Maturing in Worship that Pleases God
Even when it is slow, change seems to catch us off guard. Last week there were no leaves on the trees, and today they are a verdant canopy. Last week Jr. was two. Today he is asking to borrow the car for a date. That is how change goes.
We have changed slowly, or better phrased, matured in how we worship over the last two years at Northbridge. I believe that change for change's sake is never good and often leads to no suitable places. To better understand the differences, we need to ask Three Questions.
We need to keep asking one question before asking any other questions, "What kind of worship pleases God?" Two dudes in Leviticus 10 failed to ask this question, and their outcome was not good. I think they asked, "How do I feel moved in worship?" or something like that, but the text doesn't say it. The results of their actions should enflame our attention. Oh, and parents, remember these are Aaron's sons. Remember their dad did something similar? You mustn't be just serving God but teaching your children to serve God. Your children will worship something well!
Their experience is not a one-off event in Scripture. The priest in the tabernacle or temple who did not worship as God prescribed suffered the same fate entering into the presence of God. If they heard and did what God said in worship, they were blessed, and if not, things got crispy. I tell you this because I love you and because St. Peter says in the inspired Word of God that you are a priest when you attend worship every Sunday (1 Peter 2:9). All this to say that we are planning for a blessing on Sunday and not an all-church BBQ. We want God's blessing!
While most of the worship elements at Northbridge remain the same today, some aspects of worship have changed in the order of service to conform to God's pleasure, His glory, and our good. See how our forefathers discussed this issue in the 1689 London Baptist Confession in 22.1.
We need to ask the second question: "What does the Bible say?" The short answer is worship that God prescribes. The changes we make to grow in maturity together are founded on the Scriptures, the Word of God, as all good maturity should be, see 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul is convinced in Romans 14 that no one should press their preferences on another in worship. Paul does not believe that the Bible is not a collection of static theological truths that one can use willy-nilly. The Scriptures establish that no one, including pastors or elders or members with worship style preferences, should impose upon another person a spiritual practice—no matter how it has "an appearance of wisdom" (Col 2:20–3)—that does not have an explicit biblical warrant. It really does matter how much it "moves you." For some people, maybe me, cheeseburgers could be a nearly heavenly experience. We are not substituting the bread and wine for burgers and fries, no matter how much they seem to draw us to heaven.
In your small group Bible study, you explored how some believers in Acts 15 wanted to add a sharp element to worship. The Elders in the church ruled against it, and I am not advocating we add it into the order of service either. Just as we don't get to decide if a boy is a boy or a girl is a girl, we don't get to choose how to enter into the presence of God in worship. God tells us, and it's a lifesaver! Note how believers historically viewed this issue in the London Baptist Confession, 21.2.
Next, we have to ask, "What does the Bible say is the goal of worship?" For some churches, the design of the service is evangelism. The goal is to bring someone trying to find out who God is to faith in Jesus the Savior. For others, the purpose is to encourage or awaken a Christian's faith. It is cognitive theological or moral learning for some, and the goal is fellowship for others. So what does the Bible say is the goal of worship? I'll continue answering this question next week.