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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.
7. 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.”
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