Balanced Approach to Balance

Sola! November, 2004

What Does God Look For in a Church?

Steven Thomas What does God look for in a church? Does that strike you as an unusual question? It probably does because we are accustomed to thinking about what we want in a church. Individual tastes vary, but most people use the same list when “shopping” for a church. They want children’s programs geared for every age group. An exciting teen ministry is a must. Services must be relevant and entertaining, but most of all short. We want to leave the church services feeling good about ourselves.

Theology Matters

Sola! April, 2005

Reduction and Redundancy: The Dangers of Civil Religion

Ken Brown Politicians and sociologists have long understood the truth of Dostoevsky’s statement, “If God does not exist, everything is permitted.” Therefore, particularly during periods of national crisis or social unrest, “God” is often invoked by leaders eager to glean the benefits of belief in a higher authority while keeping the identity anonymous. It should come as no surprise that, in a nation where pragmatism is the dominant philosophy, even “God” would be acknowledged for utility in achieving desired ends. But what may surprise some is the vast number of religious leaders who are willing to pay homage to the unknown god. As an example, note the following excerpt from an interview with Jerry Falwell:

Question: . . . J. Gresham Machen . . . opposed . . . prayer in public schools because he said . . . [it] would be reduced to an amorphous prayer to an unknown God. Aren’t we giving people the impression that it doesn’t matter what the content of faith is, just so long as they sort of tip their hat to the unknown God?

Falwell: . . . I believe that we are a nation under God. I happen to be an Evangelical Christian who believes that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Life. I have many Jewish friends, as do you. Protestant friends, and Roman Catholic friends who don’t agree with my Evangelical basis, but who do in fact believe in God.

Question: But do they believe in the correct God?

Falwell: That is not the issue . . .¹

Although I wish that were an isolated statement from a single individual, the truth is that such compromise is quite common. The cover of a recent religious magazine displayed photographs of talk radio personality Michael Medved and Rabbi Daniel Lapin dubbed the Christendom’s Kosher Allies.² The feature article noted that: “Increasingly, Jews and Christians are sharing more than one testament of Holy Scripture. As America drifts farther from its Judeo-Christian moorings, orthodox Jews and conservative Christians are drifting closer. This unlikely coalition shows that the cultural dividing line today is not between religions, but between the religious and the nonreligious” [emphasis mine].³

We, too, can fall prey to the pragmatic rhetoric of compromise. I am embarrassed to admit that many times over the years I’ve found myself speaking of “Judeo-Christianity.” What is that anyway? As one author bluntly states: “Strange faith that has no actual living, card-carrying adherents – have you ever met anyone who called [himself] a Judeo-Christian?”⁴ What are the causes of such theological reductionism? How does one slide into this kind of doctrinal imprecision?

Making Moral Reform a Priority

That we live in a time of cultural and moral decline is well established. Americans are increasingly concerned about the moral condition of our culture and many are seeking solutions. From former Education Secretary William Bennett’s Book of Virtues to Judge Robert Bork’s best-seller, Slouching Towards Gomorrah, social and political commentators are offering their solutions to America’s spiritual malaise. Although this is an area of legitimate concern for all of us, there are some potential pitfalls to looking for the moral reform of the society.

It is tempting to look to political leaders for political solutions for what are, at bottom, spiritual problems. As a result, “We as a nation have come to accept, and even to expect, that our political leaders, when in the public square, will engage in what is known as ‘civil religion’ [which is] the utterance of ‘faintly Protestant platitudes which reaffirm the religious base of American culture despite being largely void of theological significance.’”⁵ The result of accepting and expecting such platitudes is that the prophetic pronouncements that ought to emanate from men of God are often replaced with general petitions for God’s sponsorship of the culture: “God is thanked for the success of an enterprise recently completed or asked to sanctify one not yet fully begun. God is asked to bless the nation, its people, and its leaders. But nobody, in the civil religion, is asked to do anything for God” [emphasis mine].⁶

Beyond looking to government to effect moral reform, it is tempting to join forces with those of disparate theological positions to produce the desired result. This process is painfully illustrated in ecumenical evangelism in which the end of saving souls justifies the means of disobedience. Likewise, many have determined that, for instance, the need to see men take leadership in their families justifies union with Roman Catholics in Promise Keepers. The infamous Evangelicals and Catholics Together, despite the theological differences of the signatories, justifies the unholy alliance in order to challenge “religions that are openly hostile to the claims of the Christ” (Islam is specifically mentioned) and “widespread secularization [that] increasingly descends into a moral, intellectual, and spiritual nihilism . . .”

