Worship
James Merritt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said, "Some people sit in the church and say, 'Well, I believe worship ought to be dignified.' They don't know the difference between dignity and rigor mortis. And my friend, if your heart is cold or lukewarm, indifferent, it will show up in the way that you worship God."
Wars are being fought over what constitutes appropriate worship. The bottom line is, God determines that -- not us. Granted, all things are filtered through us, but the attempt must be made to hear the Holy Spirit and determine His desires.
In order to do that, we make an assumption based on the historical accuracy of the Scriptures. we assume that God told His people what He liked. Based on those scriptures, we form a list of readily available actions that constitute appropriate worship. Those actions include activities in response to music and a few that are not music-related. But all of them share a common element -- they are for His pleasure and not ours. We discovered that when we are sensitive enough to discern the will of the Spirit and are obedient to it, He reveals himself. Sometimes, the revelation can be perceived both by those who want to perceive it and by those who have no previous experience in feeling the manifest presence of the Lord. It is this presence that draws men to the Lord for salvation and deep personal relationship.
The presence of the Lord that can be sensed is the goal for daily devotion and worship on an individual level as well as a corporate one. A list of the primary actions found in scripture that constitute a worship form God has blessed by His presence are as follows:
- Bible reading, both public and private (Nehemiah 8:3)
- Prayer (John 11)
- Preaching and or teaching (Matthew 28:19-20)
- Singing hymns, songs and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19-20)
- Music played with all types of instruments (Psalms 149 and 150)
- Clapping, raising of the hands, shouting (Psalms 47:1)
- Dancing (Psalms 150:4, 2 Samuel 6:16)
- Absolute silence in response to the felt presence of the Lord (Lamentations 3:26, 28)
- Kneeling and or laying prostrate on the floor (1 Samuel 19:24)
- Prophecy - a direct word inspired by the Holy Spirit to an individual or on a corporate level. (I Corinthians 14:29)
- Other actions that the Lord may lead or reveal as a form mentioned in the scriptures.
It is our intention to engage in all of these. And it is our observation that the churches that have been obedient to this type of worship have prospered greatly.