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GIRS syllabus index: Survey Studies in Reformed Theology Unit Index: Nomology |
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Worship and the Sabbath Day: The Elements of Worship
by Pastor Bob Burridge ©2000
Westminster Confession of Faith XXI (continued)
The Elements of Worship:
WCF 21:3-5
III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men: and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of his Spirit, according to his will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue.
IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter: but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.
V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.
Having established that God alone may set the proper methods and content of our worship, we must go on to ask the obvious question, "What has God prescribed to us for his worship?"
Worship is the response of a believer to the revealed glory of God. There is a sense in which all of the Christian life is a walk of worship. When we behold the display of his majesty in the heavens and the earth, as we perceive his hand of providence governing all that takes place, and as we become aware of his rich blessings to our body and soul we are compelled to give him thankful praise. And since we love him supremely, we wish to be sure that our praise is given in ways that truly honor him. Therefore everything we do to honor God must be regulated according to what God has prescribed for us in his word.
There is also a special worship that is connected with the calling together of the body of believers under the oversight of elders. Some elements of worship are limited by God's prescription to this special time of convocation. For example, the celebration of the Lord's Supper is only to be done under the oversight of ordained elders in the presence of the church in communion with Christ as a congregation.
A special convocation of the body of Christ in worship is to be called on every Sabbath day, and may be called at other times by the shepherds of the flock. It is a coming apart from the usual walk we have with the Lord to expressly turn our thoughts to God's glory as a body of believers. The time of convocational worship is bounded by a formal call marking its beginning and a benedictory pronouncement marking its end.
The uniting of a congregation in worship is the most visible and public activity of any church. If wrongly ordered, the time of worship can be tiresome, meaningless and empty. Or it can be mystifying, confusing and hypocritical. The enemy of our souls would have us to be inattentive in worship with wandering minds, sleepy bodies, or deceived by emotional substitutes.
Psalm 95 gives a good overview of how a believer ought to approach this special time of gathering.
Psalm 95:1-2
1 O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
The presence of the Lord is spoken of here as something into which we come in worship. These first two verses constitute a call to come apart to rejoice in consideration of the wonder and work of our Lord. Of course we know from Scripture that God is present everywhere. Psalm 139:7-10 is but one example of the many texts that makes this absolutely clear. All of God is everywhere all the time. Therefore the localized mentions of his presence in worship must not mean that he is ever absent from, or less present in, places outside of worship. The being of God is not at question here. He fills all space absolutely and eternally.
Yet there is clearly something special about the presence of God in worship. In Exodus 25:8 God said that a sanctuary should be made for him that he may dwell among them. The Tabernacle was called God's dwelling place, the tent of meeting where God met with his people as they assembled as a covenant community, its also called the Holy Place where the Lord's holiness was specially shown. The Tabernacle and then the Temple contained the ark which was thought of as a manifestation of God's throne (Jeremiah 3:16-17), the footstool of God (1 Chronicles 28:2 Psalm 132:7), and the dwelling place of God (1 Chronicles 13:6, Exodus 25:22).
When the Tabernacle was dedicated (Exodus 40:34-38), and later the Temple (1 Kings 8:10-13), God supernaturally displayed his presence by the settling of the cloud of glory over the place of worship.
The mountain where God showed his presence in the place of worship is said to be the place where God desired to make his abode (Psalm 68:16). Many of the Psalms speak of entering into God's presence in worship. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke specially of the presence of God being among the officers of the church as they made the difficult decision of discipline in putting a rebelling member out of communion with the church (Matthew 18:20).
In the Book of the Revelation, God's presence is shown to be in heaven. But certainly this does not mean that at those moments he is absent from other places in his creation.
These passages that speak of God's presence locally are talking about places where there is a special manifestation of God's glory or attributes. It is that manifestation into which we enter, not the presence of his essence which is everywhere present. God is not everywhere always and equally displaying himself.
In called worship, God manifests himself in the spiritual worship of the body of Christ united in humble gratitude for his mercies and grace.
Ecclesiastes 5 presents an awesome warning for us all as we dare to
enter into the place of worship, into the house of the Lord.
1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and draw near
to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools;
for they do not know they are doing evil.
2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought
to bring up a matter in the presence of God.
For God is in heaven and you are on the earth;
therefore let your words be few.
Psalm 95:3-5
3 For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods,
4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth;
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
Verses three through five give the general reason why all creatures are obligated to come apart to worship God. He is the Lord of all that is; over all beings and things. His Lordship emerges from his greatness as Sovereign Creator who has made everything to reveal his glory. This is the foundation of the Creation Sabbath declared as ever binding upon mankind in the opening chapters of Genesis, and which is summarized in the Fourth Commandment. The principle of worship on one special day after six days of labor is a creation ordinance which is as eternal as the universe, the creation of which the Sabbath commemorates.
Psalm 95:6-7a
6 Come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7a For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture,
and the sheep of His hand. ...
Verses six and seven remind us of the humility and subjection that ought to characterize our special times of worship. Since God made all things, his intentions define what is right for all that he made. Therefore we as sinners, inheritors of the corruption and guilt of Adam, perpetrators of things contrary to God's glory, ought to approach our Creator as those who have no right to blessings and every right to damnation, if it was not for the atonement of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We kneel before him bowing our heads, exposing our necks to the wrath of God, knowing that by grace wrath fell upon God the Son for us. We therefore come as his covenant people, adopted into his family by unmerited favor.
Psalm 95:7b-11
7b ... Today, if you would hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness;
9 "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me,
though they had seen My work.
10 "For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
11 "Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest."
The last part of the Psalm, from the end of verse seven through verse eleven, presents a warning. We ought not to fail in our proper worship of God as did the ancient fathers at Meribah when they grumbled at what they did not understand. They had an idea in their hearts which did not conform to what was in the heart of God. They were a people that had tragically erred. Our own understanding should never be our guide in approaching God. We must come into his special presence only when guided by his word.
The Call to Worship
To show that the time of convocation is a special entry into the
presence of God, it is marked by a special calling together of the body of
Christ constituting it as a worshipping congregation, separating the
people's thoughts from the usual concerns of life, under the oversight of
elders, for the humble honoring of God for his revealed glories.