Although we are not likely to find ourselves at a Promise Keepers rally anytime soon, there is a lesson in these illustrations, even for fundamental separatists, namely: we should note that in these and most other instances of compromise, one need not change his doctrine, merely the priority of his doctrine. This is what makes compromise so subtle. It does not require an explicit change in doctrine but merely a slight change of priority. It is said that “truth is the first casualty of war.” Sadly, this is true of “holy war” as well. But truth must never be subordinated to any cause. When it is, “the whole counsel of God” is reduced to the co-belligerents’ least common denominator.

Focusing on Common Grace

Another potential danger that lurks during a period of cultural decline is the tendency to focus the attention of the church on areas that should be performed by others. For example, we are all well aware of the continued demise of the American family structure. But is the maintenance of the American family an objective of the New Testament Church? Does a family need to be Christian to be moral? (It would appear that the Mormons have gone a long way to establish moral families). The theological reason that non-believers can perform acts of civic and cultural good is common grace. The funny thing about common grace is that it is, well, quite common. It is this truth that would allow an evangelical ministry that “focuses on the family” to go on secular radio stations without changing its content. Because common grace is, by definition, not distinctively Christian, the church that focuses its attention on areas of common grace is in danger of becoming redundant. As one author astutely observed:

Many sermons are moral exhortations, which can be heard delivered with greater skill at the Rotary or Kiwanis Club. Many sermons are political and economic judgments on society, which have been presented with greater wisdom and passion at political conventions. Many sermons offer personal therapies, which can be better provided by well-trained psychiatrists. The only skill the preacher has – or the church, for that matter – which is not found with greater excellence somewhere else, is theology, in particular the skill to interpret and apply the Word of God in sermon, teaching, and pastoral care. This is the great service which the minister and the church can render the world. Why should anyone come to church for what can be better found somewhere else? [emphasis mine]⁷

This same principle should be applied to all areas of our ministry whether youth, music, fellowship, etc. We ought always ask ourselves whether in all our church ministries we are providing something distinctively Christian. Likewise, in our appeals to unbelievers we ought to make a distinctively Christian appeal. Promising better kids, more caring fathers, a better potluck, etc. does not serve to set the church apart from the world.

As we approach the new millennium, Bible-believers in America face a culture that is increasingly secular and hostile to biblical Christianity. In this environment it is tempting to engage compromise in order to effect political and social change. However, we yield at an enormous price:

. . . over the history of the United States . . . the umbrella of nominally Christian civil religion has been enlarged from evangelical consensus to Protestantism-in-general, to Christianity-in-general, to the Judeo-
Christian-tradition-in-general, to deism-in-general . . . when we have arrived at deism-in-general, we are talking about a gross distortion of the Christian God and the Christian faith. [It] appears to promise much in return for the church’s sponsorship, but the contract carries terms that actually, if subtly at first, require the church to stop being the church, a people who worship and follow not the amorphous god of deism but the quite specific God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus. ⁸

Another observes:

Many believe that civil religion is better than no religion at all. But I wonder. Civil religion, in my view, is not a harmless, generalized unitarianlike depository of belief, which can help people reflect on God, or even provide helpful ethical guides for the country. Rather, because most civil religion is devoid of both the prophetic dimension of biblical faith and of the centrality of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, it becomes highly vulnerable to being exploited as a tool of national self-righteousness and idolatry.

