Committed to Appropriate Behavior in Worship
When you read Old Testament books like Leviticus, you realize that worshiping the Lord in the Temple was a serious event. The priests followed a litany of detailed rules, and the people who joined them in worship also followed a lot of meticulous rules. These rules governed personal hygiene, dietary practices, and ethnic protocol. They also detailed a variety of sacrifices that people needed to offer in various situations, with each sacrifice following a special set of guidelines. Failure to follow these rules could result in death.Today, we don’t follow the detailed rules of temple worship. Christ ended the need for this by providing a better way. Indeed, anyone may worship God, so long as they do so in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). This means that worshipping God does not focus on physical objects, geographic locations, and ritualistic rules. It involves bowing down to God with reverence in your spirit. It also involves giving attention and responding to the truth of God as it is revealed in the Word of God.This does permit us to worship the Lord however we please and in whatever way is most convenient. Though we worship God from the spirit and focus on the Word of God (rather than worshiping God through ritualistic protocol and a catalog of rules), we must still give attention to how we approach God when we worship him as a church. We should worship the Lord with heartfelt respect and appropriate behavior.
We should worship the Lord with heartfelt respect and appropriate behavior.
Consider with me the following perspectives and principles from Scripture that should shape the way we worship the Lord together. First, I will share an Old Testament principle that is timeless and is therefore not limited to temple worship. Then I will show you some insights from the New Testament which apply directly to our worship today as a church.
The Lord deserves our respect when we gather for worship.
This passage, which occurs near the end of the Old Testament, reveals that the priests who served in the Temple had grown comfortable with worshiping the Lord in a disrespectful way (Mal 1:6-14). From this passage, you can see, the priests were offering contaminated food and injured animals as sacrifices, keeping the best food and healthy animals for themselves. The way that Malachi explains the problem, you see that the people had become so comfortable with doing this that they didn’t see it as a problem.Jesus Christ is our perfect high priest and our eternal sacrifice today, so we do not offer sacrifices, and we no longer worship in the Temple. This means that we are priests before God as individual believers; we are a “holy priesthood” (1 Pet 2:5). As priests, we should encourage one another and others around us to worship God, and we should worship him with the highest respect that he deserves. Unlike the Old Testament Jews, we do not accomplish this by offering physical sacrifices. Yet we do so by worshipping the Lord in a respectful way nonetheless, without the sacrifices and rituals.The prophet Malachi points out that people should show respect to their parents. He also points out that they should show respect to our government officials. These principles are not limited to the Old Testament nation of Israel alone. Unlike the Temple rituals and sacrifices themselves, these principles apply to every person everywhere. Malachi uses these two lesser examples to emphasize that if we should show respect to our parents and government officials (who are inferior to God), then we should not only give him equal respect, but we should give him much more.It is sad that we find this challenging to understand. It is challenging because our society does not show proper respect to government officials, nor do we show proper respect to our parents. In fact, our society encourages an individualistic, disrespectful attitude to government officials and parents in general. Is it any wonder, then, that we struggle to show proper respect to God?
Our society does not show proper respect to government officials, nor do we show proper respect to our parents. Is it any wonder that we struggle to show proper respect to God?
How can we show respect to God when we worship as a church? We do this not by practicing Old Testament rules and rituals, but by following – in part – certain guidelines given by God in the New Testament. You will notice that these guidelines are not rules per se, as in the Old Testament. Instead, they are principles which require us to apply them in a thoughtful and heartfelt way.
We should behave in a proper way when we worship together.
Paul wrote two letters to a man named Timothy, and he wrote a similar letter to a man named Titus. We call these three letters the “pastoral” letters because they provide guidance to these men for how to lead a church. Today, these letters provide a helpful “manual” for leading a church, though they are not exhaustive.In the middle of the first letter, 1 Timothy, Paul explains his purpose for writing to Timothy, who was serving the church in the city of Ephesus as a pastor. I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. (1 Timothy 3:15). The words “house of God” do not refer to the church building. They refer to the people of a church as a spiritual house or family coming together to worship the Lord. By writing this letter, Paul provided Timothy with guidance for how to conduct himself as a pastor. He also provided guidance for how Timothy should teach the church to behave when they gathered for worship.These instructions served an important twofold purpose. Some church members had converted to Christ from out of orthodox Judaism. These often felt that it was important to preserve certain Old Testament rules for worship, such as rules for personal hygiene, diet, and Jewish holidays. While some of these practices were okay to follow (but definitely not animal sacrifices), they were not required. A letter like 1 Timothy provided a helpful perspective, teaching believers how to worship the Lord in a way that was different and more appropriate than the Old Testament way.These instructions also served another purpose. Other church members had converted to Christ out of secular paganism. These believers came from a very different background than did the converted Jews. Instead of following careful, wholesome worship practices, these followed practices which involved open immorality, philosophical speculation, and political corruption. A letter like 1 Timothy provided helpful perspective, teaching believers how to worship the Lord in a way that was wholesome and pure, moral and appropriate.
