LBCF Chap 22: Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day

Chapter 22: The Regulative Principle of Worship

Okay, we're picking up our study of the confession of faith with chapter 22, which is the second chapter in part three of Christian liberty and Christian living. Okay, so chapter 20 Is of religious worship and the Sabbath day.

Right now this chapter is divided into five parts eight paragraphs and. This chapter is more consistent with the Savoy Declaration. There's a couple of differences.

One.

With the Westminster, so this is most consistent with the Savoy the Savoy made some minor revisions from the Westminster Confession and the only change of note from the Savoy to the London Baptist Confession is in chapter Paragraph 5 this phrase teaching and admonishing one another in psalms hymns and spiritual songs.

It replaces the words of psalms from both the Westminster Confession and the Savoy and It's presumed that the reason they did that was to distance themselves from some of the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists who believed in exclusive psalmody so but we'll look at that a little bit when we get to chapter 5.

But I just wanted to bring your attention to it up front all right, so part one of the chapter Paragraph 1a is the regulative principle of worship and everyone should know that this is what we hold to is the regulative principle of worship and What we see in fact even before we get into this let me just say that The two major views within Within Reformed or conservative evangelicalism would be Categorized as the regulative principle or the Puritan form of worship as opposed to the Anglican form of worship Which also is held by the Lutherans etc.

Now there is a third view That's practiced today that our confession doesn't even deal with and that is that anything goes. Okay, I mean we see that in churches today that anything goes all right, that's not even addressed by the confession because It wasn't really practiced back then but the Anglican view is that Everything is permitted in worship service Unless it is prohibited by Scripture all right.

The regulative principle and you'll see this which is what we hold to is the only thing that is permissible. Is that which is expressly? Permitted or expressly set down in Scripture. So and if you don't have some if you don't have a biblical reference for what we do in the Scripture In the worship service if we don't have it in the Scripture the the Reformed churches are not going to practice that they would view that as a violation of the regulative principle.

All right, so now here's the first.

Worship by Nature and by Scripture

Paragraph and.

What we see here This is the general duty of worship worship first revealed by nature. Okay, the light of nature shows that there is a God who has lordship and sovereignty overall now We've been through that numerous times even under the doctrine of God and all there is nobody who doesn't believe in God you You can't walk out into this universe and without seeing that there is a God Is just good and does good unto all and Is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted and served with all the heart and all the soul and with all the might.

That's the general Statement of this should be obvious to people even from nature. Okay however Paragraph 1b says the specific regulation of worship revealed in Scripture all right. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by God himself.

All right, and this is where we come down with the regulative principle. God sets the rules for how he should be worshipped and Is so limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men or the suggestions of Satan Under any visible representations or any way any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.

That's pretty clear. Is it not? In other words you have a general revelation. All right. The general revelation basically tells you that you ought to know that you should be that you should be worshiping the God who created all of this but specific revelation Tells you how he should be worshipped, and this is this is why without special revelation ie the Word of God.

People left to themselves will never come to worship God in spirit and in truth because they don't have the specific revelation. It's revealed in his Word. Okay, and then again it gets very very specific Under any visible reputations or any other way not prescribed in Holy Scriptures.

Holy Scriptures is our guide and alone. Okay, and again. This is very consistent this Paragraph with both the Savoy and the Westminster part two of This chapter is paragraph two way in regard to its object.

All right now religious worship is to be given to God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and to him alone. Okay, so that this is where You can start to see again We haven't talked about this in a while some of the the the wording of this Confession that London Baptist and the Westminster and the Savoy is in direct Opposition to what?

Yes to Roman Catholicism all right because we find Rome authorizing worship To Mary to to Saints now they obviously they do make a distinction they claim it's not. You know, it's it's not Worship its veneration, but it boils down to be the same you you know anyway you cut it All right.

All right not to angels Saints or any other creatures and Then it adds here in regard to its mediation and since the fall not without a mediator All right, nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone All right, and again this this paragraph in particular is directly in opposition to what the theology of Rome would teach.

Yes.

Yes, I noticed. They said not to angels Saints they don't add Mary's name. They were careful not to but putting in about the mediation.

That's refer in reference to Mary that would be that would exclude the the doctrine that that Mary is another mediatrix. I do not know. I would think that just. It's general enough that it would include when a to you know with nor in mediation of any other but Christ.

All right. To him alone any other creatures she would be included in that too. I don't think it was anything Specific why they wanted to eliminate her and then part three its constituent elements. Okay.

