Worship In The Church
One of the critical purposes of the church is to glorify God through worship. The gathering of the Lord’s people into a central location gives us opportunity for corporate worship in which our fellowship witnesses a greater expression of the duty of all to praise the Almighty God.
The church and worship are so closely aligned that we often speak of these in synonymous terms. We have a familiar Sunday morning expression, “I am going to worship.” Who does not understand this to mean, “I am going to church?” Christians are instinctively geared to worship and thus we regularly attend church. Those who are absent are absent from corporate worship, an exercise ordained by God in recognition of His right to be glorified.
Worship in the church is built upon the same principles as Old Testament worship. By this I mean there is a divine prescription that cannot be changed or ignored. Perhaps the earliest example is the improper sacrifice made by Cain. It fell outside God’s revealed parameters which were known by both Cain and Abel. God did not respect Cain’s sacrifice though he was sure by his own standard he gave his best. When God established Israel with His law at Sinai, He gave them a prescription for worship. God told Moses to make a sanctuary after the pattern he was given. The pattern which included the structure, the instruments for worship, the sacrifices, and the priesthood were shadows or types of worship in heaven. All were representative of the true sanctuary made by God. Moses could not change anything because the pattern represented unalterable truths of Jesus Christ.
In like manner, we cannot expect that we are free to change worship from the divine prescription. The New Testament explains that certain acts of worship were ceremonial and temporary. These were fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ so that we are not commanded to follow those patterns any longer. However, we are not left without direction. We are not free to substitute crucifixes, to make images of Mary, or of saints, or do any works that are prohibited by the commandments. The New Testament keeps these prohibitions in place.
Examples of acceptable worship and prohibited worship are also found in New Testament scriptures. Paul regulated tongues in the church for the time they were still operable. He regulated the conduct of worship by restricting the officers of the church to males. He encouraged the reading of scripture, the frequent practice of prayer, and the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We do not look for innovative ways to worship but follow the prescriptions given. The Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 remarks: “The acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and desires of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.” (Chapter 22.1)
These comments convey the idea of the need for caution in the way we worship. It must have a biblical pattern, or simply put, it is regulated by scripture. We are not free to introduce our own ideas. If this principle were always invoked, it would prevent us from many stupid acts that pretend worship when they are nothing but embarrassment to the very angels of God.
We have much to discuss including the command to worship. Many Christians cannot be accused of wrong worship because they do not worship at all. To habitually absent oneself from church is not Christian. Christians instinctively worship. We are chosen, called, justified, and sanctified for the glory of God. He has His divinely prescribed an acceptable method for us to show our gratitude for His marvelous works. This is called worship.
Pastor V. Mark Smith