Worship That Pleases God

Text: John 4:24

Introduction

In every generation people ask the same question: What kind of worship does God accept?

Many today approach worship asking:

“What do people enjoy?”

“What will attract a crowd?”

“What feels meaningful to me?”

But Scripture asks a different question: What has God asked for?

Jesus answered that question clearly in John 4:24 — God must be worshiped “in spirit and in truth.”

True worship must involve both:

the right heart

the right pattern revealed by God.

Where’s the Piano? Where’s the authority for it?

It taught me that HOW we worship, is important

I. God Determines Acceptable Worship

Throughout Scripture, God shows that He alone determines how He is worshiped.

One of the first controversies God had with man was over a matter of worship

Genesis 4:4–5… The Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.

Example: Nadab and Abihu

In Leviticus 10:1–2, two priests offered worship God had not commanded.

Notice what the text says:

They offered “strange fire”

It was “which He commanded them not.”

Their worship may have been sincere—but it was unauthorized.

The lesson is clear:

Worship is not acceptable simply because people like it.

God cares not only that we worship, but how we worship.

Worship… is important

Secondly, unity is important

Our plea is for unity

It is not to embrace sensuality, it is to leave sensuality behind altogether, and conform to the Biblical pattern of worship

Thirdly, truth is important

If a principle is established that additions can be made to our worship… it opens the door for anything

II. God Is The Recipient Of Our Worship

The purpose of worship is to honor God, not to entertain people.

Yet modern culture often turns worship into something resembling:

concerts

performances

productions.

The focus subtly shifts from God being pleased to people being pleased.

But the early church gathered for something very different.

The Pattern of the Early Church

Acts 20:7 describes the first-century church assembling:

to break bread

to hear the Word preached.

Their worship was simple and God-centered.

The New Testament pattern of worship includes:

teaching

prayer

the Lord’s Supper

giving

singing.

These acts focus the heart on God’s grace and truth, not on entertainment.

III. God’s Desire For Worship

Music is one of the clearest areas where the New Testament gives instruction.

The Command

Christians are told what kind of music to offer in worship:

Ephesians 5:19 “19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;”

Colossians 3:16 “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

The command is to sing.

Notice several key details:

The action: singing

The purpose: teaching and admonishing

The instrument: the heart

The melody is made within the heart, not through mechanical instruments.

IV. A Brief History of Instruments in Worship

One interesting fact from church history is that instrumental music was not part of early Christian worship.

The Early Church

For several centuries, Christians practiced vocal singing only.

Many early church writers viewed instruments as connected to Jewish temple worship or pagan ceremonies.

The First Major Introduction

Mechanical instruments began appearing in parts of the church around the 7th century.

A pipe organ is often associated with Pope Vitalian (around A.D. 670), though its use did not become widespread immediately.

For centuries after that, many congregations still rejected instrumental music.

Later Opposition

There was a time where none of us had it

“The one instrument of peace, the Word alone by which we  honour God, is what we  employ. We no longer employ the ancient psaltery, and  trumpet, and timbrel, and flute.”  — Clement of Alexandria, A.D.  153-217).

 “...Now, instead of organs, we  may use our own bodies to  praise him withal.... Instruments  appertain not to Christians.”  — John Chrysostom , Homily  on Psalm 149 (4 th  century).

Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians

John Wesley: “I have no objection to organs in our chapels, provided they are neither seen nor heard”

Martin Luther called the organ: “The ensign of Baal”

Ulrich Zwingli:

Spurgeon: “I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery.”

Calvin:

“Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law.”

“In Popery there was a ridiculous and unsuitable imitation [of the Jews]. While they adorned their temples, and valued themselves as having made the worship of God more splendid and inviting, they employed organs, and many other such ludicrous things, by which the Word and worship of God are exceedingly profaned, the people being much more attached to those rites than to the understanding of the divine Word...”

Both appealing to 1 Corinthians 14:15 “15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”

Restoration Movement Perspective

During the 1800s, when churches began reintroducing instruments in America, it created major division among those seeking to restore New Testament Christianity.

Those committed to the principle “Speak where the Bible speaks” concluded:

If the New Testament authorizes singing, then adding instruments changes the pattern.

V. Simple New Testament Worship

The beauty of New Testament worship is its simplicity.

It allows every Christian to participate:

Everyone can sing

Everyone can pray

Everyone can learn

Everyone can remember Christ in the Lord’s Supper

Worship becomes something we offer together, not something we watch.

This reflects the instruction of Hebrews 13:15:

“Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God.”

Our worship is a spiritual sacrifice offered from the heart.

Conclusion

Jesus taught in John 4:24 that worship must be offered in spirit and in truth.

This means:

A heart devoted to God

A pattern guided by Scripture

When we follow God’s design, worship remains:

simple

reverent

Christ-centered.

And most importantly, it becomes worship that pleases God.

What defense can be given to introduce instruments into the assembly?

The answer I get from reading the NT is none

Did Christ ever appoint it? … no

Did the apostles ever sanction it? … no

Did the early church ever use them? … no

Then what is the argument? The argument is: “There is no harm in instrumental music in worship to God”

First… that’s not an argument, it’s an opinion that doesn’t appeal to scripture

Second… if you grant the argument then what kind of instrument can be used?

Organ? Yes!

Drums? Some yes… others no

Bagpipes? Well, idk about bagpipes

What is we all brought harmonicas? Would that please them?

It’s completely arbitrary! Whatever YOU like is what YOU’LL do!

Third… why add them at all?

We like it

We want it

It draws people in

All of these answers are completely unfounded!

The only proper answer, is that adding instruments in worship, is more pleasing to God… that’s it

Yet to argue that point is to rip up the entire New Testament text!

~~

John 4:24 “24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””

John 17:17 “17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

John 8:32 “32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.””

The Lord said worship in truth… that was the Lord’s regulation

Matthew 15:9 “9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me’” …

And you have many individuals who think almost no worship is in vain, if you are sincere and you worship God, that’s enough. God will accept it

Blakely: “The only regulation is that you worship the right object… the God of heaven”

Yet Jesus described vain worship as what?

Matthew 15:9 “9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ””

If we don’t have authority for what we are doing, we are worshipping in vain

So does it really matter? Is it really a significant issue?

There was a time where none of us had it

“The one instrument of peace, the Word alone by which we  honour God, is what we  employ. We no longer employ the ancient psaltery, and  trumpet, and timbrel, and flute.”  — Clement of Alexandria, A.D.  153-217).

 “...Now, instead of organs, we  may use our own bodies to  praise him withal.... Instruments  appertain not to Christians.”  — John Chrysostom , Homily  on Psalm 149 (4 th  century).

Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians

John Wesley: “I have no objection to organs in our chapels, provided they are neither seen nor heard”

Martin Luther called the organ: “The ensign of Baal”

Ulrich Zwingli:

Spurgeon: “I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery.”

Calvin:

“Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law.”

“In Popery there was a ridiculous and unsuitable imitation [of the Jews]. While they adorned their temples, and valued themselves as having made the worship of God more splendid and inviting, they employed organs, and many other such ludicrous things, by which the Word and worship of God are exceedingly profaned, the people being much more attached to those rites than to the understanding of the divine Word...”

Both appealing to 1 Corinthians 14:15 “15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”