Challenges To Public Worship-1 Series

CHALLENGES To/For PUBLIC WORSHIP-I—John 2:13-25

Attention/Need:

The Church can be tempted toward many directions regarding the manner & message of its Public Worship. There are real Challenges to bringing about Public Worship!...There are dynamics which, if we deny, will keep our church & the public from being able to fully worship in s(S)pirit & truth!

Restoring Propriety/Precedence to Worship

Jesus made it plain that the temple worship had become tainted with improprieties.

Public Worship is to be free from impropriety.

OR

There is to be consonance(agreeability with God) in public worship.

What is consonant with/to public worship?

When is public worship consonant(agreeable/harmonious)?

10 challenges to/dynamics of (consonant)public worship.

1—A challenge to (harmonious)public worship is its...

OCCASION(:13)

Explanation:(:13)

:13—“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, & Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

“The Passover” was about to take place. Nisan 14-21(Mar.-Apr.) Passover(14th), including the Feast of Unleavened Bread(15th-20th), & also including First Fruits(16th ). Barley harvest then begins.—‘The Reckoning of Passover’ in ‘Charts of the N.T.’ pp. 81, 79; ‘The Feast of the Lord’, Howard & Rosenthal.

Jesus went to Jerusalem. He went “up” because Jerusalem is located on a higher elevation than Capernaum. He also “went up” (mainly?)because Jerusalem was the location of the temple for the entirety of Israel. Jesus went to celebrate the Passover to fulfill His obligation to the Law.

Some scholars claim that John mis-positioned or strategically positioned this ‘cleansing of the temple’ passage out of time from its ‘true’ position near the end of Jesus’ ministry. Though such supposes that since the other 3 Gospels mention only one later ‘temple cleansing’ justifies that John is chronologically suspect...

*However, John specifically mentions 2 other Passovers—Jn. 6:4, & Jn. 11:55(just prior to His crucifixion).”—D.A. Carson/A.J. Köstenberger/A. Clarke.

There were seven(7) special celebrations/feast days specified for the Jews which were prescribed in the Law(Lev. 23:1-44). These were ‘holy convocations’—gatherings with a holy purpose. A man(minimally) & his household would travel to Jerusalem to fulfill these at the temple. Attendance was required of all Jewish men for three of these—Unleavened Bread, Weeks, & Tabernacles(Ex. 23:14-17).

1)The PASSOVER—14th of Nisan(March/April)—An offering of a lamb & a family meal—recalling God’s passing over the Israelites, while taking the first-born of all others in Egypt—A picture of God’s provision securing our life in Him(by Christ)—Immediately followed by....

2)The ‘holy convocation’(Feast) of UNLEAVENED BREAD(the two together referred to as “the Passover”)—15th of Nisan—A seven(7)-day appointment—A picture of Sanctification--Voluntary separation from sin(by Christ).

3) The ‘holy convocation’(Feast) of FIRST-FRUITS—16th of Nisan—1 day—An offering of the first-fruits of one’s barley harvest. Barley was planted in the winter & was harvested in the spring to early summer.—A picture of God’s promise to bring His people to full fruition(in Christ).

4) The ‘holy convocation’(Feast) of WEEKS or PENTECOST(fiftieth)—seven(7) Sabbaths from First Fruits or 50 days(May/June)—A first-fruits of offering of the summer wheat crop—An offering of “new grain” wheat harvest consisting of bread baked with leaven in two loaves—A picture of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling(leaven) as well as His bringing both Jew & Gentile together(in Christ)—Birth of the Church.

5) The ‘holy convocation’(Feast) of TRUMPETS or ROSH HASHANAH(‘Head of the Year’)—1st of Tishri(October/November)—Marked the beginning of the civil year—A picture of the rapture of the church to heaven(by Christ) & “The Day of the Lord”(damnation) ushered in with a shout & trumpet call(1Thess. 4:15-18).

6) The ‘holy convocation’(Feast) of The DAY Of ATONEMENT—10th of Tishri—A day to recognize agonize over personal sin...To “afflict” or humble “your soul”—To make amends/reparation for guilt—A picture of personal sin met by God’s forgiveness(by Christ).

7) The ‘holy convocation’(Feast) of TABERNACLES/BOOTHS/INGATHERING—15th of Tishri(mid-October)—A seven(7)-day appointment—Recalls the 40-year wilderness wandering of unfaithful Israel prior to their entrance to the Promised Land—A picture of man’s inability to attain heaven apart from God’s leading them(in Christ)...And/or of the vagabond-like nature of those ‘outside’ of the Promised Land(Heaven).

“The Passover” was to commemorate God’s ‘passing over’ those who were faithful to heed Him even while living in a political climate which refused Him(Ex. 12:1-13, 21-23).

Today, there are no specific days prescribed for the Church, though we do make much of Christmas & Easter/Resurrection Sunday, with some focusing upon Advent & Pentecost as well.

Aside from those 'holy convocations', the weekly Jewish Sabbath was initiated & instituted for the purpose of personally, but especially corporately, recognizing the manifold significance of the completion of God’s handiwork of creation. In Jesus' day Jews worshiped weekly in their synagogues, as they still do.

Jesus addressed & preached in synagogues, preaching to those who should have been attuned to God’s means & message.

Paul did the same until the Church came unto its own apart from the Jewish religion.

Having been set free from the Law, the Church immediately took this 'Sabbath' observance to Sunday(the first day of the week) in serving a dual purpose of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ(seeing as He rose on the first day of the week) & its subsequent resurrective new birth for every believer...Further aspects of the manifold work of God’s creative hand.