But what is the importance of creeds? Why is that a valuable thing for the church in our corporate worship? When we do it. It identifies us not only with one another here, but with the people of the church historically. And what's the purpose and function of a creed? It's different than a confession. It's what? It's a statement of beliefs, yeah, but so is our confession. And they have different purposes and different functions, which is why they are different in their form. Defines orthodoxy. It defines and delineates orthodoxy. And so the creeds, the creedal statements, are basically statements that say, if you are a true Christian, this is required for you to believe. And if you don't believe these doctrines, or if you disagree with these doctrines, then you are not in communion with the Christian church historically. And so it's a lot more terse, smaller, and simple, but it's essential. And creeds are a really great thing for kids to memorize, and to know, and learn about, and take their time walking through each of the doctrines in those creeds to really fully understand them. Because we hopefully would like our kids to grow up and be Orthodox in their doctrine. So every now and then we do recite a creed and it accomplishes those things. We also didn't talk a lot about... I didn't talk a lot about prayer. We talked about certain prayers, the invocation, the prayer of confession. I didn't talk about the pastoral prayer, which is the longest prayer that we have in the liturgy. What's the purpose and function of the pastoral prayer? To pray for the church. And to pray for all of those in government, high and low. We often hear one of the elders praying for everyone from the president down to our civil local leaders and law enforcement. We pray for unbelievers. We pray for not just the church here, but the church outside. Oftentimes, we do say a prayer for a different church that's in the fire association along with us. We should pray for missionaries. What do all of those things have in common? What type of prayer is this? Yes, they're all requests, petitions, or supplication, if you want to use the seminary word. We're laying our requests before the Lord, and it's a little bit different than Sometimes when we pray, we are praying and acknowledging and praising in our prayer, acknowledging the attributes of God and thanking Him for those. Sometimes when we pray, we're confessing our sins to God. Why do we have the part where we ask for our petitions, the pastoral prayer, which I don't like that term. Because it kind of connotes the idea that this is the time in our service where the pastor is going to pray for us and for the world. But that's not what is supposed to be going on. personally would prefer, and it might be helpful for you to think about it, instead of in your mind seeing pastoral prayer, thinking congregational prayer. We all know that we're not going to be verbalizing the prayer, the pastor is going to be verbalizing it, but it's a time where we are uniting our hearts together and praying together. There was a specific point in my life when I was a child where I realized I'm supposed to be actively praying along with the pastor during this prayer. And it's something that we often forget, or it's easy to forget and let our minds kind of just wander. But we need to listen and we need to pray along with the pastor. So if it's helpful to you to think of it as a congregational prayer, Do so as we are coming before the throne of grace together as a corporate body Not just not just listening to the pastor pray for us. There is another aspect of the pastoral prayer as well Just as I was saying with all of the other elements that we've talked about all of the decisions that are made All of the decisions that are made with regards to the liturgy need to be need to have pedagogical intent they need to be done in a way that teaches the congregation certain things. And in the congregational prayer, the pastoral prayer, it's a way not only to pray, which is something we need to do, but it's also teaching us how we should pray as well. So here's a question I'm gonna throw out at you. After we have all the tools and thinking through these things, why is the pastoral prayer located where it is in the liturgy? Rather than at the beginning, You ever thought about that? Is there a reason why it is where it is? Hmm. I can hear some gears turning. Right. Yeah, if you remember the I'm just going to imagine this whiteboard here, that those four steps of systematic theology, you know, who is God, who is man, what's the relationship between God and man. When we pray, in our liturgy, we actually follow those steps as well. We start off by, well, God invites us to worship Him, but we start off with a hymn of praise. We start off the beginning of the liturgy praising Him, acknowledging Him for who He is, who is God. We also acknowledge who we are. We are sinners in need of grace. We confess our sins before Him. We hear from God back the declaration of pardon, which is an assurance that, yes, if you are my people, if you truly believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you indeed are forgiven and you are in a right standing with me. We need to hear that and be reminded of that. And it's important to know that we are in a right standing with God before we just come to Him with all of our requests. Because otherwise we don't have a right to come to Him with all of our laundry list of requests. We have to be in right standing with Him. We have to be united to Christ. And He is functioning as our High Priest even when we pray and present these requests. And He presents the requests in a more perfected form before the throne of grace on our behalf. So it's where it is because we need to be reminded of our right standing with God before we just dump our laundry list of what we want on Him. And that's a coarse way of saying it, but that's the essence of why it's there. We follow a progression that's very intentional in order to try to do things the best way that we can. Any thoughts or questions on pastoral prayer? Okey-doke. All right. So, big picture again. I'm going to try to conclude this morning. I want to talk a little bit about the overall metanarrative of the liturgy. Why do we worship the way that we do in light of what we have learned so far? But I want to start by asking the question, who is worship for? Who