The Audience of One

Vizzini: "INCONCEIVABLE!"

Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Most churches and Christians will acknowledge that worship should be "God-centered". How could it not be? That's inconceivable! That's what we would like to think, anyway, but we don't realize that often we make worship more about us than about God.

Consider our attitudes toward Sunday Worship. We know we're there to worship God, but it's hard not to think that we, the congregation, are the audience. There are those who formally "serve" during worship to bless our worship experience: the pastor, the musicians, the ushers, even the childcare providers. We feel encouraged by the message and are comforted by the songs. The old hymns don't relate to our generation, the recitations of old creeds and prayers feel too compulsory to us. We want a separate children's worship because our kids don't get anything out of the adult worship. Afterwards, we complain that nobody came to welcome us.

On the other hand, Big Daddy Weave sings a song called "Audience of One", that embodies the core purpose of worship, that we, as Christians, are called together, invited by God into His own house for the privilege of offering up our worship to Him. What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If worship truly is for an audience of One, then the rest of us are givers of worship, and cannot be passive observers.

The Regulative Principle of Worship

But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch.21

What the Regulative Principle of Worship basically says is that God has revealed, in His Word, how we are to worship Him. There is some debate among Reformed churches over how strictly the Regulative Principle ought to be applied, but here at New Life Bay Area, we follow the following guidelines. First, we believe the entire purpose of Sunday worship is to give glory to God. Secondly, we believe the Bible shows us different means by which we can do this: by proclaiming God's word, through music, scripture reading, prayer, etc. Lastly, we believe the Regulative Principle of Worship allows for some freedom of choice in the details or our worship, but we must rely on Scripture for discernment in how we exercise that freedom, because it's not about how we want to worship, but what sort of worship is pleasing to the Lord.

Generally speaking, we believe every part of worship should be a means to glorify God by proclaiming to God, who He is and what He has done. We do that by singing songs praising God for who He is and the things He has done. We hear messages that proclaim God's word describing who He is and what He has done. We recite creeds, lift up prayers, practice sacraments that remind us of who God is and the things He has done. Does that sound pretty boring, or does that sound like Heaven? Or does that make Heaven sound pretty boring?

Worship at New Life Bay Area

"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods." -Psalm 95:1-3

Here at New Life Bay Area, we employ many different elements in our liturgy (preaching, singing, readings, and prayers), but overall, our worship is divided into three parts: Praise, Renewal and Commitment

During the Praise portion of worship, we focus on who God is: holy, righteous, omnipotent, creator, deserving all glory. In the Renewal portion, we confess our sins, and worship God for His grace and mercy, especially the work of Christ to redeem us from our sin, and restore us to fellowship with God. Lastly, in the Commitment portion of our worship, we hear the gospel proclaimed and respond with our commitment to serve the Lord and do the work which God has prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10).