TPW 54 The Regulative Principle of Worship versus Shallow Entertainment

Any growth in the church due to unbiblical methods or tactics while it looks like success to the world is nothing short of an abomination to God. You know, there's no reason for anyone to come here unless you want to worship God.

So I tell people we're I'm a reformed nerd and I'm boring. Okay, and when reformed people try to be cool, we just come off looking even more nerdy than we already are. Welcome to the Protestant witness.

This is pastor Patrick Hines here at Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church in lovely Kingsport, Tennessee tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains and There is beauty in every direction. Rolling hills and mountains and beautiful parks and hiking and I love living here.

It is wonderful. It's for me. It's been a lot better than living in Cincinnati, Ohio. Because Cincinnati has millions and millions of people in it and I worked in the middle of downtown Cincinnati for six years as a computer programmer and fought traffic constantly and now I live 1 .7 miles from the church and can just peacefully roll through back roads to get to our Church here and all is well and right with the world for those wondering.

My precious wife is still pregnant. She told me yesterday. I can't believe this baby hasn't been born yet. The child was due a December the 31st and the midwife said it might be coming she might be coming January the 14th.

But I don't know where else that baby can possibly go and my wife is getting pretty uncomfortable. So I'd certainly covet your prayers for a safe and healthy delivery. This will be our 10th child my seventh daughter and It's gonna be a home birth and we've done home births for the last two Elizabeth and Ruth were born at home right up in my bedroom and Wonderful experience.

We have had great experiences with the midwife and she's actually. We recommended her to a number of other families and they've had babies recently with her. So she's great. I think she's delivered something like 5 ,000 babies throughout her life.

She worked at a hospital for quite some time and now does the midwife thing and home births. So we're excited. I'm excited to meet our daughter and can't wait to lock eyes with her with another Child another gift from God to us.

The Regulative Principle of Worship and Why It Matters

Today, I'm gonna post the sermon. I preached this last Sunday morning. I got really really good responses from this message. I took a little brief detour. We're gonna do two or three weeks on The regulative principle of worship and the reason I'm doing this detour.

I have preached on this before. But we have enough new faces now who are I get the impression are somewhat new to Reformed theology and why we worship the way we do and things like that. So I wanted to do some sermons based on some of the key passages on the regulative principle of worship.

The Westminster Standards require us to hold to the regulative principle. We are confessionally bound To it because the way the proper way of worship is prescribed by God. And may not be added to or altered at any time.

We are not allowed to invent ways of worshiping God. We are to keep it simple and we really have a no frill no gimmicks. No performances. No special music no Children's Church. You know, I said at the end of my sermon Kind of broke from my manuscript a little bit and said, you know something there is no reason for anyone to come here unless they want to worship God and.

And people but you know lately. Throughout my time as a Presbyterian minister, you don't get very many amens. But people have been a mening lately and that's encouraging. There's a an older fella and his wife wonderful couple.

We actually just admitted them to communicate membership they made professions of faith and they Have been walking with Christ for a long long time and just our wonderful wonderful people. We received them and another one of the church's covenant children made a profession of faith.

So we received her into a communicant membership status and he he amens and I think it's getting contagious. So I've told folks, you know, we're Presbyterians, but you're allowed to you're allowed to say amen.

You're allowed to be expressive and worship if you want to that's perfectly fine. There's no no prohibitions against that. It's okay. It's okay to get excited. It's okay to To be passionate and to worship God with your whole heart and to be expressive and that that's that's all good.

That's a good thing. So I've been getting some amens and that's encouraging because usually people are just they kind of lock in and listen and that's all good. But people aren't overly responsive, but that's you know, that's just kind of the way we are.

We tend to be reserved in our.

Reformedness.

So.

Anyway, I wanted to post the sermon part one of it's probably gonna be a three-part series. It might it might just be two but probably three parts on the regulative principle because I want people to understand why.

We don't have gimmicks and why you know, we we still use hymnals. I mean, there's nothing in principle wrong with putting words up on a screen or something. That's perfectly fine. But we like hymnals and we just there's no reason to to move away from that sort of thing.

And so we use the Red Trinity hymnal. We may eventually a change to another like the Blue Trinity hymnal what we'll see. But we were probably not ever gonna go the direction of doing the whole thing up modern.

So anyway, I hope that you find this instructive and helpful. One of the things I emphasized in this Sermon is the importance of parents teaching this stuff to their kids because if things continue the way they are now in our country and in the church I think that our children are going to have a difficult time finding Churches that are faithful to biblical worship.

