“An enemy has been at work to destroy our faith in the sacredness of Christian worship.” Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, p. 496
The success of the church to which many of us have devoted our lives depends to a great extent on what happens between eleven o’clock and twelve o’clock on Sabbath mornings.
We have the day of worship; but what about the way of worship?
BASIC REASONS FOR WORSHIP
God is the Creator, and we are His creatures. This relationship was memorialized in the Sabbath, a weekly reminder of His creatorship. Thus, time is a fundamental principle of worship (a twenty-four hour period recurring every seven days).
In the Garden of Eden, worship was highly intimate between man and his Creator. After sin, the altar and the sacrifice were introduced into worship, making it more formal, and not just spontaneous. Tithing was also established.
Before Moses, worship was the response of a man to a personal encounter with God. Man worshiped, not to appease a God whom he feared but to express his gratitude and love to a God who had revealed Himself to him. Worship was very real and very personal. God came very close to man, and man’s response was worship.
The Passover came when Israel was delivered from Egypt. After the Red Sea, the people sang a song of praise to God.
Mosaic worship consisted of the Sabbath, special feast days, sacrifices, the Day of Atonement, a priesthood, and a sanctuary. Theology was revealed to include the transcendence of God, the sinfulness of man, the grace of God, the need for forgiveness, and the centrality of the sanctuary service.
“Thus in the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day the great truths relative to Christ's death and ministration, and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 358
By the time of Isaiah and the minor prophets, pride and formality gradually took the place of humility and sincerity. Worship became buried in liturgy and form as worshippers ignored their ethical responsibilities.
After the return from exile, much emphasis was placed on the law, and “Judaism” was developed (this was the legalistic religion that Christ met in His day).
Old Testament worship has given us worship literature (39 books, including the Psalms), forgiveness of sin and joy in the Lord, the prophetic emphasis on proper worship of the one true God, the worship of God without the use of idols, worship based on love rather than fear, and a revelation of God’s power, love, and purpose.
Throughout history, when men became uncertain about their theology, their worship lost its meaning. When theological truth revived, worship came alive again.
To Jesus, the Temple was the center of worship; He taught in its courts, and attended its services; He paid the Temple tax; He called it a house of prayer, and sought to cleanse it; and He said that we must worship God in spirit and in truth.
Worship must be an orderly and beautiful response of man to God’s grace with thoughtful adoration and reverence.
“Religion is not to be confined to external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship.” The Desire of Ages, p. 189
After Jesus’ ascension, the church met for prayer and supplication; had a business meeting; then the Holy Spirit was poured out; Peter’s sermon gave testimony regarding the resurrected Savior; then a mass baptism occurred; there was fellowship from house to house; praise and testimony were offered; service to others was engaged in; teaching, preaching, and healing was continual; church discipline was instituted; and the Great Commission began in earnest.
THE CHURCH MATURES
The members of the apostolic church worshiped fervently and meaningfully without the benefit of buildings, a priesthood, altars, or choirs. A memorial meal, prayer, testimony, singing, preaching, prophesying, and mutual encouragement were the ingredients of New Testament worship. The Holy Spirit was the motivating influence, and the focus was on the risen Lord.
In the early centuries of Christianity, the lessening of persecution made public worship possible. Church buildings were constructed. The church grew in numbers and wealth. Tradition and complacency entered.
The Reformers sought to restore the New Testament pattern of worship (warmth, spontaneity, spiritual freedom), and established the hymns which contained the forgotten treasures of Christian doctrine and spirituality.
In the United States, in the 1880s, evangelical revival was characterized by solemn appeals to the reason, the conscience, and the immortal hopes and fears of men, attended by the holy influences of the Spirit of God.
GENUINE WORSHIP
There were three great theological principles of Protestantism:
1) Salvation by faith alone.
2) The Bible as the rule of faith and conduct.
3) The priesthood of all believers (man may make direct, unmediated approach to God, without the intervention of a priest).
It is likely a sad truth that the majority of modern Protestant worship has devolved into nothing more than mid-century Catholic worship. Now, it may be true that some orthodox worship excels in reverence, solemnity, and liturgy, but it is likely also true that worship of that kind can come across as too rigid and cold, and leaves the congregation unaffected and unchanged.
Simply put, while all things should “be done decently and in order” (1 Cor 14:40), it’s important to realize that worship can be spontaneous, Spirit-filled, Protestant, and simple, yet still possess beauty and reverence.
The proper arrangement of the various worship elements is important, but it is even more vital that each part be performed with insight and excellence, and be carefully prepared for; in other words, form without formalism.
When we gather for corporate worship, have we considered the following simple objectives? Is our worship
1. In harmony with Biblical patterns (the early Christian church had simplicity, Spirit-filled preaching, lay participation, free prayer, and testimonies)?