The call to worship is issued first by God who calls his people to gather to honor him. It is secondarily the call of the Shepherds of the people, the Elders of the church, who are to communicate God's call at a time appropriate according to the principles laid out in the Scriptures. There is a tertiary sense in which the people also call upon God to specially manifest his glory in their midst as he has promised by covenant.
It is therefore proper to divide the elements of worship into two main categories. Some elements are God speaking to the people by his word. Other elements are the people responding to God's revealed glory and truth. Therefore the Call to Worship is often divided into parts that reflect this two-fold division. This maintains the covenant nature of worship in that it is a union of the Sovereign King with his subjects who come to show allegiance and honor to him through the atonement he has provided, and according to the specifications set forth in God's word.
We have already seen that God calls us to come together and worship
him. This was symbolized formally in the calling of the people to the
Tabernacle and Temple at the times of the offerings and prayers presented
by the priests on their behalf and according to God's liturgy. The center of
the Old Testament worship was the offerings and rituals which prefigured
the work of Christ for the sins of his people. An example of this call to a
special time of convocation is seen in Leviticus 23:2-3 where God said,
2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'The LORD's
appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy
convocations-- My appointed times are these:
3 'For six days work may be done; but on the seventh day there
is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not
do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
In the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus, New Testament worship continues to be centered upon the atonement and the promises of God relating to it. The calling together of the covenant people to worship is upheld by the example of Jesus and his Apostles who gathered regularly to enter into Sabbath worship with God's people as they assembled both at the Temple (prior to the cross), and at the synagogues (after the cross).
The implementing of this principle at the opening of worship has been done in various ways by the churches. The prescriptive regulative principle does not give us a liturgical form, though God certainly could have included that in his word if it there was only one way of implementation. But this principle does show us that worship must be marked out from that which is not convocational worship so that those participating understand the distinction.
The Call to Worship usually begins with a direct quote from Scripture. Sometimes it is divided into two separate parts called the Votum and the Salutation.
The Votum is a call to God from the people indicating that they have
gathered for worship as a congregation. A commonly used portion of
Scripture is the first part of Psalm 18. Often they used only verse 2, and
sometimes verses 3-5.
1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my
God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the
horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so
shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly
men made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death
prevented me.
Often Psalm 124:8 was used.
Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made
heaven and earth.
The Salutation is the word of the Lord to his people in answer to their
call to him. It is a blessing of promise showing the mercy and confidence
of blessing that draws us into humble praise. Since this is a word from
God, it is always a direct quote from Scripture. Commonly used
Salutations are ...
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:4-5 ... Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which
is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven
Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,
and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Sometimes these elements are combined into a more general Call to Worship. This is usually a reading of a portion of Scripture, most often from the Psalms, declaring God's glory and mercy, followed by a prayer of Invocation whereby the special presence of God is called upon by the people. Among the texts used are Psalm 92:1-2, 95:1-2, 100:1-2, 112:1-2.
Commonly these elements are followed by the singing of the congregation using a Psalm or Hymn that particularly declares the revealed glories of God.
It is crucial that this call of God and of his appointed Shepherds is not
neglected by the people. It is a solemn duty before the Lord. We are
warned ...
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is
the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the
more, as you see the day drawing near.
Prayer
The first element of worship listed in this section of the Westminster
Confession is Prayer. This element is detailed more than any other in this
chapter. The definition given to question 98 in the Shorter Catechism is
important to keep in mind:
"Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies."
Since prayer in the worship context continues to be the speaking of the people to God, it must be ordered in a way that is acceptable to him who is to receive it.
Central in prayers of worship is the motive of gratitude. Thanksgiving for the wonders of Creation, the works of providence and the wonders of redemption, is what stirs our hearts to humble expressions of worshipful prayer.
God generally is made known to all men by the works of creation and providence, and his moral holiness is impressed upon the conscience of every man. This obligates all to offer thankful prayers to him. Therefore it is not only the believer, but also the lost who have this duty.
Fallen souls may abhor the obedience of prayer, or dare to approach God without coming through the only Mediator, Jesus Christ. But moral inability does not excuse a person from moral responsibility. Such an exempting principle is not taught anywhere in God's word. Therefore the failure of the unregenerate to pray acceptably condemns them all the more.
The confession summarizes the conditions which make prayer acceptable to God.
Acceptable prayers must be offered in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ. This should not be taken in a purely outward sense of tagging his name onto our prayers. To be "in the name of Jesus Christ" is to be identified with him as one redeemed by his righteousness. There is only one mediator between God and man, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). [see syllabus notes on WCF VIII]
The Bible only promises that the prayers of a righteous man, one redeemed in Christ, are effectual (James 5:16). There is no promise that the prayers of the unregenerate are used by God as means in accomplishing his holy decrees.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Prayer must be offered by the help of the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit dwells within every believer as his helper and comforter, we ought to rely upon this aspect of prayer whenever we approach the Throne of Grace.
Acceptable prayer must be according to God's will. We have addressed the nature of God's will in our study of his decrees. [see my syllabus on Theology Proper, lessons 4 and 7 on WCF chapters 3 and 5.]
We must limit the confident expectations of our prayers to things God has promised in his word to those who pray. When we pray for matters the end of which is not directly revealed by God, we must condition our request by the submission of our heart to whatever is the secret will of God (Deuteronomy 29:29).
For example, it would always be right to pray that God would grant peace and comfort to his children as they suffer. But it would not be right to demand of God that he would heal a particular person or deliver him from facing death. While we may intercede for God's powerful healing upon the sick, or for his grace to fall upon particular ones to regenerate them, there must always be the understanding in our hearts that it may not be in God's perfect plan to do so. Similarly we may always pray that guilt would be punished and that the innocence protected. But it would require special revelation to pray that God's wrath would be turned in a particular temporal judgment upon one individual, or that a particular calamity would not befall a particular person.
To make such demands would be wicked. It would be the same as the creature demanding of the Creator to change his eternal and perfect decrees. This is nothing less than making ourselves to be God and demeaning the true God as if he was a mere servant whose plan is inferior to that which we imagine.
Concerning the part our prayers play in the unfolding of God's plan, we must keep in mind that since God is unchanging and all powerful, we can be thankfully confident that whatever he has decreed can not be changed. If nothing changes that God has known for all eternity, then what can our prayers really accomplish? Are they just empty exercises done only for our psychological benefit? Or if our prayers could actually change what the Creator originally decreed as best, then do our prayers make us the ultimate masters over the universe?
