy peace with God if there is no peace with our brothers. We cannot worship God if we cannot share the experience with our brothers and sisters. When we knowingly permit disunity to continue, we are saying that God has no great worth. If we refuse to seek righteousness through seeking reconciliation, we are saying that God is neither great nor glorious, since He has failed to create peace and harmony within the Body.

Worship Must be Offered in Peace — You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

In the teaching Jesus presents, we are presented with two scenarios. The second, which we shall consider shortly, calls us to account concerning our actions toward an adversary. The first, which I now wish to consider, holds us responsible for our interactions with fellow believers. The clear teaching is that worship becomes impossible when there is disunity between the people of God. In fact, Jesus has just spoken of the fact that anger is murder. I must stress this point which we too easily overlook. Jesus did not say that anger leads to murder; He said that anger is murder.

To illustrate His point, Jesus states that seething rage, hostility, even what we call mere irritation, makes us susceptible to thinking ill of others. If such sin of the heart is not quickly confronted, we will soon be led into the open sin of speaking ill of our fellow saint. You fool translates the Aramaic epithet Raca—a quasi-swear word. The term called into question not only the intellect of an individual, but it questioned their moral character and relationship to God. I suggest that to curse another is to set oneself as judge over their character. So long as we permit such an attitude to continue unchecked, we cannot worship. Worship demands peace between brothers and sisters.

Here is something for you to consider. Most murders are crimes of passion. Crimes of passion imply that such murders are the result of anger among friends and relatives. When Laci Peterson went missing in the eighth month of her pregnancy, from the first day of their investigation the police focused attention on her husband, Scott. He was “a person of interest.” Underlying this scrutiny is the fact that most murders are committed in anger toward someone known to the criminal. It is an unfortunate truth that most murders result from anger between friends or relatives.

Just so, we are usually most easily angered toward fellow Christians instead of expressing anger toward non-Christians. We excuse those who are outside the Faith, holding fellow saints to a higher standard. Frankly, in my experience, we usually hold our fellow worshippers to higher standards than we would ourselves practise.

Worship requires a pure heart toward God and toward one’s fellow worshippers.

I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

Even though you offer me your

burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

I will not look upon them.

Take away from me the noise of your songs;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an everflowing stream.

[Amos 5:21-24]

I mentioned that there were two illustrations which Jesus employed. Remarkably, neither illustration deals with “your” anger. Instead, each illustration points to “your” offence which has prompted some brother’s or some adversary’s rancour.[10] What is at stake is peace within the brotherhood of believers, peace which is jeopardised by your own refusal to secure peace.

I do want us to carefully consider Jesus’ challenge. Note that He did not say that if we arrive at the altar in a state of anger, but rather He cautions us that if we are aware that a fellow saint has something against us, we cannot worship. We are quite capable of remembering every slight against ourselves. We can recall every harsh word another has spoken concerning us, but Jesus calls us to remember those whom we may have injured. “Has something against you probably implies a ‘just claim’ and also suggests that we ought not bring up our grievances with others that they do not yet know about but that we deal with situations in which others remain upset with us.”[11]

The scenario which Jesus paints is a worshipper before the altar in the inner court of the Temple. There, while in the act of presenting a sacrifice, the worshipper has sudden recollection of a brother who has a claim against him. Whether the claim is justified or not is immaterial. The appropriate response to such sudden memory is to seek immediate reconciliation. Were our churches to practise such worship, we would be empty of worshippers for the first several weeks. However, we would soon begin to unite in peace and with power, and we would indeed worship—perhaps for the first time.

Month-after-month I caution those partaking of the Communion Meal to review their own relationship with other believers. As we prepare to observe the Lord’s Table, I take care to point out that this is a confession of fellowship with other saints which is predicated upon our common fellowship with the Risen Son of God. Listen once again to the manner in which Eugene Peterson treats a portion of 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.

