BY LUKA T. DANIEL

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care (Ps. 95:6,7).*

n this solemn invitation by the Psalmist are four important points about worship: Who is worthy of worship, who should worship, why, and how. Our emphasis today is the last point—how to worship.

It is clear from Scripture that it matters how we worship God. When Cain offered produce from his farm instead of a sacrificial animal, he found that God was particular—his sacrifice was not accepted. Saul, the zealous leader of a terrorist group against the early church, supposed he was defending the cause of God. Eventually he discovered that sincerity was just not enough. And in Christ's story of the Pharisee and the publican who went to the temple to pray, we learn vividly that it is those who give glory to God, not to themselves, who come from worship justified.

Mode of Worship
Some choose to worship by making "a joyful noise before the Lord" (Ps. 98:4, KJV). Others seek to solemnize worship by opting to "be still before the Lord" (Zech. 2:13). Texts such as Psalm 46:10 and 47:6,7 and Ezra 3:11 indicate that there is a place and time for both these modes of worship, depending on the circumstances.

Interestingly, early Adventist worship included speaking in tongues, loud laughter, and shouting. But by the dawn of the last century Ellen G. White began to call the church to order, warning against any worship characterized by a "bedlam of noise" involving "shouting, with drums, music, and dancing." During a week of prayer in 1901, she cautioned: "Careful management on all points is needed, so that we shall neither run into the fire of fanaticism nor drift into formalism, which will freeze our own souls and the souls of others."

It appears that David introduced an order of service for the temple in 2 Chronicles 8:14. Paul also seems to indicate in 1 Corinthians 14:26 that the order of service at the church in Corinth included "a psalm," "a teaching," "a tongue," "a revelation," and "an interpretation" (NKJV). That sounds like a typical Adventist Sabbath program comprised of a song service, Sabbath school, and divine service. However, it is obvious that neither the temple order of worship nor that of the Corinthian church was meant for all places and ages. The lack of a mandated liturgy in the Bible gives room for flexibility and/or variation. Whatever form our order of service takes, it is important that it include the following four ingredients: adoration, acclamation, proclamation, and application.

Adoration
For private devotion the Psalmist's regular daily practice of "evening, morning, and noon" (Ps. 55:17) is worth adopting. Worship (private or public) may involve bowing and kneeling, as did Daniel (Dan. 6:10). (Not kneeling on the hymnal or Sabbath School study guide booklet, however, let alone on the Holy Bible.)

"Dear God," five-year old Elliot wrote, "I think about You sometimes even when I'm not praying." Yes, indeed! The Bible also advises us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17, KJV), indicating that kneeling is not always possible or necessary. We can pray standing up, like the Pharisee and the publican in Christ's story (Luke 18:11-13), or sitting down like Elijah (1 Kings 19:4). We can pray silently as we work or walk or drive. In this way we can maintain an unbroken communication with our Maker.

Especially in public prayer we need to guard against the display of eloquence and "vain repetition" (Matt. 6:7, KJV). Only human beings, not God, may be impressed by this attitude in prayer. The reward of such prayers stops with human praise or applause.

Another attitude to be avoided in public is long prayers. The prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) represent a vivid example of fruitless human effort in prayer. Elijah's own prayer (vss. 36-37) was short and earnest.

Some prayers may be accompanied by fasting—not to impress our all-knowing, all-wise God to hear us or to change His mind, but rather to help us concentrate and remain focused.

Acclamation
The Scriptures list the habit of staying away from church as one of the signs of the times (Heb. 10:25). The so-called "unchurched" miss the opportunity to join others in thanking God and praising Him in a bond of love. They miss the pleasure and blessing of returning their tithes and giving offerings as commanded by God (see Mal. 3:8-12). Abundant blessings await those who comply without ostentation.

It should be noted, however, that God cannot be bribed, since it is He who gives us the strength and ability to acquire property, He simply expects us to show some appreciation in proportion to what we have acquired (2 Cor. 8:12).

Singing is another important aspect of worshiping God. It gladdens the heart and heals the soul. To avoid monotony or excesses in worship, a variety of songs is recommended in Colossians 3:16. We may use hymns to praise God and spiritual (gospel) songs to share our experiences of the spiritual battles fought and won through Christ. Musical instruments, skillfully used, add sweet melody to our songs. Read 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14 and see how God appreciated the harmonious blending of voices and musical instruments by the temple ensemble. (I'm reminded of what happened at the close of the 1985 General Conference session in New Orleans, Louisiana. After the mass choir and the brass band had presented the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah," many of us felt heaven's nearness.)

Proclamation
Worship also involves the study of, and listening to, the Word of God. In both Bible study and sermon presentation, the leader should be sure to "correctly handle the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). We should resist the temptation of making the pulpit a place of mere entertainment. Those who come to worship should receive a spiritual message, not a spiritual massage. They need to listen to God's word clearly presented, and not to pet philosophies in human eloquence. Like John the Baptist, the speaker should step aside and let Christ be revealed more and more.

The good news of the gospel should be the focus in every lesson or message. And each presentation should end with a clear and definite call for decision.

Application
Worship should effect a lifestyle change for the better, and that change must begin in the heart—the source of all our actions. Only God can read what is recorded in that "black box" of the soul. Fortunately He has offered to perform a spiritual surgical operation by removing our "heart of stone" and transplanting "a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 11:19). He goes even further: "I live in a high and holy place," He says, "but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit" (Isa. 57:15). What a high privilege for us as worshipers!

To sum up, it's not how loud or soft we sing or preach, not how long or short we pray or fast, not how much or how little we give that's important in worship. Rather, it's how ready we are to surrender our hearts for the exclusive use of our Maker whom we worship.

Like Isaiah in the awesome presence of God (Isa. 6:1-8), we should recognize the divine holiness in contrast to our own sinfulness. We should repent in order to be forgiven and changed, and be ready to go on God's errands. Each time we have an opportunity to worship with God's people in His sanctuary, let's determine to enter to worship and depart to serve.

QUESTIONS FOR SHARING:
1. What biblical evidence do we have that God is interested in the way we worship? And does the Bible endorse just one way?
2. What four elements, according to our author, should characterize every worship service?
3. What aspects of worship do you personally find most meaningful? And why?

* Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.

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¹ Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White, vol. 1, p. 197.
² Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, p. 239.
³ Ibid., vol. 19, p. 130.
⁴ White, Selected Messages, book 2, p. 36.
⁵ White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 48.

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Luka T. Daniel is president of the African-Indian Ocean Division with headquarters in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.