Biblical Worship

Many Bible-believing churches today stand firm on the principles of God’s Word, yet in their gatherings there is not much Scripture read in the service.  Often songs are sung that are vaguely biblical.  Sermons are preached where the pastor reads a verse or two of Scripture and never returns to the Scripture the rest of the sermon.  In fact, many people no longer even bring their Bibles to church.  They have to trust the church leadership and video projections to tell them what the Bible says.  If  we say we are people of “the book,” then we should let the Bible be the main guide in worship.  Scripture should have a prominent place in our services.

How can we be sure of being faithful to the Scripture in our worship services?  Here are a few suggestions:

1.  Look to Scripture for instruction in what we are to do when we gather for worship.  Study passages like I Corinthians 14 that gives us wisdom on Christian gatherings.  Look to Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 for guidance on selecting songs for worship.   I Timothy 4:13 and 2 Timothy 4:1-4 help us to understand the priority of reading  the Scripture and Preaching.  The list could go on . . . but the principle is to let the Scripture have top priority in our planning and leading of worship.

2.  Use biblical principles when selecting music for worship.  Is the song text theologically sound?  Is there a balance of simple songs of praise and songs that teach the doctrines of the faith?  Does the text express the deep truths of the Bible in language that is clearly understood by your congregation?

3.  Employ Scripture reading in the worship time as much as possible.  Passages like Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 2:14-15 and Matthew 7:24 emphasize to us the importance of allowing the Word of God speak to us in our gatherings.  Worship leader,  let our words be few so that  the Word of God has its place in worship.

4.  Preach expository sermons.  Unpack the Word of God phrase by phrase, verse by verse for the Body of Christ.  Challenge both the heart and mind.  Preach from the Old and New Testaments.  Teach the great doctrines of our faith.

5.  Incorporate Scripture in our prayers.  Pray biblical prayers.  Study the pattern of biblical prayers in the Scripture.  Memorize Scripture so you can incorporate the Word of God in your corporate prayers. 

Our worship services should be rooted in the Scriptures.  Scripture should saturate our singing, praying, and preaching.  It should be the guide to our worship planning.  In other words in our corporate worship we should:

Read the Scripture,

Sing the Scripture,

Pray the Scripture,

Meditate upon the Scripture, and

Preach the Scripture.

Worship Leader, I challenge you to let the Word of God have its proper place in your worship planning and leading.  Let your people hear more of God’s Word than your words.  God’s Word will not return void.

Resources

Selecting Songs for Worship http://www.biblicalworship.com/?p=315

Sola Scripture and the Worship Service  http://www.biblicalworship.com/?p=374

Recommended Books  http://www.biblicalworship.com/?page_id=197