What is worship that is not centered on God? Worship that is centered on something other than God is not worship, we answer simply. It may be a religious gathering, it may be exciting, it may be informative, but it is not, by definition, worship. Among the primary virtues of traditional Reformed worship is its God-centeredness. Its structure and content leave no ambiguity about what the people of God have gathered to do: offer publicly to God their sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:15). A church gathering to offer traditional Reformed worship assembles to meet, to encounter, to know, and to glorify God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is as it should be. “It is fundamental that we recognize that all true Christian worship must be theocentric,” says Robert G. Rayburn, “the primary motion and focus of worship are Godward.”
Nearly everyone leading worship services claims to be God-centered. What exactly do the proponents of traditional Reformed worship mean when they claim to be God-centered, or theocentric? We mean that our worship is directed to God. Praise is offered to Him, confession is made to Him, petitions are presented to Him, He addresses His Word to us, and He meets with us at His table. Is this not the worship language of the Bible? We “draw near” to God in worship (James 4:8–10; Heb. 4:15–16; 10:19–23). We ascribe glory to His name (1 Chron. 11:29; Pss. 29:2; 96:7). It is before Him that we bow down and kneel (Ps. 95:6–7). We come before Him with “joyful songs” (Ps. 100:2 nasb). We could go on and on with examples of this. Everything in worship is God-centered and God-directed. Even as the Bible is read and preached, we are worshiping God by receiving and submitting to His Word (2 Tim. 3:16). “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only,” Jesus said (Matt. 4:10 nasb).
Finally there are only two options in worship. Worship can be man-centered or God-centered. Worship is “worth-ship,” to attribute worth to God. Congregations assemble to do other things. Sometimes they meet to conduct business, exercise discipline, or enjoy fellowship; or sometimes they meet to devote time to music, Bible study, or evangelism. These other activities should not be confused with worship, though they may be elements or by-products of worship. Time devoted to worship proper should, in the first place, consist of congregational devotional exercises, which, in the second place, have as their aim the glorification of God. It should be asked of any activity proposed for inclusion in a worship service: Is it legitimately devotional in nature? Is its aim first and foremost to please, honor, and glorify God?
This means that for a service to be about God it cannot be about the lost, the saints, or about my experience. A proper worship service will indeed have much to say to the lost, much that will edify the saints, and much that is experientially rich. Indeed, we would claim that traditional Reformed worship is potentially the experientially richest of all worship, thrilling the soul with rich praise of God, deep confession of sin, fresh appreciation of the promises of pardon through the cross of Christ, and the peace and joy and contentment that flow from it. Traditional Reformed worship features intercessory prayer that expresses dependence upon the Spirit for holiness and Christ-likeness. It also emphasizes the soul feeding and satisfying reading and exposition of God’s word. All of this praying and preaching has an impact on the lost and edifies the saints. But it is not “my experience” at which proper worship aims. Fulfilling personal experience is a by-product of God-centeredness in worship.
Nearly everyone leading worship services claims to be God-centered. What exactly do the proponents of traditional Reformed worship mean when they claim to be God-centered, or theocentric? We mean that our worship is directed to God. Praise is offered to Him, confession is made to Him, petitions are presented to Him, He addresses His Word to us, and He meets with us at His table. Is this not the worship language of the Bible? We “draw near” to God in worship (James 4:8–10; Heb. 4:15–16; 10:19–23). We ascribe glory to His name (1 Chron. 11:29; Pss. 29:2; 96:7). It is before Him that we bow down and kneel (Ps. 95:6–7). We come before Him with “joyful songs” (Ps. 100:2 nasb). We could go on and on with examples of this. Everything in worship is God-centered and God-directed. Even as the Bible is read and preached, we are worshiping God by receiving and submitting to His Word (2 Tim. 3:16). “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only,” Jesus said (Matt. 4:10 nasb).
Finally there are only two options in worship. Worship can be man-centered or God-centered. Worship is “worth-ship,” to attribute worth to God. Congregations assemble to do other things. Sometimes they meet to conduct business, exercise discipline, or enjoy fellowship; or sometimes they meet to devote time to music, Bible study, or evangelism. These other activities should not be confused with worship, though they may be elements or by-products of worship. Time devoted to worship proper should, in the first place, consist of congregational devotional exercises, which, in the second place, have as their aim the glorification of God. It should be asked of any activity proposed for inclusion in a worship service: Is it legitimately devotional in nature? Is its aim first and foremost to please, honor, and glorify God?
This means that for a service to be about God it cannot be about the lost, the saints, or about my experience. A proper worship service will indeed have much to say to the lost, much that will edify the saints, and much that is experientially rich. Indeed, we would claim that traditional Reformed worship is potentially the experientially richest of all worship, thrilling the soul with rich praise of God, deep confession of sin, fresh appreciation of the promises of pardon through the cross of Christ, and the peace and joy and contentment that flow from it. Traditional Reformed worship features intercessory prayer that expresses dependence upon the Spirit for holiness and Christ-likeness. It also emphasizes the soul feeding and satisfying reading and exposition of God’s word. All of this praying and preaching has an impact on the lost and edifies the saints. But it is not “my experience” at which proper worship aims. Fulfilling personal experience is a by-product of God-centeredness in worship.