GWEA Monthly Messages
WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE OF WORSHIP?
REVEREND GORDON WILLIAMS, SEPTEMBER 2013
We get a lot of inquiries from people who want to find a good place of worship. This meaning, of course, a church building. Many travel great distances, and even to Israel looking for a place of "good worship”. Having been to Israel, I've discovered that it is not more "spiritual" than any other place in the world. Jesus has redefined where and when real worship takes place.
Read His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. She said, "Our fathers worshipped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where we ought to worship” (Jn. 4: 20). She and people today from different church denominations argue about which church is the best place to worship. Jesus surprised her and us with His answer, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.....But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him."
God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth” (Jn. 4: 21, 23). Jesus is saying that this is the only acceptable Worship that can be done once a person has received Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Worship no longer has to do with a particular place or building. It has to do with people who have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and are equipped with the "Signs Following” (Mk. 16: 17 - 18). And who use the "Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:8-10) and follow the "order of worship” in the New Testament (1 Cor. 12 & 14).
Wherever Christians who have had received their personal "Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 4) meet, is considered a place of worship. A good biblical example is when Peter and John met a lame man and healed him. The Beautiful Gate became a place of worship. Sadly then after they were arrested and when released were told "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4: 18). But the location was on the street, and had nothing to do with a building!
Jesus had prophesied that the Temple was going to be destroyed once and for all time (Matt. 24: 1 - 2). An attempt was made to prove Jesus’ prophecy false by rebuilding the temple in 363 AD. It ended when fire came out of the ground destroying the building materials and workmen. In 691 AD, the Moslems built a Mosque on the Temple ground to fulfill the prophecy that the anti-christ (son of perdition) would be worshipped there. This has prevented worshipping God in that place ever since then (2 Thess. 2: 3 - 4).
God’s "New Temple” has already been built. Paul tells us, "Do you not know that you are God’s Temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God’s Temple, God will destroy him. For God’s Temple you are” (1 Cor. 3: 16 - 17).
I know a man who spent 3 years in Israel trying to find God and returned home disappointed. He was referred to me and he found God or should I say God found him in our family room. He got saved, Baptized with the Holy Spirit (Mk. 16: 17 - 18) and healed of a long term disease.
The best place of Worship is anyplace where Christians worship and minister like Peter and Paul did outside the Temple. Jesus did ministry in His own house (Mk. 2: 1 - 12).
The most overlooked place of worship occurred, not in the Temple, but on the Jerusalem streets on the Day of Pentecost when 3,000 people were saved, Baptized with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues (Acts 2: 1 - 42).
If you need help to find God come to one of our meetings or contact me!