246 Sermon Illustrations on Worship

My Source:

THE GOSPEL REMINDER, 6/20/99

Bay Arkansas

Author: Marvin Rickett

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IS EVERYTHING WE DO IN LIFE WORSHIP?

by Marvin Rickett

Some brethren are teaching that everything the Christian does in life is

worship to God: doing his chores, working at the office, washing dishes,

changing the baby's diaper, mowing the yard, etc. It is a wresting of

Scripture and a twisting of the definition to assert that everything one

does in life is worship.

(1) Worship is a conscious effort to direct

one's praise and adoration to God. This

is not accomplished unconsciously.

Worship is intentional, not incidental. It

is deliberate, not accidental.

(2) Worship is an intelligent activity. One

worships when his mind says he is

worshiping. It comes from the heart. To

be acceptable to God, it must come from

a heart that is being guided by the Lord's

instructions.

(3) Worship is focused on God. The mind

and heart is concentrating on God. With

many activities we do daily, we do not

concentrate on God. We are rather

concentrating on the task at hand.

Worshiping does not allow the distraction

which comes from simultaneously doing

other things.

(4) Worship is entered into and it is exited out

of. Abraham proposed to his servant that

he and the lad would go yonder and

worship (Genesis 22:5). The Ethiopian eunuch

had gone to Jerusalem to worship (Acts

8:27).

It degrades the high esteem due worship to equate it with common, everyday

human chores. Worship is much more solemn and impressive than mere daily

activities. Truly, everything the faithful Christian does in life is

service (Romans 12:1), but it is not worship.

My Source:

North Marshall Messenger

Volume 4, #42, August 15, 1999

Author: David Lemmons

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The Wonder REMAINS

by David Lemmons

In a book entitled, IN SEARCH OF WONDER, A CALL TO WORSHIP RENEWAL, edited by Lynn Anderson and published by Howard Publishing Company in 1995, there is a chapter written by Rubel Shelly. Brother Shelly's chapter has a long and very revealing title, "Where Has All the Wonder Gone? A Responsible Challenge To Our Traditions." According to Ron Harper, who reviewed the book in the 1997 Freed-Hardeman Lectures, the major concern of this chapter is contemporary worship.

Of course the title under which brother Shelly writes speaks volumes about his own idea and evaluation of worship in churches of Christ. He is convinced, and is desperately waging war against the Lord's church to try to convince as many others as he can, that our worship is LACKING. I would like to express an opposing view under the heading, "The Wonder REMAINS."

As he calls for contemporary worship, Shelly is in favor of the use of drama. As an example of it consider the account of a communion service at Woodmont Hills. Worshippers closed their eyes as twenty people acted out the sounds of the crucifixion. Sounds heard at Woodmont Hills' communion service included: people screaming out CRUCIFY HIM; the sounds of the lash on His back; nails being driven through His flesh.

I have always preached about the beauty and simplicity of the memorial which Jesus left for us to observe each Lord's day. Have we some defect of mind in the 20th century that we must have dramatic assistance to accomplish that for which Jesus gave us a reminder? Does anyone doubt that drama existed and was important in the culture of the first century? Why do we not read of any such communion service as was held at Woodmont Hills in the New Testament?

Of course, the implication that is inescapable for those who participate in a service similar to that at Woodmont Hills, is that the pattern given in the New Testament is not sufficient for our modern time. We must ADD drama to make our worship full of wonder. I totally reject the heretical idea that the Lord's Supper needs to be propped up with man's drama!!!

How often have we pointed out that religious people in general fail to respect the authority of Christ? Where is the respect for Christ's authority demonstrated in the cry for the addition of drama to worship? It is a most unfortunate circumstance that even among churches of Christ there is this same lack of respect for the teaching of Colossians 3:17.

In view of what my Lord has endured for me, I surely believe that I have enough power of concentration to go back to that scene at Golgotha minus the aids of the sounds made by twenty actors! To defend such foolishness on the basis of bringing back the wonder of worship is the silliest sort of silliness.

Where is the authority of Christ for the use of drama groups in our worship to God? It is a fact indisputable that the world loves entertainment and that crowds of people can be drawn by it. However, do we disregard the will of the Lord just to draw a crowd? Surely we can remember the statement of our Lord regarding which way the crowd is headed

--Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide

[is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth

to destruction, and many there be which go in

thereat: 14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow

[is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there

be that find it.

