Sinclair Ferguson: The Priority of Worship

[@harpels1573]

I have never been to a Ligonier Ministries conference or convention. I have never met Dr. Sproul, Dr. Ferguson, Dr. J. Macarthur, Dr. Al Mohler, Dr. Lawson, Dr. A. Begg. Dr. Derek Thomas, Dr. Godfrey, etc. and any of those speakers in the Ligonier conventions, but I just came to know them by just listening to their messages on You-Tube. I am actually a relatively new "convert" to Reformed Theology. I have learned so much the basic doctrines of the Christian faith by listening to Dr. R. Sproul on KZbin. I am blessed by Ligonier Ministries.

[@mindingmarie1983]

harpels same here

[@bridgetttubbs9959]

All have been a blessing to me. I too met these men of God on utube. God bless! The Lord Jesus called me 50 years ago. I Love the Lord Jesus and his word

[@drewgosse2376]

I love the pastoral manner the Lord has given Sinclair, we are all blessed by it.

[@harpels1573]

I learn so much from listening to Dr. Sinclair Ferguson's messages on YOU-Tube. He is really a first-rate theologian. And his life as a Christian speaks louder than his speeches.

[@joeiiiful]

harpels. You are more right than you can possibly know. He is exactly as you observe and far more. I sat under his ministry for 7 years in Columbia, SC. His preaching and life are unparalleled in 32 years of being a Christian believer. He is a master theologian, extraordinary expository preacher and a man who loves what he believes and preaches. The most Godly man I have ever met. His views of worship are biblical, but very unpopular and resisted because most worship is man centeted, not God/Christ centered.

[@PrenticeBoy1688]

@@joeiiiful I have the exceptionally rare honour of having a presbyter in the heavily Anglo-Catholic Continuing Anglican Church who received his theological education at Westminster Seminary. Although he never took instruction from Dr. Ferguson, our presbyter's final year as a student was Dr. Ferguson's first year as a professor there.

[@1226law]

For all Christians who's heart's desire is to worship God in Spirit and in truth this message from Dr. Ferguson should be on your priority viewing list. Sinclair Ferguson is one of the greatest theologians of our day. Do not miss this message!

[@gaenorturner2894]

Amen

[@angloaust1575]

Worship the lord in spirit and in truth Worship the lord in the beauty of Holiness!

[@eileendunkley5086]

What a preacher ! Love him !

[@kimberleerivera7062]

Thank you Sinclair Ferguson!

[@eileendunkley5086]

Man of God ! Filled with the Holy Spirit. All glory to our God..

[@Turan854]

Thank you so much!

[@Nick-od3vd]

Thank you! Eye opening

[@benjaminthompson3122]

"...and so Jesus died on the cross so God could be properly worshipped again."

[@gnieu1278]

Wow. .... Been blind for too long... Only Jesus can make the scales fall off

[@augsburgbiblechannel9246]

God frequently connects the visual with some word of Grace or promise. So the covenant had the visual element of the sacrifices that were cut. The captain of the army of Aram had the visual of the washing in the Jordan. Isaiah had the coal touched to his lips with the declaration that he was forgiven. Jesus brought in his new testament with the visual of bread and wine. And he connects our washing to a literal application of water and holy baptism.

[@kimberleerivera7062]

GOD'S Church! GOD is who we are to be worshiping - not man. If we can't worship in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, are we worshiping in vain?!

[@ronaverell864]

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. - Romans 12:1 ESV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. - Romans 12:1 NIV and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation (Mercy Seat) by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. - Romans 3:24-25 ESV Share with others to worship God being called near to stand near- in view of His Mercy, and sprinkled Blood of His Son on that Cover over the Ark of the Covenant; betrothing us to Himself a bride, cleansing us from our unfaithfulness, and pouring into our account His Precious Blood-from which the Holy Spirit comes down and regenerates, washes and purifies- tanking what is of Christ and imparting Him to us. The Whole Burnt Offering before the Fire of God's Presence: in Christ the Blameless One; Circumcised: Pros Theon: Face to Face in love. The Whole Burnt Offering was Daily, morning & evening: and the Flame of that Altar burnt continually. As Abraham learned, you cannot be restored from ungodliness to worship without walking in the trial joined to the Promised Seed; Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." - Genesis 22:5 ESV

[@SiRasputin]

Just re-watching this. His points about the visual at around 41:00 are very wrong and quasi-gnostic. Notwithstanding the fact that human beings are physical and require physical/visual elements in worship, the Bible itself contains imagery. One cannot read the Bible, and indeed any other text, without conjuring images within ones mind. It is in our very nature to relate to texts in this way. Imagery is a literary technique used by many Biblical writers. Visions and imagery are used extensively in the Scriptures. This is not to say that the evangelical use of media in worship should be commended. But Ferguson wants to exclude most imagery, "hand gestures" and other physical elements of worship. This is simply not Biblical. The Church has always used the visual and sensory in worship, together with the Scriptures and the homilies. This is the consistent witness of the Church throughout the ages. Only with the Reformation, and particularly with Calvin, was the proper use of Christian imagery excluded completely and sometimes violently from the Church. Go to the most ancient Christian communities. When you see an Ethiopian pray, they will make the sign of the cross as do all ancient Christian Communities. This doesn't mean that they are doing "man-centred" worship or some other slanderous accusation brought about by Calvinists. It is an outward sign of who they worship and who they are praying to. The colour and vestments in traditional worship reflect that of world God has made and, indeed, of heaven. The dour law gowns and whitewashed walls of Calvinism is a reflection of the poverty of their theology and worship.