Absolutely neither of these ideas is consistent with what the Bible teaches. There is a different answer that is far closer to the truth than these two extremes. God decrees not only the final outcome, but also all the means by which all things come to pass. And one of the wonderful tools he uses in carrying out his will, is the prayer of believers. The Lord does not only use the prayers of the great Apostles and Prophets, not just the prayers of ministers, elders and deacons, but also those of all his children. In Romans 15:30, and in other places, the Apostle Paul asks those simple Christians to whom he addressed his letter to pray for him.
God commands us to pray, and he tells us that it matters. Rather than philosophizing about things far beyond our ken, we should simply rejoice to be a part of the rise and fall of nations, the victories of the gospel as it makes dramatic changes in otherwise hopeless lives, and the wonders performed by surgeons, teachers, pastors and moms.
Prayers must be made with the right motive. Our intent in prayer must be the humble and reverent calling upon God, with subjection to his perfect intent, in love and with perseverance (Luke 18:1-8).
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Prayer must be offered in a known language. When we pray in the presence of others, it is important that we pray in a manner that permits understanding. This principle is seen in Paul's concern in 1 Corinthians 14. One of the problems that faced the reformers and the framers of the Westminster Confession, was the practice of the Roman church to conduct worship prayers in Latin which was not known by the masses of worshippers.
Prayer must only be made for lawful things. This is an extension of the concept of praying for that which is the will of God. The objects of our prayers are prescribed in generalities rather than in specifics. Paul instructed Timothy concerning this dynamic nature of the content of our prayers.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
This principle rules out the idea that prescriptive prayer must only be in the inspired words of Scripture. Since those in authority change with political changes and with succession of rightful leadership, believers could not obey this injunction if they only quoted inspired prayers.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a perfect model for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. He is not telling us that we must always and only use his exact wording, but that we must pray "... in this way". The prayers of the New Testament conform to the content of this form but not always to its exact words. We do not find many New Testament prayers that begin by saying, "Our Father which is in heaven...".
Included in the confession is the warning that prayers are to be made for all men living, but not for the dead. This was directed primarily against the common practice at that time which was endorsed by the Roman church. While a person is alive, their eternal state and moment of death are not yet revealed to us. We may pray for them, but in subjection to the secret and unchanging plan of God. Once a person dies, their eternal state is fixed and the time of their physical death is made known. These would cease to be proper objects of our prayers. David followed this principle in praying for his dying child in 2 Samuel 12
2 Samuel 12:22-23 And he said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."
We are not to pray for those who have sinned the sin unto death. This is a sometimes confusing statement in the confession. First we must know what the sin unto death is. Then we must know when a person is not to be prayed for regarding that sin.
There are two passages of Scripture to consider: Matthew 12:31-32 speaks of sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And 1 John 5:16-17 speaks particularly about not praying for any one who sins the sin which is unto death.
Matthew 12:31-32 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. (32) And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.
The Bible speaks here of a sin that is never forgiven. It presents a clear word of warning to those who would oppose the work of Jesus Christ and his church. Taken out of context it has caused undue despair and worry for the children of God. So then, what is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Can it be committed by a believer? Why is it never forgiven?
The context in Matthew 12:22-37 (also Mk 3:20-30, Lk 11:14-23; 12:10) shows that Jesus had just cast out a demon (12:22-23). The victim had been blind and deaf as well as possessed. Some Jewish leaders had accused Jesus of doing this by the power of Beelzebul (Satan) (12:24).
Jesus showed that their accusation was not reasonable (12:25-29). A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan is divided against himself by casting out his own agents, then his kingdom cannot stand. But if Jesus was doing this work by the Spirit of God, then God's Kingdom has come. Then the strong man of the house is being bound so that his house may be plundered. All three synoptic gospels put that statement here.
There are several obvious implications:
a) Jesus is working by the Spirit of God, not by Satan
b) Therefore the Kingdom of God is come
c) Therefore the strong man (Satan) is bound
d) Satan's household (kingdom) is being plundered
e) These blasphemers are of the kingdom being destroyed.
Jesus calls them a "brood of vipers" (:34)
Jesus had said in 12:30 that those not with him are against him. That is, they who are not of his Kingdom are of Satan's Kingdom.
1 John 5:19 "we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one"
Jesus gave warnings about blasphemy (12:31-32). First, that all blasphemies shall be forgiven, even speaking wickedly against the Son of God. But speaking against the Holy Spirit is never forgiven. And we know who these are by their fruit, just as we identify a tree by what it produces (12:33-37). These unbelievers who were accusing Jesus had revealed their condemnation by their own words.
This is a most comforting reassurance of a known promise. All sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven (12:31a). The blood of Jesus is able to satisfy for any sin of the elect.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
Romans 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect?
Romans 8:38-39 neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No repentant sinner who comes by faith in Christ is ever turned away from being restored to fellowship with God.
John 6:37 ... the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
1 John 1:9 if we confess our sin, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But there is also here a sobering warning. Blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit "shall not be forgiven" (12:31b). This is not an isolated warning.
The same account is recorded in the other Gospels:
Mark 3:28-29 adds that he is "guilty of an eternal sin"
Mark 3:29 that he never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin
Luke 12:10 it shall not be forgiven him
Other biblical references also mention sins that are not forgiven. Hebrews 6:4-8 says that it is impossible to restore certain ones to repentance. The ones warned are those who had great privileges. They had a degree of enlightenment to God's truth, they tasted of the heavenly gift, they were partakers of the Holy Ghost and the word of God and of the power of the age to come. Yet they turned and fell away. These can not be brought back to the point where they can be renewed to repentance. These were like King Saul who was gifted by the Holy Spirit to lead the people as ruler of the covenant nation. He was given the word of God by which to govern. He saw God do wonderful things. But its likely that he was never regenerated by grace unto spiritual life.
The writer then adds, "We are persuaded better things of you" (6:9). So this is not a warning to his readers who were born again believers. But to unbelievers. They were like the Pharisees of Matthew 12, who, confronted with the work of God, openly reject its source. They attributed it to Satan, and thereby revealed their continued lostness and depravity.
Hebrews 10:26-31 contains a warning to those who "go on sinning willingly". There remains for them, "no sacrifice for sins". They have rejected God's commandments, have not received God's mercy, trampled under foot the Son of God, regarded the blood of the covenant as "unclean", and insulted the "Spirit of Grace". This is obviously not a description of the believer, but of the lost.