Why then should it appeal to us in any way whatsoever to have unauthorized drama in worship? What difference ought it to make to us that a crowd can be drawn by drama?

Oh, but there is the argument (?) that people can be reached by drama in ways that traditional teaching methods sometimes fail to do. Perhaps this is true--however I am not convinced. I do know this--PREACHING WAS A PART OF FIRST CENTURY WORSHIP (Acts 20:7; 2 Timothy 4:1-5). This is the God-approved method of dispensing His truth. Where is His stamp of approval for using actors to do so? Please consider these words from Dave Miller in Piloting the Strait…

The Bible everywhere represents God communicating

His word through preachers--not actors. God wants

His word presented very simply through oral

proclamation without the distractions and inventions of

man (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Those pushing for drama in the

worship are essentially declaring to God that His way

of communicating His will is inadequate, defective, and

culturally obsolete. The ultimate effect of this alteration

will be a devaluing of preaching.

Certainly, as a preacher, you might expect me to value preaching, but any faithful Christian ought also so to value God's chosen means of communicating His will.

I am truly saddened that attacks have been made on God's plan for worship. Brethren, let's get away from the concept that those who sit in the pew are the AUDIENCE for worship. It is only God who is The Audience for our worship. He has told us in His word that which He desires us to do.

May I make a suggestion for study for any who have a problem seeing the WONDER of worship as God ordained it--STUDY MORE ABOUT THE GOD WHO IS THE AUDIENCE FOR OUR WORSHIP. How can we know what God has revealed about Himself in His written word, the Bible, and fail to be awe-struck with tremendous wonder that He should seek us to worship Him (John 4:23-24).

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DRL NOTE: If any of you have articles about the use of drama groups, I'd be interested to receive them. Please send to: dlemmons@hcis.net I am convinced that the use of drama groups will be spreading in a big way. We all need to speak out against it when it comes into our area. It has visited our peaceful community of Marshall County and I, for one, will be speaking out against it!

My Source:

GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS

Volume 4, August 6, 1998

Author: Lester Kamp

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CHILDREN IN WORSHIP

by Lester Kamp

One of our main goals in life is to help our children and other young people to become Christians who are faithful to God's Word and active in His kingdom, the church. We want to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). We want them to know the joy of knowing, serving, and worshipping the Lord. Our children should be taught why we worship, how we worship, and how to make our worship most effective. Parents, grandparents, and friends will be the most important influences on our young people in their worship. Here are a few ideas that will help us train our children to be good worshippers.

ONE-----SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

Children need to see your worship and the joy it brings to your life. You need to come to the worship assemblies regularly with an attitude of joy and anticipation--not with a sense of drudgery or obligation. You need to sing, bow in prayer, listen intently to the sermon, give joyfully, and partake of the Lord's Supper meditatively. Children will follow your example, so set the right kind.

TWO-----PREPARE THE CHILD

Before Sunday, talk to your child about how to act in the assembly. Tell the child why we pray, sing, give, partake of the Lord's Supper weekly, and listen to a sermon. As you would in preparing him for school, make sure the child gets enough rest the night before to be awake and alert Sunday.

THREE-----INVOLVE THE CHILD

When singing, help him locate the page of the song. With your finger on his book, point to the words as we sing. Encourage your child to sing even though he may not always sing the right words. When the sermon is delivered, help the child locate the Scriptures cited and/or encourage him to write them down. This impresses upon the child the importance of paying attention. It also stresses that worship is active and not passive.

FOUR-----AVOID DISTURBANCES

Make sure that your child has gone to the restroom and for a drink of water before the worship service begins. Traffic in and out of the auditorium during worship is both unnecessary (with but a few exceptions) and disruptive to the worship of many.

FIVE-----SIT UP TOWARD THE FRONT

Don't follow the natural tendency to sit in the back so that the child does not disturb others. Think positively. Sit close to the front so that your child can see and hear what is happening. You'll be amazed at how much better he will behave when you sit toward the front, and how much more meaningful worship will be to you, too.

SIX-----FOLLOW THROUGH

Reinforce your child's learning by discussing various aspects of the worship period afterwards.

