LET US STRIVE TO WORSHIP OUR LORD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Laat ons strewe wees om ons Here in gees en waarheid te aanbid”
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone wrote the following to me:
“Please give me your opinion about opening a service with singing in church; Is it an obligation to always start a service with some short up-tempo choruses before you change to a worship song? Why can’t a person just start with worship? People complain that there are not enough up-tempo songs, and then again they complain that there are too many slow, or to many English, or too many Afrikaans. What is your view?”
I share with you some of my opinions concerning this matter as I understand it from the Word, but first the following –
I think the reason why our Lord allows such a great diversity of ways to worship, is because we are diverse beings.
As an example, I do not like cabbage and spinach on my plate, but I know of people who absolute loves it and as you know I can name many similar examples.
I am going to call the person who wrote to me, Francis.
Frances identifies a couple of different opinions of how people would like services to begin in song, namely:
There are people who want up-tempo choruses. Here I just want to say, that there are also people who do not want to allow any choruses during a service.
Then according to Francis there are people who complain that there are no up-tempo songs.
Then according to Francis there are people who have a problem with slow choruses.
Further Francis says that people complain about too many English songs.
Also according to his/her writing people want fewer Afrikaans songs.
Then, last but not least, there is still Francis who would like to immediately start the worship.
Now you already read a few different opinions about how a church service should begin and it encompasses only some of the opinions about the singing section of a service.
Believe me, there are still many more opinions about many of the sections of the church service where people differ about – but before I answer Francis, let me first share something about worshipping our Lord.
There is only one manner to worship and serve our Lord and that is in Spirit and truthfulness:
JOHN 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
JOHN 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit (it is with my whole being) and in truth (with my whole understanding).”
My whole life must follow such a lifestyle
Even though I sometimes might not get it right I must continually strive towards it.
In the church or worship service, it is just wonderfully visible reflected in harmony with all my other brothers and sisters under the guidance of the Leader.
I now want to share with you a few of the references which I have found in the Word which can be present in a church service, (or gathering) but I want to begin with that which, as I understand the Word, always should be part of a service and it is the preaching of the Word:
2TIM 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
2TIM 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2TIM 3:17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Subsequently, as I understand it from the Word, you can use any manner of musical instrument which you like. In other words you do not only have to use an organ/pipe organ.
2CHRO 5:13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
“He is good; his love endures forever.”
Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,
2CHRO 5:14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.
Then it is also allowable to clap your hands:
PSALM 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
Or if you want to raise your hands in the air:
1TIM 2:8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Then you can also use the lovely genres of the song of which you like:
EPH 5:19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
Having said all of this, there is something which according to my understanding of the Word must be in place when I walk into a church service together with my fellow brothers and sisters to worship our Lord – and that is my wholeheartedly spiritual approach.
JOHN 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
I have heard someone say:
“I worship at that congregation, because the fire is there and I go where the fire is.”
It is totally wrong.
I must not go where the fire is. Where I go, I must be full of fire for our Lord.
What I mean is this –
I must walk into a church service with the goal to worship our Lord and in the process help my fellow brothers and sisters to also have that sort of attitude.
A good way to accomplish that while I am sitting in the pews and waiting for the service to begin, is to pray for our Lord’s blessings on the service and then also pray for my brothers and sisters around me.
We must always remember, never to be judgemental, I must realise, that there maybe a few people in the service who are not yet spiritually healthy and they must be helped to become focused.
Because you and I are imperfect and we have dealings with imperfect people, and satan continually shoots his evil arrows towards our thoughts, also during the church service and because it is also imperfect people who have compiled the rules, you will never find a church service recipe and all that goes with it which precisely matches everyone’s ideals, in other words, entirely perfect.
So, no, you do not have to always start with an up-tempo song and later change to a more earnest song. We do not have a writing in the Word but if my attitude is to worship our Lord with my brothers and sisters, it should not be a problem for me how the church services begins, as long as it takes place in praise and worship towards our Lord.
What the Ministers and leaders of the services must teach their people, is to step into a service, the eyes and hearts fixed upon Jesus, because then the services will flow even more in what our Lord wants it to be on that day.
I close this writing in summary by saying:
Every one of us must make sure that to the best of our abilities with the right attitude walk into the service, while we must remember that together with us, many people will walk into the service who at that particular time in that specific service are not spiritually strong, who will need spiritual support, even if our support is just through, as an example, in all sincerity to sing wholeheartedly.
HEB 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
Greetings,
Sakkie