An unwarranted tension is introduced when these passages are read superficially. Our fallen nature and the influence of humanism make us assume that man is in charge of his own eternal future. This is absolutely and repeatedly contradicted in Scripture. God is alone sovereign and the cause of ever sinners salvation. If it was our work, then it would not be a salvation by grace. We would have cause to boast in our better choice. Such apostates look for ways by which God's salvation is overturned by man's sin, and the work of Christ is overpowered by the work of Satan. But the elect cannot be torn out of the hand of the Savior. It was not their obedience that put them in his hand to begin with.
No believer ever sins the sin against the Holy Spirit. Those addressed here are the enemies of Christ. They had seen the miraculous works of the Holy Spirit by Jesus, they had heard his words and teachings but attributed them to the work of Satan. These had committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. Obviously these are not of God's chosen people (Ephesians 1:4).
John 6:37 all that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
This passage is not saying that such a person cannot be forgiven, but that he shall not be forgiven. Its not saying that the work of Christ was insufficient to atone for their sin. It was never intended to redeem those particular people. They show no conviction of sin, and no desire to come to God repentantly for forgiveness. Therefore there is no evidence of God's grace at work in their lives.
Puritan scholar David Dickson describes this sin:
"... as an open willful, deliberate and malicious rejecting and opposing of Jesus Christ totally, and the way of salvation by him. The man that falls into this sin never repents nor gets grace to desire to repent, therefore it IS not forgiven."
Whatever sin is not sorrowed for and repented of is not removed by Christ. It is never promised to be removed. God's elect may fall into the sin of blasphemy against the Son of God by ignorance, fear, or deception. But they will repent, and find mercy.
Forgiveness of sin comes to the convicted and penitent. Repentance is a primary evidence of the Spirit's convicting work.
1 John 1:9 "if we confess our sin, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
What about those who appear to be Christ's then turn away? Jesus
warned:
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' will
enter the kingdom of heaven"
Of many he will say, "I never knew you; depart from Me" (Mt 7:23)
This is the consistent teaching of Scripture:
1 John 2:19 "they went out from us, but they were not really of us;
for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us;
but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all
are not of us."
1 John 2:3 "by this we know that we have come to know Him, if
we keep His commandments."
Psalm 32:1-5 shows the importance of a credible and honest confession and repentance from sin.
This doctrine should not be a cause of worry among Christians. The concern itself should dismiss the worries. If a person is inclined to be concerned, then it is an evidence of the Spirit's work in his heart. Those who oppose the Spirit have no convicting work in them. They foolishly dismiss it with no fear or serious concern except selfishly regarding the consequences to them selves, not for the offense it raises before God.
Serious sins in Scripture are forgiven to penitent believers: David's sins of adultery, deceit and murder, Peter's triple denial of Jesus and profanity on the night of the arrest, and Saul's persecution of the church and of Christ.
Christians should be seriously concerned not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), not to resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), and not to quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). But, there is no reason for the penitent to despair.
Abraham Kuyper wrote,
"no child of God could or ever can commit this sin" ... "such cruel spiritual distress may not be allowed. It is the result of a defective religious training, and still more, of ... preaching which (is) culpably ignorant.... He who desecrates, despises and slanders the Spirit, who speaks in Christ, in His Word, and in His work, as tho He were the spirit of Satan, is lost in eternal darkness."
1 John 5:16-17 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. (17) All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
John is drawing a very clear distinction in this verse. He speaks of sins which are unto death and sins which are not. The obvious context shows that John means spiritual death as opposed to physical death. In physical death the soul and body are separated. In spiritual death the person is separated from the etrenal blessings of God due to moral guilt which is not paid for by Jesus Christ. Clearly those who sin resulting in spiritual death are those who are not among the elect. All the sins of the elect are covered by the atonement of the Savior.
Three times in this context John speaks of the sin which is not unto death. When a brother commits this kind of sin we are to ask God to forgive him. We ask this with confidence that life (blessed union with God forever) will continue to be given to him. But once John mentions the sin which is unto death. We are not to pray for those who commit such a sin. This warning is not the focus of John's comments though. It is only a qualifying notation. The emphasis is upon the forgiveness for which we ought to pray regarding those who are our brothers in Christ.
We are never to pray for the salvation of the reprobate if we know that someone is in that category. To pray for the redemption of those not elected by grace eternally is to oppose the decree and wisdom of God. It would be to desire a cosmic injustice to be done. Forgiveness is never promised to those Christ did not die to redeem. [see notes in my syllabus on Objective Soteriology, lesson 3 from WCF 8, and Subjective Soteriology, lesson 2 from WCF 10.]
The practical question is not easy to answer. The only way we could know that a person was among the reprobate, that he was of the kingdom of Satan and not to be prayed for regarding salvation, is by observing the evidences cited in Scripture. We must not pray for those who openly deny the gospel, who show fruits in their lives of hatred of God, his work, and his moral law, and who make no attempt to repent. Even this knowledge is imperfect as to their actual eternal estate. One might have assigned Saul of Tarsus to this category in the time prior to his dramatic conversion to Christ. This is only an instruction about prayer, not one that gives us insight into the true election or reprobation of any individual.
Prayer is a prescribed element of worship. The nature of prayer itself makes it an act of worship. And it is clear that all types of worship should include the element of prayer. Prayer is appropriate when a person worships God privately, when families gather for meals, devotions, bedtime or throughout the day. It is also a necessary part of the corporate worship of the church. If we fail to call upon God, then we have failed to worship.
Prayer is directly mandated as a proper thing for God's people to do
1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray,
lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 pray without ceasing; (18) in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 6:18-19 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (19) and pray on my behalf ...
In that general and broad sense, many of the other elements of the worship service are prayers. We should pray as we prepare for worship. We should invoke God's special presence among his people with humble prayer. We sing prayerful songs, recite prayerful Psalms, pray thankfully as we gather God's tithes and our offerings, and as we ask for God's blessing when departing from congregational worship to resume the duties of the Sabbath day and to prepare for the work week ahead.
Prayer is shown to be a proper element of worship in the examples of Scripture. We see God honoring it in the time of the Patriarchs, in the worship form revealed by God through Moses, in the work of the Prophets of Israel, in the inspired prayers in the Psalms, in the ceremonies of dedication God commanded for the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple at Jerusalem. The example of our Lord Jesus Christ includes his prayers to the Father and his instructions in prayer to his people. The Apostles prayed as did the early church.