SEVEN-----BE PATIENT

Children will not act like adults, but with patience and love, they can be taught to love God and worship Him from the heart.

This process will take time, but it will be time well spent. The time to begin is now, regardless of how young your child is.

<> My Source: THE REMINDER, May 14, 2000

<> Union Grove church of Christ

<> Author: Roger Campbell

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SHALL WE CHANGE OUR WORSHIP?

by Roger D. Campbell

Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23,John 4:24). God wants us to be "true worshippers." True worshippers are those that worship the Lord God "in spirit and in truth."

Today in the church we often hear the cry for change. One area that is often targeted for change is the church's worship. Some have openly charged that the worship of many congregations is dry, boring, lifeless, and traditional. The claim is that our worship is in need of a major overhaul if we want to avoid losing our members, or if we want to attract any new people.

The word "change" is a neutral word. Change might be bad, or it might be good, depending on the situation. Webster's Dictionary defines "change" as "to become or make different; to alter."

Is it scriptural for the church to make any changes in its worship services? That depends on the type of changes one has in mind. Some changes might be acceptable under the right circumstances. If the present worship in which a congregation engages is already in harmony with the Scriptures, then any acceptable changes to such worship would all involve matters of judgment, wisdom, or expediency. Consider a few examples of this kind of change:

1) Changing the times of services on the first day

of the week - We are commanded to refrain from

forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,

so out of necessity there must be assemblies

(Hebrews 10:25). The first century church assembled

on the first day of the week in order to worship

(Acts 20:7). Since the specific time of day for the

church's Lord's day assembly is not designated in the

New Testament, then the leaders of a local church have

the right to choose which time(s) of assembly is in the

best interest of that particular congregation. Thus, it

would be acceptable for the same leaders to make a

decision to change the times of the church's Sunday

services. We would add that in this matter

elders/brothers ought to be cautious in making such a

change and be certain that their desire to change the

service times comes from a proper motive.

2) Changing the order - Because the New Testament does

not specify the order in which we are to engage in the

five different acts of worship (praying, Lord's supper,

singing, giving, preaching), it would be acceptable to

change the order of these, and no harm would be done.

Changing the order of such Scriptural acts would not

cause them to cease being "in spirit and in truth."

3) Changing the length of services - Nothing is said in the

New Testament about how long worship services are to

last. Therefore, if the elders/brothers of a local church

decided to change the duration of services from what it

was in the past, this in and of itself would not do anything

to prevent the church from worshipping in spirit and in

truth. We would again add that behind such changes

there needs to be a pure and proper motive.

4) Changing the place of assembly - The church must

assemble (Hebrews 10:25). Just where it is to do this is

nowhere specified in the Bible. In view of this each

congregation is at liberty to choose what location is

most expedient for its assemblies. This might change

from time to time, and such change would in no way

hinder the church from worshipping scripturally.

Having pointed out that there are some areas pertaining to worship in which changes are acceptable, we want to emphasize that this does not mean that every form of change related to the church's worship is pleasing to God. Let's now turn our attention to some cases in which we have no authority to change the worship of the church.

1) The purpose of the worship assembly - The purpose

of our gathering to worship is to pay homage to God,

to give Him honor, praise and glory. Our attention

during our worship is to be on the Lord and His

word. Worship is not to be entertainment or a show

that is "put on" in order to please men. Thus, hand

clapping in worship is totally out of place. It is wrong

because we come together to worship Jehovah, not

applaud any actions that men might take or words they

might speak. If clapping is right for that which we

approve, why not boo when we don't like something

(or whistle instead of booing, as is done in Europe)?

Secondly, hand clapping in worship is not acceptable

because it is not authorized in the New Testament.

Brethren, it is a sad day for God's people when we

stoop so low as to try and drag the pep rally and "show

time" atmosphere into our worship assemblies.

2) The time to partake of the Lord's Supper - Jesus

commanded His followers to break bread (1 Corinthians

11:24-26). Acts 20:7 shows us when this is to be done -

on "the first day of the week." There is no authority in the

New Testament for the church to have communion on any

other day of the week. To partake of it on a different day

is to act without divine authority, and thus wrong (2 John 1:9;

Colossians 3:17).

