Worship; the Old and the New
A Sermon on Romans 12:6-8
Originally preached April 1, 1966
Scripture
6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, …
Sermon Description
Human traditions are often blinded to the clear teaching of Scripture. Traditionalism is a danger Christians must avoid because it is a prejudice they are all subject to. Perhaps no area of the Christian life is more prone to traditionalism than worship. Whether as an individual or entire denomination, one can easily read their prejudices back into Scripture. In this sermon on Romans 12:6–8 titled “Worship, the Old and the New,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones calls Bible-believing Christians to examine their traditions. He asks them to consider the general impression of the New Testament as they read about the early church engaging in worship. Seeking to counter the resurgence among evangelicals towards a liturgical form, Dr. Lloyd-Jones answers the liturgical arguments by drawing attention to passages such as Romans 12:6–8. While there is continuity between Old Testament worship – with its emphasis on prescribed forms – there is discontinuity as well. Of course, this difference is not one in kind but in degree. Moreover, as figures in church history have justified set prayers and liturgical services in order to prevent error from creeping into the church, this should only be a temporary expedience, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones. Nevertheless, Christ is able to gift all to pray, preach, and teach in a biblical manner avoiding doctrinal errors. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges from Scripture prevailing worship traditions and prejudices.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul describes the gifts given by the Holy Spirit to members of the early church.
- This passage provides a picture of how the early church functioned and lived.
- It is important for Christians today to examine how the early church lived according to Scripture.
- The church should always be reforming itself according to Scripture.
- There are movements today pushing for church unity and a return to liturgical worship. Christians must understand the nature of the church before discussing unity.
- No church today is adequately equipped in theology, worship, or evangelism for the future, according to some. All aspects of church life must be reexamined.
- Christians must avoid prejudice and tradition, examining Scripture with humility. Dr. Lloyd-Jones is not attacking any group but calling all to self-examination.
- Jesus said John the Baptist was greater than all born of women but that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. This shows the difference between the old and new covenants.
- The old covenant was external, formal, and ceremonial. The new covenant is internal, spiritual, and living. The new covenant brings a new kind of worship.
- The argument that set liturgies and prayers are needed because of the people's inability is only temporary. God can raise up and gift people today like in the early church.
- To rely permanently on set forms of worship reflects poorly on God's ability to gift people. The church today should ask why no one can pray publicly instead of providing prayer books.
- The New Testament shows a free, spontaneous kind of worship. The disorders in Corinth show their worship was not rigidly liturgical.
- The prophecy of Joel, fulfilled at Pentecost, shows the new covenant would bring prophecy, visions, and dreams to all kinds of people. This new outpouring of the Spirit brings a new kind of worship.
- The impression from reading the New Testament is of a free, spontaneous worship, not rigid liturgy. The specific commands of Jesus and the apostles do not establish set liturgies.
- Jesus' teaching to the Samaritan woman and Stephen's preaching show that new covenant worship is not confined to a particular place or form like the old covenant. New covenant worship is in Spirit and truth.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Worship Forms and the Holy Spirit
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' concern about the trend toward liturgical forms of worship?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there is a troubling trend of churches turning "more and more to liturgical catholic types of service." He observes that "the free churches have got to reexamine themselves and adopt the catholic type of church service." His concern is that this movement toward set forms of worship might restrict the freedom of the Holy Spirit and represent a departure from New Testament patterns. He urges believers to examine church practices "in the light of scripture" rather than merely continuing traditions without biblical foundation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe worship in the early church?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes early church worship as "free and spontaneous." He points to Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 14, noting that in the early church one might have "a psalm, another a prophecy," and believers "sang to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." He mentions that in the Corinthian church, this freedom sometimes led to disorder, requiring Paul's admonition that "everything be done decently and in order." The very existence of such disorder proves that worship was not tied to set forms but allowed for spontaneous expression.
What difference does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify between Old and New Testament worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Old Testament worship was "external, formal, and ceremonial" with a designated priesthood and detailed prescriptions about furnishings and rituals. Everything was "ordered" and "prescribed exactly." By contrast, New Testament worship is "an inner, internal type of worship. It is free, it's not formal." He points to how Jesus would "sit down in a boat and start preaching" or preach on a mountainside or in a house - "you're out of the realm of the formal." The New Testament also establishes "the universal priesthood of all believers" rather than a special class of priests.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view the argument that set prayers are necessary because of people's inability to pray?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledges this argument has "a certain amount of couragency" but ultimately rejects it. He asks, "Is not our Lord and savior capable of giving ability to men?" and points to Romans 12:6-8 as evidence that God gives different gifts to different people. He uses John Owen's illustration about learning to swim: bladders (floaters) are helpful for beginners but should eventually be discarded. Similarly, written prayers might be temporary helps but shouldn't become permanent crutches. He suggests that when churches say "nobody here can pray," they should examine themselves spiritually rather than rely on written prayers.
What scripture does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to argue against set forms of worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones cites several key passages: 1. Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman in John 4 that true worshippers will worship "in spirit and in truth," not confined to specific locations 2. Romans 8:26-27, which says the Spirit "helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought" and "maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" 3. Ephesians 6:18, which instructs believers to pray "with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" 4. He also references the prophetic words in Joel (cited in Acts 2) about God pouring out His Spirit "upon all flesh" in the New Testament era
What connection does Dr. Lloyd-Jones make between revival and forms of worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that set forms of worship may be "antagonistic to revival" because revival requires "this essential element of freedom" and "an opportunity for the Spirit to break in." He challenges the emphasis on "dignified services," stating that "the test of a service is not whether it's dignified or not. It's the power of the Spirit in it." He pointedly asks, "How often have you heard of a revival breaking out in a cathedral service?" He observes that "whenever there is a revival, there is always a revival of extemporary praying and freedom in the act of worship," along with "a great outbreak of the composition of evangelical hymns."
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' concern about distributing sermon recordings?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares his personal dilemma about sending sermon tapes to people who request them. His concern is that "we'll eventually reach a stage in which there'll be perhaps just about half a dozen preachers in this country, and everybody else will be listening to the tapes." He sees this as parallel to the problem with liturgical forms - both represent a way of "providing it ready made" rather than trusting the Holy Spirit to raise up and gift local ministers. He asks, "Cannot God, the Holy Spirit, give gifts to men in these churches?"
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe Christians should respond to church traditions?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes that Christians should not "go on thoughtlessly continuing that which we've been accustomed to." He states firmly: "if you can't prove and establish that your tradition is scriptural, well, then it is wrong to continue in it." He warns against speaking "out of prejudice, merely out of tradition," calling it "unintelligent" and "certainly not spiritual." Instead, Christians should "always be ready to examine ourselves in the whole of our Christian lives according to this word [Scripture]" and be willing to modify practices "if it leads to greater efficiency in the work and the ministry of the Christian church."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.