We must not settle for imitations, no matter how harmless they may appear to be. When it comes to Christianity, in harmlessness is found the greatest harm. [emphasis mine]⁹

Both reduction and redundancy in ministry require redefinition of the biblical objectives. Reductionism seeks to water-down doctrinal content in pursuit of reform. Redundancy is the result of attempting to perform ministry in the church that should be handled elsewhere. We can avoid both errors if we diligently maintain our focus on the church’s singular objective: to faithfully proclaim the pure Word of God in carrying out the Great Commission. Faithfulness to the Word may result in moral reform, better families, etc., but the outcome is in the hands of the Lord. May we always remember that success is not determined by the achievement of desired results. For the believer, faithfulness is success.

1 The Horse’s Mouth. Christian America? Christians United for Reformation. Anaheim, CA July 1994

2 World, February 15, 1997

3 Ibid., Deuteronomy Duo. p. 12

4 Rodney Clapp, A Peculiar People (Inter-Varsity Press: Downers Grove, IL, 1996), p. 21

5 Stephen Carter, The Culture of Disbelief (Anchor Books, New York, NY, 1993). p. 51

6 Ibid., p. 52

7 John Leith quoted in Michael Horton, Beyond Culture Wars (Moody Press: Chicago, 1994). p. 76

8 Clapp, p. 29

9 Sen. Mark Hatfield quoted in Michael Horton, Made in America (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI, 1991). p. 37

Missionary and Evangelist - Are They the Same?

Sola! October, 2005

How to Get the Most out of a Sermon

Brad Anderson Mortimer Adler wrote an influential book called How to Read a Book. Odd title—how could one read that book if he didn’t know how to read a book? Adler’s book focuses on what questions to ask and what to look for as you read, how to analyze the author’s arguments, and how to mark up the book for later use. Millions have found Adler’s book very helpful.

As Christians, we should be asking a similar question: What can we do to make a sermon more personally meaningful?

Prior to the sermon: prepare yourself. Most people think that a sermon begins when the speaker opens his mouth to start preaching. But getting the most out of a sermon starts prior to the message.

During the week: The more we personally worship the Lord during the week (in Bible study, prayer, song, righteous living, etc.), the more prepared we will be corporately to worship him on Sunday. If church services are the only time you spend in worship, you’ll likely not get much from the message.

Pray for the speaker throughout the week, asking for God to help him prepare and preach the appropriate messages. When we pray thus, it creates within us an expectancy and anticipation that God may use the message to minister directly to us. Congregations often get what they pray for in this regard.

Saturday night: Don’t stay out so late on Saturday night that you can’t function on Sunday morning. Get to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep. Have Sunday morning planned out beforehand (clothing, breakfast, travel plans, etc.). Begin thinking about and planning for the Lord’s Day the night before.

Here’s an Idea: Plan a special “Lord’s Day Eve” meal and family time on Saturday night to prepare for Sunday. Include Scripture reading and prayer after the meal with a focus on teaching the children different aspects of church life. Take time to get everything ready to go for Sunday morning. Create anticipation and excitement within your family for the Lord’s Day.

Sunday morning: First, spend time in personal worship at home (Bible reading and prayer) before leaving for church. Ask God to prepare your own heart for worship and to bless the worship service, especially the preaching.

Second, it may be wise to eat only a light breakfast to prevent lethargy.

Third, allow plenty of time to get ready, and get to church early. Plan to arrive at least ten minutes prior to the beginning of the service.

Fourth, here are some things that you can do at church prior to the service:

• Greet others warmly. Look for visitors or new people to meet and greet.
• Look over the bulletin. Read through the Scripture text and/or outline if given.
• Think about the purpose of the service – to bring honor and glory to God, to worship, to receive encouragement, to be challenged and to be taught.
• Think about God’s perfect character and attributes – wisdom, power, glory, grace, mercy, etc.
• Spend time in silent contemplation. Prepare your heart for the service to follow.
• Try to anticipate and eliminate distractions both with yourself and with your family members. Prepare yourself to pay attention.
• Humble yourself before the Lord by confessing sin. Thank God for his mercy toward you and his invitation for you to come boldly before the throne of grace. Ask God to help the speaker communicate clearly and to help you understand and apply the message.
• Think about how God might use you to encourage or challenge someone else.