3) The sex of the preacher in a mixed assembly - God does

not permit women "to teach, nor to usurp authority over

the man, but to be in silence" (1 Timothy 2:12). Thus,

only brothers in Christ are permitted to preach in a gathering

when both men and women are present. True, in the

denominational world women often preach when men are

present, but such is a clear violation of the Bible's teaching.

It is wrong, and those in the church who are wanting to ape

the actions of the denominations are just as wrong! Those

who desire to change the worship of the church and make

it more appealing to the world by putting in women preachers

are going against the will of God and leading the church into

apostasy.

4) The sex of those who lead prayers (or lead in worship) -

Again, many are crying for the church to "get with it"

or "wake up" and begin using women in leadership roles

in the worship. Friends, God has spoken on this matter,

and His word says that men (males) are to serve in

leadership roles in the worship of the church, not sisters

in Christ (1 Timothy 2:8). We do not apologize for this,

because it is God's decision! Any changes being made

that put women into the role of leaders during public,

mixed assemblies are without Bible authority.

5) The type of music that we are to offer to God - God has

charged His children to praise Him with psalms, hymns

and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).

The use of mechanical instruments of music in worship

to God is completely without New Testament authority,

and thus is prohibited. So, any cry to bring the instruments

into the worship of the church or at least do away with

("change," "tone down") our opposition to their usage is

simply not in harmony with the Bible. We must not buckle

in to those who want to "have it their way" in the church's

worship.

Still, the thought prevails in the minds of some that somehow the church must "spice up" its worship. Why? Because our worship is just "too dry and boring." Such an idea is extremely offensive to those who still want to "hold fast the form of sound words" given in the New Testament (2 Timothy 1:13).

What is it that is so boring and dry about worshipping God according to His word? Could it be the Lord's Supper? Is it boring and dull to eat unleavened bread and drink the fruit of the vine, allowing our minds to go back to Calvary and the blood that Jesus poured out for our salvation (Ephesians 1:7)? We think not. Remember, God is the One that planned this memorial for our benefit!

Maybe the fault lies with praying to God. Is it really that dry and boring to pour out our hearts to God with supplication and thanksgiving so that the peace of God will keep our hearts (Philippians 4:6,Philippians 4:7)? Not for the spiritually minded!

Maybe the culprit is our spiritual songs. "Is any merry, let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). When we joyfully sing about the death of Jesus, the love of God, the need to work for the Lord, the day of judgment and scores of other Bible themes, is this really boredom gone to seed? Such songs of praise are far from being boring to those who sing from the heart in order to praise their God. So if we are going to stand up and cry for change in our worship, then surely it won't be a cry for getting away from scriptural songs that stir our souls.

Could it be that boring and dry factor #1 is the preaching and study of God's word? My friends, the word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), it lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23,1 Peter 1:25). If we are bored by its message, then we kindly suggest that what needs a serious overhaul is not the worship of the church, but the heart within us!

Oh yes, in many cases we probably ought to sing with more enthusiasm. We ought to greet one another and our guests with more enthusiasm. We can probably find room for improvement in the way that we as individuals approach our prayers, the Supper, and hearing the Bible preached. For sure, we must worship God from the heart.

But making personal improvements such as these does not mean that we need to bring changes into our worship that are without biblical authority. Brethren, let's stick with the Book and keep on worshipping God His way!

“There are two tragedies in life,” noted Oscar Wilde. “One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it.” INDEED. We get what we want, and we are left longing for more, for it never seems to satisfy, does it?

What is it we want? TRANSCENDENCE. As mere humans, we long to connect to something beyond ourselves, or escape our boredom and pain. And in this search, the metaphor of the market often serves as the exclusive image for guiding our thinking. “All paths to transcendence are equally valuable,” we are told, and so any one will do, as long as it works for you and doesn't do harm to others. One path may lead one to God; another, to whatever provides escape and meaning.

Religious experience, then, is understood by many as a means of self-fulfillment — what the individual gets out of it — not whether there is “another” who is “outer” and “other” than ourselves. In this way, religion is domesticated, trivialized, and simply co-opted for personal and private use. It is what sociologist Os Guinness describes as a faith that is “privately engaging but socially irrelevant.”