Prayer as a Core Element of Worship

Firstly, it's ordinary elements and it spends two paragraphs on prayer. All right. It's interesting that they spend so much time on prayer. But we should not be surprised by that because what did Christ call his temple?

Should be a house of meant to be a house of prayer. All right. Prayer is so Essential to to our worship that they give actually two paragraphs says prayer with Thanksgiving. Being one part of natural worship is By God required of all men.

Okay.

But that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son By the help of the Spirit according to his will With understanding reverence humility fervency faith love Perseverance and when with others in a known tongue.

Right now, let's back up just a little bit and go through some of these. All right, firstly with understanding. What does that mean?

Yeah.

In other words this this part of the confession makes it very clear that it is a cessationist doctrine. The cessation is document. All right. In other words, the the practice of speaking in an unknown tongue is is not Contained within the way they frame this.

So that all prayer should be with Understanding. All right with reverence. I mean It's it's a shame that that this has to even be in there but It is because there are. I don't know if you've ever seen some worship services that just go crazy all right, and I mean you it.

My wife actually went to there was a Famous speaker who's going to speak on a topic of homeschooling. This is going back Over 30 years ago and The church was on rustic Road in the center each so I don't know if remember which church that was but anyway She went there to hear this famous speaker and they had this whole service and it went on for she was there for two hours.

And they still hadn't gotten to the speaker and she actually got afraid at one point and left Because of the things that were going on, you know. Just nuts. Crazy stuff. All right. Humility. All right.

One of the things that we've seen Frequently especially on televangelism. Have you seen him demanding God do things? That's not the way we're to come before God we were to come before him with reverence with humility.

Fervency. Yes. When we are praying it shouldn't be, you know wrote monotone. I mean You're pleading with God, especially with some of the requests that we're pleading with God before there should be emotion.

You know, and I mean real emotion not worked up phony emotion but I mean if we really understand that we are Communicating with our Heavenly Father who loves us and has promised to answer our prayers that are asked in his name according to his will.

There should be a fervency.

Okay.

Faith.

Obviously. What does James say, you know the prayer that's not offered in faith, what's that going to accomplish? Let that man and expect. What. Nothing. All right, love. Obviously. Perseverance. Keep on praying.

You know Matthew. What is a Matthew chapter? 7 or 8. You know. Ask ask knocking. Right. But that's what it really says. Keep knocking. Keep asking. Okay, and. When with others in a known tongue? Okay, and again, that's if that's just the caveat there that would eliminate so much of what's going on in today's churches.

So they're saying when with others in a known tongue so if someone's by.

Himself or herself they can speak in an unknown tongue. They still have to speak in understanding. That would be. In other words if we're going to be praying together here and you can speak Norwegian the language of heaven.

Then.

You're going to have to refrain from that. And speak and pray in a tongue that everybody here can understand. All right. Yes.

The we started praying and there's a group of us and the woman next to me started praying to Mary. And I and it was one of those things where you're holding the person's hand.

I don't do that anymore, but you know, what do you do in a case like I would let go of her hand and flee. I'm just being honest with you. I don't want the lightning to come down and hit me by mistake.

No, if that's that's idolatrous it's heathen praying and so therefore you you should have nothing to do with that. You know. And shame on them for putting you in that position. Okay. All right still talking about its ordinary elements paragraph four is also about prayer.

Prayers to me to be made for things lawful and For all sorts of men living. Well that covers almost everybody here because we do have some odd sorts of people there. All right. Or that shall live hereafter.

Why do you think they put that in there who would live hereafter? Well, well that's coming up here and but not for the dead. But how about for those who who shall live hereafter. In other words future we're allowed to pray for the future.

Yes, why could you pray for somebody who hasn't been born yet? Can you give me an example of when you would. I've done this.

Good Yes.

Pray for your grandchildren that aren't born yet, you know that you know, and yeah. And. And also. One thing that we've done my wife and I for years when our children were small. Started praying for the spouse that God would bring to them, you know, and they were not necessarily born yet.

Those are godly prayers. Yes, yeah. Sure sure. So that's a good prayer this is not. But not for the dead, all right, in fact you could argue that some of the dead are praying for you. No, yes, I'd like those who are in heaven.

All right, all right.

Nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death. This is this is this can raise some great discussions, but I don't want to get into too much now. This comes where does where do we find this that the basis for that?