Remember that the speaker has put a lot of time and effort into his message with the express purpose of helping and exhorting the audience. Show that you appreciate and value his efforts by remaining alert and showing that you are interested.

During the sermon:

Try to listen carefully. Good preaching appeals first to the mind, so your mind must be fully engaged. Being attentive requires self-discipline. Our minds tend to wander and daydream, but listening to the message is a part of the worship we offer to God. It’s a prime opportunity for us to hear what God is teaching us. Don’t insult the speaker (or God) by daydreaming, tuning out, or snoozing during the message.

Maintain eye contact with the speaker. This gives you something to focus on and gives the speaker the impression that you are listening.

Turn to the appropriate passages in the Bible and read along silently. It’s beneficial to see the biblical text the message is coming from so you can evaluate what the speaker is saying (cf. Acts 17:11). The rustling of pages is one extra sound most pastors enjoy hearing during their messages.

Respond positively with nonverbal cues – smile, laugh, nod your head, say “Amen.”

Take notes or follow the outline if one is provided. Write your own outline and see how it compares to the published one. Taking notes is an excellent way to stay focused during the message.

Think about how to respond personally to the message (c.f., James 1:22). Good preaching always applies the Bible to daily life.

• What sins must I confess and forsake?
• What duties must I fulfill? What commands must I obey?
• What comforts and promises can I count on?
• How does this message encourage or challenge me?
• How must I change my attitudes and/or behaviors?

From the Westminster Confession:

It is required of these 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; meditate upon it; hide it in their hearts; and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

Review after the service.

• Talk to the speaker about your impression of the sermon, either good or bad.
• Quiz family members or friends about the main points of the sermon.
• Discuss the purpose of the sermon and how one should respond to it.
• Discuss anything about the sermon that was confusing or hard to understand.
• Discuss the other parts of the service – music, prayer, etc.
• Avoid being overly critical of the “performance” of the preacher. Focus instead on the content of the message.

Note this quote:

Something important happens when we hear a good sermon: God speaks to us. Through the inward ministry of the Holy Spirit, He uses His Word to calm our fears, comfort our sorrows, disturb our consciences, expose our sins, proclaim His grace, and reassure us in the faith. But these are all affairs of the heart, not just matters of the mind, so listening to a sermon can never be a merely intellectual exercise. We need to receive Biblical truth in our hearts, allowing what God says to influence what we love, what we desire and what we praise (Philip G. Ryken, “Tuning In” Tabletalk (Ligonier Ministries), March 2003, pp. 14-16).

Listening to a sermon requires a prepared soul, an alert mind, an open Bible, and a receptive heart. But the best way to tell if we are listening is by the way we live.

Brad Anderson is the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Antigo, Wisconsin. He holds an M.Div. degree from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.

Gospel and the Visible Church, The

Sola! June, 2005

God’s Way of Reaching Man: Opposed to the Ways of Human Logic

Scott WilliquetteIn Southern California, seismologists are interested in measuring the slightest drift of geological plates. The movement of these tectonic plates along fault lines causes earthquakes and will some day cause the “big one” as the coastal plate slides north along the continental shelf from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Consequently, seismologists at Cal Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey have installed sensitive laser instruments along the San Andreas (and other) fault lines to measure even the slightest movement. Detecting the slightest movement is costly and difficult, but it is essential because the welfare of millions of people is at stake. Being able to detect theological drift, no matter how slight, is no less important. The eternal welfare of millions is at stake. Over the past 15 years or so, a shift has occurred in the evangelical landscape regarding the doctrine of the church. In an attempt to reach more people, churches have evolved from keepers and proclaimers of the truth, to emporiums of entertainment. Instead of focusing on making disciples and presenting people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, churches are focusing on making the unchurched, churched. The unsaved come to hear a concert, comedian, or an encouraging sermon sprinkled with pop psychology. Their ears are offended by the clear exposition of the Bible and the dogmatic teaching of doctrine, so these churches give them what they want. These churches use marketing techniques and determine what people want and do not want in a church. They then give them what they want and grow by leaps and bounds. In her article “God For Sale” in the Los Angeles Magazine Kathlene Neumeyer insightfully stated, “It is no surprise that when today’s affluent young professionals return to church, they want to do it only on their own terms – what’s amazing is how far churches are going to oblige” (Kathleen Neumeyer, “God for Sale,” Los Angeles Magazine, February 1989, p. 174). This false movement within evangelicalism goes by many names. It is called The Church Growth Movement, The Marketing the Church Movement, The User Friendly Church Movement.