“If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.”[12]

How many Christians go through the motion of worship, performing assorted rituals, singing both hymns and songs of praise, and despite their effort fail to worship? How many of us have eaten the bread, drunk the wine, said we were worshipping—all the while harbouring a dark secret that we knew a fellow believer was angered toward us. If only we could learn that we must have peace in order to worship. So long as my own conscience assails my motives and my character, I cannot worship. God will hide Himself from the individual who refuses to deal with his own conscience in honesty. Such an individual is not righteous, and they cannot worship.

Far too many of us who claim to be evangelical Christians have become something less than godly. We seek cheap grace—grace which costs us nothing and grace which confers so much. We want a religion which is defined by form instead of a religion in which we are compelled to accept responsibility for our own actions and even for the reactions of fellow believers.

This is the core teaching of the apostolic Faith. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all [Romans 12:9-18].

Why do you pass judgement on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God; for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not pass judgement on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother [Romans 14:10-13].

There is another issue of significance which demands attention at this point. Satan, you will recall, is the accuser of our brothers [Revelation 12:10]. When we refuse to deal quickly with our conscience before attempting to worship, he has a claim on us and we have no answer to his accusations. When, however, we demonstrate the righteousness of Christ through seeking peace with those who are offended in us, we destroy his claim on us, and we are free to worship in spirit and in truth.

In the Kingdom of God, those seeking to worship discover that essence takes precedence over form. Even now, some among us no doubt need to leave what they are doing in order to seek out some someone who holds a just claim over them in order to be reconciled. If your brother forgives you when you confess your wrong, how sweet the worship which will result! If your brother is unconscious of a problem, you will have been demonstrated to be sensitive to the leadership of the Spirit and in fact serve to encourage your brother. If your brother refuses to accept your plea for forgiveness, you are free and the guilt now rests upon him. In any case, you are now free to worship.

Worship Must Flow from and Lead to Freedom — Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

If we get along with fellow worshippers, we may worship—provided that we have no strained relationships in the world. Jesus urges haste in settling differences with offended adversaries. Don’t permit matters to fester and grow until there is no resolution save appeal to arbitration. Jesus here teaches that negative relationships with those of this fallen world will have a detrimental effect on our efforts to worship. The time for reconciliation is now.

In the Jewish system of jurisprudence, provision was made for those who owed debts. However, by the time Jesus was giving this address, Gentiles ruled even the Holy Land. The system which prevailed under Roman jurisprudence was that debtors could be jailed until the debt was paid. This is the context in which Jesus warns.

Consequently, we are not all that far removed from debtor’s prisons in this twenty-first century. Though people are not thrown into prison for debts today, the fact that we are a nation of debtors implies that we live in a form of economic thraldom. Advance of the Kingdom of God is hindered by the indebtedness of God’s people living far beyond their means. We have adjusted to the concept of living on credit, and the grave danger of such a lifestyle is that we lose a significant degree of freedom in determining our own destiny as individuals and as churches.

The teaching of the Master is to seek peace with all men, and to do so quickly. Tragically, the selection of leaders for the church is frequently hindered by the fact that we have such poor reputations with outsiders. I am not saying that every criticism of God’s holy people is just, but I do say that we should be an honourable people who enjoy a good reputation with outsiders. This is the great overarching character trait of one appointed to eldership or chosen to serve in the role of a deacon of the congregation.

The risk of conflict is imprisonment until the debt is paid. The last penny is a κοδράντην, which was 1/64 of the standard minimum daily wage (a denarius) and the second smallest Roman coin in first-century currency.[13] The point that Jesus is making is that there is no possibility of freedom until every debt is paid. Obviously, Jesus is speaking of something more than a financial burden. Two points must be stressed. First, worship is impossible so long as conflict marks your relationship with others. So long as hostility remains between you and another, you will not worship. Second, we who name Christ’s Name are responsible for our own actions, even those which effect others.

