WHAT TO EXPECT

We are often looking for extraordinary ways that God might work in our lives, but we believe that God works in ordinary ways and through ordinary people. And it is in these ordinary means that He graciously, regularly, week after week, nurtures the faith of His people and builds up His church: the Word, Sacrament, and Prayer — the reading and preaching of His word; the observation of the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and baptism; and through prayer.

A liturgy is simply an order of service; thus, every worship service is liturgical. When people gather for corporate praise they must follow some sort of structure to prevent chaos. A liturgy can be complex and have many elements — such as responsive readings, kneelings, creeds, hymns, and a sermon. Other liturgies are simpler — a few songs, a prayer, and a sermon. The sacraments are an important part of any liturgy. These means of grace ordained by Christ visibly confirm the preached Word. The washing of water in baptism reinforces the reality of our spiritual cleansing that comes from trusting in Christ (John 3:5). The Lord’s Supper is a tangible way to recall and proclaim the atonement (1 Cor. 11:26). They do not magically save us in and of themselves, but when joined to the preached Word in the order of worship, the sacraments give believers continued confidence and grace in Christ. What follows is a typical liturgy and the reasons behind each element at Redemption Bible Church.

Beginning a service of Christian worship with the apostolic greeting and a call to worship taken from the Scriptures is a Biblically appropriate way to begin a corporate service of Christian worship because it highlights God’s grace and His initiative in saving sinners.

The Word of God teaches that the only way for us sinners to approach God with acceptable worship is by His grace and mercy alone, which is in Christ alone. The apostolic greeting reminds us that we when come before God in holy worship at His Divine initiative and command, we have received through Christ, His grace, mercy, peace, and love.

The Call to Worship exhorts God's people to turn from worldly distractions and to focus hearts, minds, and actions on revering Him. Because the Call to Worship is from God through the Scriptures, we are reminded that He always initiates; we respond. This is a profound truth, not only for our salvation, but also for our worship of the One who saves us. The Call to Worship is not simply a perfunctory greeting of human cordiality but is at once a weighty responsibility and a joyful privilege. 

The church is the ekklesia, the called out ones. When we gather as God’s people we are being called away from other pursuits to worship God together in a specific place and time.

Following the pattern of passages like Isaiah 6, the Lord’s Prayer, and the New Testament epistles, the singing portion of our worship begins with adoration of the Triune God. Songs of praise are those Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that direct our attention to our great God and Savior as a response to His calling us to worship Him. Singing songs of praise that are rooted in the Word of God teaches us, admonishes us, and provokes our hearts to thankfulness.

Following the greetings of the Apostles, assuring us of Christ’s mercy, grace, and peace toward us; and following our adoration of God in songs of praise, believers should be reminded of God’s holiness, see their own sinfulness and need to turn from sin and turn once again to Christ. This repentance doesn’t lead us to despair, but to dependence and joy because in these moments we’re especially reminded of God’s faithfulness and goodness.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9

When God hears the prayer of a repentant sinner, forgiveness always happens.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Our confession, rooted in the Biblical promises of God’s grace, always ends with the assurance that our sins have been pardoned. We celebrate this reality each week in our service during the “assurance of pardon”. After our corporate prayer of confession we typically receive an assurance of pardon, either from the pulpit or in the songs we sing following this prayer. It is so easy to lose faith and think our prayers go unheard and unanswered. This portion of our liturgy assures us that God does hear our confession, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and we can stand before Him as clean children of the Kingdom.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

Following prayers of repentance, giving money in a formal act of worship demonstrates hearts of genuine repentance and submission to Christ. For members of a local church, giving of offerings is prescribed in the New Testament for the purpose of glorifying God (2 Corinthians 9:11-13), responding to His love and sacrifice for us (2 Corinthians 8:8-9), and meeting certain needs for others (Romans 15:26, Galatians 6:6).It was to be done when the saints assembled on the first day of the week, and in the worship service (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

We believe that the Bible is the very Word of the living God, breathed out by God and given to us to train us in all that is necessary for life and godliness. As God’s people we are deeply reliant on Scripture, trusting that the Bible is the only infallible and inerrant means through which God speaks to us.For this reason Scripture must be central to our worship services.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

-1 Timothy 4:13

Prayer with thanksgiving is an element of natural worship and so is required by God of everyone. But to be acceptable, it must be made in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to his will. It must be accompanied by understanding, reverence, humility, fervor, faith, love, and perseverance. Prayer with others must be in a language that is understood. (LBCF 22:3) 

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. -Romans 8:26

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Psalms here are those songs that are from the Scriptures specifically, whereas hymns are man-written songs that are sung by a congregation in praise to God. These must be truth that praises God, edifies the church, and are sung with gratitude toward our great God and Savior.

The Apostle Paul writes in the Epistle to the Romans:

So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (1:15-16)

...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (10:9-17)

The Baptist Confession of Faith from 1689 (in modern English) puts it best: The supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by Him the same night He was betrayed. It is to be observed in His churches to the end of the age as a perpetual remembrance and display of the sacrifice of Himself in His death. It is given for the confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits of Christ’s death, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, and their further engagement in and to all the duties they owe Him. The supper is to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Christ and each other. (LBCF 30:1) See 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Near the end of our corporate, gathered worship, the assembly of the saints should respond to the proclamation of God’s Word. He has spoken to us through the ordinary means of grace, and so our response as a congregation should be one of praise, trust, thankfulness, obedience, and an expression of dependance on Him. We are called to be doers of the word, and not hearers only. - James 1:22

A benediction is literally a “good word” from God. It is delivered through ministers of the Word to His people for the purpose of sustaining and strengthening faith. Historically, the benediction has been a vital component of the church’s worship. From the early church through the Middle Ages, to the Reformers through the Puritans, we find the liturgical tradition of the minister raising his hands to pronounce a benediction on the congregation. Together with the invocation, the benediction serves as a liturgical bookend whereby God gets the first and the last word.

For example, God instituted the Aaronic benediction after the inauguration of the Levitical priesthood: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them. -Numbers 6:23-27

The Baptist Confession of Faith from 1689 (in modern English) puts it best: Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ. To those baptized it is a sign of their fellowship with Him in His death and resurrection, of their being grafted into Him, of remission of sins, and of submitting themselves to God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life. Those who personally profess repentance toward God and faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ are the only proper subjects of this ordinance. The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, in which the individual is to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary for this ordinance to be administered properly. (2LBCF 29) See Romans 6:3–5; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:27.