Conrad Mbewe On the History of Reformed Worship

This is a brief video of Conrad Mbewe on the history of reformed worship. It's not long but is very helpful and recognizes the main reason so many are worshipping God in an unbiblical way. Conrad addresses this problem and lays the fault at our departure from obeying the guidelines of the Word of God.

The following material

 is from my book

"What The Bible Teaches About Worship"

Jesus Christ our Lord said, "…true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23).  One of the most amazing facts about God is that He is seeking a people to worship His Son Jesus Christ.  If you have become a Christian, one of the primary purposes of your salvation is that you might joyfully worship the Son of God.  There is nothing in the Christian life of any greater importance than this.  And yet, how tragic that we find so few Christians who either understand the nature of true spiritual worship or who practice true spiritual worship.  We should ask ourselves right here at this point - is there a true spirit of worship in our hearts and in our churches?  

           A.W. Tozer once wrote, “There are today many millions of people who hold ‘right opinions’ probably more than ever before in the history of the church.  Yet, I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb.  To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program.’  This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us.”¹

Biblical and spiritual worship is the soul's longing to see the glory and the beauty of Christ.  When worshippers see Christ, they will have the joy of experiencing the presence of Christ.  Worship is at its fullest and richest point when our souls are lost in the wonder of the glory and majesty of God.  Much of what passes for worship today will not produce this. The shallow and superficial services that characterize this present generation are not producing true worshippers or producing great saints.

The great English expositor G. Campbell Morgan, who was the predecessor of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, defined true worship in this way, 

“What is worship?  The essential and simple meaning of the word, and therefore the fundamental thought is that of prostration, of bowing down.  Worship suggests that attitude which recognizes the throne…It is a word full of force, which constrains us, and compels us to the attitude of reverence.”²

In order for us to understand what the Bible teaches about  worship and to realize exactly what it is that the Father is seeking of us, we need to examine worship at its purest level.  When we turn to the Scriptures, we find many examples of people who worshipped God.  But the clearest and most sublime example of worship given to us in the Scripture is the picture that John draws for us in the book of Revelation.  In Chapters 4-5, the Lord pulls the curtains back and allows us to get a glimpse of what we will call Throne-Room Worship.  In these two chapters, we actually see a worship service taking place in heaven in the throne room of God.  If we are to worship biblically, we must make certain that our worship on earth reflects the example and direction of heavenly worship.

My desire and prayer is that the church of Jesus Christ will once again discover true worship.  And, it is my prayer that the church will return to biblical Throne-Room worship.