The premise of this movement is simply this – if you are going to reach people, you must give them what they want. You must use 21st century logic, find out what people want in a church and give it to them. George Barna, one of the guru’s of this movement states, “My contention, based upon careful study of data and the activities of American churches, is the number one problem plaguing the Church is its failure to embrace a marketing orientation in what has become a market-driven environment” (George Barna, Marketing the Church, (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988), p. 23). In other words, since successful businesses place on the market only that which people want, the church must as well.

This may seem well and good to Barna and others with a marketing orientation, but God’s way of reaching man is opposed to the ways of human logic.

Contrary to human logic, God targets everyone to hear the gospel. (The shotgun approach is biblical). Human logic drives a marketing approach to ministry. Such an approach dictates that if a church wants to grow, it must select target groups that it desires to reach and then tailor its ministry to those groups. Rather than attempting to reach every group, it must focus on only a few. Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, said it this way, “Generally a pastor can define his appropriate target audience by determining with whom he would like to spend a vacation or an afternoon of recreation” (Quoted by Douglas Webster, Selling Jesus, What’s Wrong With Marketing the Church, (Downers Grove, InterVarsity, 1992) p. 58). This ministry philosophy is absolutely contrary to that of the New Testament writers. Regarding his evangelistic ministry the Apostle Paul wrote, “ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish” (Ro 1.14). Speaking of Christian ministry, James commands “Don’t show favoritism” (Jas 2.1). Marketing logic may dictate a target approach to evangelism, but God’s Word commands a “shot gun” approach.

Contrary to Human Logic, God Does Not Make the Christian Message Easy. (Christianity is Commitment). In his book Marketing the Church, Barna states, “Marketing is the process by which you seek to apply your product to the desires of the target population” (Barna, p. 23). Later in that same book Barna states, “This is what marketing the church is all about: providing our product (relationships) as a solution to people’s felt needs” (Barna, p. 51). Is that what God commands us to do? Has God commissioned us to survey the community, determine people’s desires and felt needs, and minister to them on that level? No, we are commissioned to give the gospel to a lost and dying world. No matter what desires and felt needs people have, the solution is the same – Jesus Christ. The Christian message should not be diluted to gain a following (Jn 6.53–66; Mt 19.16–21). The gospel is not what people want; it is what they need. What people want is the stroking of their egos and the soothing of their guilt. What people want is a “you’re OK; I’m OK” message. We cannot give them that. We must confront people about their sin and give the gospel. People are not OK, and if we care for them, we cannot let them think that they are. The Christian commitment should not be down played to keep a following (Ro 12.1–2; Gal 5.16–26; Eph 4.1–3; Col 3.1–14; Mt 28.18–20). I’m reminded of the old comparison between bacon and eggs. When you sit down to breakfast the difference between bacon and eggs is that the chicken was casually involved, but the pig was completely committed. Many people are willing to be involved casually in worship, but real worship exacts a price of commitment that is altogether different. Real worship involves not just personal involvement, but personal sacrifice. It involves giving your life. Romans 12.1 – “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies (your selves) a living sacrifice.…” Genuine Christianity is commitment. Salvation involves a life-changing and committed faith in Christ. Christian growth involves an ever growing commitment to personal holiness. Worship involves a humble commitment to joyously bask in the greatness and goodness of God. To down play commitment is to tear the heart out of the glorious gospel.

