Tag: worship
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The Fourth Commandment, Corporate Worship, and the Strength of Culture
Corporate worship services at our church begin with a call to worship. A passage of Scripture, usually taken from the Psalms, is read aloud reminding the congregation of God’s invitation to worship and give thanks. We come before the Lord responsively, not presumptively. What’s interesting about those invitations to worship is they sound more like…
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Developing the Christian Virtue of Intolerance
It honors Christ when you cultivate a godly hatred for false worship, evil thinking, and godless living. Speaking as Earth’s King, Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). Either you actively promote Christ in worship and life, or you are his enemy.
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Only the First Commandment Makes Men Equal
Apart from God, there will never be any sort of true human equality. It is only “under God” that men become equal. “The law is no respecter of persons, because God is no respecter of persons. He is the Father of both the humble and the proud.”
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It is a Shame for a Woman to Speak in Church
The church that honors Christ will worship him how he wants to be worshiped. It is his divine command that qualified men lead his worship.
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Preaching is the Pinnacle of the Worship Mountain
Preparing and preaching sermons takes diligent, prayerful preparation. Therefore, ministers must devote themselves to studying, explaining and applying the Scriptures.
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Delighting the Heart of God with the Gift of Song
This reminds us that worship through song is an act of obedience to the Lord. This gives singing perspective. We might ask, “If singing is an act of obedience, how does God want us to sing?” Here, is an order of priority for selecting Christian music: words, voices, delivery.
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Offering Public Prayer As an Act of Worship
In light of Jesus’ counsel to pray in secret, I was once asked if public prayer is sinful. Do you break Jesus’ command when you pray with and for your family? In our corporate worship services, we offer many prayers. Sometimes the minister prays and other times we pray together. Should we stop doing that? Should…
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Sitting at Jesus’ Feet in Corporate Worship
If we truly believe Scripture is the life-giving Word of God, why don’t more Protestant churches read it to their congregations? Why is not our worship centered around hearing from the living God rather than making ourselves heard? As Christians, we need to sing less and listen more! Let’s make worship a Mary moment not a…
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True Corporate Worship Must Emphasize the Unity of the Body
Nehemiah 8-9 join Leviticus 10 and Hebrews 12 as significant to our development of a theology of worship. In verse 1, the people of Israel are described as gathering “as one man into the square before the Water Gate” (Nehemiah 8:1). When the people gathered before the Lord for corporate worship, they did so “as…
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Delighting in the Christian Work of Worship
Some wrestle with making worship more “participatory.” What they mean is they want more people to lead. However, since worship is work, all of worship is an exercise in which the whole congregation participates.
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The Scriptures, Not Sincerity, Are Key to Pleasing Christ in Worship
When we worship Christ, it’s a powerful temptation to think that whatever pleases us must please him. If I enjoy interpretive dance, neon lights, and little Suzy’s solo, surely Jesus must. Approaching worship this way is self-centered, not Christ-centered.
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A Call to the Church to Return to True Worship
As I observe the practices of the church, I’m concerned that churches have stopped thinking about worship. It really does seem as though we’ve entered an era in which “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
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