Worship INTRODUCTION Imagine or remember what it would be like to walk into a church service at Faith for the very first time without any background in a Christian church at all What might you find strange? Confusing? What might you find refreshing? What impression might you leave with? There s a reason why we do everything we do in our services here at Faith. In fact, the services we follow today are the product of 2000 years of Christians seeking the best way to worship our God and learn from his Word. You are no longer first-time visitors, so it s time to learn: What does the Bible teach us about worship? Why do we worship the way we do? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH US ABOUT WORSHIP? As Jesus was preparing to leave this world, he gave his disciples and his Church these instructions: Matthew 28:19-20 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 1) According to Jesus words, what are some important aspects of the work of God s Church? Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. 2) What else does Jesus want his church to continue to do often? Jesus wants our worship to be focused on the Means of Grace: his Word and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord s Supper. That s what the early disciples focused their early worship services on: Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. In WORSHIP God s gives us his grace through WORD and SACRAMENT. 3) Did the early Christians focus more on what we do for God or what God has done for us?
Growing in Faith Worship Page 2 There is another aspect of worship, however, that we see throughout the Bible. God s loving power and grace always lead Christians to praise him. In worship we offer our sacrifice of praise to God for all that he has done for us in Jesus: Psalm 98:1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. In WORSHIP we respond to God s grace with THANKS and PRAISE. Ephesians 5:19-20 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4) Describe what kind of atmosphere God wants us to have in our worship services. There s one more thing God wants us to remember as we worship him: It s an awesome privilege to stand in the presence of God in his house! Genesis 28:16-17 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it. He was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven. 5) Describe what kind of attitude God wants us to have in our worship services. The Bible says a lot about why we worship God wants us to grow in and thank him for his goodness and grace in Jesus. The Bible also says a lot about the what of our worship God wants it to be focused on his Word and Sacraments and include our praise for all he s done for us. BUT the Bible says very little about the how of worship. In fact, the Bible leaves most of the how up to us: Colossians 2:16-17 Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 6) What does this freedom mean for our worship? What must we always keep in mind? What are some different practices Christian are free to do as part of their worship? 7) Agree / Disagree Just because we are free to do something doesn t mean it s wise. So, how would you answer the question: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH US ABOUT WORSHI P? 1. Worship is built around God s Word and Sacraments. 3. Worship includes our praise for our loving God. 2. Worship is focused on Jesus and what he did for us. 4. God doesn t command us to worship in any certain way.
Growing in Faith Worship Page 3 WHY DO WE WORSHIP THE WAY THAT WE DO? Christians have freedom in choosing how to worship God. Here at Faith, we ve chosen to worship following a pattern called the Liturgy. It s a pattern that Christians all over the world have followed for the last 1800 years. The Liturgy is a time-tested pattern that focuses our worship on God s Word and Sacrament. Let s spend the rest of Bible class walking through the different parts of the Liturgy and seeing how they help us accomplish God s goals for worship: Our thanks and praise rooted in everything God has done for us through his Word and Sacraments. Let s get two questions out of the way first: 7) Why do Pastor and Vicar wear white robes? Why doesn t Vicar have the colorful thing (stole)? 8) Why do Pastor and Vicar sometimes face us and sometimes face the altar? Liturgy = work of the people. It s a pattern Christians have followed for centuries in their worship of God. Our service each Sunday begins with the Invocation: Matthew 18:20 Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. 2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. 9) Why do we begin our service this way? What Bible passage, which we ve already read, does this remind you of? 10) The sign of the cross has been used in the Christian church since the 100s AD. What symbolism does it carry? Our service continues with a Confession of Sins: 1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Growing in Faith Worship Page 4 11) What kinds of sins do we confess to God? Hint: I confess first what I am, and only after that what I have done. 12) Why do we confess our sins before we do anything else in worship? 13) What gives Pastor the right to forgive sins? (see John 20:23). Didache (c. 100AD): Assemble on the day of the Lord, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist; but first confess your sins, that your sacrifice may be holy. Following the Confession of Sins comes the Kyrie or Lord Have Mercy. Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Kyrie is a Greek word from the phrase Kyrie eleison which means, Lord, have mercy! This is the most heartfelt cry of a believer to his Lord. It is not a cry for forgiveness, but a cry for mercy that our Lord and King hear us and help us in our necessities and trouble. Christians have been praying the Kyrie at Sunday worship for more than 1700 years. After we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, after we pray that God help us in every need and trouble, the church breaks forth in praise of God s forgiveness and goodness in the Gloria Glory be to God on high!. Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Luther (c. 1500AD): The Gloria did not grow, nor was it made on earth, but it came down from heaven. 14) Whom does this ancient song focus on and what truths does it highlight? How is this song of praise different from many modern songs of praise? Following the Gloria, the Pastor says the Prayer of the Day: This prayer is short, summarizes the name thoughts of each Sunday, and always ends with through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Most of these prayers were written around 500AD and have been used throughout the Christian church for 1500 years.
