Heart of Worship

As I read for today I was convicted if my attitude toward worship. And not just in one area. I asked myself when I am up leading, what is my drive?  When I  part of the congregation, why do I participate? When I pray, what is my focus?  I came to the conclusion that even though I tell myself and others that my drive, goal, focus is God but I too often find that it is me. It is a continual struggle and battle that I face. 

Deferring to God and His Word

The church is faced with a looming dilemma: instead of allowing scripture to dictate and inform corporate worship, believers have whole-heartedly subscribed to extra-biblical constructs, elevating man's dull misconceptions while overlooking God's crystal demands.

Although professing Christ and claiming to hold fast His word, many evangelical churches have allowed the means of worship to supersede the ultimate end, God's glorification. This unnatural regard for natural means, or helps, is described by Jeremiah Burroughs: "For if I account one place more holy than another, or think that God should accept worship in one place rather than another, this is to raise it above what it is in its own nature" (GW 14). Such misplaced affections have historically been described as "legalism." Christ Himself, quoting Isaiah, described it thus: "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Matt. 15:9). If the church continues to regard tie-wearing, coffee-serving, or style-blending as definitive and laudable qualifiers, she may soon become nothing more than a strip-mall for the regenerate consumer.

However, God expresses an insuppressible desire for worship. Additionally, He expects close attention to the details of worship. Burroughs writes, "Such things as seem to be very small and little to us, yet God stands much upon them in the matter of worship, for there is nothing wherein the prerogative of God more appears than in worship" (GW 17). If God's desire for worship will be met, and if His expectations in worship must be heeded, a source of adequate instruction should be provided. Scripture is this source. Duncan tells us, "If we are to live and worship together soli deo gloria, then what shall be the basis and pattern? The only answer for the evangelical Christian is sola scriptura" (GPTG 20). If a standard has been both demanded and defined, then ignorant worship, willful or otherwise, is legally subject to either punishment (Nadab and Abihu) or rejection (Cain).

In the end, the matter is not a question of how people do worship. Instead, it is a matter of how God desires worship to be done. If only the church could peel her eyes away from her own concerns just long enough to look into God's affairs! Then, perhaps, she would be able to "assure that God - not man - is the supreme authority for how worship is to be conducted" (GPTG 24).

Sola Cordis vs. Sola Scriptura

By Heart Alone vs. By Scripture Alone

            It’s all about the heart. This axiom and similar phrases are lauded in worship gatherings across the world. Unfortunately, our Heart is not the so-called heart of the matter. Today’s society is characterized by a narcissistic disposition. Heart has become synonymous with one’s personal emotions and feelings. Worship must reflect what the “heart” is feeling and emotionally placate. Because human feelings and emotions have been raised to an unnatural position the aesthetics of worship must be equally elevated, for subjective feelings are best served by subjective worship.

            How did this happen? The simple answer is that subjective reality will fill the void when objective truth has been dismissed. Ligon Duncan wrote, “How we worship determines whom we worship. That is why both the medium and the message, both the means and the object must be attended in worship.” (pg. 33 GPTG) When the means that God has prescribed for his worship are dismissed and the methods of man are favored, the result is idolatrous ignorance. Duncan wrote, “Violation of God’s commands on worship is viewed as breaking the covenant and is cataclysmic in its consequences.” (pg. 39 GPTG)

The solution for subjectivity and idolatry is objective truth and worship. Worship must be based on what God has revealed of himself and in the ways he has prescribed (Objective Truth). The hearts of men are fickle as are the emotions of their songs but the word of God is a firm foundation. The words of Christ have a tangible meaning and are not contingent to man’s wills. The means by which we know God’s will is through the Bible. God will be sanctified in those who draw near Him and He will be sanctified in the manner that he has dictated. Sola Scriptura is a firm foundation in which we have hope. Sola Cordis only muddles with the minds of His people.

How do we expand Gospel Worship if today’s society isn’t a) interested in reading and submitting to the word, and b) interested in worshipping God according to His word verses their own feelings?

"What The Friwmftt!"

Burroughs quotes "Let us tremble. The Lord is quick towards some and He is patient towards others, but do not presume on Him because He is patient to others. He may take you in the very first act of your sin and be quick with you" (Pg. 22). With this statement, I am paused to stop and wonder that sort of natural irreverence that can take place in a mans soul towards God, and I believe that is what Burroughs seems to be striking at in a sense. "Let us tremble", and should we not? For Paul says to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). But in who's sight are we working out this salvation in our daily acts of worship? It seems as though Burroughs brings to light this contrast; to worship God in any other way than out of a purified fear and awe to revere Him is simply sin at it's finest. For somewhere down the line, as Burroughs points out, we have become quick to "presume on Him" not just due to how he works with others but also in those things of which he has not given us a warrant for. "So when any creature is raised in a religious way above what it has in it by nature, if I do not have Scripture to warrant me, I am therein superstitious" (Pg. 11).
Such things as, how we are to revere Him, should be held up to such a high importance in our heart, for when they are not, we worship God according to our own irreverent wills by nature. Such acts of disobedience towards God and His Word can, as Burroughs points out, cause serious consequences for an individual - (Leviticus 10) and therefore should cause us to re-evaluate the way we scripturally present ourselves before God corporately but also privately as well.