Acts 2:42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Discussion Questions:
1) How is prayer abused by the church in our era?
2) Are there matters that are too trivial for our prayers?
3) Who may lead in worship prayers? Is it right to include times of group
prayer in corporate worship where laypeople including women or
non-communicants verbally lead in prayer?
4) Though we are not to limit ourselves to inspired prayers, is it right to
recite them (including the Lord's Prayer of Matthew 6) in corporate
worship?
5) What are the dangers and advantages of written liturgical prayers in the
corporate worship service?
6) What should be the physical attitude of worshippers in corporate
worship when prayers are offered (sitting, kneeling, standing, etc.)?
The Reading and Preaching of God's Word
While some elements of worship are the response of the people to the revealed glories of God, the inspired word presents the revelation that produces that response. Since all we do in worship is consequential to what God has made known, his word ought to be central in biblical worship. We must hear and understand God's word before we can reasonably respond in praise and thanksgiving.
There are two ways in which the confession specifies that God's word is to be directly incorporated in our worship. It is both to be read and explained to the people.
The church of the Middle Ages had drifted into rituals which replaced the centrality of the word. Symbolically that loss was represented by a screen that was erected to separate the people from the work of the priests. It was called the rood screen. The word rood comes from the crucifix, an image of Christ being sacrificed, which was suspended on a wooden or metal screen between the chancel area where the altar was placed, and the congregation. It represented the re-sacrificing of Christ by priests as the ritual needed to intervene between the simple believers and their eternal hope. When the ritual became central, the pulpit was moved to the side of the sanctuary and the sermon was reduced to a brief homily or devotional lesson.
In the Reformation churches the rood screen was removed and the pulpit brought back to the center and made the most prominent feature of the place of worship. The sermon was expanded into an exposition of Scripture. And between the people and the minister a Bible was usually placed. It was often laid on the table which was formerly used to represent the altar where in the mass Christ was re-crucified.
The centrality of the word has always been a mark of a true church. It was central in the worship of the Tabernacle and Temple. There the inspired Psalms were used regularly in worship and the Lord's works were to be made known to all the people (1 Chronicles 16).
In the time of the kings there was the revival under Josiah when his men found the book of the law in the temple and restored it to its place as their guide in worship (2 Kings 22).
In the time of Ezra the book of the law was read to the people, once more restoring it as the guide to true worship and daily living (Neh. 8).
Jesus expound the word when he came to the Synagogue on the Sabbath in Luke 4:16-21. We are told that it was his custom to be in regular attendance at Synagogue worship. The elders invited him to participate in the ministry of the word. He had been set aside to the ministry by the baptism of John, son of the High Priest. The scroll was handed to him. Then he read and expounded on its meaning.
The Apostles repeatedly reasoned with the Jews from the Scriptures in the Synagogues as they took the gospel to the places God led them.
Maxwell comments in his book An Outline of Christian Worship
(pages 2,3):
"From the beginning the reading and exposition of the Holy Scriptures in a setting of praise and prayer has been one of the essential elements in Christian worship. This is a direct inheritance from the Jewish Synagogue"Paul made it clear that this was to be the central part of worship in the church when he wrote to Timothy,"The primary purpose of the Synagogue was to enable men to hear the Law read and expounded. The central act in its worship, therefore, was the reading of the Law, first in Hebrew, then in the common tongue accompanied by an exposition."
1 Timothy 4:13 "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching."
It is only by centering on the faithful teaching and hearing of the word of God that all the rest of our worship, and all of what we do outside of worship, can be known to honor our Lord. The word specifies the right manner and objects of prayer. It defines the right administration of the sacraments. It is the foundation of our confessions. All elements of what pleases our Heavenly Father can be known only through the revealed word.
While it is right and necessary for every individual to read and study the word of God on his own when he is able, and while it is right for heads of homes to lead their families in regular and daily study of the Scriptures, it falls upon those called of God and set aside to the ministry of the word to lead in that exercise in the public worship of the church.
The Westminster Larger Catechism, questions 158-159 summarize this
principle as follows:
Q158: By whom is the Word of God to be preached?
Answer: The Word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.
Q159: How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto?
Answer: They that are called to labor in the ministry of the Word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and salvation.
It was implicit in the command given to Israel about including the reading of God's word in worship, that those doing the reading were to be the ordained worship leaders, the priests (Deuteronomy 31:11-13). As those divinely called to be shepherds, they were responsible for the faithful instruction of the covenant people. The prophet Ezekiel delivered God's warnings of judgment to the elders of the nation. They were held to account for the ignorance and lack of a holy standard among the average citizens, the sheep (Ezekiel 34). God's calling of the ordained leaders included granting to them the authority and responsibility of declaring the word accurately and faithfully.
It was the priest Ezra, not just a skilled public reader, who delivered the word to the people after their return from captivity (Nehemiah 8).
Even the heathen nations were told by the prophets to come to Israel for instruction in the word of God. They were not simply told to seek God on their own.
As the apostles founded new synagogues of Christians they ordained elders in every city. These men were held responsible for the spiritual growth and instruction of the church. They were to teach the people, as the Apostle had, about the word of God's grace (Acts 20:32).
When Paul wrote to Timothy he made it clear where the authority and responsibility of preaching and teaching was placed. The ability to administer the word was among the special qualifications set for those who were to serve as elders in the churches. They must be "able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2). Timothy was to consider this when he trained others to enter into the ministry of the word.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
Timothy was to consider this calling as a gift from God to be managed wisely and responsibly.
1 Timothy 4:13-14 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. (14) Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.
2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
This implies a tested ability (a confirmed divine calling) for those who dare to administer the word to the people. Even elders are not always faithful and therefore must be held accountable to one another. This is one of the things about which Jesus warned the Pharisees and Saducees (ex. Mt 22:29-32).
There is a clear danger when those not properly instructed, tested and ordained are allowed to teach the people. Their accountability tends to be to the mere approbation of the hearer rather than to the God-ordained oversight of other elders. What is enjoyable and popular becomes the test of preaching rather than its adherence to the truths God has made known.
1 Timothy 1:6-7 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, (7) wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
This same responsibility goes beyond just formal preaching. It would include the reading of Scripture which is interpreted by its selection and manner of presentation. This duty is given to God's called elders (priests in the Old Testament) who alone are held accountable in Scripture for its accuracy and effective presentation.