Growing in Faith Worship Page 5 Here s today s Prayer of the Day: Lent 1: Lord our strength, the battle of good and evil rages within and around us, and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises. Keep us steadfast in your Word, and when we fall, raise us up again and restore us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 15) Based on that prayer, what are some themes you might expect to see in today s service? Following the Prayer of the Day, we enter into the section of our service in which we read God s Word. This is what the whole first section of the liturgy has been preparing us for: Luke 4:16-21 On the Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Reading God s Word in worship goes back to the Jewish synagogues before Jesus. Their worship was centered around the reading and explication of God s Word. After Jesus came, lessons from the Epistles and Gospels were added to worship. The Gospel lessons we use each week have been used in Christian churches all over the world for 1500 years. The reading of God s Word especially of the Gospel is the first high point in our service. The second comes later in the Lord s Supper. Sayings like Thanks be to God and Praise be to you O Christ reflect our faith in Christ and our love for his Word. 16) Here s the big question: Why do we use the particular lessons that we use? 17) Why do we stand for the reading of the Gospel? Why is it the highpoint of our service? In between Lessons we read a Psalm and sing the Verse of the Day. Both connect us to God s Word and God s people: Psalms were the hymns of the people in the Old Testament. They were part of every synagogue service. Alleluia which is Hebrew for Praise be the LORD was a constant prayer of God s Old Testament people and the song of the saints in heaven. BUT: You won t see Alleluias used in church during the somber season of Lent!
Growing in Faith Worship Page 6 After the Gospel (or the Sermon) we confess our faith using either the Apostles or the Nicene Creed. Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 19) Agree / Disagree Christians today like to stand up and say boldly what they firmly believe in. 20) When do we say the Apostles Creed? When do we say the Nicene Creed? Why? 21) What positives are there to reciting the creed in every service? Remember: A creed is a confession of your faith to God and those around you. It s NOT a prayer! After the Sermon, the Offering, and the Prayer of the Church, we begin our celebration of the Lord s Supper. This is the oldest part of the Liturgy! The early Christians recognized the Lord s Supper as the high point of Christian worship, and they began using these words to begin the celebration of the Sacrament as early as 200AD: The opening lines: The Lord be with you. And also with you. Ruth 2:4 Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, The LORD be with you! The LORD bless you! they called back. The middle lines: Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Psalm 86:4 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. The last lines: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is good and right so to do. Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying Origen (c.250ad): A man must lift up his soul before lifting up his hands; lift up his mind to God before lifting his eyes, and, before standing to pray, lift up his spirit from the things of earth and direct it to the Lord of all.
Growing in Faith Worship Page 7 Next we sing an ancient hymn the Sanctus: The Sanctus Holy Isaiah 6:3 Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. Matthew 21:9 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! 22) Why put these two Bible verses together in a hymn about Jesus before receiving Communion? 23) What should the mood be as we sing it? Following the Sanctus, the Words of Institution are said, and then there s this little phrase: That might not seem to be too important, but that s all we have left of the Kiss of Peace. Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. Augustine (c.350ad): After that is said Peace be with you, and Christians kiss one another in a holy kiss which is the sign of peace. Last, we sign another ancient song the Angus Dei Lamb of God right before the distribution of Communion. John 1:29 Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 23) Why sing this song at this point? 24) What should the mood be as we sing it? After the celebration of Communion, we sing the Nunc Dimittis: Luke 2:28-32 Simeon took him [Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying: Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. 25) What at this moment in our service connects us to Simeon and leads us to sing his song? Why is it a good song to end our service with?
Growing in Faith Worship Page 8 We conclude our service with the Benediction or blessing: Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. 26) This is the only blessing God commands his priests/pastors to give in the entire Bible. What s the theological significance? SUMMARY: God gives us the freedom to worship in many different ways. For over 1500 years, the Christian church around the world has found the Liturgy to be the best way to worship God. Let s recap. The benefits of liturgical worship: 1. Liturgical worship focuses our attention on what God does for us in his Word and the Lord s Supper. 2. Liturgical worship covers God s whole plan of salvation for us every Sunday it preaches Jesus to us. 3. Liturgical worship focuses us on God s truth instead of our own opinions and feelings. 4. Liturgical worship connects us to our brothers and sisters in the Christian church over the last 2000 years. 5. Liturgical worship s repeating pattern makes it easy for all first-time visitors and small children included to participate in learning about God s grace and praising God for his love. FINAL THOUGHTS 27) What part of the liturgy do you find the hardest to understand and follow? 28) What do we risk losing if we chose to abandon the liturgy and worship God in a different way? 29) From your experience in other churches: Did they use the liturgy? If not, what elements of our service were missing? What was added? Was it a good tradeoff?