Consequences of the RPW

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Peter

Puritan Board Junior
Everybody here believes in the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) right? What are some practical applications of the RPW? What does an RPW worship service look like?
 
Something like this:
1. You must have at least 2 solos, duets or trios so everyone can go, "wow, that person can sing!!!"

2. You have to have announcements in the middle, between the singing and the preaching. The person who gives the announcements must be funny.

3. While singing the third song, between the 3rd and last verse, everyone needs to get up, walk around the building, and greet one another.

4. The sermon must be filled with a lot of examples (stories) that may or may not help to further explain the preaching.

5. There has to be an alter call at the end in which the piano and organ play at least 10 verses of "Just as I Am".

(Not to be taken seriously).

[Edited on 7-29-2005 by Dan....]
 
Originally posted by Dan....
Something like this:
1. You must have at least 2 solos, duets or trios so everyone can go, "wow, that person can sing!!!"

2. You have to have announcements in the middle, between the singing and the preaching. The person who gives the announcements must be funny.

3. While singing the third song, between the 3rd and last verse, everyone needs to get up, walk around the building, and greet one another.

4. The sermon must be filled with a lot of examples (stories) that may or may not help to further explain the preaching.

5. There has to be an alter call at the end in which the piano and organ play at least 10 verses of "Just as I Am".

(Not to be taken seriously).

[Edited on 7-29-2005 by Dan....]

Actually, I think Dan is quite serious.
 
I'm not sure we all believe in THE Regulative Principle. I feel it's safer to say the we believe in A Regulative Principle. The principle is the same, how we work out the details is not.

I recently preached at an arminian, anything-goes church and my sermon was titled. "Is there a proper way to worship God?"

I left it to them and their leaders to seek and wrestle with the scriptures to find the specifics of what makes proper worship. My goal was to convince them that there IS a proper way to worship. I told them that by even asking the question they are most of the way there. Most churches won't even ask the question.

After a church comes under the conviction that there IS a proper way to worship they will join the process, the upward 'spiral' that we here have entered into.

The spirit of the board seems to be witnessing a shift to EP right now. Not all of us are EP but the shift causes us all to once again ask the question, "What is the proper way to worship?" That's a good thing but Godly men and women will never be in full agreement.

Let's just make sure our motive is correct. If we are just trying to make sure our language and practice is absolutely precise for precision's sake and seek to force our convictions on others, then we are pharisees.

If our motive is to seek language and practice that most glorifies our great God and Saviour then we are indeed the worshippers that our Lord seeks. When we fall under a conviction regarding liturgy and style of worship, let's be gentle as we share what ought to be a blessing to others, and not make these convictions simply points of contention.

To be honest, I am very much against the practice of EP and I would like to be done with it. The arguments, so far, have not moved me to change my mind BUT the graciousness of a brother like Andrew Myers compels me far more than the arguments themselves. His devotion to Godly worship and his gentleness in debate drives me to go against my emotion and keep going back to the arguments.

Back to the question, "What does an RPW worship service look like?"
It looks like a service where great care has been taken so that all aspects of the liturgy as been ordered so that God is exalted in every component. The result is that the congregants will see God's glory in the service and then mimic that same lifting up of God in their core. We will diligently ascribe to God his supreme worth.

The details will differ but the motive should be pure and God-ward.
 
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