Reverence
In the Worship Service
Elder O. B. Mink Now In Glory “Let
all things be done decently and in order”. (I Corinthians 14:40)
New
Testament churches are to “Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all
things” (Titus 2:10). And the chief place and time for the adorning
of the doctrine is during the worship service of the church. A church, correct
to the letter, but slothful in propriety or decorum during the worship service
is like unto a house half complete and decrepit. It has been the good pleasure
of the God of all grace to open the understanding of His churches, and cause
them to see Him high and lifted up. The Holy Spirit has taken the things
of Christ, and has showed them to His churches, and they have become doctrinally
strong. But they must also realize that orthodoxy in doctrine is worth little
to nothing without due reverence for the presence of Christ during the worship
service. Adult worshippers need to be fully aware at all times of the solemnity
of the occasion, and parents should with utmost diligence train their children
for this highest of all earth’s privileges. The greatest business in the
world is that of the Lord’s blood bought church, and its worship service
should never be approached with an insincere spirit or attitude of indifference.
PROFIT
FROM OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE “Now
all these things happened unto them (Israel) for examples: and they
are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come”
(I Corinthians 10:11). Moses received the Law from the mouth of the
Supreme Lawgiver, and declared the same unto Israel. When the tabernacle and
the ark of testimony were finished, he assembled the whole congregation of
Israel before the tabernacle, gave them by tribe their stations in the camp,
and the orders and service of the tabernacle. The tribe of Levi was given
the responsibility of the tabernacle, and from the tribe of Levi twenty-two
thousand priests were made and the order of service was dictated to them.
The sentence of death was passed not only upon the pagans and heathen who
would desecrate the tabernacle, but also upon every Israelite who assumed
undue liberty toward the tabernacle. The Levites with guarded reverence for
their duty in and with the tabernacle showed their devotion to God, and to
His order of service. Seeing that with all due reverence the Levites drew
near unto God (Numbers, chapters 1, 2, and
3),should not New Testament churches regard with the greatest dedication
those holy oracles and ordinances which have been committed to their charge?
Where there is reverential fear of God there will be proper respect for the
worship services of the church. When that fear is wanting, there will be
disorder, indecency, and impropriety, which bespeaks contempt for God’s church
and His command to do all things “decently and in order”.
“For
God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches
of the saints” (I Corinthians 14:33). Irreverence is a forerunner
of confusion, and confusion begets dissension, and dissension is the mother
of schism, and when schism is finished it brings forth the ruin of the church.
Where irreverence consistently prevails in the church, it might be that God
has taken His leave of the church, seeing that He will not abide where the
honor and glory due His name is turned into confusion and shame. “Give
unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”
(Psalms 29:2). There is nothing the devil hates more than he does
true worship of the Son of God, and he knows there is nothing more conducive
to good singing, teaching, and preaching than an attentive congregation.
Therefore, he is determined to distract the worshippers, and thereby bedim
the glory of Him Who bought the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). The success of the worship service of the church depends
not only on what we put into it, but also on what we leave out of it. Let
us put as much of heaven into the worship service as we can, and heaven’s
first law is order. Let us leave out of our worship service as much of the
world as we possibly can, for the measure of the world that enters into the
service is the exact measure of irreverence and slight shown unto God. Let
us not ally ourselves with the world, and contribute to the downgrading of
the church worship services by inattention, whispering, writing notes, added
comments, etc., etc. “Know thou how thou oughtest to behave thyself in
the house of God ... “ (I Timothy 3:15)
(The
Baptist Herald) |