1 Forty Two Principles of Biblical Worship 2
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Forty Two Principles of Biblical Worship 2
Headings Theological Principles The Scope of Worship Elements of Corporate Worship as Response Relationships, Participation Contextualization/Culture 3
What should you do with principles? Practice them Test their effectiveness Let them guide your ministry* *The scripture citations are heuristic (to encourage discovery) 4
42 Principles of Biblical Worship Theological Principles 1. Trinitarian worship: Three in One God: Creator Gen 1: 1; Rev 4: 11 Christ: Redeemer, Mediator Eph 1: 7; I Tim 2: 5 Holy Spirit: Indwelling/Empowering Acts 1: 8 To the Father, through the Son, by (in) the Spirit 2. Holiness: God’s Central Distinctive Holy, holy is the Lord Isa 6: 3; Rev 4: 8 Holiness=Wholeness (more than sinlessness) 3. Christocentric worship 1 st importance: death/burial/resurrection I Cor 15: 35
Theological Principles 4. Worship by the Spirit We who worship by (in) the Spirit Phil 3: 3 5. Sacrifice - at the very center Altar, Mercy Seat, Atonement Lev 16: 30 -34 Our bodies as a living sacrifice Rom 12: 1 Slain Lamb Rev 5: 9 -10 6. Presence (“My presence shall go with you”) If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here! Ex 32; 33: 15 Presence in Garden, Desert, Tab/Temple, Indwelling Spirit, Throne in heaven 6
Theological Principles 7. Transcendence in worship (“I saw the Lord”) Theophany of God experienced by Jacob Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel Gen 28: 12; Ex 3: 2; Isa 6; Ezek 1 Theophany of Christ experienced by Paul, John Acts 9: 3; Rev 1: 10 8. Prohibition of idolatry No other Gods. No idols of any likeness Ex 20: 4 9. Prohibition of intermediaries No worship of Saints Acts 14: 11 -15 No worship of Angels Rev 19: 10; 22: 8, 9 7
42 Principles of Biblical Worship The Scope of Worship 10. Worship in spirit and truth John 4: 24 11. Prostration (submission), service Matt 4: 10 Primary biblical words for worship 12. Historical Development/Progression Worship in the family/Patriarchs Tribal Level /Tabernacle National Level/Temple Community Level/Synagogue Global Level/Church All of Heaven & Earth/Bk of Revelation!8
The Scope of Worship 13. Unbounded by location, time, culture Not on this mount, nor Jerusalem John 4: 21 Another regards every day alike Rom 14: 5 Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles Acts 11: 15 14. OT concepts transformed in NT Circumcision of the heart Rom 2: 29 Our bodies as living sacrifices Rom 12: 1 New heaven/earth, new Jerusalem Rev 21: 1 15. Balance of form and spirit Scripted & spontaneous Matt 6: 9; Gen 24: 12 Internal & external Ps 9: 1; Duet 27 -28 9
The Scope of Worship 16. Call to remember (looks back) Yahweh: gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love & faithfulness Ex 34: 5 What God/Christ have done (Exodus, Cross) Giving of Holy Spirit (birth of Church) Acts 2 17. Eschatological (looks forward) Promises: full fulfillment anticipated Holy Spirit: pledge of more to come Eph 1: 14 2 nd coming: hope of glorious appearing Tit 2: 13 Worship around throne Rev 4 & 5 Wedding feast Rev 19: 9 10
42 Principles of Biblical Worship Elements of Corporate Worship 18. Prayer My house shall be called a house of (Luke 19: 46) 19. Scripture reading Give attention to the public reading (I Tim 4: 13) 20. The Lords Table, Baptism I Cor 11: 20 21. Kerygma: proclamation/preaching/repentance Great Commission Matt 28: 18 Edification/Discipleship I Cor 14: 26 22. Koinonia: fellowship, community 23. Leitourgia: worship, service 11
