Worship has two goals. Does your church meet both?
1 Corinthians 14:26-33 (NIV)
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 32: The Order and Discipline of the Church
We also believe that
although it is useful and good
for those who govern the churches
to establish and set up
a certain order among themselves
for maintaining the body of the church,
they ought always to guard against deviating
from what Christ,
our only Master,
has ordained
for us.
Therefore we reject all human innovations
and all laws imposed on us,
in our worship of God,
which bind and force our consciences
in any way.
So we accept only what is proper
to maintain harmony and unity
and to keep all in obedience
to God.
To that end excommunication,
with all it involves,
according to the Word of God,
is required.
Summary
Nobody could ever say that going to church in first century Corinth was boring! A few chapters earlier, Paul had scolded them about their communion meals which had turned into drunken feasts. Here he describes their worship services, which sound like a free for all; whatever happened to spring into a congregants' mind immediately spewed out of their mouths, be it a song, a supposed word from the Lord, or even an unintelligible utterance nobody could interpret. It would be bad enough to have just a couple of people acting this way, but the way Paul describes it, everyone was in on it.
What a cacophony!
Again we're reminded how grateful we are for these Corinthians louts, for if they hadn't first stumbled and fell on these various matters, we certainly would (and often still do!). It's in addressing this chaotic mess that Paul lays down for us a bedrock principle of corporate worship.
Our worship services must be crafted and conducted with two complementary goals in mind. First, certainly they must bring honor and glory to the Lord. After all, He's the One being worshipped! But secondly, and no less importantly, our worship services must build the church up. If an element in our services doesn't simultaneously meet these two ends, it ought not be included.
Dig Deeper
Maybe you're feeling a bit left out as a member of a Reformed church at this point. After all, when's the last time someone spoke in tongues or stood up and delivered a new revelation from the Lord at one of our services?
One of our emphases these last few weeks is that the hallmark of Reformed theology and church polity is that our churches strive to do everything as Biblically as possible. Yet here's some straight up Biblical teaching about tongues and revelation and we seem to gently set it to the side.
It's good to remember here that the book of Acts unfolds over a matter of years, and the various epistles span decades (this first letter to the Corinthians was likely Paul's first epistle). As we look at the New Testament as a whole, we can see an evolution moving from extraordinary acts of the Spirit, such as tongues and healings, to more ordinary means like preaching and sacraments supervised by pastors, elders and deacons.
But rest assured you're not missing out on anything. The Holy Spirit is just as active now in the songs we sing and the sermon that's proclaimed as what He was in that early Corinthian church. As Paul reminded both them and us, God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is a God of order and peace;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your church's worship would be pleasing and acceptable to God, AND that it will build up your congregation;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 8
