Introduction
The following notes have been taken from various sources (see Bibliography) and hopefully all are referenced. This is not an original article by one author, hence no credit is taken for the content by Grace. Grace Baptist Church is not necessarily embracing all of these views contained in this article, although the content leans in favour of a particular view (Article: Worship: The Heavenly Pattern, Author: Peter J. Wallace). The notes have been used in our local churches discussions on biblical worship and serves as a discussion starter as we endeavor to reform our own worship as a fellowship. Your input on all of these points are welcomed. All please tell us how do you worship as a church. Do you follow a high or low liturgy or ... PLEASE TELL US? What does the Bible say about Worship? THE FIRST WORSHIP SERVICE: Moses Israel offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (Exo_24:4-6) Moses read the Book of the Covenant to the people (Exo_24:7a) The people responded with faith and obedience (Exo_24:7-8) Israel (in this case through its representatives) partook of the peace offerings with God (Exo_24:9-11) Has God ordained a PATTERN? Every biblical worship service described in scripture follows this basic pattern (no other pattern is ever substituted for it). The worship service that is presented in the greatest detail is the service at the dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 5-7. There is more detail in Solomon's service, but it follows the same pattern that Moses did: Solomon Solomon assembles Israel for worship (2Ch_5:2-5) Sin is dealt with through burnt offerings (2Ch_5:6) Israel enters God's presence through the priests (2Ch_5:7-10) Psalm of praise (2Ch_5:11-14) Word of God proclaimed by Solomon (2Ch_6:1-11) Solomon's prayer of intercession (2Ch_6:12-42) Fire consumes the sacrifices/glory fills the temple (2Ch_7:1-2) Psalm of praise (2Ch_7:3) Israel partakes of the peace offerings (2Ch_7:4-9) Benediction (Israel departs in peace) (2Ch_7:10) So the Old Testament pattern of worship has a very clear theology There is no doubt that God wants His worship to have form, so the question is not whether we should have a liturgy or not. The issue is whether the liturgy is biblical in its content and, ultimately and form, whether we are using the liturgy to worship in spirit and in truth. No matter what the liturgy is, whether it is plain and simple or high and complex, it can be formalized and externalized so that it is corrupted to the point that God despises it. As we seek out the forms of worship that please God, we must be vigilant lest we fall into formalism or externalism. (4) Sproul, R. C.. How Then Shall We Worship?: Biblical Principles to Guide Us Today (p. 22). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. Heb_8:5 Did the early church follow the Biblical Pattern? But what did the apostolic worship look like? Did they see themselves as synagogues, or as the temple of God? The Church is seen as the true temple (1Co_3:16-17; 1Pe_2:4). The Lord's Supper is described in the language of the Old Testament peace offerings (1Co_10:18; Heb_13:10). While the preaching style and the traditions of prayer from the synagogue seem to have influenced apostolic worship, they did not imitate the pattern of worship found in the synagogue. Instead, the indications are that the apostles followed the same pattern of worship that had been laid down by Moses and Solomon. At the very least it is plain that they described their worship in terms of the Word, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers (Act_2:42). But there is more evidence for the continued use of the Old Testament pattern: the whole book of Revelation is laid out in the pattern of an Old Testament worship service. The Heavenly Worship as the Pattern for Our Worship: Worship in the Book of Revelation In Rev_1:10 we are told that John sees his vision on the Lord's Day, and in Rev_1:12-13 we hear that John sees Christ among the Lampstands: in other words, Jesus is with his church. After the seven letters are sent to the seven churches, John is called to witness the heavenly worship. 1. Assembling for Worship (Rev_4:1-11)--John is called to witness the worship of the heavenly hosts as they assemble to praise their God. The echo of 2Ch_5:2-5 is quite strong as the expanding circles of persons reaches from the king's closest advisors to the entire assembly of the people of God. 2. The Sin Offering (Rev_5:1-7)--John weeps because no one is worthy to open the scroll. The scroll contains the purposes of God for history. Sin seems to have caused history to come to a screeching halt. Redemptive history itself can only continue through the sacrifice. Only the Lamb of God who was slain is worthy to proclaim the purposes of God for his people. John is assured that Jesus has triumphed! 3. Enter God's Presence (Rev_5:8)--Because Jesus has taken the scroll, his people may now come before God with hope. (10) God instructed Moses to make the earthly place of worship as a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Heb_8:5; see Exo_25:40). Heavenly worship is revealed in such passages as Isa_6:1-8, where we see the prophet caught up to heaven for the liturgy, and in Revelation 4, which records the Apostle John’s vision of heaven’s liturgy. An Example of Biblical Liturgical Worship in the Baptist Union S.A. Sunday Morning (Heritage Baptist Church (13) What to expect ... Sunday morning Our service commences at 9h30. We begin with a short welcome followed by an opening prayer. Several songs are sung as well as either a reading from one of the great confessions of the faith or a responsive reading from Scripture. During this time we also have a Scripture reading and a pastoral prayer. Music The music we sing at HBC is a blend of old and new. We love the doctrinally rich hymns of the sixteenth century and we find blessing in the hymns and choruses of the twenty-first century. We strongly prefer congregational singing, which emphasizes the gathered body singing praise to God with one voice, over performed music, which tends to spotlight the abilities of some while encouraging passivity in the rest. Sermons Preaching at HBC is expositional, meaning that it seeks to declare the point of a particular Biblical passage. Sermons usually last between 30-45 minutes and are packed with material for reflection. All preaching is gospel-driven. After a Sermon We sing a hymn encapsulating the theme of the sermon and then take our seats once more for a brief moment of silent reflection. A typical service concludes by 11:00pm. We provide light refreshments in the Hall immediately after the service to encourage fellowship. An hour later, you might still find folks talking over the sermon and events of the past week. How did the early church worship? CHAP. LXVII.