Worship Articles by Ron Man Pastor of Music and Worship, EXW Contributor November 30, 2006

The second half of Hebrews 2:12 shows us an equally remarkable truth: Jesus goes on to say to the Father, “in the midst of the congregation I will praise Your name.” When we come to worship, Jesus Christ is in our midst, leading us in singing praises to the Father.

What an incredible truth! To begin with, it shows that the ministry of music in the church is not a pretty add-on or an enjoyable preliminary, but rather is given an astounding importance by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, whose ministry it really is! And this verse also shows us that Jesus Christ is the leader of our worship. (Hebrews 8:2 describes Him as the “minister,” in Greek the “liturgist” or worship leader, in the heavenly sanctuary- as the priests were in the earthly sanctuary.) That means that the worship leader, choir, or whoever leads in this part of the service is likewise representing Christ, in His ministry of leading the brethren’s praise.

James Torrance’s brother Thomas has summed up this truth beautifully:

The Church on earth lives and acts only as it is directed by its heavenly Lord, and only in such a way that His Ministry is reflected in the midst of its ministry and worship. Therefore from first to last the worship and ministry of the Church on earth must be governed by the fact that Christ substitutes Himself in our place, and that our humanity with its own acts of worship, is displaced by His, so that we appear before God not in our own name, not in our own significance, not in virtue of our own acts of confession, contrition, worship, and thanksgiving, but solely in the name of Christ and solely in virtue of what He has done in our name and on our behalf, and in our stead. Justification by Christ alone means that from first to last in the worship of God and in the ministry of the Gospel Christ Himself is central, and that we draw near in worship and service only through letting Him take our place. He only is Priest. He only represents humanity. He only has an offering with which to appear before God and with which God is well-pleased. He only presents our prayers before God, and He only is our praise and thanksgiving and worship as we appear before the face of the Father. Nothing in our hands we bring--simply to His Cross we cling. (Thomas Torrance, Theology in Reconstruction, SCM Press, 1965, p. 167)

God has been pleased to accept an incredible diversity of expressions of worship over the centuries and around the world, not because of any inherent worthiness or excellence, but because Jesus Christ (who is “the same yesterday and today and forever,” Heb. 13: 8) is at the center offering up a perfect sacrifice of praise in the midst of His people. Our worship is acceptable because we come in Him and through Him.

And so, as we face the ever-broadening range of worship expressions in our world, let us evaluate them according to God’s standards and not according to our own preferences and prejudices- and let us insist that worship, in our churches and in our church plants, faithfully follows and gives a proper place to the Word of God, with the Holy Spirit blessing and giving power, with the congregation fully engaged and involved, and with a recognition that we come to the Father led by and clothed with Christ who leads us in our praise.

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