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And performance has everything to do with following rules (commands), doing things just right and being compensated (getting rewards). It is the execution and discharge of obligations to accomplish some benefit (blessing).
Yip, the so-called church service is performance driven. Even the Christian worship must be performance based, the preacher, the choir, the music, the prayer, the annual report - all must be a dramatic execution-overdrive of prescripts, done exactly right.
To get good with God.
It is a ritual. And religion has a doctrine name for its prescriptive ritual.
The word that the institutional church uses is liturgy.
What is the deal?
Liturgy is a man-made tradition. Nothing more! (to see why I am so against tradition and what it does, look at this post and this one)
I read in Pagan Christianity (Frank Viola and George Barna’s 2002 book) the word liturgy comes from the old Greek word leitourgia that referred to the public performance of a task expected of citizens of ancient Athens. It was the fulfilling of civil obligations. Later Christians made it their own to refer to their public ministry and obligations to God. Simply, the liturgy of a church or denomination refers to the kind of worship service that is expected, the doctrine, the tradition.
My previous post in this series ended with a promise to delve into what Jesus is saying about doing His commandments and what reward can be expected when we read Revelation 22:12 & 14.
Let’s delve
Also in my previous post in this series we discovered that the word for Revelation is apokalypsis, which actually means to lay bare, to disclose and make visible to all, to reveal.
In His last message Jesus says:
And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work. “I am the ’Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. “Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city. “But outside are the dogs and those who enchant with drugs, and those who whore, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and all who love and do falsehood. “I, יהושע, have sent My messenger to witness to you these matters in the assemblies. I am the Root and the Offspring of Dawiḏ, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires it, take the water of life without paying! For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book. He that bears witness of these matters says, “Yes, I am coming speedily.” Amĕn. Yes, come, Master יהושע! The favour of our Master יהושע Messiah be with the set-apart ones. Amĕn. [Rev 22:12-21 TS2009 12]
Since we’ve already looked at the word for work (ergon - what you occupy yourself with, your undertaking and accomplishment), let us now look at commandment.
Commandment
Are there commandments in the New Testament?
Well, the law-preacher would have you to believe so.
Jesus is saying keep My commandment ... or better translated from the Greek primary word tellō (or entolē), it means to set out for a definite point or goal; properly the point aimed at as a limit, that is, (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively or indefinitely], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose); specifically an impost or levy (as paid): - + continual, custom, end (-ing), finally, uttermost. (Yes, you are right. I got this from the Strongs concordance.)
The performance driven church is so focussed on the law that it sees a law or laws in any word that looks remotely like it is a rule with sanctions.
But words have meaning and origin, and they have context and depth.
In saying keep my commandment Jesus is saying to us let Me be your conclusion, let My Finished Work be your Finished Work, your purpose, your goal, your state of being, your end-goal, the One that you seek and resort to in every way.
It is easy to make it a law, but it is not!
It is a choice.
It is a solution.
It is an answer.
Do I want to have a blessing (benefit)?
I keep his commandment (His finished work)!
The words that Jesus spoke on the cross has significant meaning. (see this post) When he spoke he said: It is finished. It is one word in the Greek - teleō (finished). Teleō is from the same root word as tellō (commandment), namely telos (to set out for a definitive point or goal).
What?!!
I’m just saying …
Blessed are we who keep his finished work, Him as our definitive goal!
Reward
So, let us look at the word reward.
When we look at the Greek text in the above passage, it immediately becomes clear that Jesus says mou misthos meta emou - my reward with me. The English word “is” was inserted in the text. It does not exist in the Greek. Jesus thus says: My reward the midst of my possession or My reward the heart of my possession.
It can not be more clear than that.
His reward is with Him. His beloved is with Him!
He is so occupied with us and wants us to be in that relationship with Him.
It is total Grace and no performance on my side.
The reward is what Jesus is coming for, each according to what he occupies himself with, those who keep Him as the definitive goal.
And He gives that preoccupation freely. All we have to do is receive (see this post for receiving)
He is your exceedingly great Reward.
It is without liturgy and blissfully religion-free!
Let’s not add or subtract to the prophecy of the total disclosure.
*In my next post in this series I will look into the Tree-of-life and the tree-of-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil.
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