Worship Matters:: thinking biblically about worship

Over the past 5 weeks at OBC we have been studying what the Bible says about worship. Pat Abendroth has been teaching on everything from what worship is to whether or not the Bible specifies what type of music to use.

I have found the study particularly refreshing. There were a few points from my own notes that I wanted to highlight.

/1/ The Devastating Effect of the Sacred / Secular Worldview

Many people compartmentalize their lives into that which is related to God (i.e. church stuff) and then what they do the rest of the time (i.e. work, family, recreation, etc). The problem with this worldview is that we, perhaps unwittingly, cut Jesus a little sacred sliver of our lives instead of seeing him as the ultimate object of all of our efforts. Pat belabored this point and I recommend it to you. He really emphasized the need to be worshiping God whether you are mowing the lawn or reading your Bible, whether you are on a date with your spouse or engaging in formal service. All things, without exception, are to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10.31). And if they cannot be done with that chief end in view then they should not be done.

/2/ Worship is just what we sing

This pivots out of what I mentioned above, but how many times have you heard someone say something like, “The worship was good but the preaching was lame.” We understand them to mean the music was good but the preacher was lousy. The question then must be asked, “So, are we not worshipping when the Word of God is preached or when we fellowship or when we pray?” Of course we are. Pat conceded that for many of us we understand the theology of worship; however we have let our vocabulary drift into unbiblical waters.

In good pastoral manner Pat reminded us that we correct our children when they speak inappropriately, “Like, ya’ know? Like…ok….Like, you know what I’m sayin’ like.” I love this point. We should not think, speak, or otherwise behave unbiblically, particularly when it comes to worship. We end up producing a bunch of people around us who think unbiblically about worship.

/3/ Passionate does not mean Charismatic

Of all people those of us who have begun to understand something of the glory of God in and through the gospel, we should be the most passionate. Regrettably we too often, in the name of not looking like a Charismatic, tend to act reserved.

I regularly ponder this and have arrested myself by asking, “Which is a bigger crime, to appear excited and perhaps make someone think I am strange or to fear man so much that I would extinguish genuine Holy Spirit wrought passion for the sake of my own comfort?” I don’t think there is even a choice here folks.

/4/ There is not a Christian ‘style’ of Music

Pat emphasized the point that the Bible came with the words to a lot of songs but did not come with an accompaniment track. Furthermore, God does not tell us specifically what ‘style’ of music to use. It appears as though there is great freedom in this.

God is concerned with what we sing though. He is a God that is to be worshiped in truth (Jn. 4.24) so we better make sure that the lyrics are biblical and sound. Too often folks neglect lyrics for the sake of sound, when in fact biblically, the priority should be the lyrical content.

In a helpful way Pat reminded us that if you like a certain type of music and do not like other styles you should not look at those who like a different style and say that they are unbiblical for the Bible does not give you the right to do so. You may say that your preference is for a particular style but you cannot say that folks are in sin for using hymns instead of singing choruses or whatever. The emphasis should be on content not style.

In our church we have a band with bass and electric guitar players, a drummer and other stuff I don’t know the name for. Sometimes folks will come and enjoy the preaching because it is expositional and they will say that we are out of line due to the musical style. This is regrettable. People have preferences, we are permitted to do so, however, we tread on into legalism when our personal preferences became the authoritative standard by which we judge other people’s motives and godliness. (Pat actually spent 2 Sunday mornings on music, parts 4 & 5)

I commend the 5-part series to you. You can listen on the Omaha Bible Church podcast in iTunes or you may download the mp3’s here on our website.

Possibly Related posts:

1. Clown-led Worship…that makes sense!
2. Thinking about books & how amazing it is that I read them
3. Worship of Mary
4. Sovereign Grace Music
5. John Piper on Preaching

3 Responses to “Worship Matters:: thinking biblically about worship”

1. Barry says:

   July 24, 2007 at 10:44 am

   Amen Erik. I particularly liked the 2 Chronicles 30:21 reference to loud music. It was a great series. I also created a post about the series but focused on the later 2 parts. Rock on!

   http://barrydean.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/anti-worship/

   BTW, are you creating the audio page for each of the series? Is this something we’ve stared doing with the description and all? I really like it. Maybe I just haven’t noticed it in that detail before.
2. Brad Snyder says:

   July 25, 2007 at 9:29 am

   Greetings in Christ! I have very much enjoyed your reading your posts from time to time. This post is a bit late, but given the recent Luis Palau debacle in Omaha, I thought this might be of interest to your viewers. It is a link to the reformer John Knox’s ‘A Vindication of the Doctrine that the Sacrifice of the Mass is Idolatry’, which doctrine Knox and other faithful men (by the Spirit of Christ) did “so constantly affirm”:

   http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/vindicat.htm

   Would to God that He would remember His covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and raise up such sons of thunder in our own day. Can the visible church join hands with Christ’s enemies and not be visited in judgment by her God? Or, can Christ have any fellowship with Belial? How sad it is that the glorious work of God which we call the Reformation is being utterly defaced in our day through the ignorance, neglect and indifference of professing Christians. The questions before us are these: Is the doctrine of the Reformers agreeable to the Word of God? Was the Reformation a work of God in mercy to His church? If so, how can we live today as though it never happened! There can be no such thing as neutrality or indifference to the truth. Let us be careful lest this word be fulfilled in our day:

   ‘Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.’ (Psalm 28:5).

   I hope this is helpful.

   In Christ,

   Brad Snyder

   “I see the battle shall be great, for Sathan rageth even to the uttermost; and I am come (I praise my God), even in the brunt of the battle.”

   “I have been fighting against Sathan, who is ever ready to assault; yea, I have fought against spriritual wickedness in heavenly things and have prevailed!”

   “What I have been to my country, albeit this unthankful age will not know, yet the ages to come will be compelled to bear witness to the truth.”

   - John Knox
3. Auburn Sovereign Grace Fellowship » Blog Archive » Music and Worship says:

   December 18, 2007 at 8:20 pm

   [...] Erik Raymond at Irish Calvinist posted a helpful article on worship as a lifestyle here. [...]