Grace Community Church, Milwaukee, WI

“Praising God is one of the highest and purest acts of religion. In prayer we act like men; in praise we act like angels.”
Thomas Watson (1620 – 1686)

These days it is not uncommon in Christian circles to hear folks comment about what they “got” or did not “get” out of a worship service. How few are the remarks concerning what individuals put into their worship of God, whether it was during the prior week, night, or the day of the worship service. The study of the Word from the last sermon (or any study for that matter), confession and repentance from sin, and prayer are rarely, if ever, talked about as the means by which preparation for worship is personally undertaken.

Could we fathom Moses, after being given God’s prescription for worship, canvassing the pagan nations for instruction to improve upon those directions? How about Paul polling the followers of Diana in Ephesus for ideas to make the Christian worship service more inviting? These actions would be preposterous to these (and many other) men, yet many a “seeker-sensitive”, emerging, prosperous, and purpose driven congregation follow that design. Unfortunately these principles do not remain in a vacuum but float around and are picked up by others. Sadly, those ideas create much confusion and division about what worship is and should be. Jesus taught us who the Seeker is that we should be sensitive to, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4 : 23-24). Moses exhorted the people of Israel before they entered into the Promised Land not to follow in the ways of the people there, “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’” Deuteronomy 12 : 29-30. Both in the Old and New Covenant, Christians are commanded to worship God in the manner He sets forth and not according to, or accepting for their own, the felt needs and ever changing attitudes of an unbelieving society. When God is worshiped His way, He becomes the center of our worship as we worship Him by His Spirit and His Truth. Having anything else as that center is, simply stated, idolatry.

God-centered, Spirit-driven, Christ-exalting worship is in the truest sense evangelistic as well as nurturing. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God ” Paul writes in Romans 10 : 17 and Peter wrote “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God…Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1 : 23, 25b). Allowing our theology to direct our methods, if we truly believe that God is sovereign over all things, then God-centered worship will be the means by which He draws the unconverted to Himself and nourishes those already called into His sheepfold. We would do well to follow His ways, yes?

Grace and Peace,
Elder Dale
The Shepherd’s Crook

“No heart can conceive that treasury of mercies which lies in this one privilege, in having liberty and ability to approach unto God at all times, according to His mind and will.” John Owen (1616 – 1683)

As we look at how to apply the Regulative Principle to worship (and life), we need to examine the role we have in the implementation of our duty to worship in spirit and truth. While it is true that we are to “do all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) as a rule in a wide, or broad sense; also true is the command to “do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:24) in a specific, or narrow sense; the Scripture does not give us specifics as to when or where to gather together on Sunday, which or how many hymns to sing, what or how many prayers to have, what the sermon text should be, and so forth. The Westminster divines recognized this and wrote in the Confession of Faith, “that there are some circumstances (emphasis mine) concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed” (1.6).

The word “circumstances” is the key to our understanding here. Remembering that “what is not commanded is forbidden”, a worship service is a meeting that is held for a specific purpose and the details concerning that purpose are to be “ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed”. Scripture does not specifically prohibit that we employ a knife throwing exhibition during a worship service, and entertainment that is ordered by biblical standards under certain conditions is acceptable, even to the point of being seen as worship in a broad sense. However, Scripture does instruct us as to the purpose of a worship service, and entertainment seen as acceptable under different circumstances, does not meet with the specific circumstance of a worship service. This is where the exercise of “Christian prudence” ordered (that is, directed) by Scripture, instructs and guides us in the application of the Regulative Principle.

The truth of the matter is that God, in His Word, commands and instructs us in every aspect of our lives. The Regulative Principle then should be seen as not only for the ordering of our worship (public and private) but also a command for every part of our lives. “Common to human actions and societies” takes into account the timelessness and universal application of the Scripture. The misuse of the Regulative Principle to enforce traditionalism or a set form of standard, of the very sort that is to be avoided, has been an oft repeated error in Christian history. The Scripture says of Jesus ” For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). There are many different people and cultures called to worship in spirit and truth, within the boundaries prescribed in Scripture. Think of it this way, a fish in a lake has great freedom of movement in the water but once removed from the water, that freedom is lost. The Regulative Principle sets us free to worship within the set principles of the Word and also allows for applications of those commands that will most edify worshipers of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation at whatever point of history they have been Providentially placed. Stay tuned, as we learn more about “staying in the water” as we continue studying through our outline.