A letter like 1 Timothy provided helpful perspective, teaching believers how to worship the Lord in a way that was wholesome and pure, moral and appropriate.
Ironically, converted Jews sometimes felt that church worship practices were not careful enough, while converted pagans felt that church worship practices were too careful. This in mind, consider the following guidelines for church worship which Paul gave to Timothy for men and women in the church. To a converted Jew, these rules may seem too vague, and to another convert from the secular world, they may seem too careful. But in either case, they provide the biblical balance that we need for worshipping the Lord in a balanced, respectful, and appropriate way.
Men … in a respectable manner, without an angry or arguing spirit.
Paul told Timothy (and pastors of churches everywhere) to teach the following guidelines to men in the church: “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim 2:8). The phrase “lifting up hands” refers to the entire person who is engaged in the practice of worship, with an emphasis on prayer. The added word holy is a helpful word which describes the manner in which a man should engage in worship. It refers to behavior which is good and appropriate. One dictionary explains it as “good from the standpoint of morality and religion, no matter whether … based on divine precept, natural law, ancient custom, or inner disposition.”[1]This description highlights two important things. First, it highlights what is most obvious. We should worship the Lord in a way that is good from the standpoint of the divine guidance found in Scripture. For instance, the Bible clearly forbids certain behavior as entirely inappropriate for Christians everywhere (Eph 5:3-4). “Fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”
- Fornication and uncleanness refer to all kinds of sexual sins.
- Covetousness refers to greediness.
- Filthiness refers to obscene language or gestures.
- Foolish talking refers to useless conversations such as conspiracy theories, speculative theology, political divisiveness, gossip, and mindless chatter.
- Coarse jesting refers to inappropriate humor, such as mocking other people, using vulgar expressions, speaking with hurtful sarcasm, using inappropriate innuendos, and raising indecent topics.
Indeed, such behavior and speech are inappropriate for worshipping God as a church. In fact, Paul alludes to this in 1 Timothy 2:8 when he mentions “without wrath and doubting.” This means that men should not worship the Lord when they are either harboring anger or behaving in anger towards others and when they are engaging in arguments. They should not be argumentative.But 1 Timothy 2:8 highlights another important thing which may be less obvious. The word holy refers to that which is good from the standpoint of custom and natural law as well. This causes us to consider what our culture considers appropriate and wholesome. For instance, Romans 16:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:12 encourage believers in first-century churches to “greet one another with a holy kiss.” This was probably a kiss on the cheek, but not on the lips as they do in Russian today. Even so, Western American culture does not follow this practice, and neither do Western American Christians. We hug or offer a handshake instead.We do what is appropriate and what conveys – in our culture – appropriate respect. In some Asian cultures, it is disrespectful to show the bottom of your shoes, though in America this means nothing. In some Asian cultures, it is disrespectful to look an older person in the eye when he is speaking, though in America eye contact is a more respectful approach. As believers, we must first consider what is universally appropriate. Verses like Ephesians 5:3-4 help us to answer this question. Next, we must determine what is culturally appropriate.
As believers, we must first consider what is universally appropriate. Next, we must determine what is culturally appropriate.
A church with cultural diversity must exercise caution, humility, and a desire to understand one another. It would be impossible for us all to observe the social customs which convey respect for everyone present. It would also be impossible (or wrong) to attempt to figure out which culture has the most respectful customs. A good example of this may be the way we speak to one another by name. For one culture, it may be respectful to say Brother or Sister. For another, Mister or Misses. For another, we should not mention the first name. For another, we should mention the first name. Still for another, we should use only the last name, or we should use a special title which shows appropriate respect. Let us exercise the grace and humility of Christ as we endeavor to worship together as a blend of many cultures. One culture may show respect differently (or perhaps in a way that is opposite) than another culture. But we must show respect, whatever that means.Let us emphasize what Scripture emphasizes, that which is clearly appropriate to God, and let us show deference toward cultural differences when we gather together. One culture worships differently than another in some cases, and neither one is necessarily right or wrong. Rather than ask which form or custom is better than another, we should ask whether or not we are worshipping God in a way which is respectful and appropriate. For instance, I think we can all agree that is it probably disrespectful to be checking your phone during the worship service, even though the Bible doesn’t say this specifically – and even though it is not an act of immorality or an inappropriate word to do so!So, men, to worship the Lord at church in a respectful and appropriate way, you must do so without anger and without an argumentative spirit. You should also worship the Lord in a respectful way, refraining from immorality, greediness, and inappropriate language. And you should follow proper customs of respect and honor towards God.
Women … in a modest way, emphasizing inner godliness rather than outward appearance.