The Pursuit

In discussing the issue of true worship with the woman at the well, Jesus declares that "An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers." So many times have I read over that verse; yet not once has the second part of it stood out in such a way as Duncan highlighted it: "To glorify and enjoy God, to meet with God and engage with him, is so important to him that he himself is seeking us to become his worshipers. No higher commendation of the colossal importance of the activity of worship for new-covenant  believers is imaginable" (GPTG, 44). 

God is seeking worshipers. 

God is passionate about us worshiping him, and he is passionate about us worshiping him right. We often hear the first part of that verse emphasized--that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. We want to do it because Jesus said to, as we should. Yet the powerful importance of this act comes not out of a mere obligation to obey, but from a response to a relentlessly pursuing God who is jealous for our sincere and right worship. 

Self Worship

Boice makes a good point on the fact that God's own character and word must govern our worship of Him. His point is that we must worship God the way He wants to be worshiped, not the way we want to worship Him. The Israelites were told not to worship any graven images. However they worshiped an "image" when they made the golden calf. God was so ticked off He wanted to zap them all and start over with Moses. The interesting thing is our western culture is so self focused. Everything our western culture does is for self. Why? Because if theirs nothing after we die then lets just live it up. I know our culture effects is in so many ways we don't even realize. Calvin said the heart of man is like an idol factory. We can take even good things and make them idols; Things like "worship". We can turn corporate worship around and continually only think about ourselves and never truly worship God. I just think most of the time when believers gather to worship I'm almost always just thinking about what I am going to get out of it. Which isn't a bad thing because God does want us to enjoy Him, which is something we get when we glorify Him. But is God pleased with my sacrifice of worship.

Mercy's Store

"Depth of mercy! can there be mercy still reserved for me?

 Can my God His wrath forbear—me, the chief of sinners spare?"

-Charles Wesley, 1707–1788

I must admit though I sincerely agree with many of the things that Jeremiah Burroughs has said regarding our attitudes and assumptions in worship I experienced an uneasy feeling come over me at times while reading Gospel Worship. 

The fact that Nadab and Abihu were two appointed men of God, newly consecrated to the priestly office, sons of Aaron and in close relation to Moses and yet were struck down because of what seems to us at first perhaps a "minor" offense or a "particularity" of God that could've been glossed over or forgiven was quite frankly to me a little bit frightening. Burroughs warns us to "...take heed then of venturing, and do not think that any services that we have done heretofore can bear us out...how dare we poor worms venture upon the displeasure of God? (14)."

Burroughs reminds us that "God, in the treasury of His judgments, has more dreadful things than have ever been revealed in His Word (19)." Therefore, we must "...learn to tremble not only at what is revealed in God's word against your sin, but tremble at what there is in that infinite justice, power and wisdom of God to find out and execute upon sinners (19)." 

In the wake of this reading and as we study our immutable, ageless, and Holy God it is imperative that we reflect on the words that the Lord spoke through Isaiah--

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

When confronted with the strength and might and holiness of God it is very much our duty to tremble and awe and repent in humility to what we know to be true about our God. Failure to do so could produce in us a spirit of haughtiness or distract us from true worshipping. 

With this in mind and while considering the sheer terrible (in the reverential sense) power of our God I cannot help to be all the more confronted with His mercy through the story of Nadab and Abihu. 

In the face of this text I am forced to ask myself, "have you ever, in any shape or form, displeased God in your worship of Him?" I am forced to think of any times during our school's chapel services where I may have worshipped my ability to praise God rather than praising God Himself. I think about those times when I helped lead music for my church's youth group praise band years ago...did I truly offer praise to God because I recognized He deserved it? Or was it just a show for my friends or was I using that as a platform to gain favor in the eyes of those at the church looking for young leaders? 

How just God would've been to strike me down in my sin! How right He would've been to cut me from those ministries! But thanks be to God that He. Is. Merciful. I hold fast to Psalm 57:10 which says, 

"For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,

And Your truth unto the clouds"

At the beginning of the second chapter, Burroughs says, "If the Lord has spared you and not manifested any displeasure upon you, you have cause to acknowledge God's mercy, and to be humbled for all your false worship (12)." 

To add to that, we should more than acknowledge the mercy of God; we must live in it. Our entire lives as Christians should be reflections of the mercy that God has shown us in snatching us out of our sin and making us new creatures. In our worship we must meditate that though we may never be perfect worshippers or "get it right" every time we do serve a God who is gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. 

We serve a God who is wise enough to demonstrate His holiness, wrath, and mercy simultaneously through the story of Nadab and Abihu. Because of that, I am glad to read of Our Father's high expectations of His worshippers and even higher expectations of those who will be facilitating His worship.  

"But I will sing of Your power;

Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;

For You have been my defense

And refuge in the day of my trouble.

 To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;

For God is my defense,

My God of mercy"

-Psalm 59:16-17