[@tstjohn777]

Well, you sound like a Catholic or Orthodox believer or perhaps a Pentecostal type. Notice I said believer, not Christian. The visuals in the Bible are for an explanation of what's happening not visual teaching of worship. That's where I believe you confuse your thinking and understanding. Noise what happens on Mountain of transformation. What the apostles saw they wanted to build a shrine for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Then this happened. While the apostle was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. In Habakkuk 2:4 it states " the justified shall live by faith. The downfall of those in Romans 1, is they got their eyes off God and put it on the creature. Also, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not see. 2 Cor. 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. Matthew 15:8-9 These people draw near to me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips. But their hearts are far from Me. Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men. Then in Isaiah 6, you see the visuals but the objective is God. Not the Angeles, not the smoke. In the end, God says, " tell these people, they keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Perhaps you should do a study on idolatry and images that God detest.

[@SiRasputin]

@@tstjohn777 Pentecostal? They are part of the problem Protestants created. And please don't take scripture out of context.

[@joeiiiful]

@@SiRasputin You refuse to answer anything with Scripture. Why? One further observation is that you probably have never listened to the entire message and are just being a troll who hates God Almighty and His Word.

[@SiRasputin]

@@joeiiiful Sorry, i did speak about scripture. But it's clear from the contents of scripture that physical aspects of worship are critical - the temple and its imagery of angels, the bread and wine are very physical aspects of worship instituted by Christ, which the Reformed and evangelical churches have marginalised. There you go, hows that for answering with scripture

[@joeiiiful]

@@SiRasputin Argumentation without any Justification. Your hatred of the true and living God is intuitively obvious to the most casual Observer. Read and understand Luke 13:1-5. Repent and believe on the real Lord Jesus Christ or you will likewise perish. God Commands men everywhere to repent. Get away from your false Jesus and religion.

[@SiRasputin]

Unfortunately, Ferguson's downplaying of tangible elements in Christian worship smacks of Gnosticism whilst also ignoring the plain instruction of Christ at the last supper to "do this". It also ignores the overwhelming experience of the Church from giants of the faith whom, presumably, Ferguson would commend on their defense of the Trinity and other dogmas. The Fathers were sacramental to their core and this is obvious from their writings. All the physical evidence points to the liturgy of the Church being profoundly scriptural - from the lectionaries, the psalms, the prayers and hymns. Contrast this to Protestant worship. The scriptural content of the traditional liturgies far exceeds that of any Protestant Church, save perhaps the Anglicans who inherited their liturgy from the Latin mass. Look also at the Eastern churches who, unlike the West, translated both scripture and the liturgy into the vernacular of each local church. That why we have biblical manuscripts in Arabic, Coptic, Syriac, Slavonic and other languages. Ferguson, golf may have been invented in Scotland, but the Christian Church certainly wasn't! You want to see what the ancient church looks like in its liturgical life, martyrdom and persecution, go to Egypt, Ethiopia Syria and other countries. This is the Christian witness. Their ancient liturgies in all their beauty, soaked in the Bible, centered on the Eucharist (not the preacher) has sustained and nourished their faith. The fruit of Northern European Protestantism and its elimination of mystery in worship? Secularism.

[@upShifty]

Simon Brendling I think you've been inhaling too much of the incense.

[@SiRasputin]

Yep the same stuff spoken of in the Apocalypse. Fact is that Reformed worship is not traditional nor ancient nor biblical. The sermon has literally become THE sacrament for the Reformed. It is the only means of grace performed with any regularity for them. This is not biblical.

[@kimberleerivera7062]

Simon Brendling , Hi Simon! I don't quite understand what you mean, by the "reformation" worship not being Biblical. From what I heard in this message from Sinclair Ferguson, he is saying to go back to the Psalms, and use your hymnal. I think he is saying - the world is in the church - and they are not worshiping GOD. That the church is concerning itself with what pleases man - instead of the worship being directed to GOD our FATHER. We are not to worship according to what we like, but how GOD rightfully is to be worshiped. Did you hear Sinclair say that the hymnal has the theology of worship in the songs of praise? Again - man is thinking of man. Church is turning into a Sunday, daytime club atmosphere.

[@joeiiiful]

Simon Brendling. Your presuppositions blind you and you have no idea of what you are talking about. Roman Catholicism and Easter Orthodoxy are the very perversions and abuses that brought about the Reformation and its return to the Scriptures.

[@SiRasputin]

I don't think you know what you're talking about. The presuppositions inherent in the Reformation are exactly that of the Renaissance that came before it and modernity that the Reformation led directly to. Protestantism swapped a Christian worldview for modernity.