is the audience? of our worship? God. One another. I was wondering if someone was going to add that. and unbelievers, anyone in our midst who is not a believer, absolutely. So there is an evangelistic aspect to our worship as well. And we need to keep all of those things in mind. We have the who is God, who is man, how do we relate to God is primary. He's the primary audience of our worship. But we are also, part of our worship is also to sing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another. It's not simply, God is not simply the only audience of when we sing or of any aspect of our worship. He is certainly with us and present among us and interacting with us and ministering to us, but we are all vessels that God uses to minister one to another. The pastor is not the only one ministering the Word of God to us, or the pastor is not the only one God is ministering to us through. but we are ministering one to another as we worship. I don't know if you've ever thought about that, but there's a lot of intention behind that because it's biblical, and it's something that is good to have in your minds, that we're ministering to one to another. Yes, we're here to worship God, but if we're gonna worship God, we need to obey his commands, and God commands us to love one another. God commands us to sing songs, Him spiritual songs, to one another. He commands us to do all of these different things to one another. When I was in college, we had a praise and worship band. that all of my roommates were in except for me. I was the outsider. But they cut a CD one year and sold it to raise money of all of the different worship songs that they would sing in chapel. They were pretty good musicians. It was pretty good. But they chose to title the CD Audience of One. And they would talk about that, how it's important that the only person that we are singing for is God. Therefore, we need to sing our best, but we're only singing to Him. But it's not biblical, is it? We sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs, and a lot of our songs are directed at God, but we're commanded to sing to one another. Why is that? Yeah, we are supposed to encourage and exhort one another. It's encouraging to one another even when we're singing a song that's mainly just about doctrine. Even if the subject matter of the song is only about the attributes of God or his work of redemption in the past, we are glorifying him. But the way in which God is glorified is when his redemptive acts are manifested and made known to the creature. So a way that we glorify God is singing to one another and participating together as we sing. And we're commanded to do that. Another question that we haven't addressed is, what style of music is most appropriate in liturgy? And it's one of those questions that everyone thinks that that's one of the most important questions that we need to talk about if we're talking about why we worship the way we do. What's the style of music? Or whenever someone goes and visits a church and you ask them how it was, They always say, oh, the preaching was blah, blah, blah, and the music was, but they talk more and more about the music. Or they even just say, but the worship was blah, blah, blah, as though the music is the only part of worship. People in our culture care so much about the style of music that I wonder if they forget the purpose and function of music. And I wanted to talk a little bit about that today. What is the best style of music that we should sing in church? What are some thoughts on that? Yes, Dave. So the style of music has to be truthful. The content of music has to be truthful. I totally agree. If the song, no matter if it's the best song and everyone loves it and it's a very appropriate style-wise, if the content of it is saying something that's not truthful, that's definitely not okay. So our theology, our doctrine of God and man and redemption, definitely ought to inform which songs we choose or what the lyrics of those songs are. But what about style? Baruch. It needs to be worshipful it needs to be Yeah, it needs to serve the words. So there's some really great hymns out there that are matched together with a tune that just doesn't really go together with it. Like a song talking about joy and Christ conquering, when it's set to a tune that sounds like a funeral march, it just... It's more helpful if the music actually serves the words. And there are other songs that are mournful. And there are songs of lament that should sound more somber and more like a dirge, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. It needs to be singable. Because the command is not to be sung to, but to sing one to another. And we're not all opera singers. We don't all have a four-octave range. It needs to be singable, and it needs to be set in a key that's singable. Every now and then, sometimes, the musicians would probably, likely, they transpose it into a different key that's a little easier for us to sing. Yes, Hannah. And these didn't be not too loud. Have you ever gone to a church, they have a praise band up front, which is okay, but it's so loud that you're singing at the top of your lungs and you can't even hear the person next to you. All you hear is them. It's not a performance. It's the congregation singing to each other. And it's a beautiful sound, the congregation singing to each other. One of my favorite CDs is a CD of hymns that was a recording of the the congregation at, where was it? Together for the Gospel, yeah. And you hear all of these men, because it's mostly men there and a few women, mainly you hear them singing. And they're not, it's not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I like listening to choirs sing hymns, it's cool. But it's God's people singing with a right heart, and you can hear that. And it's beautiful. I love that. I sing with those hymns all the time in my car. It's one of my favorite hymns. I just like hearing God's people sing one to another. And a lot of times people are afraid to sing out because they're like, I'm not a good singer or whatever. It's encouraging to hear people sing out even when they're a terrible singer. We were in a church once that had a kid with cerebral palsy, and he loved singing. And boy, did he belt it out. And a lot of times, he was way off. But you know what? I loved hearing him sing. So if you don't sing loud because you think you're not a good singer, it doesn't matter. Everyone can tell if you're a good singer or not, but that's not why we're singing. We sing because we're communicating our love for the Lord and our love for the truth, and we want to encourage and exhort one another with it. So I expect to hear, like, loud singing today. There was a hand up. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. The congregation singing is what Scripture commands. Sing one to another. Not sing for the congregation, but sing one to another. Like, I can't picture the Apostle Paul getting up and singing a solo, you know, to the eyes on the sparrow, to the... You just can't see that, you know. I heard that solo growing up in my church so many times. It's like every other one was the eye upon the sparrow. I don't know why. But... Yeah, the congregation singing one to another is important. In fact, when I, um... When I used to lead our liturgy, I would always start in the microphone when I was pastoring. I would start the congregation singing, and then once they started singing, I would step back. So I'm away from the mic, because then I could hear them better, and they can hear each other better, and I could also sing the tenor line if I wanted to on that hymn without throwing people off. And then I would make sure that they get started in the next verse. Okay, so everyone's in the same place. That was my job, is just to make sure we all start at the same time. It wasn't my job to be heard. It was my job to sing to them, just as much, but I wanted to hear from them as well, because it ministered to me. Because, yeah, the congregational singing to each other, that's the primary focus for our edification and for God's glory. Yeah. Yeah. It kind of discourages you from singing out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When it's so loud, it kind of ruins everything. Yeah. You can't hear each other. It discourages people from singing out. It prohibits you from being encouraged from hearing other people sing. And you're basically deaf by the time the sermon starts, so what's the point, you know? You had a hand up? Was it you? OK. You looked surprised that I called on you. I was like, I thought it was you. Could I? I mean, I was just going to add the scripture also. Into parts? Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I've been in a church that did that too, and I really enjoyed it. And for those of you who couldn't hear, which is everyone because of the fans, she was saying that we're supposed to sing skillfully. And she was saying how there's other churches, sometimes they get together in the evenings for a hymn sing. They call it, and they sometimes even separate the congregation or everyone who comes into sopranos, altos, basses, and tenors and actually teach you the parts so that the next time you sing that hymn in church, we're able to sing more skillfully and more enjoyably and to the best of our ability, which is, it might be something that we could try here. Maybe. Yeah. So there you go. I like that idea. And it's fun. People enjoy it. But it does. It helps us to be more artistic and skillful in the way in which we sing. We are going to run out of time if I don't start flying through here. Some churches, though, let me say this. Some churches might benefit greatly from singing a bunch of 17th century hymns. It may benefit our souls. I love them. They speak to me. They minister to my soul. I think they're beautiful. But are they going to speak and minister to the souls? Because we're singing to another for encouragement and edification. Will it speak to the souls of someone the same way in China or in Brazil? Or someone who grew up in an inner city urban setting? Should we do only these old style hymns that a lot of us love, which are really appropriate and great, if it doesn't actually speak to them? That's a question that needs to be thought through and addressed. Should we always make our worship as contemporary as we can to try to mimic the culture? Because that's what unbelievers enjoy more, and it'll draw them in to hear the gospel. I wouldn't go that far, but there needs to be a balance in there. because we're commanded to sing one to another for the purpose of mutual edification. And if it doesn't accomplish that purpose, I think that's the question that needs to be addressed. That's one of the primary questions, I think, that needs to be addressed when it comes to what style should we do. But the last thing that I like to see in a church, one of the things I hate most about many churches, is when they say, you know what, we're going to have a traditional service here and a contemporary service here, and you're splitting the church up. So those of you who like the more rock contemporary stuff, you come in the morning. Those of you who like all of the older stuff, you come in the afternoon. You're dividing the church up, and I can't stand that. I like how our church does it. We sing a psalm every week. We sing several hymns from the hymn book every week. And we sing several songs that are a little bit more contemporary every week. There's a blend there. And they do all of those things, I think, because they're trying with pedagogical intent to teach us that the actual style itself isn't that important. And it's okay to sing all of these different styles. And we like to sing styles that ministers to the souls of all of us. Ideally, do you have any other thoughts or additions you wanted to add Michael on that? Yes And every now and then you find an old obscure one that's great. Lord willing, yeah. Absolutely. I wanted to... I'm going to have to skip way ahead to something I wanted to touch on because I got five minutes left. I wanted to just kind of drive home the part there that if when we come to worship the Lord, if we come and only are seeking a one-on-one experience with God, because we're coming to worship God, yes, that vertical aspect of our liturgy and our worship is very important. We are not honoring God as he is if we come to just come have a one-on-one experience with God. Because it's His desire that we commune with Him and with one another in love. And our worship is certainly directed vertically towards God. But it's also directed, the arrow goes up, but the arrow also comes down because He ministers with us. But there's also that horizontal aspect. where we minister one to another. And I wanted to look at 1 Corinthians 14, mainly in chapter 14, to show that this is actually not just some guy who likes to study liturgy's opinion, right? It's not just a theology nerd's opinion, but this is biblical. In verse one, Paul commands, and he's talking here about the use of tongues in prophecy in the chapter. I'm not going to explain it too much, other than to say when he says tongues, think different languages, and when he says prophecy, think speaking truth. Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. Pursue love. In your worship, we need to pursue love. We're commanded to do that. In verse 3, we are commanded to encourage one another. He says, on the other hand, the one who prophesies, compared with the one speaking in a tongue or a different language, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. So this is a command that we are to do in our worship, is to encourage, upbuild, and console one another. The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies or speaks truth where people can understand it builds up the church. That's a primary function of our worship, is to build up the church in one another. Again, he mentions building up the church and how we ought to excel in building up the church in verse 12. In verse 16, he mentions that we have to offer thanksgiving. Verse 16 and 23 also both talk about outsiders. So in verse 23, for example, if therefore the whole church comes together and they all speak in tongues or in a language that other people can't understand, Like the Catholic Church in the medieval times used to speak Latin, and people had to come to church to receive the sacraments, but they couldn't understand Latin. How is that edifying to the church? If the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you're out of your mind? Why are you gathering together listening to something that you can't understand? But if I'll prophesy and speak truth, basically, and an unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted by all, and he is called to account by all, and the secrets of his heart are disclosed. And falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God really is among you. Skipping down to verse 26, let all things be done for building up. I mean, over and over again. And he mentions that we all are given the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5 as well. There's commands all throughout Scripture regarding worship that we have obligations one to another. It's a communal event where we commune not only with the Lord one-on-one, but one with another, and we acknowledge that we also have some communal responsibilities to the church in the world as well. It's why we pray for other churches, and we recognize that we are together with all of the saints. Musical styles, so this tension here between the vertical aspect and the horizontal aspect has to be maintained, okay? And that comes into play when we're looking at the musical style of our songs, right? They need to be both reverent and relevant. if they're not relevant or functioning the way that we were talking about earlier, then it's not appropriate. There has to be a balance there. Preaching and teaching also needs to be balanced. They need to communicate the transcendence of God, but they also need to be transparent in the way it's taught so that we understand it. If a preacher just uses only all of these really big seminary words that half the congregation can't understand, He's not doing a good job maintaining that balance of the horizontal aspect as well as the vertical aspect. But if he only uses like really common street terms and sounds all super casual, he's not approaching God's Word with the reverence that it's due. So there has to be a balance there. the way that we dress when we come to church. We haven't touched on that, and this is all we're going to say on it. It needs to be balanced, both by the law of God and the recognition that what we're doing is coming to meet with the Lord, but also balanced with the law of Christian liberty as well. We shouldn't be judgmental or condescending towards others who don't wear pocket squares in their suit jackets. The Bible translation that we choose to use, that's another question of forms that we have to answer, right? The Bible translation we choose needs to also communicate the elevation and importance of God's Word and what it is. Elevation, but also it needs to be engaging, which is one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of the King James Version, because it's hard to follow. It's not as engaging unless you cut your teeth on that version growing up. The overall demeanor in all that we do needs to be balanced between sobriety, because what we're doing is something very serious, but also that needs to be balanced with joy. because we have to recognize the vertical and the horizontal aspect of what we are gathering together to do as we commune with our Lord and Savior, and we feed upon his body, not only in the Lord's Supper, but in the preaching and teaching of the word, and we feed on the truths of the gospel that are present and being taught and re-presented to us in the liturgy itself every Lord's Day. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning and we give you thanks and praise as always. And we do ask, Father, that you would be with us this morning as we come together to worship you in corporate worship. We pray that you will assist us to be able to worship you to the best of our ability in a way that honors and glorifies you and in a way that encourages and shows love and concern for one another. and in a way, Father, where we can hear, truly hear from You by the work of Your Spirit as Your Word is preached to us and as we feed upon the Gospel and upon our Savior and we enjoy and are nourished by Your Word to Your people. We pray, Father, that You would help us to recognize the importance of glorifying and honoring You And showing love one to another and building each other up. We thank you for this wonderful thing called the church Which you have given to us for our good and for your glory and we ask father that That your kingdom here on earth will never cease knowing indeed that that is your promise that we don't have to worry about Father we thank you for all of these things in the name of our lord our god our savior and our great high priest jesus christ in whose name we pray