PCA scholar Louis DeBoer (once an editor of the American
Presbyterian Press, then Facilities Engineer for a biotech facility in Rhode
Island) writes,
"Who may read the Scriptures? In our antinomian age that probably seems like a ridiculous question. What could possibly be wrong with reading the Scriptures? But that was the doctrine of Cain. He too thought what could possibly be wrong with bringing a sacrifice. That was also the doctrine of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and intruded into the priesthood. It was also part of the arrogant apostasy of later Kings of Israel and Judah such as Jereboam and Uzziah."
The authority to teach and to set men aside to proclaim the word of God is no light matter that a layperson can appropriate for himself.
Hebrews 5:4-6 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. (5) So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee"; (6) just as He says also in another passage, "Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Dr. Henry Krabbendam (a graduate of the Theologische Hoogeschool
Kampen in Holland, and ThD from Westminster Theological Seminary,
who teaches apologetics and ethics at Greenville Presbyterian Theological
Seminary as an OPC elder and who was at Covenant College for a while)
writes,
"Preaching is (1) the authoritative, purposeful and timely communication of God's truth as deposited in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; (2) based upon a thorough contextual and textual study and in the form of a carefully structured message; (3) through the personality of human instruments, commissioned by God, as a gift of Christ, anointed by the Spirit, molded by the Word and committed to prayer; (4) the gospel of and the keys to the kingdom with discriminating, applicatory and healing power with a view to regeneration, justification and sanctification; (5) through the minds, to the hearts and into the lives of any and all audiences, sinners and saints, men and women, old and young and presented in a well articulated, imaginative and persuasive fashion; and (6) all of these things in dependence upon, for the sake of and to the praise of the Triune God."
There is also a serious duty which rests upon those who listen to
the word of God as it is read and preached. The Westminster
Confession of Faith ties listening and preaching together when it says that
godly worship must include (WCF 21-5),
"The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching
and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with
understanding, faith, and reverence ..."
The Westminster Larger Catechism, questions 160 asks,
What is required of those that hear the Word preached?
Answer: It is required of those that hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine: What they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.
This means that the attender at worship must not listen casually but be diligent, expecting a blessing from God in the word as a means of grace. He must follow along attentively and strive to take in the sense of it. He must come prepared, physically rested and with Bible in hand. He must seek the meaning with prayer remembering that it is God alone who gives the understanding. As the word is proclaimed and explained it should be examined as that which authoritatively judges what is true and right in our lives.
This truth of God is to be received not just for information and not just for its emotional effect. It is to be accepted in faith, trusting it as that which must be believed, in love submitting to the mercy of God in giving it to us, in meekness humbling us all before its every challenge and command, with readiness of mind open and pliable to its teachings, and as the very word of God, not merely as the words of man.
Once delivered to us the word of God must be meditated upon, not quickly forgotten as we go our way. We must confer of it. That is we must inquire of it what it says to us. We must hide it in our hearts in order that its truths, promises and principles will be remembered. And we must bring forth fruit from that life-giving word so that our lives conform to the perfect standard of God.
The Word of God is a great blessing in our worship. By it we can know what is true about God and what He requires of us. It is a great privilege to be entrusted with the word of God's love and revelation of his covenant and character. We must be able to say with the Psalmist,
Psalm 1:2 "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night."
Psalm 119:97 "O How Love I Thy Law..."
The Singing of Psalms
The Scriptures clearly teach that song is a proper element of worship. There are several problems we must answer in obeying this mandate. We must define what a song is, and determine what boundaries are set by Scripture for its use. There are several components of song. They include the lyrics, the melody (and often harmonies), and rhythm. To use song we must also have some kind of musical arrangement determined by the way each component is employed and what vehicles will be used to supply each component.
God instituted song in worship in the time of King David The occasion of the formal institution of song in public worship was the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The account is given in 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.
The chief interest of this occasion was to correct Israel's past errors of disobedience relating to the treatment of the Ark, by bringing it back to Jerusalem in a manner prescribed by God and therefore pleasing to him. Among the things done to honor the Lord, David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites and told them to appoint from among their relatives singers and instrumentalists to raise sounds of joy to accompany the ark.
1 Chronicles 15:16 Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.
Its helpful to note that those presenting the music before the people were all of the Priestly family of Levi. They were not there to entertain the people or to heighten their sense of emotional enrichment. They were to express Israel's joy toward God in the blessing of the returned ark.
It is beyond the scope of this study to explore the details of this fascinating account. The specifics of the events, the actual lyrics used, and the instruments employed are worth the student's extended study. One must keep in mind that the accompaniment used does not relate to our modern instruments. They have to do with very ancient devices producing sounds unlike those familiar to us in either our Western or Eastern cultures.
It is also helpful to see that the Levites who lead in the music were not the only ones involved in its use. David and the people appear to have been involved in the sounds of joy presented to the Lord.
1 Chronicles 15:27-28 Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore an ephod of linen. (28) Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps and lyres.
Upon the arrival of the ark in Jerusalem, sacrifices were made, David pronounced a blessing upon the people, food was distributed, and some of the Levites were appointed to lead the people in thankful praise to God. One of the elements was the use of song.
1 Chronicles 16:5-6 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, (6) and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
The lyrics used in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 are the same as are preserved for us in the Book of Psalms, chapters 96, 105, and 106.
The use of song in worship continued as a regular practice in Israel after that occasion.
37 So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required;
The use of songs as a part of worship continued in the New Testament on special occasions where individuals responded to God's work as he revealed it to them as the program of covenantal redemption unfolded. Mary responded with the Magnificat which is recorded in Luke 1:46-55. Zechariah responded with his Benedictus in Luke 1:68-79. The Angels presented the Gloria in Excelsis in Luke 2:14 which may or may not have been a song. Simeon responded to God's revealed blessing in the Nunc Dimittis of Luke 2:29-32.
Singing continued to be a part of worship occasions. For example, our Lord and his disciples sang a song before they departed from the observance of Passover when Jesus laid the foundation for the New Testament form of that Sacrament on the night before he was crucified.
The Purpose of Songs in Worship
As with all the elements of proper worship, the object toward which it is
directed is God. His glory is the prime objective. We conclude then that
no parts of worship should be directed toward mood setting for the people,
or for enhancement of the appeal of worship to unbelievers. Those who
advertise musical performances to attract people to attend for personal
pleasure or entertainment have clearly violated a basic principle of biblical
worship.