They're gonna have a difficult time finding places where It's not seeker sensitive and going off into all the the trappings of all that kind of stuff. And so we want our young people. And seminarians and guys who are studying for the ministry.

They need to understand this too that when you plant a church or you you're thinking about what should we do in worship? In the church, you know, we have the Directory of Public Worship. That's an appendix in our Book of Church Order.

That's very useful. Actually quoted from it in the sermon, but it's important for people to understand. What is it that you're looking for? When you pick a church, and so I hope this is helpful edifies you.

Prayer for Understanding Scripture and Worship

Let's ask God's blessing on our time in his work, please Heavenly Father. Thank you for giving us Holy Scripture. We confess that we are in darkness without Your special saving divine revelation that's verbal and inscripturated in its sacred pages.

We pray that you would help us Lord to understand it. To receive his truths with faith and love lay them up on our hearts and practice them in our lives in Jesus name. We ask amen. Please take your Bibles and turn to Exodus chapter 32.

Exodus chapter 32 taking a brief detour. This will probably last at least two weeks maybe three going to talk about the importance of the regulative principle of worship and Worship that is regulated by God's Holy Word.

One of the most important topics really facing the church in our time. Exodus 32 verses 1 through.

11.

This is God's Word. Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain The people assembled about Aaron and said to him come make us a God who will go before us. As for this Moses the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt.

We do not know what has become of him. Aaron said to them tear off the gold rings Which are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters and bring them to me. But all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron and he took them from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a mold and calf and They said this is your God.

Oh Israel who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Now when Aaron saw this he built an altar before it and Aaron made a proclamation and said Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord. So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses go down at once for your people who you brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They made for themselves a molten calf and have worshipped it enough sacrifice to it and said this is your God Oh Israel who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

The Lord said to Moses. I've seen this people and behold. They are an obstinate people. Now then let me alone that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them and I will make of you a great nation.

And if you please turn over another little bit there in the Old Testament to Leviticus chapter 10. Leviticus 10 verses 1 through 7 is our second scripture reading and that'll be it for Sermon texts this morning.

Leviticus 10 verses 1 through 7. Leviticus 10 Verses 1 through 7. This is God's Word. Now Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron took their respective firepans and after putting fire in them placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord which he had not commanded them and fire came out from the presence of the Lord and Consumed them and they died before the Lord.

Then Moses said to Aaron It is what the Lord spoke saying by those who come near me I will be treated as holy and before all the people I will be honored. So Aaron therefore kept silent. Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel and said to them come forward carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp.

So they came forward and carried them still in their tunics to the outside of the camp as Moses had said. Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes so that you will not die and that he will not become wrathful against all the congregation.

But your kinsmen the whole house of Israel shall bewail the burning which the Lord has brought about. You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting or you will die for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you.

So they did according to the word of Moses. May God bless the reading of his infallible word. The Westminster Confession of Faith in chapter 21 point one. The confession states the following the light of nature showeth that there is a God Who hath lordship and sovereignty over all is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised Called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the might.

But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and So limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men. Or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

Now this morning I'd like to go over two major points and the second point has two sub points. I've given you a an outline there. It's at the bottom underneath the declaration of pardon there and your bulletin in the back.

The priority of proper worship number one and then number two two great errors in worship. The first one is doing what God forbids and that's what the first passage illustrates and then the second major error Doing what God has not expressly commanded.

Leviticus 10 1 through 7. So point number one this morning the priority of proper worship when we think about who we are as human beings. What is really the heart of our biggest problem? What is man's?

Biggest problem as a sinner. The scripture says in Romans 1 very familiar passage Romans 1 20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made.

Even his eternal power and God has said that they are without excuse. No one has an excuse for not worshiping God or knowing God. Verse 21. Because although they knew God they did not glorify him as God nor were thankful.

But became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened professing to be wise they became fools and Changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves who exchanged the truth of God for the lie listen and worshipped and served the creature Rather than the Creator who is blessed forever.

Amen. John Calvin taught us a very memorable phrase you hear it quoted all the time. He says. And institutes of the Christian religion book 1 chapter 11 .8. Man's nature so to speak is a perpetual factory of idols.

What are men all about who don't know God? We are we go from one idol to the next one idol to the next we are a factory of idolatry. And all evangelism the goal is not just to save people's souls. But to see people go from idolatry to being worshipers of the true and living God.

That's the really the end result of evangelism. That's why God saves us is so he would have real worshipers who worship him not according to their imaginations or devices. But in the way he has instituted.

