This brief series by Brett Jacobsen is not intended to be an in-depth study of the subjects throughout. It is a light introduction into the heart of what God is reforming in His church in this prophetic season. The articles, audios, videos, books, dialogues and blogs on this site www.livingthekingdom.com and www.christisall.org examine in greater depth the many pressing reformational issues in the current church.
Prayer/Worship
Always and Everywhere
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and you say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:20-24)
Due to religion and other forms of carnality we have re-created what God has pulled down. While the Old Testament season employed/allowed a geographical worship location (the tabernacle/temple) it is strikingly clear that the NT does not. The above verses from John 4 show that Jesus came to do away with the limitations of geographical holy places. He showed us that we “worship the Father in spirit and in truth”, not at a so-called “church”.
In order to be exceedingly clear, He prophesied then performed the second (this time permanent) destruction of the temple in Jerusalem [1].
In this season of the Kingdom of Christ there is no biblical precedence for “churches” as we’ve known them any more than there is for synagogues and temples. There are countless reasons why prayer and worship at “churches” is counterproductive. Here are just a few of them:
* Platonic Dualism – Our heavily Greek-affected minds and society relishes in the idea of religion that is separate from everyday life. Truth is though, that it adversely affects our walk with God. Even if we know that God is everywhere and that we can commune with Him always, dualism and ‘holy venue Christianity’ causes the masses of believers to do ‘God stuff’ at church and then go back to “normal life”.
* Meeting focus – Although God promised us life in abundance we have settled for spiritual meetings in abundance. Because “church” is separate from our “normal” lives we cram our spirituality into short “services”. We lost sight of the fact that to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” is “your reasonable service [latreia- worship]” (Rom 12:1). Worship is not having good meetings; it is living life in a manner that is wholly, holy to Him.
* Stage-playing – The reason that Jesus gave for us to not “pray [proseuchomai- worship] standing in the synagogues [church venues]” was that it makes us “hypocrites [an actor under an assumed character (stage-player)]” that love to “be seen of men” (Matt 6:5-6). [2] Performance spirituality is rife in the church thanks to our manufactured spiritual centres. We need to get back to spiritual life at home and everywhere we do life rather than concert Christianity.
* Spectator Christians – Except for some very small “churches” (which may as well meet in each others homes anyway) most have pulpit and pews, stage and seats, performers and patrons. A select few do the spiritual show with little to no involvement from the crowd. Jesus said “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20). We have disrespected Him by presuming we need something more than a handful of believers standing together in worship/prayer. [3]
Again, these are just a few reasons; the list goes on and on. We have made multitudes of Christ’s followers dependant on an institutional system that does the opposite of what it promises- it actually sucks the life out of its adherents as it marginalises worship/prayer to select venues and times.
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.
(1 Thess 5:16-19)
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*For part five of this short series ‘Be the Church Pt 5 – Kingdom Increase’ click here.
*For more info on this topic see the authors book Heaven’s Underground Blueprint or these articles/videos:
- Losing the Limelight click here.
- From Sinai to Sion click here.
- Steadfastly Set on Prayer click here.
- The Secret Place of Underground Power click here.
- Unseen in the Scene of Men click here.
- Our Heavenly Home click here.
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Endnotes
[1] Matt 23 & 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 record Jesus’ prophetic proclamation against the temple and Jerusalem “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down”. Flavius Josephus records in great detail the fulfilment of that prophesy in “The Wars of the Jews”.
[2] For a closer look at what Jesus taught regarding worship/pray in secret rather than public worship and its foul fruit click here.
[3] Also consider – “How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you have a psalm, have a doctrine, have a tongue, have a revelation, have an interpretation. Let all things be done to edifying.” (1 Cor 14:26)
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