Worship And Unity

by G. Jarvie | Category: General | Nov 1943

WORSHIP.

"0 come, let us worship and bow down Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker:

For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and

the sheep of His hand."

So wrote the Psalmist as he in the Spirit thought of his God He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture How expressive this is! We belong to Him It is He who sustains us, giving us richly all things to enjoy Even more than this we are the sheep of His hand and He Himself cares for and tends us He not only provides pasture, but personally attends to our needs

Surely every honest heart will echo the words of the Psalmist

0 come, let us worship and bow down"! God seeks worshippers (John 4.23). His heart longs after us, as ours should long after Him. It is not that He needs anything that we can give Him, for indeed we cannot give Him anything unless He first gives to us. All things come fr6m Him, and if we give Him anything, it is but giving Him His own.

What is worship? Worship is the bowing of the spirit Worship is not thanksgiving, though thanksgiving is related to worship It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD (Psalm 92 1) In true worship there is the heart 5 adoration of Him before whom we bow 'God is, a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4.24) It is only as our spirits are bowed before Him that we truly worship God who is a Spirit We may kneel before Him and yet our spirits may not be adoring Him We may bow our heads and yet our hearts may not be bowed in His presence. Yet when our hearts are bowed before Him, it is comely to adopt a reverential attitude before 4he LORD our Maker.

Sometimes we feel on Lord's day morning, that though we may have said much in thanksgiving, yet something has been lacking; and again there may have been seasons when, though thanksgivings were brief, there was a sense of the presence of God, as expressed in the lines

"While every heart before the throne,

In holy solemn awe is bowed."

What is the lack when we sometimes come together, and yet do not realise the nearness to God for which we long? Is it not the lack of worship? Better far to have a few words from an adoring heart, from a spirit which is truly bowed before God, than much thanks giving when, perhaps, the heart is occupied with other things.

What will beget worship in us? What will cause our spirits to bow before God? What will deliver us from thinking of ourselves and our own interests? What but the knowledge of Himself, to know that we are His? We belong to Him.

We should say to earthly things at times, as Abraham said to his servants, Abide ye here ... while we go yonder and worship. It is the bowing of our spirits to God which can make our comings together truly hallowed experiences.

UNITY.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! " (Psalm 133.).

Very plainly the Psalmist by the Spirit directs our hearts to the blessing of unity among brethren. We can all testify to the pleasantness of unity. How much stronger we are in the Lord's service when we are one in heart and soul! Unity among brethren is more than pleasant, it brings with it the blessing of the Lord. It is like the precious anointing oil upon the head of Aaron, and like the dew of Hermon, which came down upon the mountains of Zion. There the LORD had commanded the blessing.

We are very thankful for the measure of oneness in the doctrine which the Lord has granted. For the truth in connection with baptism, the breaking of the bread, the Church, which is the Body of Christ, and the Churches of God; for giving us a knowledge of His house, and a place in it, we are deeply thankful. Yet though united in our understanding of these truths, and in giving effect to them (for God has wrought in the hearts of His servants to give effect to His revealed will), we may, and do lack. much blessing when we fail to rise to a fuller measure of unity as seen in Psalm 133.

Here we see brethren, not only dwelling together, but dwelling together in unity, and the blessing of the LORD is upon them. Of the disciples in early days we read, that they" were of one heart and soul" (Acts 4.82). A blessed condition indeed! The result was that "with great power gave the apostles their witness ... and great grace was upon them all." There indeed the Lord commanded the blessing.

How much the work of God is hindered, how many assemblies of God are weakened by the lack of unity! Sometimes it is sadly lacking even in small assemblies, where all are needed for the work of the Lord. How subtle are the workings of the Adversary! for well he knows this secret of Divine blessing. Sometimes a grudge is held against a brother, or perhaps we fail to love one another from. our hearts, pr again, we may fail to manifest a forgiving spirit, or yet again it may be we lack meekness and humility,-those lovely, Christlike traits. Are not these among the things which hinder greater unity, and hindering unity they hold back the blessing of God? Better far to have two serving the Lord of one mind, than many serving with many minds. Think of the power that is in the Lord's word when He said, "If two of you shalt agree on earth as touching anything' that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18.19).

How then shall this unity be attained by us? we in whom there is diversity in many ways, how but by having the mind which was. in Christ Jesus? We think of the words of the apostle Paul, "If there is therefore any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind ... Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2.1, 2, 5). He was a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and as he lay in prison, no longer able to visit them, the great desire for their well-being filled his heart. It would give him joy to hear that they were of the same mind, having the same love.

May the Lord give us grace to search our hearts, and if we find there any unworthy thoughts of self-esteem, may we look off afresh to Him, who " humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross," so that esteeming each other better than ourselves, we may dwell together in unity, and then indeed will God command the blessing.

G. Jarvie | Nov 1943
General