Instructions for Proper Worship

One of the guiding principles for conservative churches all around the world is found in 2 Timothy 3:16.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

As we consider the entirety of God’s word, we can see so many areas where this sort of guidance is beneficial but one of the most important areas is how we worship the Lord.

The beginning of this morning’s passage reminds us that Moses has been down amongst the people as they heard the Ten commandments. Ultimately, this story begins in chapter 19 where Moses leads the people from their camp to Mount Sinai. He then goes up to the top of the mountain to receive instruction from God and then back down to be with the people as they heard the Ten Commandments.

The reason that these instructions regarding worship are the first thing following the Ten Commandments is because the worship of God ought to be the highest priority in our relationship with Him.

It is the responsibility of those who have heard from God to keep His commandments

On the heels of hearing the Ten Commandments, the Lord has more instruction for the people of Israel. In verse 22, He gives a reminder as to why these things must be kept by them. They heard the commands firsthand which then makes them responsible for keeping them. Everything that follows the Ten Commandments holds more value because of the commandments that were mentioned as well as but there is also an obligation from the people to obey these commands.

As we consider what God has called us to under the new covenant, we should see it as a responsibility and an honor to keep the commands of the Lord. Just as the people of Israel heard from the Lord, you and I have heard from Him through His word and through the Holy Spirit. There is no claim to ignorance when it comes to the law of God. Last week I referenced where Paul writes to the Romans that the law of God has been written on our hearts. Because of that, there is then a demand for obedience for each of us. We have read the words of Jesus by way of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Not only is this an obligation to keep but it is also an honor that the Lord has spoken to us as His people in the new Covenant. An honor that He would reveal Himself to us but also an honor to keep these commands. With such an honor comes duty!

We ought to take these things into consideration as we consider the commands that God has given to each of us. Because we belong to Him, there is a responsibility to observe His law just as there is a responsibility for you and I, as citizens of this very country, to adhere to the laws of the land. In the same way that we benefit from belonging to the United States of America, so we also benefit from belonging to the Kingdom of God, and therefore ought to more fully commit ourselves to obeying the laws that our king has laid out for us. We remain in verse 22 as we see that

The Lord dictates proper worship of Himself because of His divine authority

The last portion of verse 22 assigns heavenly authority to God but can be a bit confusing. We know that the Lord resides in heaven but how is it, then, that He speaks from atop Mt. Sinai? The answer is simply that the Lord’s dwelling place is in heaven but was speaking atop the mountain.

This is a reminder that our God is not held to one particular place. He is omnipresent and therefore has a hand in all things. We touched on the power of the Lord simply because of His voice last week. And now we are reminded because of “talked with you from heaven” that the Lord speaks with a heavenly authority.

This quickly answers the question, “who do you think you are?” when facing commands from the Lord. This past week, there was a person pulled over at the intersection of Schomberg road and JR Allen. The individual that pulled them over was driving what seemed to be an unmarked police car. The person who was being pulled over did not verify that they were a police officer and were eventually robbed at gun point. The next time they are pulled over, I am certain that they will do some work to ensure that the person pulling them over has the authority to do so. So, while it might be easy to ask, who does God think He is being so particular about the commands that He gives us, we must keep in mind that He is the creator of all things. The power that we so often speak of allows Him, along with His heavenly authority, to speak to us in a way that guides how we worship Him.

For each and every person that reads the bible, when we see instructions, like the ones we are about to read, we should keep in mind that the holy God of the universe is the one who has handed these things to us. He dictates how we live because He has created us as well as how we worship because He has a full understanding of His own majesty.

Everything up to this point is preliminary to this message because we haven’t yet arrived at the instruction regarding worship. The first guiding principle to worship of the one true God is

Isolated dedication to God, along with obedience to His commands, is vital to proper worship.

While I do not believe that you and I have anything to worry about when it comes to forming idols out of precious metals, the general sense of this instruction along with those that follow are still important for us to keep in mind when we consider our corporate gatherings of worship. Verse 23 summarizes the first two commandments, that there is only one God and that those who worship Him must not make for ourselves images to worship.

These guiding principles seem fairly straight forward, yet we know that the people of Israel formed for themselves a golden calf in Exodus 32. If these people who heard the voice of God still managed to commit this sin, we ought to be mindful of it and take it seriously.

As we consider what this means for the church in 2026, I would simply state that having any man-made object as essential to corporate worship comes dangerously close to idol worship. We rely on the word of God, scripture based music, and prayers to guide our worship. The moment we become reliant on an instrument, a stage, a pulpit, a screen, and so much more, we risk considering that thing as a replacement for the God that we are serving.

Both this point as well as the next were a warning for the people of God not to adopt the worship practices of the culture around them. When it comes to the pagans in this time, they relied on man-made images to represent the God that they were worshipping. The reality is that we don’t need any such object. God has revealed Himself to us through His word. We see His creation and it reflects His glory. But we shouldn’t ever take His creation and cause it to become the object of our worship.

This leads us to the last principle of worship the Lord gives.

Our worship of the Lord must reflect His holiness

The final point that is made has to do with the altar. It is to be made out of earth or out of stones that have not been altered to fit together. It is also not to have steps leading up to it. The reason why the altar is made of earth or stones is because the point of the altar is the remembrance of God in making offerings not the process that goes into creating the altar.

The idea of “come as you are” is often mentioned in churches but this is not a new idea. When we think of even creating the altar, the point is that sacrifices be made rather than perfectly crafting the altar. The same could be said for the person that comes to the altar. We must respect His holiness and not do anything that might put His name at jeopardy.

This leads us to the last verse in the chapter, which forbids steps going up to an altar. The reality is that too much of an elevated altar would expose the nakedness of those going up onto it. Believe it or not, nude worship was common amongst pagan cults. This is yet another rule provided for the people of God to prevent them from conforming to the worship habits of the world.

In all of this, the worship of God’s people ought to look different from that of the world. Because our God is set apart, it means that the way that we show Him worth and honor should be set apart from the world as well.

As we come to a close this morning, it is fitting that we will have what we often refer to as an altar call. The call simply is to come and meet with the Lord. However, I want to re-read verse 24. “...I cause my name to be remembered”. Will you come and meet with the Lord. Will you commit yourself to worshiping the Lord in the way that He desires to be worshipped? Will you come and thank Him for being worthy? Will you lay down today what plagues your heart today?