The way that Paul provides guidelines for women in worship teaches something very important. First, it teaches that women should pray. When Paul says “likewise” or “in the same way,” he is teaching women to approach church worship – especially prayer – in a certain way, just as he taught men to approach worship in a certain way. To the men, he emphasized being morally and socially respectable, without harboring an angry disposition and without getting into arguments with other people. To the ladies, he emphasized something different – their outward dress and demeanor. “In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works” (1 Tim 2:9-10).
- Modest means to dress in a balanced and well-ordered way. It is the word kosmos which also describes the orderly way in which God has arranged the entire world and universe. It refers to dressing in an appropriate way, focusing on being neat and presentable, not sloppy and careless.
- Propriety means to dress in a way that encourages respect, including self-respect for the way that God has made yoou. It refers to dressing in a decent, morally careful way that would blush or be ashamed to do otherwise.
- Moderation means to dress in a way that exhibits balance, self-control, good sense, and discretion.
Paul provides more detail here by contrasting moderation with “braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing.” He is not teaching that a lady should not braid her hair, should not wear gold or pearl jewelry, and should wear cheap clothing. Instead, he is teaching that a lady should use good sense by not fixing her hair or wearing jewelry which will attract attention. Nor should she wear clothing brands and styles which raise eyebrows due their brand-recognition or obvious expensiveness. In secular pagan worship, ladies would participate in worship gatherings by showing off their lavish clothing and jewelry, or they would participate by dressing themselves in a sensual way. Both these approaches distract others who are worshipping from the object of their worship – God.When Paul mentions proper in 1 Timothy 2:10, he uses a word which means “fitting.” Ladies should present themselves in worship in a way that shows that they are using good judgment, that they are aware of what is morally wholesome, and that they are careful to make the right impression on the senses of those who are worshiping together with them. In this way, it does matter how a lady dresses for worship. In fact, this is the fourth word in these four verses which means “appropriate” in one way or another. A lady should dress in an appropriate way for church.
We should worship the Lord in the right way and the right time.
Having considered Paul’s general guidelines for men and women in worship, let us also consider a principle which he provided in another place, this time to the church at Corinth. Regarding their worship gatherings, he said, “Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Cor 14:40). Paul wrote these words to correct a problem in that congregation. They had adopted an “open forum” format for their worship gatherings in which one person would stand up and say something, then another person would speak, then another. It seems that multiple people were speaking, sometimes interrupting one another, and sometimes in languages which no one else understood.To correct this problem, Paul offered some detailed advice. He summarized this advice by saying, “Let all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40). This is a principle which applies equally and appropriately to every church in the world. Decently means in the appropriate way. Does this sound familiar? Orderly means at the right time and in the proper sequence. When you consider the words of this principle, then, you will understand that church worship should not happen in a haphazard or confusing manner. At Faith Baptist Church, we endeavor to follow this principle in our worship service each Sunday. Our service follows a basic, general order with minor variations week to week. We give attention to prayer, to testimonies of praise, to songs of worship, to preaching and teaching the Bible, to giving our tithes and offerings, and to fellowship.Worshiping the Lord in a proper and orderly way is the respectful thing to do. Unlike Old Testament Temple worship, the Bible does not prescribe detailed church service protocols. That is why you can visit ten different churches and find ten different orders of service. You will also find a variety of worship service approaches due to what is respectful and appropriate in various cultures. However, it is generally and fundamentally important that a church follows an orderly approach to worship, despite various appropriate differences. A haphazard, chaotic worship gathering is not appropriate.
Worshiping the Lord in a proper and orderly way is the respectful thing to do.
By way of application, I would like to highlight one way that a church may apply this principle of worshiping the Lord together in a decent and orderly way. We can increase our respect for the Lord by arriving to church on time. Whatever challenges a church may face to this practice, out of respect for the Lord, we should overcome this challenge by going to bed earlier the night before, if necessary, and leaving our homes earlier in the morning to arrive before the Sunday worship service begins.We respect our employers, supervisors, and managers by doing this, don’t we? We arrive at work five days a week – on time, yet we easily arrive at church to worship the Lord – late. This reminds us of the principle of Malachi 1:6-14. Furthermore, it is culturally appropriate to arrive on time, is it not? Though not every culture thinks this way, American culture in general does think this way. Should we offer to God anything less? Finally, this reminds us of the principle which Paul taught the Corinthians, to worship the Lord in an appropriate way, in the right sequence, in the right time. We know that the worship service begins at 10 a.m. and that opening prayer begins at 9:30 a.m. Though there will and may be exceptions and though our Sunday schedule is not based upon an explicit law of the Bible, it is proper, respectful, and right for us to arrive on time. We can easily grow accustomed to showing up late every Sunday, without a good reason or cause in most cases. May we learn to show the respect that God deserves by arriving on time on Sundays and worshiping him in a respectful and wholehearted way.Do you worship the Lord with your church in a way that is appropriate and respectful? In what ways can you improve? God deserves our full reverence and heartfelt respect in church worship.
[1] Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 734.