The unpardonable sin. 1st John in 1st John. John says, you know we should pray but I'm not saying to pray for those who have committed the sin unto death the unpardonable sin and. Exactly what that is and whatnot is still open for somewhat of a discussion even though we've come to pretty much an understanding here, but the point is You're not obligated to pray for somebody who is committed the unpardonable sin.

Okay, and then moving along we're still under ordinary elements and now we get into the other elements. What are the other elements of worship? We've covered prayer in two paragraphs. All right the reading of scriptures obviously preaching and hearing of the Word of God.

Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms hymns and spiritual songs keep that that's we'll come back to this. That's the phrase that was added. That's not in the Savoy or the Westminster. Singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord as.

Also the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper. All right now again, I want to remind you in this class. We're not here to Defend what's in the confession and go into a big exposition because we'd be here for a couple of years if we were going to take It that way the whole purpose of this class is to let you know what it is that we believe.

What is this church hold to and ask some you know, we can answer some questions, but not get into. Where it is, where's all of this found in Scripture if you have a copy of the 1689 or you get it online.

All the scripture proofs are in there where these phrases come from, all right, so I just wanted to let you know that. These are all parts of religious worship and to be performed in obedience to him.

All right, and again with understanding faith reverence godly fear. Pretty much the same thing as we're looking at with prayer. All right. Then we come to the added phrase. You like that? Want to see it again?

You have no idea how long it took me to figure that out. All right, there's that phrase remember in the Savoy and in the Westminster all it says is and with Psalms or of Psalms. All right. And again, that's where you have some of the churches especially Reformed Presbyterians today and some of the others.

Hold to what they call exclusive psalmity and that is you can only sing Psalms. They wouldn't sing any hymns written by so our hymn book would be like three-quarters of it would be unavailable for worship.

The.

The Reformed Baptists have never held that position. All right, or if you do find one he's kind of departing from What the confession says? All right, so I just wanted to point that out. This is where that would come into play and in the other elements.

Fasting, Thanksgiving, and the Place of Worship

Solemn humiliation with fastings. These are things we have called for these on occasions, you know special occasions. Thanksgiving. All right, and upon special occasions ought to be used in a holy and religious manner in other words fasting Thanksgivings and Those things we are not to be done all the time but when they are should be done again in a holy and a religious manner and There should be reasons for fastings.

This is there are reasons for feasting. Okay. All right. Now part four goes to its appropriate locale and Firstly, it's described negatively. Neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship is now under the gospel Tied to or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed.

Okay, you follow? In other words this is Getting away under the law there. The temple was the directed place for worship.

Question, oh.

I thought I saw a hand. Yes, I see that hand, okay. Okay. All right so. In other words if we decided one Sunday to have our worship service here it's no less effective or effectual because we're not in quote what we call the sanctuary which kind of gives a Wrong impression.

I mean, it's not wrong to call it a sanctuary but if we think that there that place is somewhat more holy than this place or our rented facilities over in Medford that's kind of a Wrong idea to have. All right.

It's not the physical location that makes it acceptable All right, and then define Positively, but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth All right. Now again be careful when you go through this.

They're trying to cover a lot of Information here, but God has to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and truth we can worship anywhere all right as in private family families daily in secret by oneself.

It's perfectly acceptable to worship God in that way. So more solemnly in the public assemblies, all right, in other words, the confession is not saying that You can worship privately or with your family in place of the public assembly.

It's just saying that Private worship, you know, if you do that in your own living room, that's fine. You you do a you know with your family if you want to worship Privately in your own prayer closet your own bedroom you alone.

That's fine. That's effective worship, but not to take the place of the more solemn public assembly. Which are not carelessly nor willfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calls thereunto All right, so Where where does the church meet?

Where is the holy place? For the church to meet wherever the church gathers. Because we and that's and and also we remember the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us individually. So that we can say that we are the temple, but then when we gather together All right as a as a local church body.

That becomes the temple for worship in the new covenant.

All right.

Well, I hope it matches. All right, that's what it's. So in other words, so it's not the physical locality. Such as quorum. There's no Mecca so to speak for. For Christian worship, but that doesn't mean that you should neglect it or that.

The site in which you're gathering doesn't become holy. So like when we gather for Sunday morning worship, that is a holy place not because of the building but because we are there. You follow. Because again mystically, you know that whole place is being lifted up.

We're right in the very presence of God with angelic visitors watching. Does everybody realize that that when we have our worship service? Not only are we? Are we worshiping God and mystically brought into his throne room, but there are Angelic watchers who are watching and they're concerned with what's going on in our worship service.

