The Pattern of Worship

Faithfulness

Romans 12:1–8 AV 1873

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 AV 1873

1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Romans 12:1–8 AV 1873

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:7–8 AV 1873

7 or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:8 AV 1873

8 or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

*Faithfulness not fruitfulness

At it’s core, a pattern of worship is a matter of faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 AV 1873

1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Congregational Worship

Congregational Worship

Congregational Worship

“I would abolish forever the notion of a ‘worship leader.’ If you want to have a ‘song leader’ who leads part of the worship, just as the preacher leads part of the worship, that’s fine. But to call the person a ‘worship leader’ takes away the idea that preaching, teaching, listening to and devouring the world of God, and applying it to our lives, we are somehow not worshiping God.” —D.A. Carson

Music: Special times come from music sung together.

Hebrews 10:23–26 AV 1873

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

Hebrews 10:22–25 AV 1873

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Preparation

Hebrews 10:22–23 AV 1873

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Heb. 10:22

Are you prepared for service when it is time? Are you ready for church when we meet together? I saw a quote this week that was a spin off of the song “Your So Vain.” The one line went something like this, “I bet you think this church is about you, you’re so vain.” Have you spent more time in gossip mode than you have in worship mode? Have you prayed that your heart will be open to receive the Word this morning and that it would be received and delivered for God’s glory in all the hearts here today?

Music: Special times come from music sung together.

Psalm 25:1–3 AV 1873

1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, Let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Psalm 95:1–7 AV 1873

1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: The strength of the hills is his also. 5 The sea is his, and he made it: And his hands formed the dry land. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

Interpersonal Investment

Hebrews 10:24–25 AV 1873

24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

If no one invested in another because of the hurt that may happen, then where are we as a body of people. The whole exercise of interpersonal worship is bound up in vulnerability. People will hurt you, and before you believe you are the victim in all this, you hurt people.

Giving

Many times giving turns into an exercise of “look at me” when it should be an exercise in “look at HIM.”

Finances

Luke 6:38 AV 1873

38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

2 Corinthians 9:7 AV 1873

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Parable of the talents—God gives and we are expected to use His gift as an investment into eternity.

Time

2 Corinthians 8:1–7 AV 1873

1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. 7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

Service

Colossians 3:23 AV 1873

23 and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Living

Romans 12:1–2 AV 1873

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Heart

Who owns how you worship? Is it God or something else?

Practice

Hebrews 9:23–28 AV 1873

23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Look at your day yesterday, what part of it did you spend worshiping the Lord?

John 4:23–24 AV 1873

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Individually?

John 4:23–24 AV 1873

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Matthew 12:6–7 AV 1873

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Mt. 12:

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Matthew 4. The Use of the Sabbath, 12:1–14

Jesus’ conditional, “if you had known …,” implies that in fact they had not known, and further that they had condemned the guiltless. They prided themselves on their devotion to the law and the prophets, but yet again Jesus complains that they did not really know the writings they claimed as sacred. They had read them, but they had not entered into what they really meant.

Matthew 12:6 AV 1873

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

As a family?

Deuteronomy 6:6–8 AV 1873

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

Duet. 5:

Proclaiming to a lost person?