Sermon Tone Analysis

Corporate Worship

Fall Vision Weekend, Session 3   |   October 6, 2007   |   Shaun LePage

 

I.

*Introduction*

A.    Review Core Value—segment on “worship together”

B.    Worshipers, Danish Protestant church bowed blank white wall; No one knew why—always had; building restoration, behind white paint, pre-Reformation painting of Virgin Mary; Roman Catholic ancestors bowed toward painting; painted over after Reformation—children continued until meaningless ritual

C.    Just as capable of mindlessly participating in a weekly worship service

D.    I’m convinced our worship service encourages those who wish to worship

E.     Take a closer look at each element—Biblical basis; but first…

F.     *Why do we call it a worship service?

*Acts—told where, who was there, what took place, but we are never told what they called their meetings; Acts 13:2—clue to “services.”

Antioch “…ministering to (serving) the Lord...” 2 observations:

1.     *Service was a verb, not a noun.

*

a.      “Service” as noun dangerous—like calling building “Church.”

Nowhere does the Bible refer to any building anywhere as a church.

b.     Bible does not call gathering “service” either—lost something by making this switch—something we /have /rather than /do/; come, passively warm chair—done duty /being in/ service (noun) rather than /serving/ (verb).

c.

Not here to be served—here to serve~/“minister to the Lord”!

…second observation.

2.     *Service was “to the Lord.”*

a.      Using /services /to /serve /the /servants /rather than /servants serving /the Master”!

Backwards!

b.     “Ministering” Acts 13:2 /leitourgeo/, (/liturgy/).

Lu 1:23, Ro 15:16—priestly /service/.

We come as royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9), priestly duties, service of worship in worship service.

c.      But, how do we “serve~/minister to” God when we worship?

Easy to see “serve one another,” but how do singing, thanking, play instruments, preaching and giving “serve”?

d.     Klaus Hess explains this nicely: “The activity of serving stands in contrast to ruling.

Faithful service presupposes humility in the one who serves as the inferior, in contrast to pride.

He who serves is in a position of dependence/…” (NIDNTT/, p. 544.)

e.      Declare dependence upon God—submit ourselves to His rule in our lives we “serve” Him.

Obviously, every day, not just Sunday.

But, Sunday morning “service” serves as reminder.

II.

*Five Elements*

A.    Many details we could examine: On Sunday mornings, we do a variety of things:

1.     Starting Call to worship—simple, last minute reminder: Prepare to enter God’s presence

2.     Greeting and announcements—they demonstrate importance of fellowship and unity.

3.     Prayer is worship; acknowledge ever-present and everywhere present; desires to answer

4.     Baptism~/Lord’s Supper

B.    All important and worthy of our examination.

Let’s look at five elements.

1.     *Worship the Lord with singing.

*

a.      Israel after Pharaoh’s army drowned?

Deborah & Israel subdued king of Canaan?

Jesus & disciples after 1st Lord’s Supper?

Paul and Silas midnight in prison?

Sang!

b.     Songs~/singing almost inseparable from Biblical worship.

Ever ask ‘why’?

Blending words together with proper intonation and rhythm?

Why such good tool?

Don’t know.

1)     Speculate God pleased by unity.

His people declaring praise to Him all at once should communicate our unified belief in the truths we are singing—His greatness~/worthiness.

2)     Also believe God invented music; natural response to Him; Creator of beauty.

c.      Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror—classic book, Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel—write, “It would be difficult to overstate the power of the musical language.

It has emotional-mental stimulation unmatched by any other means of communication.

Words alone can be and often are very strong, but couple them with the ‘right’ music and they can be burned into the mind and consciousness indelibly.”

d.     Begin and end services by singing—more than mood; preliminary to preaching; survey…

1)     *The Bible tells us to sing! *Commanded!

Pss more than 35X /told /to sing; 30X+ “I will sing!”—even

if the only one, don’t feel like it, even if life gets in the way, I will do it!

2)     *The Bible tells us who should sing!

*“All the earth” (1 Ch 16:23; Ps 96:1; 68:32); No one—not even pagans and atheists—exempt (Rom 1:20).

How much more should we?

3)     *The Bible tells us what to sing! *Pss “*/new song/*”—old song sung new meaning,  spontaneous noise (whistle~/hum from joyful heart).

A new song—express in new way; */variety /*Eph 5:19; Col 3:16)!

“Psalms” from OT book of Psalms; “Hymns,” likely proclaimed attributes of God like /Holy, Holy, Holy/; /Immortal, Invisible/ and /Majesty/; “Spiritual songs” probably improvised song from heart, spontaneous; simple choruses—Variety!

“Blended” worship; “contemporary, yet retains rich heritage”

4)     *The Bible tells us when to sing! *All the time!

Pss 5, 61, 104 (few); deliverance from evil (Pharaoh’s army Ex 15) Great joy (Solomon dedicated temple 2 Chr 5:13) Revival (Hezekiah restored temple worship 2 Chr 29:30); persecution (Paul and Silas Acts 16) Singing not just for Sunday, but important to church “gathered.”

All examples gathered

5)     *The Bible tells us how to sing! *“joy” Pss 33, 67, 81, etc.; “thanksgiving” Ps 147, Eph 5:19,20; “gladness” Ps 67, 68; Jer 31:7, etc.; bottom line of “how”: /heart/.

Eph 5:19; all outward worship expressions /a matter of heart behind expression/.

Jesus: “True worshipers shall worship the father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23); /our /spirit~/heart

a)     Blessed with good voice—fantastic!

Make melody from heart, not to show off

b)     If “gift~/blessed” does not come to mind—don’t let that stop singing from the heart.

c)     So much emphasis on types of songs, types of instruments or no instruments at all.

Those things fade into insignificance when we get the “how” right—from the heart.

6)     *The Bible tells us why to sing! *Ever ask why?

Impress others?

Enjoy selves?

Win lost to Christ?

Win visitors?

/Because God is worthy of our songs of worship*.*/

e.      Leper isolated colony; gospel reached poor outcast woman; God put a song in her heart, but vocal mechanism largely eaten away; Film footage shows her clutching pages from hymnal, trying to sing; not resemble music, but God looks at heart; may have been most beautiful music ever heard in heaven (Allen & Borror).

Worship the Lord with singing!

2.     *Worship the Lord with music!*

a.      NT gives liberty in worship!

Nowhere demand length, day, attire!

Not told to use instruments or which instruments or style of music; our discretion guided by Scripture.

b.

Some /condemn /instruments.

Silly? but many say NT silent, so a sin; we are “adding to”.

c.      Impossible standard!

NT not command buildings, mics, chairs, hymnals, air conditioning or English translations of Bible either; law from silence is legalism; truly “adding to”.

d.

If NT were completely silent we have freedom—encouraged in OT not condemned in NT