Recently in preparing for a class, I reread He Is Not Silent by Al Mohler. The following quote from this book really challenged me and made me once again consider what is most important in our church services (pgs. 36-38). He addresses the issue of what is most important in worship.
Preaching As Worship: The Heart of Christian Worship
…the Reformers were convinced that the heart of true biblical worship was the preaching of the Word of God.
Music is one of God’s most precious gifts to His people, and it is a language by which we may worship God in spirit and in truth. The hymns of faith convey rich confessional and theological content, and many modern choruses recover a sense of doxology formerly lost in many evangelical churches. But music is not the central act of Christian worship – nor is evangelism, nor even the ordinances. The heart of Christian worship is the authentic preaching of the Word of God.Music is not the central act of Christian worship - nor is evangelism, nor even the ordinances. The heart of Christian worship is the authentic preaching of the Word of God. - Al Mohler, He Is Not Silent Click To Tweet
This centrality of preaching is seen in both testaments of Scripture. It was the apostle Paul, for example, who told Timothy in no uncertain terms, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom, Preach the Word!” In Nehemiah 8, as we will see in more detail in the next chapter, we find a remarkable portrait of expository preaching, when the people demand that Ezra the scribe bring the book of the law to the assembly. Ezra stands on a raised platform and reads from the book of the law, “translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8 NASB). When he opens the book to read, the assembly rises to its feet in honor of the Word of God, and their response to the reading is to answer, “Amen, Amen!”
This text is a sobering indictment of much contemporary Christianity. According to the text, a demand for biblical preaching erupted within the hears of the people. They gathered as a congregation and summoned the preacher. This reflects an intense hunger and thirst for the preaching of the Word of God. Where is this desire evident among today’s evangelicals? Moreover, where is the faithfulness of preachers to confront their people with the preached Word of God? There seems to be a sense that people will be more affected by the gospel if it is presented in a slickly produced multimedia production, or even if we dispense with preaching altogether in favor of a purely subjective and emotional worship “experience.” Yet what was it that brought the Israelites to their God-honoring response of “Amen, Amen!”? It was the exposition of the Word. Ezra did not stage an event or orchestrate a spectacle. He simply and carefully proclaimed the Word of God.
Questions for Reflection and Meditation
As you contemplate what Dr. Mohler wrote, please consider…
- Have you misunderstood the heart of biblical worship?
- When you think of worship, do you minimize the preaching of the Word?
- Do you give the preached Word of God its importance in your life?
- Are you praying for God to use the preaching of the Word and the blessings of the music to help apply the Word of God to the human heart?
- Are you more passionate about the Word of God or programs of various kinds?
Be Faithful and Appreciate the Word
After you reflect on these questions, I trust you will ultimately be more faithful to your church and support the work of the Word of God in your church. The best way you can serve your church is to 1) be very faithful to the worship services, 2) engage with your brothers and sisters in Christ in community, 3) give faithfully to help alleviate any financial pressures in your church, 4) look for opportunities to invite, welcome, and engage guests to your church, 5) be an encouragement to those around you both in your immediate circle of friends and your church leadership, and 6) sing with heart together with your brothers and sisters in Christ as you take in God’s Word.
This post was adapted from an earlier version on kevincarson.com.
Image Credit James Barr
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