—WEEKLY WORSHIP OF THE CHRISTIANS. (1) And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday,(1) all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability,(2) and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given,(3) and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration. Baptist Autonomy in Worship and Suspicions about Liturgy? Baptists have historically been committed to the autonomy of the local congregation in most areas of theology and practice, including worship. (2) Baptists then, do not usually seek to express or symbolise their unity by agreeing on texts or patterns of worship that will be common to many congregations. Rather they have seen liturgical diversity as an inevitable consequence of each congregation discerning and faithfully responding to a God who values and utilises their particularity. By what authority does the church determine its liturgical practice? Their answer was that Scripture is the sole external authority. Liturgical non-conformity (by Baptists) is the refusal to conform to a pattern of worship dictated by an earthly authority. The Puritan movement was committed to taking its liturgical cues from scripture alone and was thus unwilling to conform to any pattern of worship not mandated by the Bible. The Core of Baptist Liturgical Theology Baptist Identity and Theology (3) From the beginning of their faith tradition, Baptists have been suspicious of doctrinal and liturgical conformity. Authority of freedom under Christ. Mistrust of liturgical conformity, as well as the broader value of religious freedom, is the basis for Baptist freedom from uniform liturgical tradition. Local congregations are responsible for determining the patterns and contents of their own worship. This should not imply a lack of concern for order in worship but allows for freshness and adaptability. Traditional worship practices possess only the authority given to them by the congregation. (page 24) Our prayers and our worship do, indeed, reflect the faith in our hearts. It is an overflow of it. But in another sense— perhaps a larger sense— prayer and worship form our faith. Worship doesn’t just reflect our faith; it is what shapes our faith. (5) Packiam, Glenn. Discover the Mystery of Faith: How Worship Shapes Believing (Kindle Locations 115-117). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. Why should we follow the Biblical Liturgy? What is the work of the people of God when we gather each week in worship? It is to tell a Story (history of redemption) and to participate in it. But, as we discovered in the previous chapter, we aren’t starting with a blank slate. We inherited our faith from others. Moreover, those who came before us handed down our faith through certain worship practices. You might say that part of how our faith was preserved and passed on through the centuries is through liturgy. This should be no surprise by now, because— say it with me— the way we worship becomes the way we believe. If that is true, then we ought not begin with the question “How would I like to design our worship service?” or even the more “customer-oriented” questions like “What kind of service would people respond to the best?” Those are valid questions, and they have their place. Many people, assuming that I prioritize questions of contextualization above questions of theology, ask if our new life DOWNTOWN “neo-liturgical” service was designed to “reach a particular demographic.” Honestly, I squirm when I hear questions like that, though I understand where the person is coming from. In our American church context, it’s a fair question to ask. After all, we’ve been trained to think first of pragmatic questions. We want to ask how before we ask what. I suggest that the first question is, “How has the Spirit of God led the people of God to worship God in corporate gatherings throughout the centuries?” In short: “What were the historic liturgies like?” Before we change anything— and we should change things in the name of contextualization (more on that in the final chapter)— we must try to see what was good and beautiful and true about the way the Church worshipped throughout the centuries. Packiam, Glenn. Discover the Mystery of Faith: How Worship Shapes Believing (Kindle Locations 633-648). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. BIBLIOGRAPHY: BOOKS: 1. FIRST APOLOGY of Justin Martyr. 2. Baptist Worship in Ecumenical Perspective 3. Liturgical Inculturation Among Baptists in the United States 4. How Then Shall We Worship by RC Sproul 5. Discover the Mystery of Faith 6. What to Expect in Reformed Worship by Daniel Hyde 7. Discover The Mystery of Faith by Glen Packiam 8. Meditations on Reformed Worship by Mathew Powell ARTICLES: 10. Worship - The Heaven Pattern by Peter J. Wallace 11. The Regulative Principle by Derek Thomas 12. HowOver-Explaining Kills Worship by Zack Hick EXCERPTS: 13. Website of Heritage Baptist Church: http://www.heritagebaptist.co.za/new-here/what-to-expect
0 Comments
I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the scriptures do not reign paramount.— Martin Luther |
EditorCollin C. Baartman Archives |