In the final analysis, Jesus is speaking not of an earthly judge, but of a heavenly Judge. Neither is He speaking of an earthly jail, but rather He is speaking of the Hell of fire. Do you recall how the account began? You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. So… Jesus began by speaking of the danger of eternal judgement and the danger of the fiery hell.

Let me make this point sharper still. That Jesus was warning against presumptuous sin becomes obvious by comparing what was said in this pericope with the words of Matthew 18:30, 34, 35. The response of the unforgiving servant in that parable was to put his fellow servant in prison [verse thirty]. The king responded by putting the unforgiving servant in prison with the admonition that he was not to be released until the entire debt was paid. Then comes the stunning application [verse thirty-four]. Listen carefully to Jesus’ application. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart [Matthew 18:35].

It is as if Jesus were saying, “Be not surprised about the urgency of My command that you be reconciled; for, should it be that you were to pass from this life with a heart still at variance with your brother, a condition which you have not even tried to change, that wrong would testify against you in the day of judgement. Moreover, dying with that spirit of hatred in your heart, you will never escape from the prison of hell.”[14]

Among the people of God are some who have confused brazenness with freedom. Simply because one sits in a service does not mean that they worship. They reveal that their hearts are yet unchanged because they continue to conduct affairs as the world does. Simply saying that one believes does not make that one a Christian. Faith in the Risen Son of God must inevitably result in a transformed life. Sensitivity to the mind of Christ is a mark of the surrendered life which we durst not neglect.

A final question must be addressed. You may well ask, “Does the burden rest on me alone, not at all on the person who opposes me?” Wording it differently, “Yes, I am a sinner—at least in the view of my opponent—but is it not his duty to forgive?” The answer lies in the Model Prayer Jesus taught us to pray. You will remember that He taught us to pray, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors [Matthew 6:12]. That passage continues with this commentary. If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses [Matthew 6:14, 15].

These verses imply that when I have done all in my power to bring about reconciliation and the opponent still refuses to be fair, and where necessary to be forgiving, the guilt will rest on himself alone.[15]

We conclude where we began. Worship is a matter of the heart. A heart which is in conflict, a heart which is restless, a heart which is in turmoil, will not permit worship. Those who are children of the Living God will reveal their divine parentage through seeking reconciliation, and doing so quickly. Those who pretend at the Faith will make excuses for failure to be reconciled and they shall at last be exposed as faith frauds.

Have I spoken to your heart today? There is peace to be found in the Saviour, Jesus Christ. There is forgiveness, forgiveness which will transform your life. It comes as you surrender to Him as Master of Life. These are more than mere words. Within these words are the essence of life itself. Listen and act quickly to find freedom and peace, freedom from divine censure and peace both with God and with man.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 6:17-21].

Be saved today. Amen.

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[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Ó 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] John Piper, Brothers, We are Not Professionals (Broadman & Holman, Nashville, TN 2002) 230

[3] H. Schönweiss and Colin Brown, proskunevw (art.) in Colin Brown (ed.), Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2 (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 1967, 1969, 1971, 1976) 876

[4] K. Hess, latreuvw (art.) in Colin Brown (ed.), Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 3 (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 1971, 1976) 549

[5] ibid.

[6] Piper, op. cit., 232

[7] Piper, op. cit., 236

[8] Jean Calvin, and Henry Beveridge, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translation of: Institutio Christianae religionis. Reprint, with new introduction. Originally published: Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845-1846, IV, x, 30. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

[9] Quoted in Leland Ryken, Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1986) 116

[10] D. A. Carson, Matthew, in Frank E. Gæbelein (ed.), Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Volume 8 (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 1984) 150

[11] Craig L. Blomberg, The New American Commentary: Matthew, Volume 22 (Broadman, Nashville, TN 1992) 108

[12] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language (NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO, 2003)

[13] Blomberg, op. cit., 108

[14] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Matthew (Baker, Grand Rapids, MI 1973) 301

[15] Hendriksen, op. cit., 302