Worship And The Word
Our study of the church brings us to a core, critical issue which has been the purpose for God’s people from the beginning. He created us for His glory which is accomplished through our adoration and honor of Him. This is the concept of worship. God created us for worship.
Earlier, we learned of the relationship between truth and worship. Worship is regulated by truth. Instead of our whimsical, emotional, personal feelings about worship dictating our practice, there is a divine prescription that must be followed for worship to be acceptable. Worship is not about us and how we feel. It is intended for us only as participants who put all emphasis on God within the parameters of the divine prescription.
Today we look at another aspect of worship which strongly attracts my attention. You would imagine this is the case since we will discuss the preaching of the word. I believe preaching is our primary method of worship which makes the pastor the principal worship leader. Preaching the word is the church’s highest priority. Most think of singing when we mention worship and singing certainly has its usefulness and should be an important part of our services. Unfortunately, preaching is not often thought of as worship and thus is not often a priority. Think of how many churches have longer than an hour music programs with only a cursory twenty minutes devoted to a drama/devotion object lesson loosely based (maybe) on a scripture.
Preaching is to herald or tell forth the word of God. The word is God’s self-revelation and is the way we know Him. It is the objective and only dependable revelation of the one true living God. Recently, I read a book in which the author claimed to reveal who God is and what He is like. His explanation was inconsistent with the statements God made about Himself. It was not the same as what Jesus, the Son of God and one with the Father, said. It was not the same God as preached by Paul and the apostles. God is made known through His word as faithful preachers read and expound the truth of the word in our worship services. God cannot be worshipped if we do not know Him.
Gospel preaching does not only properly identify God, it also properly identifies us. Many want the Bible to confirm them as they are. Through misapplication of texts, through misinterpretation of Bible doctrine, and through misrepresentation of the teachings of Jesus, they believe the Bible will confirm their lifestyles. The love of God is the blanket they throw over their immorality to substantiate that God accepts everyone just as they are. The word of God is essential in our worship not to confirm us as we are but to convict us of what we are and conform us to what we should be. The word aligns us with God. It identifies us as sinners who are not accepted as we are but condemned because of who we are. The word changes us to reflect the righteous character of God. We cannot expect that a lifestyle disobedience will allow us to be welcomed into the same space as God. God does not love our character. He hates it and gave His Son to obliterate it through His sacrificial death. There is not a person on earth worthy to worship God. We must reject who we are and conform to His righteous standard. This is possible only by God’s grace which grants faith in Christ. Through the instrumentality of the word, the power of the Holy Spirit changes us from the perversion of our sin to the perfect righteousness of Christ.
The third purpose of the word in worship is for our sanctification. As the word is preached, we see the differences between us and Christ. Worship is perfected and the worshipper is more conformed each time we hear it. You should be concerned how much you know about the word because without it you will not be like Christ. Consider this when you miss worship. You miss preaching that will make you more like Jesus.
And then lastly and briefly, the word prepares you for Christ. Preaching is preparation for heaven. Paul said the word will build you up and give an inheritance among those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32). We must preach the word in our worship services, or we remain unprepared for Christ and with deficient knowledge of Him and the power of God.
Pastor V. Mark Smith