Grace and Peace,
Elder Dale
The Shepherd’s Crook

“You all have by you a large treasure of divine knowledge, in that you have the Bible in your hands; therefore be not contented in possessing but little of this treasure. God hath spoken much to you in the Scripture; labor to understand as much of what he saith as you can. God hath made you all reasonable creatures; therefore let not the noble faculty of reason or understanding lie neglected. Content not yourselves with having so much knowledge as is thrown in your way, and as you receive in some sense unavoidably by the frequent inculcation of divine truth in the preaching of the word, of which you are obliged to be hearers, or as you accidentally gain in conversation; but let it be very much your business to search for it, and that with the same diligence and labor with which men are wont to dig in mines of silver and gold.” JONATHAN EDWARDS

The title of this post sounds like a no-brainer, but it must be said. There exists two schools of thought regarding what constitutes acceptable, Biblical worship. The first teaches that whatever is not expressly forbidden in Scripture is allowed. This practice casts the Scripture in a negative manner, allowing it to merely exercise veto power over the practices of men. The second teaches that whatever is not expressly commanded is forbidden. Here the Scripture has a positive role, allowing God’s Word to regulate what is practiced as worship in a manner that is acceptable to Him rather than what we may think or feel is worthy. This view, held historically by Reformed and Presbyterian churches, is known as the “regulative principle of worship”. The Westminster Confession of Faith, XXI defines it like this: “But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited to His own revealed will, that He may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture (Ex 20:4-6; Deut 4:15-20; 12:32; Matt 4:9, 10; 15:9; Acts 17:25; Col 2:23).”

The importance which God gives to His worship is illustrated in Leviticus 10:1-11, where we read about Nadab and Abihu offering strange or unauthorized fire before the Lord and were burned alive for their transgression. In Hebrews 12:28-29 we learn ” Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Both in the Old and New Covenant, God commands acceptable worship.

The second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-5a) adds credibility to the regulative principle. The Westminster Catechism, A. 109 states, “The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself”.

One may think, ” Wow, this is pretty harsh. Don’t we have freedom in Christ?” The answer is yes, the true convert has freedom from the bondage to sin and the condemnation of the Law, however, that freedom does not extend into worshiping God in a way not prescribed by Him in His Word. In the next lesson, we will study the practical application of the regulative principle to our worship and lives as Christians.

Grace and Peace,
Elder Dale
The Shepherd’s Crook

For there is a twofold reason why the Lord, in condemning and prohibiting all fictitious worship, requires us to give obedience only to His own voice. First, it tends greatly to establish His authority that we do not follow our own pleasures but depend entirely on His sovereignty; and, secondly, such is our folly, that when we are left at liberty, all we are able to do is to go astray. And then when once we have turned aside from the right path, there is no end to our wanderings, until we get buried under a multitude of superstitions. Justly, therefore, does the Lord, in order to assert his full right of dominion, strictly enjoin what He wishes us to do, and at once reject all human devices which are at variance with His command. Justly, too, does He, in express terms, define our limits that we may not, by fabricating perverse modes of worship, provoke His anger against us.

I know how difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His Word. The opposite persuasion which cleaves to them, being seated, as it were, in their very bones and marrow, is, that whatever they do has in itself a sufficient sanction, provided it exhibits some kind of zeal for the honor of God. But since God not only regards as fruitless, but also plainly abominates, whatever we undertake from zeal to His worship, if at variance with His command, what do we gain by a contrary course? The words of God are clear and distinct, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” “In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” (1 Samuel 15:22; Matthew 15:9).
John Calvin, The Necessity of Reforming the Church 1554

As I read the above quotation, I find myself nodding in agreement with Calvin. Yes indeed, it is a difficult thing to convince well meaning and well intentioned people that their good intentions may, in fact, be an offense to God. The sad part of this work is that rather than searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so, the correction or reproof is seen as one of a personal or traditional preference rather than a studied exegesis of God’s Word. After all, we are commanded to ” be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15. That being said as a basis for our inquiry, let us set aside our preconceptions and examine them in the light of what we will learn in Scripture.

It has been well said that worship is “the work of acknowledging the greatness of our covenant Lord.” Calvin wrote the quotation above some 450 years ago and it rings true even today where the focus and design of worship is thought of as a way to meet a felt need, or to express zeal and sincerity rather than to glorify God. Unfortunately, in Calvin’s time and today, there is much misunderstanding about worship that has resulted in division as debate over worship styles and preferences that please individuals creates strife. Worship is a work which should unify Christians, not divide them (see Romans 15:6 & Eph. 5:19-21). Jon D. Payne, in his book In the Splendor of Holiness, outlines eight points that help show that God has provided clear instruction regarding how His people should (and should not) worship Him. Each of the following points will be the subject of future posts as we examine what it means to worship “in spirit and truth”:

• Biblical worship is…Biblical
• Biblical worship is God-centered not man-centered
• Biblical worship is dialogical
• Biblical worship is simple
• Biblical worship is expressed in all of life AND at sacred times
• Biblical worship is reverent
• Biblical worship is Trinitarian
• Biblical worship sets forth the Person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ

Grace and peace,
Elder Dale
the shepherds crook