Podcast 21: Should We Worship Jesus? (Sean Finnegan)

Most Christians never give worshiping Jesus a second thought.  However, as biblical unitarians–those who believe the Father is the only true God–we do need to wrestle with this question.  Some have argued that worshiping Jesus is tantamount to idolatry since we should only worship God.  Others have taken the view that we can worship Jesus on a different level than God and that doing so is not only permissible but encouraged by God.  I go through some of the words translated worship and serve, list out worship acts, and handle objections and limitations in an effort to see what the bible actually says about this important practice.  Listen to the message to find out more.

This sermon has a corresponding prezi, available here.

Introduction

1. There is only one God; His name is Yahweh; Jesus is not God; Jesus is not Yahweh[1]
2. Be a Berean (Acts 17:11)
   • Neither accepted nor rejected the message
   • Until they checked it against the Scriptures
   • Whatever the Bible says is what I want to believe

Worship Vocabulary

1. Bowing: shacha (שָׁחָה) or proskyneo (προσκυνέω)
   • Of gods (Judges 2:12)
   • Of humans (1 Samuel 24:8; Revelation 3:9)
   • Of Jesus
     1. As respectful greeting (Matthew 8:2; 9:18)
     2. As submission/honor (Matthew 18:26; Mark 15:19)
   • Serving: avad (עָבַד) or latrevo (λατρεύω)
     1. Of God (Acts 24:14)
     2. Of a nation (Jeremiah 27:6)
   • Often used together
     1. Deuteronomy 5:8-9; Matthew 4:10

Worship Acts

1. Submission: bowing, kneeling, prostrating (Hebrews 1:6)
2. Adoration: love, devotion, gratitude (1 John 5:1)
3. Veneration: respect, reverence, fear (Ephesians 6:5)
4. Praise: recounting attributes, deeds, tongues (2 Peter 1:16-18)
5. Meditation: contemplating, communing, fellowshipping (1 John 1:3)
6. Sacrifices: animal, cereal, wine, candy, hair, money (Luke 8:1-3)
7. Sacred texts: reading, reciting, chanting, memorizing (~25 references to SOM in James)
8. Serve: follow laws, seek to please, lifestyle (Colossians 3:23-24)
9. Singing: to/about (Revelation 5:9-10)

 

Objections[2]

1. Isn’t worshipping anyone other than God idolatry?
   • Two definitions of idolatry
     • Worshipping a statue/representation of a god
     • Devotion that “takes attention away, detracts from, or takes the place of the glory of the only true God”[3]
   • God has exalted Christ to His right hand, above the angels (Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 2:10; 1 Peter 3:22)
   • Worshipping Christ actually gives God glory as the indirect recipient
     1. Philippians 2:9-11
        1. In light of Phil 2:9-11 and Hebrews 1:6, Patrick Navas writes, “In fact, it would be fair to say—in accord with Scripture—that the worship, honor, glory and respect attributed to Christ is something that God not only allows but commands, is pleasing to him, and God himself is glorified in this…Yet the honor and adoration given to Christ is, in the ultimate sense, an honor and adoration given through Christ to the Father, the ultimate source of every blessing in Christ.” [4] (1 Peter 4:11; Hebrews 13:15)
     2. Christ’s transparency
        • Christ’s words were really God’s (John 12:49-50)
        • Christ’s actions were really God’s (John 5:36)
        • Christ did the Father’s will (John 6:38)
        • Christ admitted he could do nothing on h