The Pattern of Sound Worship – A Kingdom Catechism

The Pattern of Sound Worship

A Kingdom Catechism

Our task is to discern and follow God’s plan for worship.

Q 58: How do they who have been redeemed fulfill the second commandment?

A 58: The redeemed of the Lord fulfill the second commandment by worshiping God according to all His Word and following Him in all His ways. (Deut. 12:29-31; Deut. 13:1-4)

Theologians speak of a “regulative principle” of worship, and by this they mean that God has provided guidelines—in terms of forms and elements, as well as content—for worshiping Him. There is a “pattern” of sound worship, and we may discern this pattern in the Scriptures, beginning in God’s Law. When God gave Moses the instructions for building the Tabernacle and its furnishings, and for the priests and Levites, He repeatedly directed him to make sure to make these worship preparations according to the pattern revealed in the mount. God has not changed in His view of how He will be worshiped. He regulates worship according to a pattern of His own devising and design. Our responsibility, if we would fulfill the requirements and gain the benefits of worship, is to bring our worship into line with what God has revealed, and to resist all efforts to innovate or alter God’s directions for worship.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.