The Church and Worship

Order of Service

• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Church and Worship

Scripture: Genesis 4:3-5

I. Altars in the Old Testament: Their Meaning and Significance

A. The first concept of an altar appears in Genesis 4:3-5 with Cain and Abel

1. Abel's offering was accepted — blood sacrifice of the firstborn and best portions
2. Cain's offering was rejected — no blood was shed
3. Both brothers understood what right worship required, demonstrating that worship is regulated by God's word

B. The first explicit use of the word "altar" is in Genesis 8:20 — Noah's altar after the flood

1. Noah brought clean animals aboard the ark in anticipation of sacrificing them
2. The altar was a commemoration of God's grace, goodness, and deliverance
3. Confirms an ingrained understanding of right and wrong worship even before the Mosaic law

C. Altars throughout the patriarchal era served as places of thanksgiving

1. Abraham built an altar in Genesis 12:7-9 to commemorate God's covenant promises
2. Altars were commonly constructed where God specially revealed Himself and His redemptive purposes

D. Altars reflect the holiness of God — Exodus 24:4-5, 9-11

1. The elders of Israel ate and drank with God on Mount Sinai, confirming the covenant
2. Before ascending, burnt offerings and peace offerings were made at altars at the mountain's base
3. The burnt offering addressed God's holy wrath; the peace offering restored fellowship with God

E. The altar of burnt offering in the tabernacle and temple reinforced holiness

1. Positioned between the courtyard entrance and the doorway to the Holy Place
2. No one could enter God's presence without first encountering the altar
3. Its central location declared that sinful people could only approach God through substitutionary atonement and blood

F. The altar of incense within the temple symbolized prayer

1. Incense rising heavenward represented the prayers of the people offered by the priest on their behalf

II. Six Things Altars Teach Us About Worship

A. Worship is regulated by God's Word

1. Even before Sinai, right and wrong worship were distinguishable (Cain and Abel, Noah)
2. Colossians 2:18-23 — Paul warns against self-made religion and human traditions that have the appearance of wisdom but are not regulated by God's Word
3. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees in Matthew 15 for worship according to the traditions of men
4. Paul gives specific, ordered instructions for worship in 1 Corinthians 14

B. Worship involves thanksgiving

1. Colossians 3:16-17 — singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness
2. As Old Testament altars commemorated God's grace, New Testament worship offers thanks for God's grace given in and through Christ

C. Worship involves confession of sin

1. 1 John 1:8-9 — if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves; if we confess, God is faithful to forgive
2. Corporate confession mirrors the Old Testament priest placing hands on the substitutionary sacrifice and confessing the sins of the people
3. Confession acknowledges God's declaration of us as sinners and lays hold of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ

D. Worship involves blood that atones for sin

1. Hebrews 12:22-24 — worshipers come to Mount Zion, to the sprinkled blood of Jesus that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel
2. Just as the Old Testament altar stood before God's presence, New Testament worship comes in and through the blood of Christ, granting bold access to the throne of grace

E. Worship involves reverence

1. Hebrews 12:28-29 — offer acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire
2. New Testament worship is not casual or free-form; it is offered before the same holy God presented in Old Testament worship

F. Worship involves prayer

1. Acts 2:42 — the early church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and the prayers

III. Application: What Right Worship Looks Like Today

A. The Regulative Principle of Worship distinguishes elements from forms

1. Elements are non-negotiable and Scripturally mandated: prayer, the Word read and preached, songs sung, and the sacraments administered
2. Forms — how elements are presented — allow for variety (instruments, musical styles, etc.)
3. This distinction guards against both an overly rigid traditionalism and an anything-goes approach

B. God, not the worshiper's experience, is the object of worship

1. Sinclair Ferguson on Isaiah 6 — true worship is a "dreadful joy": awe before the Lord of majesty combined with inexpressible joy in redemption
2. The consumer mindset ("what did I get out of it?") inverts the proper direction of worship
3. Proper emotions (joy, reverence) are the fruit of rightly ordered worship, not the definition of it

C. Corporate worship requires preparation of heart

1. Worshipers should come ready to give to the Lord — thanksgiving, confession, prayer — not merely to receive
2. As the congregation prepares to observe the Lord's Supper, self-examination and worthy reception are called for
3. All of life is worship before God (1 Corinthians 10:31), but corporate worship holds a distinct and irreplaceable place