The various themes of worship in Scripture set the boundaries limiting what all songs in worship should include. Our songs declare the nature of God, his attributes, his mercies, his judgments and his works. Songs may also express our humble thankfulness, praise and repentance.
Questions Relating to Songs in Worship
Since the musical elements of worship singing are not preserved in
Scripture, we do not have inspired examples of melody, harmony,
or rhythms. The meter of some of the Psalms show us little of how the
actual musical elements would have sounded in the Tabernacle in the time
of King David. We know that some instruments were used at that time and
that various groups of voices appear to have combined in some ways.
How these compare with the use of instruments and arrangements familiar
to us in our modern cultures remains an issue of discussion among
Reformed Bible scholars.
One of the most controversial issues has to do with the use of songs other than the inspired Psalms in worship. The resolution of this matter is far beyond the scope of this study. In 1946 and 1947, the 13th and 14th General Assemblies of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) received a report from a study committee on this subject. The majority report defended the inclusion of songs beyond only the Psalms, while a minority report (written by Dr. John Murray) defended exclusive Psalm singing. The student is directed to these reports for a general overview of this matter. These reports can be found on the internet at:
Another issue has to do with who does the singing. Few argue against the joining of the congregation in singing. The main controversy centers around the leadership of song in worship. Again, the scope of this issue is beyond what this syllabus intends to cover. We direct the student to another report of the OPC (1991) on their internet site. Its is on the related matter of leadership in the regular worship services of the church. Three differing positions are summarized:
This OPC article (unordained.html) deals with some helpful issues relating to the scope of the Regulative Principle in laying out what belongs in worship. It reminds us of the important but sometimes hard to define distinction between elements of worship and the circumstances required in their implementation. The use of songs in worship is an issue that often presses our understanding of the Scriptures in the practical application of the Regulative Principle. The following quotation from that article gives us a well deserved word of caution:
"Admittedly, a gray area emerges here; it is not always possible to distinguish cleanly between the material and formal in worship, between the elemental and the merely circumstantial. This accounts, at least in part, for the fact that issues of worship were among the most controverted at the Westminster Assembly, and that the Assembly did not undertake, as a few of its members initially desired, a thorough revision of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. They produced a directory, rather than a fixed, prescribed liturgy. In so doing, although some continued to hold that a established liturgy of prayers was permissible, even preferable, it wisely adopted a kind of middle ground between the more strictly regulated liturgical approach of earlier Reformed worship in Scotland, Geneva and elsewhere on the continent, and some Puritan Independents who were opposed even to a directory. A clear and firm commitment to the notion of the regulative principle enabled them to achieve this balance."
Due Administration and Receiving of the Sacraments
The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper will be discussed more fully in our notes on chapters 27, 28 and 29 of the Confession. The important point here is that both Sacraments are properly included in the convocational worship of the church. The Lord's Supper is in one aspect a communion of the covenant body with Christ the Bridegroom. Baptism is the placing of the covenant sign and seal of membership in the body of Christ upon the recipient. Neither retains these important representations if done outside the solemn calling together of the body of believers in the specially manifest presence of God.
The sacraments ought not to be administered in private or family worship for reasons that will be expanded upon in chapters 27 through 29. Aside from the covenant community aspect, the elders presiding as a session ought to have direct oversight of how these elements are to be administered. Also, the removal from and admission to the sacraments is clearly placed under the authority of the ordained elders in Scripture.
Other Elements of Proper Worship
The Confession adds in a general statement that other elements are also a part of properly regulated worship.
"... beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner."
Larger Catechism, question 108, adds more specificity to that list.
Answer: The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God has instituted in his Word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the Word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one's place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.
Therefore regulated worship also includes the following elements:
Religious Oaths and Vows
Oaths and vows will be covered in specific detail in chapter 22 of the
confession. For our purpose here we should understand that an oath is a
solemn promise we make to another person or group of persons which is
sealed by calling upon God as witness and submitting to his judgment if the
promises or pledge are not kept faithfully. A vow is a solemn promise
made directly to God.
When having to do with membership in or leadership of the covenant community, a solemn oath or vow is a proper element for corporate worship. These promises are in a sense worship by their very nature. They affirm and call upon God's justice, power and sovereignty as it relates to the gathered covenant body of the church.
Included in such oaths and vows would be the promises made at baptism and membership in the church. In these, faithfulness is promised to the whole of the body of Christ locally and to its officers as shepherds over their lives. The oaths and vows said in the ordination and installation of elders and deacons are properly a part of worship for this same reason.
Marriage is constituted before God in the form of a solemn oath and vow made before God and men. It creates a new structure in the covenant community as a new family is joined together. This therefore makes it also a proper element of corporate worship. Though it is commonly done on occasions other than the regular Sabbath worship, a proper marriage ceremony begins with a calling upon God and ends with a benediction. It includes prayers and the expounding of God's word done by a properly ordained minister. The modern secular and romantic notions of marriage often disconnect it from the covenant structure and therefore ignore its importance as a solemn promise before God. The elements of worship are therefore often left out of marriage ceremonies in favor of more romantic elements inserted by man. It is the conviction of this author that while other activities may be done before and after the marriage ceremony, only proper elements of Christian worship should be permitted within the time between the calling upon God and the final benediction. All elements of the marriage service itself should be approved by the minister as overseer of worship and must include the oaths made between the partners and the vows they make before God.
Confessions of Faith
The center of confession is our affirmation before the church, and in the
sight of God, of belief and submission to the nature and works of God as
revealed in his word. In Scripture there are examples of confessions. They
may be a simple affirming of basic truths such as the oneness of God
(Deuteronomy 6:4) or of the Lordship of Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:3). Or
they may be a more expanded confession as in Romans 1:3-4, 4:24-25,
8:34, 10:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Peter 3:18-22
and in other places.
Today we often use the Apostles' Creed and the Nicean Creed to publicly affirm our submission to God as revealed in Scripture. This confession of his name and nature by our lips is not limited to the convocational worship of God in the church, but ought to be continually offered as praise to God (Hebrews 13:15) in our private devotion and in our families.
