The Worship of God

·        Music    

The place and priority of music in worship should be consistent and harmonious with God’s purposes in calling out a people for His own possession to glorify His name in all the earth (Psa. 86:9; 1 Pet. 2:9). God requires worship that involves the mind and the heart in “spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Music should be offered in such a way that the message and the medium reflect glory and praise pleasing to God. Performances that are calculated to appeal to the flesh and the applause of “men,” conflict with this priority. A variety of music that is “skillfully” presented (1 Sam. 16:16-18; 1 Chr. 25:7; Psa. 33:3) and fits the genre of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” may be considered for corporate worship (this may include both traditional and contemporary styles) so long as the goal is to “sing and make melody with your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). 

·        Scripture

The Word of God exhorts believers to make the public reading of Scripture an integral part of worship (1 Tim. 4:13). Old and New Testament worship included the reading, teaching and explanation of truth (Neh. 8:1-8; Acts 13:15). Peter referred to the Scriptures being read every Sabbath (Acts 15:21), and the early church applied themselves to the apostles doctrine; read, taught, and understood (Acts 2:42). I believe the church must continue to give regular attention to the “public reading” of God’s Word in worship.

·        Preaching

The mandate to preach the word is central to the church’s mission and message (Col. 1:25; 2 Tim. 4:2). Hearing God’s Word exposited and proclaimed by God’s messenger is pivotal to salvation and true worship (Acts 17:23; Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 9:14). I disagree with a vast majority of neo-evangelicals who question the validity of preaching in this contemporary age (2 Tim. 4:3), trading in pulpits for podiums so as to be more “relevant.” The most powerful form of communication God has given the pastor/teacher is to proclaim the whole counsel of God with the authority of heaven (Titus 2:15).

·        Prayer

The ministry of prayer in the local church is closely aligned with the expository proclamation of the truth. As the apostles of the early church declared, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4). The early church was marked by individual believers who prayed, as well as worshipful corporate prayer in the assembly (see Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:31; 12:5; 14:23; 16:25; 28:8). In worship, as the pastor/elder intercedes for the congregation in prayer, the saints are collectively brought before God’s throne with prayers of confession (Ez. 10:1), adoration (Acts 4:24), thanksgiving (1 Thess. 5:18), supplication (1 Cor. 1:4-8), and special requests.

·        Giving

The Bible is clear that giving is as much an act of worship as any other spiritual service. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 provide the best backdrop for affirming the church's mandate to give of our financial resources. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7), and the church must recognize the need to provide the proper avenue in which to see individual believers give regularly. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 teaches that each person is to bring their gifts (tithes and offerings) each week to the Lord (through the agency of the local church), with the expectation that the leadership of the church will take those resources and strategically use those funds for the extension of the kingdom of God, and for the ultimate purpose of giving Him glory.

 

 

o        Membership – There is scriptural evidence to support that a true believer be joined to a local church by membership (1 Cor. 12:14-19). However, simply because a person has joined a local church does not prove genuine faith in Christ. Membership is God’s means of accounting and accountability (Acts 1:15, 2:41, 4:4, 6:1; Heb. 13:17). It is within the local church context that a Christian finds his spiritual identity and may exercise his spiritual gift(s). Should a member’s conduct be uncharacteristic of Christian faith and practice, church discipline will be administered in accordance with the principles of Scripture (Matt. 18:15-19).

Membership Application:

 

 

o        Baptism – The Bible teaches that once a person has come to Christ in repentance and faith, he is to be baptized. By looking at the pattern of the early church, those who were converted to Christ were then immersed in water (Acts 2:38,41; 8:12-13; 8:36-38; 9:17-18; 16:31-33). The command for the believer to be baptized is a time for the declaration of his faith in Christ. One can easily see from the above passages that baptism was a believer's act of obedience, which evidenced the new condition of the heart. Since we know that regeneration comes before baptism (Acts 8:36-38; 16:31-33), baptism can never be a condition or a requirement for salvation (1 Pet. 3:21-22). The apostle Peter himself clarified that water baptism does not save - that literal immersion into water is not efficacious. It is simply the outward expression of the inner man being renewed through Christ's work of redemption and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-6).

 

 

 

 Lord’s Supper – The Table Celebration has its roots in the Passover meal, remembering the death of Christ Himself the Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). The apostle Paul gives us the New Testament formula for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. It is to be observed just as Jesus Christ Himself both initiated and instituted during that final meal with His disciples in the upper room (1 Cor. 11:23-26). In direct response to Jesus’ command to “do this in remembrance of Me,” Christians today, like these early believers, participate in communion as an act of obedience (Lk. 22:17-19, 1 Cor. 11:27-32). Believers practice communion as the Lord's prescribed way of honoring His sacrifice, deliverance, and soon return (Acts 2:42, 46). Christians are to participate in the Lord's Supper both regularly and reverently.

 

 

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