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OUR THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP

Worship is a gift of God to His church and therefore God alone has the right to define the means and methods of Lord’s Day worship—which He does in the Scriptures. 

1. Why do we gather every Lord’s Day?

We gather for the glory of our King and the coming of His kingdom. This is the pattern that the apostles established, taught by Christ:

Acts 2:42 “they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”

Hebrews 10:24-25 “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together”

2. What is Christ’s charge for His church when they gather in His name?

Colossians 1:28 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Ephesians 5:10 “try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord”

Ephesians 4:11-12 “He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ

Conclusion: our main goal in worship is to please God (not man), to glorify God (not man), to proclaim Christ, to equip His army, that we may present every member mature in Christ.

3. How ought Christians worship?

John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” True Christians will desire to please their Lord and Savior and to obey what Jesus commands as the Lord of the New Covenant.

Hebrews 9:1 “even the first covenant had regulations for worship.” Christian worship pleases God most when it is guided by the Holy Spirit, regulated by His revealed truth, breathed out by the Spirit in His word (New Covenant renewal celebrations).

4. How does each element contribute to the above?

We trust God to shape and reform us each week as we savor anew His wondrous gospel in each element of our corporate worship. God is pleased to dwell in a concentrated way with His gathered congregation – the house of God, a foretaste of heaven (Psalm 87:2). The order of our public worship follows the arch of the gospel (God's glorious nature, man's sin, Christ's work, our response).

5. What is the Christian sabbath?

The Triune God has consecrated the Sabbath, which the church calls the Lord’s Day. Genesis 2:2 “God finished his work that he had done, and he rested” Mark 16:9 “he rose early on the first day of the week.” Acts 2:1 “when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place” Revelation 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day” On the first Sabbath day, God the creator rested. On the first day of the new Creation, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. On the Lord’s Day, the Holy Spirit descended upon His church.

So, on the Lord’s Day, or the Christian Sabbath, the first day of each week, we rest in Christ and trust His Holy Spirit to order our lives as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. 

6. Who decides on the elements of each worship service?

RHC holds to the regulative principle, which means that our liturgy (the order of worship) is regulated by the Bible. Every element is intentional and is arranged following the arch of the gospel. Every church has a liturgy: the content and order that will be spoken, sung, prayed or read. Ours is not derived from a book of Church Order or prayers prescribed from an authority outside of this congregation. Rather, it is custom-crafted by our elders weekly to support and elevate the truths contained in the sermon text that is our special unifying focus for that day.

 

How God’s Word Ordains and Regulates Each Element

 

2 Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

 

PREPARATION

Prelude – (prepare to encounter The Living God through His word) Isaiah 40:31 “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength”

 

PRAISE

Greeting – “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 124:8

Pastoral Prayer – 2 Timothy 1:3 “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day”

Announcements – 1 Corinthians 14:40 “all things should be done decently and in order”

Call to Worship – Luke 4:8 Jesus:“It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God

Psalm, Hymn, or Spiritual Song – Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

 

CONFESSION

Reading of the Law – Matthew 22:37 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

Prayer of Confession of Sin & Assurance of Pardon from God's Word – 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Profession of Faith – Jude 3 appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints

 

THE WORD

Scripture Reading – 1 Timothy 4:13 “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”

Prayer for Illumination – James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Law & Gospel Proclaimed – 2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience & teaching.”

The Lord’s Supper – 1 Corinthians 11:26-28 “26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Benediction – 2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

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