Not So Good Quote

Another quote from our Good Shepherd Seminar this past Saturday . . . but this one not so good, from Rick Warren and his book The Purpose Driven Church:

“Bringing enjoyment to God is called ‘worship.’ Worship is not for your benefit . . . Worship isn’t for you. It’s for God.” (p 64, 66)

To me, this is a stunning denial of the true nature of worship. On this basis alone I do not know how this book could be used and held up as a good and salutary thing in any Lutheran Church. For basic to our understanding of the Divine Service is that in His Word and Sacraments God is serving us. He does not need us, we need Him. And so Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28). Acts 1:1 says that Luke’s first book (his Gospel) tells us about all Jesus began to do and to teach until He was taken up – which work of serving He now continues through the Office of the Holy Ministry in His Church. The “Acts of the Apostles” is better named the “Acts of Jesus through the Apostles.” And so it is today. The Divine Service is Jesus still coming to sinners today with what we need the most: the forgiveness of our sins.

Now, does serving us with the forgiveness of our sins, life, and salvation give God joy? Surely. But to say that worship is not for our benefit but God’s, is a complete misunderstanding of the Scriptures and the Gospel. And with such a basic misunderstanding, all theology is turned on its head. The doctrine of the Church, the sacraments, vocation – all is scuttled, and all that is left is the Law . . . Christians trying to find a way to please and bring enjoyment to God through their deeds. How sad.