PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

METHODOLOGY APPLIED TO WORSHIP
How can we determine which worship is best, and/or which worship is best for you? A
few church leaders want to control the worship expression of others. They seem to say,
My way of worship is the best way.
My way of worship is the only way.
Like a battery with two poles to produce power, there are two factors to make
worship valid or authentic. First, worship must be in keeping with the Word of God. God must
be worshipped as He is revealed in Scripture, adding nothing to Him, taking nothing from Him.
The Bible, and only the Bible verifies the validity of your worship. Second, you must worship
sincerely from your innermost being, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind (Matt. 22:37).
Applying the research methodology of Church Growth we begin with a problem.
Different cultures use different musical instruments to praise God. Different age groups express
their love with different types of music. Different classes (upper class and lower class) express
their values by different ways of singing. Like the differences among the caste system of India
that produce the "untouchable," America has cultural differences. Must all Americans express
their worship the same way? What expression of worship is best?
Data must be gathered. This involves looking at the purpose or aim of worship. Next,
the principles of worship must be established. Finally, the desired results of worship in the
individual must be established. These facts are gathered, analyzed and classified in Chapter 5-
10.
Next, the hypothesis or proposed solution is suggested. Rather than saying there is only
one expression of worship, i.e. the European tradition; this text suggests there are six valid
expressions of worship. Each expression reflects a dominant biblical principle and each
produces a biblical result in the life of the worshipper.
The six worship expressions must be tested by scripture. Do they fit a biblical model and
does each follow biblical principles? Does each worship expression produce biblical results?
When the results are consistent with Scripture and they correspond to Christian tradition and
history, then there is credibility in the six worship expressions.
CONCLUSION
If there are six valid worship expressions, whereby each born again believer can worship
the one true God with his entire being, then there remains some therapy for the body of Christ.
Christians disagree and they fight. They have destroyed churches, split churches and quit
churches, all over worship. They have ostracized pastors, criticized pastors and fired pastors, all
over disagreement with worship.