Contrary to human logic, God uses the dogmatic proclamation of truth to further His goals. (Biblical preaching is not “feel goodish,” emotion-targeted rhetoric.) God uses the preaching of His Word, not depravity driven myths (2Ti 4.1–4). The overriding command of this passage is “preach the Word.” The word “preach” (khruvssw) was commonly used of a herald making a public proclamation on behalf of another. That is exactly how Paul used it here. He commands Timothy to publicly proclaim the Word of God. He is not to proclaim his own message, but the message of God as found in His written revelation. Preachers have no right to teach their own opinions, or even the opinions of others. They are commanded to teach God’s message. Much of what is called “preaching” today is nothing of the sort. Genuine preaching is the passionate explanation and application of God’s revelation. The proclamation of the word is necessary because man hungers more for novelty than truth (4.3–4). This phrase “itching ears” (knhqovmenoi th;n ajkoh;n) is a figure of speech for “curiosity.” It refers to the search for something new, something spectacular. It’s clear from this context that this is a curiosity that is never satisfied. It involves an all consuming and never-ending hunger for the new and the novel. The KJV almost makes it sound like it is the false teachers who have the itching ears. The NIV reflects Paul’s intent more clearly. It reads, “…They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” Man’s hunger for novelty flows from his depravity (4.3b). According to Paul this hunger for the new and the novel does not flow from the Holy Spirit. It flows from man’s depravity. Paul states that this desire for novelty is “after their own lusts” (kata; ta;” ijdiva” ejpiqumiva”). In other words, these believers have made themselves the measure of who should teach them and what teaching is acceptable. The desires of the people, not the teachings and doctrines of the Word of God, are the controlling factors. Man’s hunger for novelty will drive him to exchange truth for error (4.3–4). The truth of God’s Word will be disregarded (4.3a); openly rejected (4.4a); and exchanged for myths (4.4b). In his book Selling Jesus, What’s Wrong With Marketing the Church Douglas Webster provides a helpful summary of what churches are doing to attract the baby-boomers. He states, “The baby boomer wants a warm, supportive, informal and positive atmosphere. Anything that distracts from this will be an instant turnoff, while anything that’s done to make the atmosphere nonthreatening improves effectiveness. Sermons are short, simple, uplifting and personally inspiring. Topics are carefully selected to stress the personal over the doctrinal and the relational over the abstract. Sin and money are seldom mentioned. Entertaining features like drama, skits, and lively music generate enthusiasm and excitement” (Webster, p. 75). Can depraved man be reached using purely human methods? No! God uses the preaching of His Word, not persuasive tactics (1Co 2.1–5). The NIV translates verse 4, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” Is Paul saying that he is an unwise man, incapable of communicating in a wise fashion? Is he saying that his preaching is not meant to persuade people to trust Christ? No. What he is saying is that he does not preach the gospel in the power of his own persuasive skills. When he preaches, he does not attempt to be the primary persuader. The primary persuader is the Holy Spirit. Paul is saying in essence, “I did not come to you utilizing persuasive tactics, but desiring the Spirit to show His power.” Paul goes on to say in verse 5 that people saved through someone’s persuasive ability, instead of the Spirit, are not genuinely saved. Charles Spurgeon once said, “The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher, otherwise men would be converts of souls, nor does it lie in the preachers learning, otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach until our tongues rotted, till we would exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless the Holy Spirit be with the Word of God to give it the power to convert the soul.”

The doctrine of the church must be guarded. We cannot give into the temptation to make the gospel easy in order to grow. We cannot dilute the gospel of Christ or diminish the importance of Christian commitment just to see our ranks swell. Our job as fundamental Baptist churches is not to grow, but to evangelize and make disciples in a way that honors the Lord. We should not compromise the gospel, or water down Christian truth just to be attractive to a depraved and debauched world. We should be faithful to our commission and trust God for the increase in His time. May we be faithful stewards and messengers of God’s truth.

