Biblical Worship
If we have established worship theologically, where should we find the model for our worship? We should not find it in the charter or constitution of a denomination, but in the Bible. After all, charters, constitutions, and doctrines are all made by people based on the Bible. Even if worship differs by denomination and they make different claims, the most basic thing is the Bible. What is the most biblical and evangelical worship?
First, God has called us to worship. The reason we worship is that God chose us in Christ Jesus, saved us, and made us His people. The reason God chose us is not just to call us to salvation. Also, it is not for our own satisfaction or happiness. The Bible says that God chose His people to worship Him (Psalm 10:1-3). The purpose of God's election is "for worship." In Christianity, the doctrine of election is not a useless or speculative doctrine, but the driving force of worship. If people come into the church, learn the process of salvation, know the entire process of salvation, and realize the glory that God has called us, they will become those who worship in spirit and truth, giving glory to Him in everything while thanking God.
Second, the object of worship is God. Everything God has done becomes the basis of our worship. As the Lord said, true worshipers worship the "Father" (John 4:23). William Boekestein left a famous saying. "A true worshiper is a person with a 'God complex'." Worshiping God means serving the Triune God. The Apostle Paul also said, "For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit" (Ephesians 2:18). Here, worship is said to be going to the Father through the Son Jesus, in the Holy Spirit. Robert Rayburn also said this. "Right worship is not to please the worshiper. It is for godly believers to offer worthy worship, praise, honor, and obedience to God, the Sovereign of the universe, and to receive the spiritual food He provides through the Word and Sacraments." As Rayburn pointed out, although it is not to please the worshiper, looking at modern worship, worship leaders are officiating while being conscious of the congregation. Biblical worship is not the church giving something to the worshipers. It is the worshipers offering to God (Psalm 16:12, 13).
Third, the means of worship is the Bible. The Bible is revealed to us so that we can correctly understand God's will. If we worship God, and therefore want to know God's will, we must worship with the Bible. When Jesus taught us to worship 'in spirit and truth', the former can be said to refer to the subjective reality within the worshiper, and the latter to the objective reality outside the worshiper. In other words, worship is a matter of the heart and a matter of truth controlled by the Bible. If either one is missing, our worship can flow into emotionalism not controlled by the Bible or formalism lacking a whole heart. W. Robert Godfrey said, "The churches of the Reformation era tried to make the Bible the guideline for worship and fill it with God's Word. The reason is that the Word teaches us and becomes the means to go to God. We know, serve, and worship God through the Word." If we conceive biblical worship centering on the Word, from now on, we will offer worship that glorifies God anywhere, even if we go into the world.
Worship Entering the World
Even if it is called future church worship, it will not be easy for worship to be converted to worship entering the world rather than being conducted only inside the church building. However, gatherings of worshipers going out of the church have already begun, and some are proceeding actively. There are several reasons for this. Kim Hyun-jun, in his thesis "Religious Functions of Faith Gatherings Outside the Church," argues for 1) resistance to the monopoly of holiness by institutional religion, 2) affirmation of worship outside the church besides religious pilgrimage, 3) worship where secularity and transcendence are integrated, and 4) pursuit of differentiated social and public spirituality. The thesis mentions "Canaan believers," "nomad believers," and "secular saint Wednesday gatherings," and they argue that they "need more" "alternative worship" not because worship is corrupted or polluted, but because we do not yet have sufficient worship, and because the unique function that only worship can do within the framework of Christian faith has not been sufficiently demonstrated." Even if it is not their claim, the church must go into the world more and more often. Removing 'social spirituality' from Christian faith may not be faith at all. In particular, the 'sociality' or 'publicness' shown by the church after the COVID-19 incident will not be a periphery but will act as an essential element constituting evangelical faith itself.
The 102nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Integrated) took "Holy Church, Into the World Again" (John 3:16, Gen 12:3, Matt 9:35) as its theme. Rev. Choi Ki-hak, the preacher at the time, said, "The phrase 'Into the world again' is God's calling that penetrates not only this age but all ages, and now the holy church must be armed with the gospel and go into the world." He said, "If the holy church does not go into the world, it loses the essence of the church. Because the essence of the church is to go into the world to change the world." Regarding the reason why the church must go into the world, he said, "First, because God loves the world," and "How great is God's interest and love for the world, and He gave His Son who created this world to save the world." He emphasized, "God loves not only the saints inside the church but also the unbelieving souls outside the church."
He continued, "Second, because the world needs God's love. Even if the world develops dazzlingly with science and is abundant, it is an illusion. Science without God cannot bring complete happiness." He said, "The Lord went around villages and ministered. Let's serve the villagers as church members and minister for village ministry."
He emphasized, "Last, third, God sending His Son into the world is like sending the Son Jesus Christ into the world, He sent us into the world," and "Now the church must become a church with various pastoral programs to find and go into the world, serve the village, and change it." It seems to be a very timely topic and a task for the future church.