Yet there is One who stands outside and above, proclaiming “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). His voice disturbs us because He does not speak the language of the market, nor for that matter, of this world. Rather, He calls us to lay everything at His feet and to worship Him — and to worship Him because He is who He is, HOLY OTHER. This is the God we see in the Scriptures, and it is the Christ we encounter in the Gospels.

In fact, God reveals himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM,” and Jesus reiterates this phrase seven times in the Gospel of John. “I am the bread of life,” he declares in John 6, and in John 8, “I am the light of the world.” At the end of Jesus' sermon in John 8, we read, “'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'” Then John comments, “At this, they picked up stones to stone him” (John 8:58-59). Why did the people want to stone him? Because Jesus declared that he is not only the fulfillment of all our hungers, but even more, he is the fulfillment of all THAT IS. He is the Eternal One, Truth Incarnate.

Theologian David Wells comments:

Christ is not an agitator. He offers no new, intense

experiences. He does not sell anything. He IS, and that is all

— like a flower on the restaurant table in the midst of the smoke

and the talk. This is not what everybody else is promising

today. In the advertisements... in the new spiritual movements

the message is clear — we have exactly what you have been looking

for! Here is the answer to all your questions! [...] This

simplification turns everyone into nothing more than a shallow

consumer. Christ is not for consumption but for worship.(1)

O, that may we lay everything at his feet and worship Him who is Holy Other.

________

1. David Wells, TURNING TO GOD: BIBLICAL CONVERSION IN THE MODERN WORLD (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989), 128.

Danielle DuRant is research assistant at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

________

Copyright © 2006 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #25416]

1. We will glorify the King of kings,

we will glorify the Lamb;

We will glorify the Lord of lords,

who is the great "I AM"

2. Lord Jehovah reigns in majesty,

we will bow before His throne;

We will worship Him in righteousness,

we will worship Him alone.

3. He is the Lord of heaven, Lord of earth,

He is the Lord of all who live;

He is Lord above the universe,

all praise to Him we give.

4. Hallelujah to the King of kings,

Hallelujah to the Lamb;

Hallelujah to the Lord of lords,

who is the great "I AM"

*

Lord, You are more precious than silver,

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing I desire compares with You.

*

Exalted!

You will ever be exalted!

You are worthy of honour and praise!

Adore You!

I will ever stand before You

to worship and praise You

all my days!

*

1. Worthy, You are worthy,

King of kings, Lord of lords,

You are worthy.

Worthy, You are worthy,

King of kings, Lord of lords,

I worship You.

2. Holy, You are holy,

King of kings, Lord of lords,

You are holy.

Holy, You are holy,

King of kings, Lord of lords,

I worship You.

3. Jesus, You are Jesus,

King of kings, Lord of lords,

You are Jesus.

Jesus, You are Jesus,

King of kings, Lord of lords,

I worship You.

*

1. We have come into His house

and gathered in His name to worship Him.

We have come into His house

and gathered in His name to worship Him.

We have come into His house

and gathered in His name

to worship Christ the Lord.

Worship Him, Jesus Christ the Lord.

2. Let's forget about ourselves

and magnify the Lord, and praise His name.

Let's forget about ourselves

and magnify the Lord, and praise His name.

Let's forget about ourselves

and magnify the Lord,

and praise His holy name.

Worship Him, Jesus Christ the Lord.

3. Let us lift up our voices

and praise His holy name, He's coming soon.

Let us lift up our voices

and praise His holy name, He's coming soon.

Let us lift up our voices

and praise His holy name,

and worship Christ the Lord.

Worship Him, Jesus Christ the Lord.

*

O Lord our Lord,

how majestic is Your name

in all the earth.

O Lord our Lord,

how majestic is Your name

in all the earth.

O Lord, we praise Your name.

O Lord, we magnify Your name,

Prince of Peace,

Mighty God,

O Lord God Almighty!

1. I was made to praise You,

I was made to glorify Your name

in ev'ry circumstance,

to find a chance to thank You

I was made to love You,

I was made to worship at Your feet

and to obey You, Lord,

I was made for You.

2. I will always praise You,

I will always glorify Your name

in ev'ry circumstance,

I'll find a chance to thank You

I will always love You,

I will always worship at Your feet

and I'll obey You, Lord,

I was made for You.