Emergent Delusion

Sola! July, 2005

A Biblical Methodology of Congregational Worship

Scott Aniol“What worship style do you use?” “Do you prefer traditional or contemporary worship?” “Is worship for us or for God?” These questions and many more like them are prevalent in evangelical circles. The issue of worship methodology has become very controversial because the Bible doesn’t prescribe a particular worship “style.” How can believers decide what pleases the Lord in this very important area?

Establishing a Methodology of Congregational Worship For a Christian, every decision should have a scriptural, theological basis as its foundation. The Word of God is the only certain, objective source of criteria for decision-making. A theology of a topic is what the Bible teaches about that topic. This may involve explicit instructions or implicit principles.

From that theology must flow a believer’s philosophy. Based on the scriptural principles that have been gathered concerning a topic, the believer must develop a philosophy. A philosophy is the “why” and the “how” of the topic.

Finally, the believer can formulate a methodology based on that philosophy. This is the “what” of the topic—the nitty-gritty decisions and choices that need to be made every day.

Unfortunately, many Christians skip the first two steps when making decisions, or their methodology is completely inconsistent with their professed theology and philosophy. In reality, the inconsistent methodology is simply an indication that they don’t really believe their theology and philosophy. A person’s methodology is a foolproof indicator of a person’s theology.

A Theology of Congregational Worship What Is Worship? All of the controversy over what worship really is has driven believers to ask this very important question—What is worship? In reality, worship is why we exist (Is. 43.6-7). It is therefore very important that we develop a sound, biblical definition of what it means to worship. In order to do so, we must go to the Scriptures. Any definition is insufficient unless it finds its basis in the Word of God.

Throughout Scripture two elements predominantly characterize worship—a presentation of truth and a biblical response to that truth. A brief survey of some passages will demonstrate this point:

Nehemiah 8.1-6 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Matthew 28.9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

In each case (and there are many more), worship involves a biblical response (either external or internal) to a presentation of truth about God. This is the essence of true, biblical worship—response to truth. Jesus summarized this fact when he said,

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit [internal response] and in truth” (John 4.24).

True worship, therefore, is not confined to Sunday morning. All of life should be worship. Every act, thought, and attitude of a Christian should be a biblical response to truth about God. This is expressed throughout the New Testament:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12.1).

Therefore, worship can be defined as follows: Worship is a biblical response to God resulting from an understanding of biblical truth about God.

What is Congregational Worship? Congregational worship is more focused than general “lifestyle” worship. Congregational worship is the gathering of the people of God in order to corporately worship Him as His people. This form of worship is clearly commanded and exemplified in Scripture:

Psalm 149.1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Congregational worship was also exemplified in the early church (Acts 2.42-47; 13.1-3). It is clear both from Old Testament command and from New Testament example that God desires believers to lift His praises together. He wants His children to gather for the purpose of honoring Him. This worship is still individual, heart-felt response toward God, but it is done publicly in the presence of other believers. This brings God even more glory than if it were done privately. C. H. Spurgeon said, “Personal praise is sweet unto God, but congregational praise has a multiplicity of sweetnesses in it.”

It is also important to recognize the worship language that Paul uses to describe the New Testament Church:

1 Corinthians 3.16-17 Don’t you know that you yourselves [as a congregation] are God’s temple [naos, same word used for the Holy Place in the Temple] and that God’s Spirit lives in you [plural]? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you [plural] are that temple.

1 Peter 2.5 You [plural pronoun] also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house [oikos, ”dwelling”] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, congregational worship could be defined as follows: Congregational worship is a unified chorus of biblical responses toward God expressed publicly to God resulting from an understanding of biblical truth about God.

A Philosophy of Congregational Worship From this theology, we can determine a biblical philosophy of congregational worship. First, congregational worship must be God-oriented. Because congregational worship is specifically designed to be a response to God because of biblical truth about Him, God must be the center of the service. Because the Bible is our only objective source of truth about God, Scriptural truth about God should be the content of congregational worship. Because worship is intended to be a response to God, congregational worship should be directed to God.

