Authority And Worship
Finding Our Authority In The Scriptures • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
I want to begin by thanking the elders of this congregation for putting on such a topic as we are examining this week, “Back to the Bible: Finding Our Authority In Scripture.”
There is no other source by which we can go, nor any other source we should want to look into.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The amount of ignorance on the topic of authorization is why we find so many within the body of Christ struggling in not only their day to day lives, but in their dedication to God.
As the Hebrew writer stated in Hebrews 5:14…
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
We can’t practice distinguishing good from evil without the solid food or the meat of the scriptures.
And we cannot even begin to grasp and understand the meat of the scriptures, if we don’t understand “How God Authorizes” in scripture.
This is the very foundation of “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and yet so many of our own brethren are fumbling around in the scriptures because they are not being properly guided on how to not just “gain knowledge of God’s word” but to “understand God’s word.”
So, again I want to thank everyone involved who has had a part in putting this most important topic together.
My specific topic is going to be dealing with Authority And Worship.
So to begin let’s first talk about…
God’s Authority
God’s Authority
The Only Pure Source For Authority
The Only Pure Source For Authority
When I say, “God’s authority is the only pure source for authority” that isn’t me suggesting we have no people in our lives that have authority over us.
Husband have authority over their wives (Ephesians 5:23).
Government has authority over its citizens (1 Peter 2:13-17).
Parents have authority over their children (Ephesians 6:1-3).
Elders have authority over the local church (Hebrews 13:17).
No, what I mean by “God’s authority is the only pure source for authority” is that everyone that has authority “should filter” their authority through the pure source of authority” which is God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
If husbands, governments, parents, elders, and everyone else with authority over someone else would seek the pure source of authority, God’s word, just imagine how wonderful the world would be.
Unfortunately, worldliness has crept in unnoticed by man in the Lord’s church, and one of the first things to go astray in a local congregation is worship.
Why, because if a local congregation’s leadership doesn’t understand how God authorizes neither will its members, and attendance will suffer, and the first thing leadership turns to when attendance suffers “is changing worship.”
Worship Changes In The Brotherhood: (1) Praise Groups/Mechanical Instruments (2) Preacher being rolled from the back of auditorium to the front while strapped to a cross (3) A preacher dancing up and down the aisle while dressed in flipflops (4) Women leading in worship.
Summary
Summary
The only pure source for authority is God’s authority.
7 For God is the King of all the earth…
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Again, because God’s authority is the only pure source for authority it is vital we understand how God authorizes (how he tells us what he requires) throughout the scriptures.
After all God, through Peter, declared he has given us everything we need to live a life of godliness.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence
So, how does God establish his authority from within the pages of his holy writ.
Direct Statements
Examples
Implications
Expedience
Everything we need to know to live a godly life can be established and proven as being pleasing to God through one or more of these four ways God authorizes.
So, with that knowledge let’s take a practical look at this in action as pertaining to our worship when we come to the assembly of the saints.
God’s Authority & Worship
God’s Authority & Worship
Direct Statements
Direct Statements
This is the most prolific way in which God authorizes.
By far the most common way God authorizes throughout his holy scripture is through direct statements.
Now, authorization through direct statements certainly has “commands,” but they are not limited to just commands.
Notice Jesus’ condemnation and yet authorization in Matthew 15:8…
8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me
Jesus authorizes, through a simple statement of fact not command, that worshiping God with honor is done by our lips through our heart and that if we leave either out we are not worshiping God properly.
Doesn’t mean if just do one we aren’t worshiping God, but it means we are not worshiping God as he has authorized.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Again, notice there is no command here, but simply a statement of fact in which Jesus clearly authorizes the need for believing and being baptized to be saved.
Direct statements and how God uses them to authorize, are vital for us to understand when it comes to how we are to please our God in our worship to him.
So, the very first things we should look for (when we are looking for authority and worship) are direct statements.
What are God’s direct statements on…
What acts of worship please him?
What motives in worship please him?
What emotions in worship please him?
What day(s) of the week to worship pleases him (collectively)?
Once we exhaust all the direct statements for worship we then turn to…
Examples
Examples
Once we leave the authority discovered through direct statements, we move into the authority of indirect statements.
In other words, where God has not explicitly or directly told us what he wants, we must look for what he has implicitly or indirectly told us what he wants.
This is where example, implication, and expedience find their footing.
Now, before we dive into examples authorizing in worship, I need to unclutter our modern take on the word “example” and the “grammatically proper take” on this vitally important word.
We don’t always use the word “example” in a grammatically proper way today, because we use it in either a positive (good example) or negative (bad example) way.
I say this, because the word “example” by grammatical definition can only refer to that which “is to be followed.”