*

I just came to praise the Lord,

I just came to praise the Lord;

I just came to praise His holy name,

I just came to praise the Lord.

I just came to thank the Lord,

I just came to thank the Lord;

I just came to praise His holy name,

I just came to thank the Lord.

I just came to love the Lord,

I just came to love the Lord;

I just came to praise His holy name,

I just came to love the Lord.

*

1. All creatures of our God and King,

Lift up your voice and with us sing,

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Thou silver moon with softer gleam:

Chorus

O praise Him, O praise Him!

Alleluia, Alleluia! Alleluia!

2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,

Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,

O praise Him! Alleluia!

Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,

Ye lights of evening, find a voice

3. Thou flowing water, pure and clear,

Make music for thy Lord to hear

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou fire so masterful and bright,

That givest men both warmth and light,

4. And all ye men of tender heart,

Forgiving others, take your part,

O sing ye! Alleluia!

Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,

Praise God and on Him cast your care:

5. Let all things their Creator bless,

And worship Him in humbleness,

O praise Him! Alleluia!

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,

And praise the Spirit, Three in One:

[Tune “Lasst uns Erfreuen”]

*

1. Come, Christians, join to sing — Alleluia! Amen!

Loud praise to Christ our King — Alleluia! Amen!

Let all, with heart and voice, Before His throne rejoice;

Praise is His gracious choice; Alleluia! Amen!

2. Come, lift your hearts on high — Alleluia! Amen!

Let praises fill the sky — Alleluia! Amen!

He is our guide and friend, To us He'll condescend;

His love shall never end; Alleluia! Amen!

3. Praise yet our Christ again — Alleluia! Amen!

Life shall not end the strain — Alleluia! Amen!

On heaven's blissful shore His goodness we'll adore,

Singing forevermore, "Alleluia! Amen!"

[Tune “Madrid”]

*

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive:

Power and riches and wisdom and strength,

Honour and glory and blessing!

Worthy is the Lamb,

Worthy is the Lamb,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,

Worthy is the Lamb!

*

1. All praise to Him who reigns above

In majesty supreme,

Who gave Himself for man to die,

That He might man redeem!

Chorus

Blessed be the name, blessed be the name,

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name, blessed be the name,

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

2. His name above all names shall stand,

Exalted more and more,

At God the Father's own right hand,

Where angel hosts adore.

3. Redeemer, Saviour, Friend of man

Once ruined by the fall,

God's love devised salvation's plan,

And Christ has died for all.

4. His name shall be the Counsellor,

The mighty Prince of Peace,

Of all earth's kingdoms Conqueror,

Whose reign shall never cease.

*

Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart

and give Him praise,

and give Him praise.

Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart,

your voices raise,

your voices raise.

Give glory and honour and power unto Him,

Jesus, the name above all names.

*

Houses of worship all over the country are going high-tech in a variety of ways, from digital sound systems to PowerPoint sermon outlines to multiple remote cameras that send out live webcasts, The New York Times reported in its Circuits section May 16, 2002.

"Churches, just like everybody else, are looking at the power of their communications," Randal Lemke, executive director of an audiovisual industry group based in Fairfax, Virginia, told The Times. "They've got young people coming up who are very visual. They're trying to use the same technology that people are using in businesses and in entertainment."

The newspaper highlighted the Rock, an interdenominational Christian church in Roseville, California, that has used technology to make the sermons a dialogue instead of a monologue. The 330-seat sanctuary installed a big-screen television and integrated keypads built into seat armrests. The buttons on the keypads allow the congregation to answer multiple-choice questions asked by the pastor during the service.

According to The Times, the answers, which often respond to issues such as emotional abuse or spending habits, are quickly compiled into percentages. The pastor then directs his sermon according to the responses in order to best address the congregation's concerns.

The technological advances prove to be appealing to all age groups, The Times noted.

"Generally, with high-tech kind of stuff, I tend to think of young people as being the most impacted," Rusty Taylor, the business administrator at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, told The Times. "But quite frankly, what I'm finding is that it's the older people who really enjoy it because it magnifies the words for them and gives them close-up pictures or gives them a good seat no matter where they sit."