2. Evangelistic (impressive, proclaiming the gospel, convicting but not offensive, welcoming to non-Adventists)?
3. Reverent (is there a sense of the presence of God)?
What are the obligations of those ministering to the congregation during worship?
1. Is there unity of thought in the order of service and the sermon topic?
2. Is the service interactive/responsive (is the congregation encouraged to actively participate)?
3. Are the announcements and ministry reports given before worship properly begins?
Also, what should be the response of the congregation during worship?
1. They should “see” God (not only in the sermon, but in the welcoming Scripture, in the opening hymn, in the offertory reading, etc.).
2. They should confess and seek God’s forgiveness (see, for example Psalm 51).
3. They should experience the grace of God (and be presented perfect in Christ Jesus)
4. They should commit themselves afresh to God (through rededication, visible Christian growth, and departing God’s presence with renewed zeal to serve Him).
Here might be a good point to briefly discuss the always-challenging topic of music. Music, by itself, is not worship; it is one of many elements of worship. Its main function is to produce the moods and stimulate the emotions conducive to the spirit of worship. Music is a ministry, not a performance. It should be meaningful, instructive, “singable,” and theologically sound.
(For a sobering but encouraging discourse on the expectations and possibilities contained within the worship of God, consider the chapter entitled, “Behavior in the House of God,” in Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, pp. 491-500.)
THE PROBLEM OF PRAYER
This may be an inconvenient truth, but most people do not listen during prayer. Don’t believe me? Ask a church member you trust.
We do not need more prayers. We need better prayers. While the sermon seeks to become the voice of God speaking to the people, public prayer can and should become the voice of the people as they speak to God.
Here are the three main types of prayer usually found in the average Christian worship service:
A. The invocation – This is the time to invoke God’s presence and blessing upon the congregation.
B. The pastoral prayer – Here the minister or elder, united with the congregation, becomes its voice and offers its prayers and gratitude to God for the blessings of life and His grace poured out on the church. This prayer should include adoration, confession, thanksgiving, petition, intercession, dedication.
C. The benediction – This concluding prayer should recap the main theme and points of the sermon, and send the congregation out inspired and energized as faithful witnesses to fulfill the Great Commission.
What are the desirable qualities of public prayer?
1. The language of prayer should be reverent in addressing God.
2. Use your voice to the fullest advantage (this is the only point of contact that you have with the congregation when all eyes are closed)
3. Speak with fervor, and use a proper, weighty tone on behalf of the corporate body
4. Public prayer should be of a reasonable length
5. There should be freshness in thought and language
6. Public prayer should flow with logic and progression
7. Dedication of life should be the goal
What are some common pitfalls to prayer?
1. Lack of preparation
2. Excessive length
3. Poor delivery or grating tone
4. Vain and monotonous reference to the Deity
5. Same old expression repeated week after week
6. Praying publicly about private things
7. A lack of expectancy in the answer to prayer
“The prayers offered in public should be short and to the point. God does not require us to make the season of worship tedious by lengthy petitions.” Evangelism, p. 146
THE PRIVILEGE OF PREACHING
The sermon is not something apart from the preceding worship activities, nor are these worship activities merely preparatory to the sermon. We need the balance of an inclusive worship service, where all the various elements are in place, but where the proclaiming of the Word is central.
Preaching is worshipful when it presents to the congregation the will of God, the claims of Christ, the meaning of life, the challenge to life fulfilment, the joy of obedience, and the beauty of holiness. The preacher is to be a participant with the congregation in the worship of God. His words should interpret and illuminate the Word of God, and instruct the congregation.
Worshipful preaching stimulates and challenges all the higher qualities of the soul. This kind of preaching is aware of the presence of God, and it avoids that which is trifling and inappropriate.
As a rule of thumb, experienced pastors agree that it takes about one hour of study and preparation for every minute of preaching (i.e., a 30-minute sermon requires 30 hours of preparation). Are our speakers (pastors, elders, lay people) doing their best in the pulpit? None should be content to be mediocre preachers.
Preaching should be relevant to the needs of the congregation (don’t answer questions that people are not asking). And, obviously, Jesus should be at the center of every sermon.
IN CONCLUSION
Perhaps the time has come for us to assess, individually and collectively, where we stand in relation to the worship of God. How would you answer the following questions about the services at your church?
Are unbelievers confronted with Christ and His claims so persuasively that they accept Him as Savior and Lord?
Are lives so remade that they withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil?
Are families so bound together that they resist the forces of destruction?
Are young people sent out into the world with strength of character to make their lives count for Christ?
Are men and women dismissed from the worship services having put on the whole armor of God that they may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand?
In short, are we in “the way of worship”? or, are we “in the way” of worship?
“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Rev 14:7
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Richard Cecere and his lovely wife, Leslie, volunteer at Uchee Pines Institute in Seale, Alabama. He is an elder of the Phenix City SDA Church, and enjoys reading, teaching, and being married, not necessarily in that order.