We want to see true worshipers of God all over the earth. False worship and idolatry are replaced with authentic Biblical worship when genuine conversion takes place and local churches are established.

Idolatry is the heart of man's Rebellion against God and the kingdom of Jesus Christ marches forward in the world as Christ subdues More and more idolaters and turns them into lovers and worshipers of the one true and living God.

There before the grace of God go all of us everyone here Would be an idolater and happy to be an idolater. Were it not for the grace of God. We would be worshipers of ourselves. We would worship the creature Things that God made the thing we see in the mirror every day our things our possessions our gifts talents.

We'd worship everything but God were it not for his grace. Jesus taught the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 that God the Father is seeking.

Worshipers.

Worshippers who do what he says to do in worship to please him. He said to her at that well in John 4 the hour is coming and now is when the true Worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth for the father is seeking such to worship him.

God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and.

Truth.

Man exists for God's glory and for the enjoying of God and God created us for himself. We exist to worship and adore him and the greatest and deepest of longings within our sin. Wearied souls can only find true and lasting satisfaction in knowing and worshiping God in first being Reconciled to God through Christ and then doing what he says to do with our lives.

That is our reasonable service in response to his mercy. That's what Paul says in Romans 12 when he says in view of what God has done to save you from your wretched self from Your sin from your idolatry make your whole life a living sacrifice of praise to God.

Obey what he says. The church and knowing God is not about God conforming to our desires. It's about us coming to him and saying what do you want me to do now? What pleases you in the way that we're supposed to live?

That's what I want to do as a redeemed sinner. One of the greatest of human sins is idolatry. It's perhaps the heart of all other sins. Why do husbands mistreat their wives idolatry of self? Why do wives mistreat their husbands idolatry of self?

Why do children of disobey their parents idolatry of self, why do parents get sinfully angry at their children idolatry of self. How dare you inconvenience me? We're often discontent lazy. Sour moods.

Why idolatry of self. We think that all of life exists for our comfort. It's not about our comfort. God's not interested in our comfort. He's interested in our character our godliness our Godward orientation.

Consider the wording of the first two commandments in Exodus chapter 20. The first two of the Ten Commandments address the heart of the idolatry issue directly. God spoke all these words saying I am the Lord your God who brought you out the land of Egypt out of the house of.

Bondage.

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image Of any likeness of anything in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who? hate me. But showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. What's at the heart of unbelief?

What's at the heart of idolatry? Hatred of God. He says those who hate me. Idolaters are not trying to do the right thing, but are just lost and confused. God says that their idolatrous worship is a demonstration of the fact that they in God's own words here hate me.

If people will not repent and believe in Christ and serve God it is because they hate God. We don't like to think of unbelievers in such harsh terms. Do we but God does. Idolaters demonstrate by their idolatry that they in fact hate God.

In Romans 1's long list of sinful practices to that characterize the lives of unbelievers. They did they're described by the Greek word Fustages, which means God haters. God haters. The Sunday morning gathering of God's people who are members of the local church is our act of listen to me, please.

It is our act of love to God. Why do we come here? We're not God haters anymore. We love the creator of all this. We look at the mercy. He's shown us the patience that he shows to us the forgiveness that he's given us in Christ and we love him now.

We come here because we love God. We are his worshipers. We desire to express that love to God by singing his praises by listening to his word the Bible. We no longer hate God. We no longer scoff and mock at his laws.

But instead confess our own sinfulness and having broken them all. There is no clearer indication of a person's unconverted state. Then they're taking offense that God holds them to be a sinner. Because of whatever it is that they do or desire that's contrary to God's law.

When God tells us that something we're doing is wrong and our reaction is to get angry at it. There are a few stronger indications that were unconverted than that. We are masters of self-justification in our sin.

Everyone's got an excuse. Our culture and society has worked hard to produce an entire generation of victims. We're not responsible for anything. We do everything is someone else's fault. We're not responsible.

It's someone else's fault. But remember the prodigal son. What happened that showed that he really came to his senses. What did he say? What was the speech? I Have sinned against heaven and in your sight and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

No excuses. It's not my upbringing. It's not my society. It's not my parents my siblings people at school my peers. None of that I have sinned against God and yes. It is a radical change to go from being a reckless God hater a prodigal God hater to being a repentant God Lover and it is our sacred duty if we have done that if God has effectually called us and we do see our sin.

And we trust in Christ alone. It is our duty and privilege to take our place in a local church and worship this gracious powerful and Gloriously loving God who made us and redeemed us from our sins while we were yet sinners running from him and hating him.