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His name is Wonderful,

His name is Wonderful,

His name is Wonderful,

Jesus my Lord;

He is the mighty King,

Master of ev’rything,

His name is Wonderful,

Jesus my Lord.

He’s the great Shepherd,

The Rock of all ages,

Almighty God is He;

Bow down before Him,

Love and adore Him,

His name is Wonderful,

Jesus my Lord.

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Velryba vydává jeden z nejneobyèejnìjších zvukù, které v pøírodì mùžeme slyšet. Její zpìc je kombinací vysokých a nízkých tónù, jekehosi sténání nebo povzdechù. Ti, kdo se zabývají studiem velryb se shodují na tom, že píssnì tìchto tonù jsou velmi pozoruhodné, nebo této obbøi morských hlubin své melodie neustále mìní. Pøidávají nové èásti a staré pøedstávají zpívat, takže po urèitì dobì jssou jich písnìzbrusu nové.

V tomto smyslu máme být my køesané skladateli nových písní chvaly a radosti k našemu Pánu. Podle toho, jak Pána poznáváme, zakoušíme v životì Jeho milost a moc; podle toho, jak On k nám stále hloubejí a novì promlouvá mùžeme pøídávat dalších do naších písní chvály a radosti.

A potom mùžeeme øíct s žalmistou: A do úst mi vložil novvou píseò, chvalozpìv našemu Bohu.

Not For Entertainment

Read: Psalm 95:1-7

Oh come, let us worship and bow down. --Psalm 95:6

Some people think that going to a church service is not much different than going to a music concert. There are similarities: We travel to get there, we assemble with people of a common interest, our attention is focused on the front, and the ceiling is high.

There are many differences, though. You don't have to purchase a ticket to get into church. No popcorn is allowed. But most significantly, the purpose of church is not for entertainment.

That's where a lot of believers have the wrong idea. They think the people on the platform are putting on church for their sakes--to excite, enthrall, and entertain them.

Wrong. All wrong. The focus of the church is to be on God. We are there to worship Him.

John Phelan Jr. wrote in The Covenant Companion: "Worship is not meant to please me, to make me feel good, to meet my criteria, my standards, my tastes. Worship is for God! I am not to be the center of worship. God is to be at the center."

In our Bible reading for today, Psalm 95, we are urged to come joyfully, thankfully, and reverently before the Lord. "Oh come, let us worship" (v.6). --DCE

THINKING IT OVER:

What is my motivation for going to church?

What can I do to prepare my heart for worship?

How could I better focus my thoughts on the Lord?

True worship gives God center stage.

John Wesley’s directions for singing:

I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.

II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.

III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

IV. Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that you heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

From John Wesley’s Select Hymns, 1761

Music used in corporate church worship should not seek to amuse, entertain or manipulate congregations; rather, every text and tune should be carefully and thoughtfully informed by Scripture, music professor Ken Puls said during the 2001 Southern Baptist Founders Conference, July 17-20 at Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky.

Music often competes with preaching and teaching for supremacy in the contemporary church, when it should serve as an underpinning for the proclamation of God’s Word, said Puls, who teaches church music and classical guitar at Dallas Baptist University and also serves as music director at Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas.

“I know of no other ministry in the church that has so great a potential to help or to hinder the pastoral ministry of teaching and preaching in the church than music,” Puls noted.

“The music in your church has the potential to become an obstacle to worship [by] amusing, distracting, entertaining the people and, as a result, minimizing and trivializing the preaching of the Word of God, or worse, contradicting the pastor who is trying to be faithful in preaching the Word to the congregation.”

Scripture is clearly foundational for the presence of music in a worship service, Puls said. Songs and spiritual songs are particularly found in Psalms and should inform the words sung in worship, he said.

Puls himself has written several hymns and contributed to the compilation of the Founders hymnal “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs,” published by Founders Press and used in the annual conference sponsored by Founders Ministries, an organization rooted in the historic teachings known as the doctrines of grace, or Calvinism, embraced by numerous early Baptists.

Puls listed various roles which Scripture assigns to music: praise of God, giving thanks to God, prayer, proclaiming the truth of God’s Word, exhortation, confessing one’s faith and enriching worship with beauty.

A hymn’s text should be of primary importance, Puls said, because it voices the content of the believer’s worship. Therefore, the words must be faithful both in context and theological truth drawn from Scripture, he said.