Elements of Corporate Worship 24. Words, Signs/Symbols Ex 25; Rev 4, 5, 8 Wide range/breadth of communication (Symbolism weighted heavily in Tab/Temple/Revelation) 25. Use of All Arts Music (voice, instruments) Songs that teach, admonish Col 3: 16 Drama (mental or enacted) Prodigal Son Luke 15; Lamb takes Scroll Rev 5 Movement/Dance Artwork Architecture 12
42 Principles of Biblical Worship as Response 27. God/Christ/Spirit are initiators, agents We respond with obedience, gratitude, service To obey is better than to sacrifice I Sam 15: 22 28. Responding by loving God With all our heart, soul, mind, strength Matt 22: 37 29. Responding with ethical life style Righteousness, truthfulness, justice Amos 5: 24 30. Responding with generosity, hospitality Loving our neighbor as our self Matt 22: 38 Caring for widow/welcoming the stranger Rom 12: 1 Not hardening our hearts to needs, missions Phil 4: 15 -17 13
Worship as Response 31. Responding with first fruits, our best A worthy − not lame − sacrifice (Prov 3: 9; Mal 1: 8) 32. Responding with whole person Our body and spirit; words & symbols Every knee bows & tongue confesses (Phil 2: 11) 33. Responding with intelligent worship We worship what we know (John 4: 22) I will sing/pray with the mind (I Cor 14: 15) Requires a distinction in the tones (I Cor 14: 7) Requires apprehendable language (I Cor 14: 11) Requires interpreted tongues (I Cor 14: 27, 28) 14
Worship as Response 34. Celebration of core events Easter (Passover) Ex 12; I Cor 5: 7 Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) Lev 23: 15; Acts 2 Thanksgiving (Feast of Tabernacles) Zech 14: 16 Christmas (Incarnation) Luke 2 35. Responding through performance (Not for show or to be seen as spiritual Matt 6: 1 -5) The Biblical view of performance: To perform is to minister and to serve Num 3: 7 NASB; 1 Chron 6: 31, 32 NASB; Ezek 44: 1 15
42 Principles of Biblical Worship Relationships, Participation 36. Reconcile with your brother first, then offer your gift Matt 5: 23 37. Priesthood of Believers/Spiritual Gifts You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation I Pet 2: 9 There are varieties of spiritual gifts I Cor 12: 4 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good I Cor 12: 7 Each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation I Cor 14: 26 Unbeliever convicted/called to account by all I Cor 14 16
42 Principles of Biblical Worship Contextualization/Culture 38. Dealing with the “weak, ” “strong” a. Respect the conscience of the weak I Cor 10: 28 b. Don’t wound, cause the weak to stumble Isa 42: 3; Rom 14: 15, 20, 21; I Cor 8: 7 -9, 11; 10: 32, 33 c. Don’t pass judgment on disputable matters Rom 14: 1 -3, 5, 11, 14, 17 d. Be willing to set aside freedoms/preferences Rom 15: 1 -3; I Cor 9: 20 -22; 10: 25 -27, 33 e. All things are lawful, but not all edify I Cor 10: 23 f. Act from faith, not doubt Rom 14: 23 17
Contextualization/Culture 39. Use of indigenous language Acts 2: 6 -11 Proclamation in heart language of people Wonders of God proclaimed in 15 languages 40. Doctrine of Common Grace All humans made in image of God Gen 1: 26 Rain falls on just and unjust Matt 5: 45 Unredeemed can be good parents Unredeemed can produce beautiful work We can appreciate/enjoy their work 18
Contextualization/Culture 41. Stress on group/corporate identity (American Culture stresses individualism) Paul: Church as an interdependent body Paul: My Lord (1 time) Our Lord (53 times) 42. Sunday worship: primarily for believers − secondarily for unbelievers When church assembles And an unbeliever enters I Cor 14: 23 I Cor 14: 24, 25 19
What should you do with principles? Practice them Test their effectiveness Let them guide your ministry 20
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