The corporate worship of the triune God by his visible gathered church is such an incredible privilege. For us. I didn't get that when I was 16 17 18 19 20 years old. My father would kick me out of bed.

Get up and get dressed. I didn't see it as a privilege. I was a fool. It is such a privilege to come to church. I'm not an idolater anymore. I'm a worshiper of the Living God. I do what pleases the creator of this whole vast amazing creation.

I'm one of his now. It's a privilege we take for granted in this country. Remember folks, what why did Jesus give us this? Do this and what remembrance of me? How could we forget? How can we need reminding of that?

Remember the grace by which God has glorified himself by saving our sin sick souls. Remember the wondrous sound of grace in Jesus Christ gospel hitting our unrepentant ears and the call to repent. And believe the gospel remember how faithfully God has loved us despite our wanderings.

Even as Christians despite our frequent lapses in dissent our doubt our worldliness God deserves for us to worship him only in the ways. He has told us to because that's what pleases him. Jonathan Edwards and his sermon centers in the hands of an angry God made this comment to his congregation.

He said there is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell since you last sat down here in the house Of God provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship and quote.

The Jonathan Edwards would be unemployable today. Worship is serious business folks. It's the highest calling and duty and obligation as God's covenanted creatures to him as his children who were bought and redeemed by the blood and suffering and agony of Christ.

We are called upon to love the one true God the triune God with all of our heart soul mind and strength that is. Today we are to worship him in the law of God and its first two commandments makes it clear that those who are Idolaters who do not take Yahweh as the one true God and as their God they hate him.

He says. Our love for God is communicated primarily by our actions folks. We all see that that's that's a Saying everyone agrees with whether you're a Christian or not actions speak louder than words.

You know, that is a biblical principle Proverbs 14 to he who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord. How you know if someone fears the Lord by the way, they live their life. Just like James 2 says. How do you what good is it if a person says they have faith, but their life is not transformed by the grace of God.

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him. One of the greatest and most grievous ways we can be perverse is by corrupting worship. By those actions of corrupting worship.

We show that we hate God. God alone tells us how we're supposed to worship him brothers and sisters. The Sabbath day and the worship of God that takes place on it is a most solemn and important Biblical concept and now our denominations book of Church order Also contains an important section called the directory for public worship, which we would do well to listen to.

If you listen closely to me talk, you'll notice that I tend to be a creature of habit. I'm not much on novelty or creativity. So I myself have actually noticed I always say the same thing when I get in the pulpit after the welcome.

I have a few announcements before we begin what our formal service of worship. Now there is a theological reason for saying that our book of Church order following scripture defines The service of public worship in one of the most memorable and gloriously biblical ways.

I've ever read listen to this what are we doing here? Why do we come to church on Sundays? Listen a service of public worship is not merely a gathering of God's children with each other, but before all else a meeting of the triune God with his chosen people.

Are there certain meetings that make it onto your calendar that you would never miss. With people if you had a meeting with a high-profile person or a celebrity or the president or whoever. Would you make sure you were there on time and that you were ready for that meeting?

What is it that we do here? We're meeting with God. It's the triune God meeting with his chosen people. Listen what it goes on to say. God is present in public worship. Not only by virtue of the divine omnipresence, but much more intimately as the faithful covenant Savior.

The purpose of public worship is the glory of God. His people should engage in all its several parts with an eye single to his glory and quote. What is it that we do together on Sundays? It is a meeting of God's people with God and Here is one of the most important questions that the church in America has long forgotten to ask and answer.

Who is the audience of worship? Who is the audience of worship. It's not y 'all God is the audience of worship. God is the audience of worship when a church Considers exactly what it is supposed to do on Sundays when the people gather together.

We have forgotten that all-important point. Who is worship for? It's not for us. It is a service of worship Directed solely and only to the triune Covenant God. Worship is not for us. It is for God and if we really are the children of God We must make it our great purpose to worship God the way he has prescribed for us to do so.

And biblically there is no set form or liturgical form in the New Testament to follow. However, we do see key elements commanded and practiced in the New Testament reading scripture. Singing of Psalms and hymns the offering of prayer the preaching of the word the presentation of offerings.

Confessing the faith and observing the sacraments and on special occasions taking oaths. Just like we had membership oaths just taken in front of you. Those are part of what God expects of us in worship.

This is what our Creator and Redeemer has said. He wants us to do on the Lord's Day Sabbath. You know, what's so wonderful about it? It's so simple. It's so simple. There's no gimmicks. There's no shows or performances.

