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Corporate Public Worship


Last year in May our MakHOP ministry was hosting a team from States and on one occasion we were in the park, playing guitar, singing to Jesus and praying.  As I was standing on the side and kind of observing what was happening a thought came to my mind which I believe was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The thought was: Igor, worship was always meant to be PUBLIC.
The thought came as a surprise not to say a shock to me as I was trying to figure out what does that mean. Wrestling with my own questions the thought continued: Igor, God is a public God, who wants to be known, seen, experienced and whenever you worship Him in public that becomes a public declaration and manifestation of who He is. Declarations of His greatness, beauty, glory, power and majesty...
As I was trying to process all of this Holy Spirit quickly reminded me of many places in the Bible where worship was public and corporate.
In this post I will mainly be focusing on public corporate worship and just briefly make few points about personal and intimate worship.  
 
In the book of Exodus we read that every time God sent Moses to tell the pharaoh the message from the Lord that message always started in the same way: Let my people go so they can worship me. Exodus 4:23; 7:16; 8:1; 8:20; 9:1; 9:13; 10:3;
And as Israel crosses the red sea it is said that Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord... (you can read the song on your own in the book Exodus chapter 15)
In addition to this it says in verses 20 and 21 of the same chapter that Miriam, Moses' sister took a tambourine and led the women in rhythm and dance and sang song to the Lord.
If I'm not mistaken this is the first public and corporate worship unto God mentioned in the Bible. It was done in front of everyone who could see and hear and everyone was able to join in and take part in it.

In chapter 24 we have another picture of corporate worship where Aaron and seventy of the elders of Israel were worshiping God together from afar while only Moses was allowed to come near to God. This shows beautifully that worship can be both personal and corporate.
In chapter 25:8 God said to Moses: Build me a sanctuary that I may dwell among you.... This is God expressing His deepest desire, the longing oh His heart, the burning passion to dwell, to live among His people, to be known and to be worshiped by them.

Joshua chapter 6 is another story of obedience and public corporate worship expressed through a unified shout unto the Lord that brought the walls of Jericho down and God was being glorified as a testimony to everyone of who He is.

One of the greatest examples of public corporate worship is the tent of David. As King of Israel he took the ark of the covenant and he placed it in a tent but then he placed the priests, trained singers and musicians, young and old, to stand around and minister unto the Lord 24 hours, seven days a week. This was the biggest public corporate worship described in the Bible. Everyone was able to see it, everyone was able to hear it, everyone was able to experience the presence and the power of God.
You can also read David's prayer of praise as mentioned in 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 where David praised the Lord in front of the whole assembly and then called all of them to give praise to the Lord and they praised and bowed before the Lord.

The dedication of Solomon's temple is another example of public corporate worship. The Bible tells us that Solomon summoned the leaders of all the tribes and families of Israel in Jerusalem. There was trumpets and singers performing together in unison giving praise and thanks to the Lord. It goes on to say that the fire from heaven came down and the glorious presence of God filled the temple and ALL the people of Israel  saw the fire and the glorious presence of God and they fell face down and worshiped and praised the Lord.

We can also read in the book of Revelation that the worthy lamb of God is worshiped by the countless number of angels and by every tongue, tribe, people and nation...and chapter 5 describes it as a responsive singing.

Final thoughts: Worship will always be private, personal and intimate connection between myself and God. Worship will always be an act of what happens inside of our hearts and a ministry of our heart to God’s heart that finds it’s expression in different ways and in every area of life.
While this is true we shouldn't forget the power of public corporate worship.
Most importantly worship can be both private and public at the same time. Worship can be both individual/personal and corporate at the same time.

One of my favorite verses on worship is Psalm 48:9 where it says: Oh God, we meditate on your lovingkindness as we worship you in your temple.
It is in the place of corporate worship that each one of us encounters God individually and personally.

One of the most beautiful stories in the new testament that so powerfully shows these both aspects of worship is the story of Mary pouring out a perfumed oil upon Jesus.
From one side this moment for Mary was very private and personal as she was showing her affections towards Jesus and expressing her love to Him. Mary had her eyes fixed on Jesus and nothing and no one could distract her.
From the other side her act of worship was public since it was done in front of the eyes of many people who were gathered. Everyone in the room could feel the smell of that perfumed oil and that smell would stay with them long after they left the house.
Through her private, individual act of worship everyone who were gathered were able to experience the power of worship and respond at the same time with same love and devotion.

Mary had a heart that was fascinated by Jesus. What fascinates your heart will determent what kind of life you will live. What fascinates you will fashion your life and it will direct you.

In this time God is looking for wholehearted voluntary lovers who will devote themselves to Him, through abiding with Him and in Him.
It is only when each believer in the gathering brings to the feet of Jesus the treasured gift of the perfume of his appreciation and worship that the whole gathered company of Christians will be affected by it. The sweet fragrance of such worship will stay with those who gather and they will also carry that perfume to others and people will say “theyʼve been with Jesus” Acts 4:13

 
 

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