All right, so it's so it's it's that's what I mean worship is is very very serious business okay, in fact the. The modern church or the contemporary church, I guess we're postmodern now. The contemporary church has a in general has a wrong view of what worship is.

The contemporary church views it this way that. Who's ever on the stage whether it be the pastor preaching or Some worship team whatever they're like the players on a stage. Okay, and the audience the congregation is like an audience and God is like the director or the prompter.

Right. That's the wrong view. In biblical worship the audience is an audience of one. That's God. God is the audience the congregation are the players on the stage you are the ones who are worshiping and the pastor is the prompter who is leading you into into the word and And prayer so that you will respond in acceptable worship to God.

So if you want to use that example. So that's why. You know people have an idea well, I'm just sitting in the pews. No, you're not you are the ones who are engaged in active worship. And what you do is what's going to make the worship acceptable to God?

Okay.

The Christian Sabbath and the Lord’s Day

It's a point today. It's institution All right as as it is the law of nature that in general proportion of time By God's appointment be set apart for the worship of God. Alright now notice first. It's talking about the law of nature.

Nature itself teaches this. So by his word in a positive moral and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages. This phrase right here that it is a positive moral and perpetual commandment is extremely important for us because we have Reformed churches who are teaching that the Sabbath day is no longer binding on us.

All right, and this phrase right here is one of the things that that blows that out of the water. All right, so it's a positive moral perpetual command binding all men in all ages. He has particularly appointed one day and seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him.

Which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week. All right, no argument there. All right, and From the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week.

Which is called the Lord's Day and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath. The observation of the last day being abolished. I don't like abolished again, you know, I didn't like that word, but that's what they use.

One of the things That we see all right is if it is a positive moral and perpetual commandment you can't. You can't just Abolish it. Can't just say it's no longer binding. It just it doesn't make any sense.

I just want to see if I can pull up a Quotation if I might all right, this is from Sam Waldron. He says some like Seventh-day Adventists have concluded from this premise.

All right.

That the day has not been changed and that the appointed day of worship is still the seventh day of the week. Others have concluded that since the day has changed the Sabbath could not possibly be a moral law.

All right. But and that's why this this is so important that we see this the positive moral perpetual commandment the fact that it is. How can how can a creation ordinance be changed that's the question I want to get to.

Because we're saying and and you will see I mean he's the confession does say that the day to worship was changed. How can a creation ordinance be changed? Yes. There's a new creation. We are this the new covenant is a new creation.

That's what Christ has told us. Paul has told us the same thing. And so with the new creation comes a new Sabbath. The principle is the same is still one day and seven a positive moral and perpetual commandment.

All right, but in the new creation we enter into the rest. All right after the Sabbath has been fulfilled then it's sanctification. The Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and Ordering their common affairs of forehand do not only observe a holy rest all day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly employment and recreations.

But also taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship and in the duties of necessity and mercy. Okay, that's what our confession says now one of the things that you've seen that we try to do here is.

We start early on the Sabbath. We have a fellowship time with bagels and coffee before this the Sunday school hour then we have Sunday school then we have the worship service then we have a fellowship time and.

We.

Now.

Things had changed because of kovat but we will begin again to have some afternoon services as well as going out onto the streets and evangelism and again, all of these things are Designed to help you keep the entire day.

Holy. That's why we do the things that we do but in the long run it's up to the individual, you know to uphold the terms of the covenant and the confession of faith. Questions. Yeah, it was in the book of the Revelation, you know, it has the Saints under the altar, you know praying.

You know that they would that the blood of Christ would be avenged etc. So it was just a little Meant to be. Well in one sense, they are praying if if they're in I we don't know exactly what's happening In the intermediate state at this point, but if they make in any requests who knows and that's why I said a kind of tongue-in-cheek, but Yes.

When you said that there are angelic beings that are kind of like in the church service. Is that why in Revelations when it goes through the seven churches it? Starts out and it says like and to the angel of the church in by a Tira.

Is that why. No the the angel.

The word angle us in in the Greek can may have several meanings and one of them is a messenger that's Presumably the pastor the pastor of the church. All right, but you do find First Corinthians chapter 11 where Paul talks about, you know, Paul is very controversial.

He talked about head coverings and in that one of his defenses of what he is saying is because of the angels and We know that and there's other verses of Scripture also, which indicate that they are there watching.

What is what is going on in the worship service? I? Mean is an angelic watches all over the place, but especially in the worship service. What's that? Any other questions.