This is what he's asked of us. The gospel is proclaimed and sinners are called to repent so that God would have more and more worshipers who will love Worship and obey what he says in his word and who will be satisfied with that.

Remember I wrote a paper when I was in seminary on the importance of biblically ordered Worship having come out of the whole seeker sensitive church growth movement. One of the books I read a theologian said.

Made one of the most amazing understatements talking about the importance of this and and he summarized it by just one little sentence. He says it is after all his religion. Doesn't that make sense? What are we supposed to do for God only what he tells us to do.

It's what he has told us. No gimmicks. No performances. When Paul preached to the Athenians his primary emphasis was repentance from idolatrous worship in Acts 17 16. Now when Paul waited for them at Athens.

His spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. And he went on to preach this to them. God who made the world and everything in it since he is Lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with hands.

Nor is he worship with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life and breath and all things. That was a rebuke to them for their false worship. And then he says therefore since we are the offspring of God.

We ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone something shaped by art and man's devising. And so coming away from idolatry first and foremost, we have to worship the correct God.

You should have no other gods before me. That's what he says to us and then I want you to worship me in the right way. You worship the right God and you worship him in the way he says. Many in our days say that as long as you're sincerely worshiping the right God through Christ God doesn't care what you do as long as you're sincere and these two texts before us that we just read.

We're gonna see that it does matter to God what we do In our formal worship. So if you want to turn back to Exodus 32, please do that Exodus 32 1 through 11 and let's just quickly walk through this passage.

I want you to see how important this is. Exodus 32 1 through 5 here it is again now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain the people assembled about Aaron and said to him come make Us a God who will go before us.

As for this man Moses the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt. We don't know what has become of him. Aaron said to them tear off the gold rings. Which are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters and bring them to me.

Then all the people tore off their gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molding calf. And they said this is your God of Israel who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Now when Aaron saw this he built an altar before it and Aaron made a proclamation and said listen closely. Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord to Yahweh. John Calvin wrote this about this passage and this end awaits all those who do not firmly maintain What is right, but who bargain as it were and descend to compromise?

For after they have vacillated a while they at length will succumb altogether. So as to shrink from nothing however unworthy and disgraceful He seems indeed by his proclamation to uplift their minds to the worship of the true God.

But when he is violating the law just given it is a wretched excuse to shield their offense and degenerate worship under God's sacred name. Here what Calvin's saying it accomplished nothing for Aaron to say.

Okay. Well, that's fine. I know y 'all used to worship cows. So we'll just say that we're worshiping Yahweh this way. We'll just be creative in the way we're worshiping the one true God. As soon as God's people cut themselves loose from Scripture in the way that they do worship as Calvin said.

Please remember this as soon as you cut yourself loose from Scripture as Calvin taught us you will at length succumb altogether. So as to shrink from nothing no out no matter how unworthy and disgraceful.

Folks I have seen Videos of churches doing the most outrageous things on stages. Guys coming out singing songs by by Garth Brooks and getting the congregation to sing along with them. And you think that's a worship service the moment you cut yourself loose from Scripture.

There is no end to the nonsense. There is no end of the silliness that people will engage in and it is an affront to God. This is why the worship of God and churches on Sundays must limit itself to what God has told us in Scripture.

If we go beyond what is written in our worship, we offend God and negate the whole purpose of worship. Remember always ask that question. Who's the audience? Who is the audience of worship so often people think it's the congregation and we got to meet people where they are.

We got to give them what they want. No, we're supposed to give God what he wants. That's what we're here for. In the passage Aaron seems to have wanted to quiet his own conscience by making an image which he knew was wrong.

He says hey, but we're worshiping the right God at least it's a feast to Yahweh. We're worshiping the right God. We're sincere. Look at the rest of the passage look at verses 6 through 9. So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings and the people sat down to eat and drink and.

Rose up to play.

And the Lord spoke to Moses go down at once for your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said this is your God.

Oh Israel who brought you up in the land of Egypt the Lord said to Moses. I've seen those people and behold. They are a obstinate or stiff-necked.

People.

God's command is that all people everywhere repent of idolatry and worship and love him and that we worship and love him as he tells us to as he commands us to. And part of the reason for this demand that we worship God in.

The way that he tells us to please hear me. This is extremely important. Part of the reason he wants us to worship him in the right way is that he wants to make us more like him. One of the most important biblical principles to bear in mind is this you will become like what you worship.

You will take on the attributes of whatever is most important to you. That's why God called them stiff-necked. What what is it? What what can a cow do that would make it worthless? Just stand still a stiff-necked cow.