The creeds accomplish much more than the affirming of our faith before God. They also instruct us with careful summaries, assembled by the councils of the elders of the ancient church and tested by scrutiny over the ages in comparison with Scripture for their faithfulness to its teachings. They clarify truths that might confuse us. They help us teach our children and new believers to remember the basic nature and work of God. And they testify publicly what God has made known to us about himself.
Solemn Fastings and Thanksgivings
In special times of blessing and need, the church has at times fasted as a
covenant body reflecting the practices of Scripture. While this is not to be
a regular and formal part of worship, there are biblical grounds that support
the use of occasional fasts and thanksgivings as called by the church and
charged upon the congregation. These should not become outward displays
of piety or regular obligations. Such abuses were rebuked by Jesus Christ
and rejected by the reformers in the light of Scriptural warnings.
Thanksgiving ought to be a part of every element of worship. As we hear God's word, pray or sing his praises, the response of the redeemed heart is gratitude for what is heard and for the grace that enables us to understand it. Special prayers and special services of thanksgiving are well attested by Scriptural example. Clearly, by its very nature, thanksgiving to God for his wonder and grace is the heart of worship itself.
The Gathering of God's Tithe and Our Offerings
There are two parts to the collections taken during the public worship of
the Church; the tithe and the offering. The tithe is a fixed ten percent of
whatever we earn. It is given thankfully as a testimony that God is the one
who enables us to labor and who causes our work to prosper. It is his
portion and is not to be withheld or redirected to other charities or
agencies than the church. To do so is to steal from God (Malachi 3:8).
The offering is our free gift of thanks to the Lord as he prospers us beyond
the meeting of our basic needs. There is no fixed percentage for the thank
offering. The amount is left to the giver. Both the tithe and the offering
are to be given to God and to his kingdom through the administration of
the church according to the principles the Scriptures command.
Contrary to the perverted ideas of our modern age, the offering is not a tip we give the pastor for a good sermon, or dues paid for membership in the church. Its not a version of fund raising or simply to meet budgetary demands and keep the lights on and air-conditioner working. Giving should be the thankful response of humble believers to the provisions of our Sovereign God and is therefore to be treated as an act of worship.
Under the Old Testament priestly system the tithes and offerings were to be brought to the priests who acted as the elders of Israel to provide for and oversee the worship, to counsel and discipline the members, and to care for the needy in the covenant community. The admonition of Malachai 3:10 to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, reminds us that the tithe is to be distributed and used under the authority of God's church, not to the individual.
In the New Testament this same principle continues with no change except that the temple services and priestly work were completed in Christ. The day of worship was set by the Apostles to the first day of the week based on the Roman calendar that was in use at the time. Therefore we see the worshippers instructed to bring God's tithes and their offerings to the Sabbath worship of the church (1 Corinthians 16:1,2 and 2 Corinthians 8-9).
For a discussion about Christian giving see the booklet The Cheerful Giver by this author.
Benedictions
The word benediction means good speaking. Its a blessing pronounced on
behalf of God upon his covenant people by duly appointed ministers. The
classic passage that summarizes this duty is found in the Aaronic Blessing
of Numbers 6:22-27.
- Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
- "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
- The LORD bless you, and keep you;
- The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
- The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'
- "So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them."
The Lord says that this is a real pronouncement given with his authority and promise. Its not just a mere ritual exercise or a wish for blessing. It is effectual because God has given it as a means by which he shall truly bless the people.
The blessing was to be given by those ordained as agents of God to shepherd his people. In the period of the patriarchs the heads of households were the authorized elders over the people. They, as mediators of God's covenant with their families, spoke words of promise to their children and their children's children. The head of the home was not just the husband, but the elder head of the entire extended family which was not broken as the children married but extended. This is illustrated in the blessing of Isaac upon Jacob and Esau in Genesis 27. The words of the family elder were seen as binding by virtue of God's authority behind them.
In the Levitical period God centered spiritual leadership over the entire family of Israel in the priests of the order of Aaron. They were commanded to pronounce the benediction upon the people of God.
In the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, he also blessed his people when leaving them as to his special presence. At his ascending into heaven he lifted his hands and blessed them as recorded in Luke 24:50-53.
In the Apostolic time, Paul, Peter and the writer of Hebrews spoke blessings from God upon their readers. Their words are often used by pastors today in benedictions. (See 2 Corinthians 13:14, Philippians 4:7, 1 Peter 5:14 and Hebrews 13:20-21.)
The teachings of the New Testament show the continuing authority of the ordained elders of the church, particularly those trained in the word as pastors, to continue to administer this blessing.
The benediction is particularly fitting as the people leave corporate sabbath worship where God's special presence is manifest. Paul Engle, in his book Discovering the Fullness of Worship defines the benediction by saying it is "a farewell blessing in which God's name is placed upon his people who leave corporate worship ..." (Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:17).
The blessing should be received by the worshippers with a full expectation of God's blessing reflective of their faith in his promise given in his word.
Westminster Confession of Faith 21:6
VI. Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshiped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by his Word or providence, calleth thereunto.
There was a time when God centralized corporate worship in certain places. But in the era that followed the finishing of the work of Christ in his atonement on the Cross, all the symbolisms of having just one place for the congregation to worship as a body of believers have been fulfilled and no longer apply. In John 4 Jesus made it clear that the time of the Temple worship was ending. God no longer required his people to worship him in the one place on earth he had designated. And certainly the invented places of men in rebellion against the Temple had never been set aside by a law of God. Instead, Christian worship is to be characterized as in spirit and in truth. (For a review of the ending of the Levitical laws regarding persons, places and seasons of worship see the Confession chapters 7 and 19.) In this period of God's redemptive history we do not need to report to any special place to pray or to engage in any of the elements of worship.
The church buildings or our era allow us to meet together on the Sabbath and at other times without the inconveniences of travel to Jerusalem, or meeting outside or in private homes as a congregation. But the essence of worship is not in the place but in the hearts of believers. Individuals and in the call of the elders to the people to assemble solemnly at special times, particularly on every Sabbath, to honor God in the ways he has prescribed.
Individuals may pray and honor the Lord in any place and families may and ought to worship in their own homes daily.
The transition to this greater liberty of worship is not a matter of selecting which parts of Scripture to which we must submit today, and to which we are no longer bound. It is the clear teaching of our Lord in his earthly ministry and the expounding of that teaching in the letters of the New Testament.
At this point the class will discuss the 4th chapter of the Gospel of John which records the lesson of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well.