“The text conveys and sets forth truth as we sing the words of Scripture, as we teach and admonish one another through music with the truths of Scripture,” he said.

Much of today’s praise and worship seeks to minimize theology and doctrinal content while maximizing feelings and subjective experience, Puls observed. Some of the newer music should be used but he cautioned worship leaders to ensure that all worship songs are filled with doctrinal truth.

“If you are in a situation and you are only trying to do that [reform worship] with praise choruses and short little songs, you’re going to have a very difficult time doing it,” Puls said. “We need church music that has substance to it, that keeps us focused on the truth of God’s Word.”

Texts and tunes should not be framed according pragmatic, man-centered, feel- good methods because God’s Word sets guidelines for worship in John 4:23, Col. 3:16 and Eph. 5:18-21 in which the apostle Paul places worship under the authority of Scripture.

“The passages in Colossians and Ephesians must be considered together,” Puls said. “In worshiping in spirit and in truth, truth is inseparably tied to the work of God’s Spirit.

“It is the Spirit who indwells us, who illuminates our hearts and our minds that we might grasp and understand and respond to the truth of God and his Word. What we sing before God matters.”

Puls urged music leaders to ask questions of the text regarding quality, purpose and message, examining it carefully to see that the words of Christ are dwelling richly in them.

The tune of music, often dismissed as a matter of personal taste, is another critical consideration in singing God-centered worship songs, Puls said. The issue runs much deeper than mere taste, he said.

There are certain styles of music that are always inappropriate for worship, he said. Heavy metal rock is one example, Puls said, of music that is beyond the bounds of worship because its discordant and violent style fails to promote the dignity, reverence and seriousness that should accompany worship.

“I find the disregard for music disturbing,” Puls said, “because music is wed so closely to desires and emotions. Not all music or musical styles are appropriate for worship. There are musical gestures, inflections and movements that will always be out of place in worship. Not all music is suitable for every context.

“Music provides an accompaniment for almost every activity in human life, each requiring a certain style and a character of song. Music does not have to be sanctified and used in public corporate worship in order to make it legitimate or within God’s pleasure or God’s will,” Puls continued.

“There is music that God gives us to accompany a great many activities that we partake of in Christian liberty outside the context of worship. When we understand the regulative principle of Christian worship, that not everything that God has given us liberty to do are we to do in corporate worship, it shouldn’t surprise us that not all music will be adequate or suitable to accompany those activities that God calls us to when we gather together in corporate worship.”

With the music beneath the words a subject of much conjecture and debate in the contemporary church, Puls said it is vital to give it painstaking consideration for three reasons: The tune is the incarnation of the text; it helps worshipers to interpret the text, providing an emotional context; and perhaps of prime importance, it identifies the text.

Different styles of music lead to different interpretations of the words being sung. Puls used an example of an actor on stage in an opera performance. The actor could be extolling the virtues of another character in song with a serious, sincere tone of music underlying it, thus showing the sincerity of his adulation.

However, if the music were whimsical and circus-like, yet accompanied the same words, the audience would interpret the singer’s tone as mocking and sarcastic instead of truly complimentary.

In much the same way, the tone of the tune beneath church music sends messages ranging from sorrow over sin to exalting worship of a holy God, Puls said, urging a congruency between the text and music.

“Do both the text and the tune communicate the same message?” Puls asked. “Are the music and the words equally yoked to communicate a clear message suited to the purpose of worshiping God and edifying the church? When choosing songs for worship we must carefully consider both music and words and how they fit together.

“Tone affects how we take the words. The music should undergird and strengthen worship, not distract from it or confuse it or call attention to itself rather than the content.”

1. Take the name of Jesus with you,

Child of sorrow and of woe;

It will joy and comfort give you;

Take it then, where’er you go.

Chorus

Precious name, O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

Precious name, O how sweet!

Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

2. Take the name of Jesus ever,

As a shield from every snare;

If temptations round you gather,

Breathe that holy name in prayer.

3. O the precious name of Jesus!

How it thrills our souls with joy,

When His loving arms receive us,

And His songs our tongues employ!

4. At the name of Jesus bowing,

Falling prostrate at His feet,

King of kings in heaven we’ll crown Him,

When our journey is complete.

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