What we call “bad examples” today, are really just “actions” not examples.
This is very important when we talk about bible authority because the bible records all sorts of actions (like sinning) that are not to be followed, but those are not examples, they are actions.
The bible is full of actions, but actions are not authorization from God.
Examples “are” authorization from God because they are by definition that which is to be followed.
So if there are no direct statements on a specific aspect of worship, we search the scriptures for examples of worship, to see what God has authorized.
Let’s take partaking of the Lord’s Supper on every first day of the week.
We see an example of the church meeting on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
We see an example of the church meeting continually to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.
We see that the same church that met to partake continually, was actually meeting every first day of the week.
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
So…
If the church was meeting on the first day of the week “too partake of the Lord’s Supper” and they were according to the example recorded in scripture.
And if the church was meeting every first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper” and they were according to the example recorded in scripture.
And if we have no direct or indirect authority that a congregation partook of the Lord’s Supper on a different day or not every Sunday, and we don’t find anything like that in scripture.
Then, the only authority we have is to partake of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week.
But, what happens if we don’t find any direct statements or examples?
What do we do then, we look for where God has made…
Implications
Implications
Where God has implied authority, we are to infer his authority.
Again this is where we find God indirectly authorizing something.
Now, when we are looking for what God has implied, we cannot elevate our assumptions to the level of inference.
Let me illustrate the difference between assuming something and inferring something from God.
Many teach that God has implied infant baptism in Acts 16:14-15.
They assume that Lydia was married.
They assume that Lydia had kids.
They assume that Lydia had a least one infant.
They then say God implies infant baptism because Lydia’s baby is part of the household that was baptised.
The Lord’s church teaches that God implied Paul repented before he was baptized (Acts 22:16).
No where, do we ever read that Paul repented before he was baptized.
We do know God authorizes repentance for everyone (Acts 17:30).
We do know repentance is required before one is baptized (Acts 2:38).
Therefore, by Paul being baptized, God implied that Paul had repented and we rightly have inferred that Paul repented before he was baptised.
This is the difference between assuming and inferring.
How do we find this in worship?
Is a song leader authorized when the saints assemble for worship, because we have no direct statement or an example of such.
We know that God authorized the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in the collective worship of the saints.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
We know God authorizes an orderly worship.
33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints
Therefore, God authorizes a song leader when the saints assemble for worship.
It is impossible for any psalm, hymns, or spiritual song to be sang by the whole assembly if there is no one to “start” or “lead” the song.
Trying two different men, without coordinating, starting a song at the same time!!!
We have no direct statement or example of a song leader, but God certainly implies such and as such authorizes a song leader to used in when the saints assemble for worship.
Lastly, let’s quickly discuss…
Expedience
Expedience
When God authorizes what he wants, he does not always give every detail about “how to accomplish” what he has authorized, and this is where he authorizes expedience.
In Matthew 28:19 we find…
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
God directly says to “go.”
God directly says to “make disciples.”
God directly says to “baptize those disciples.”
God directly says that baptism is only done if they have his authorization i.e., in the name of…
However, God leaves it up to us “how we go.”
By train, the internet, car, plane, as long as what we choose to go by is not sinful.
How is this useful concerning worship?
Shepherds are tasked with expedience in many different areas of the carrying out of the expectations of the local church, including in worship.
It is the overseers responsibility to use expedience on when the church meets to worship.
Just once Sunday or at other times.
Keep in mind they cannot undermine (Hebrews 10:24-25).
It is the elders responsibility to use expedience when deciding the order of the worship service.
When does the church partakes of the Lord’s Supper (before or after the sermon)?
This must be something that is spiritually considered.
The reason I said, “spiritually considered” is because expedience is always based on what will bring about a spiritual advantage.
Elders at one congregation moved the Lord’s Supper until after the sermon to help those that were only there to partake see the need for all of the acts of worship.
26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
Summary
Summary
Knowing how God authorizes us to worship him is how we “rightly handle the word of truth” concerning our worship of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Conclusion
Conclusion
If we are ignorant or simply ignore God’s authority this is when we get into trouble spiritually with God.
There is nothing we are to do in this life without “God’s authority” (Colossians 3:17).
If we cannot “prove” God has authorized us to do something in our day to day lives or when we assemble to worship our most high God, we cannot do it.
This is not up for debate, and has been settled by God long ago.
We must have a “thus saith the Lord” for every things we do, “word or deed.”
And by the way, if we are truly devoted, to God this will never be an issue.
Because if we are truly devoted to God, we understand we don’t have a vote, we only have allegiance the the God we are devoted to.
And that isn’t a bad thing, brother and sisters, that is what brings us peace because the decision has already been made.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