Second, congregational worship must be doctrine-oriented. Because believers can respond only when they have understood biblical truth, congregational worship should be filled with doctrinal truth. Because worship requires understanding doctrine and understanding requires work, believers should not shy away from elements in the service that have deep, thought-provoking content.

Third, congregational worship must be affection-oriented. Eighteenth-century theologian Jonathan Edwards made a distinction within the broader category of emotional response. According to Edwards, “passions” are emotions that are immediately gratifying, shallow, and result from emotionalism that bypasses the intellect. Since understanding of truth is bypassed, this kind of emotionalism is not acceptable for congregational worship. Instead, service elements that develop God-honoring affections should be used for congregational worship. “Affections” are emotions that result from volitional acknowledgment of objective truth. They take work to develop and are more lasting and pleasing to the Lord. Affections toward God are the essence of true worship.

Fourth, congregational worship must be congregation-oriented. Because the purpose of congregational worship is that believers join together as the body of Christ to express a unified response to God, service elements that are individualistic or personal do not have a place in congregational worship. Music used in congregational worship should be limited to that which expresses objective truth that applies to all Christians.

A Methodology of Congregational Worship We have seen that true worship has two parts—a presentation of truth and response to that truth. Both of these must be present in a worship service for worship to take place. Therefore, every element in the service will facilitate one or both of these.

The Congregation as Participants Every member of the congregation is responsible to worship the Lord during a worship service. A “spectator” mentality of people in the pews is easy to develop but clearly anti-biblical. You should be engaged in worship at all times during the service. If there is a lag between “events,” use that time for prayer and response to the Lord.

Congregational singing is one of the most important aspects of a worship service. It is the one event where every member of the congregation can verbally worship the Lord together. Make good use of this time to understand the biblical truth expressed in the hymns and respond to the Lord through the music.

Worship Leaders The purpose of the music director, orchestra, choir, and other musicians is to lead in the worship of God. Their purpose is not to entertain or perform. Their purpose is to lead the rest of the congregation in worship. The congregation should participate with the worship leaders.

During an instrumental number, meditate on the words of the hymn and notice how the musical arrangement strengthens the message of the text. If you don’t know the words, open your hymn book and meditate on the text.

During a vocal number, strive to worship along with the group or soloist by understanding truth and responding with them. The music will aid in the learning of truth and the expression of response.

If the song primarily teaches doctrine, strive to understand its implications and respond to the Lord accordingly. If it primarily expresses a response, strive to join with the musicians in your heart.

Word from God View preaching as the primary time when God speaks during the service. This is the time when believers are confronted with clear, biblical truth from God. Every attempt should be made to be sensitive to conviction from the Lord. Worship occurs only when you acknowledge truth and respond with change, affection, or consecration to God.

Does Order Matter? There are two primary purposes for carefully thinking through an order of service. The first is to make sure that biblical worship is taking place. The service must allow for adequate presentation of truth and response to that truth.

Second, a carefully planned order of service can help the congregation more easily recognize and think through what they are doing. There is no biblically ordained order of service, but too many churches plan their service with little or no thought. God deserves better.

What music should be chosen? Only music that fits our philosophy of congregational worship should be chosen. We should chose only music that is primarily objective in content, Godward as opposed to man-centered, and that which applies to all believers as a whole. Sentimental, individualistic music, no matter how true, should not be chosen for congregational worship.

We should strive to chose the best hymns, both in their texts and musical styles. We should chose music that fits a particular function within the service and that will maintain a mood of reverence and solemnity before the Lord.

Conclusion Methodologies are not inspired; they are derived from biblical theology and philosophy. Our goal should be that our methodology be driven by our theology. Personal preference or taste is not the primary criterion. Our Methodology of Congregational Worship should come from our understanding the Word of God.

Scott Aniol is Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois.