`What is Christian Worship?’ Series: What part does the Holy Spirit play in our worship?
Acts 2: 1-21
This week’s reading has focused on the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. For our study, though we will be using a number of biblical passages to help us understand the Holy Spirit in worship. Be prepared to discuss different aspects of each question, rather than just answering questions.
Q.1. Do we need the Holy Spirit in a service of worship? [ see John 4:23-24 true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth]
Discuss what we mean when we say the Holy Spirit is in a service of worship. How does He get there?
Q.2 How does the Holy Spirit work in a worship service?
Notes: among other things, a New Testament worship service consists of the preaching and teaching of the Bible, prayer, and the singing of praises to worship the Lord – Later questions will address how this works:
Q.3 How does the Holy Spirit work in preaching? [Acts 10:44]
Note: The Holy Spirit was not only with Peter, He also fell upon those to whom Peter was speaking. Perhaps discuss times when you have seen the Holy Spirit at work in a congregation. This can demonstrate that the preaching derives its authority from God the Holy Spirit.
Q.4. How does it affect the preacher? [1Corinthians 2:1-5]
Note: Paul’s preaching was due to the power of the Holy Spirit. Human effort does not produce these results. There was confidence in the heart of Paul that he was saying the truth. This allowed the message to be powerfully delivered through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Q.5 Who leads prayer in a worship service: [Romans 8:26-27]
Note: in these verses Paul is telling the believers the Holy Spirit’s relationship to prayer – in our weakness, because we don’t know what to pray for, and because the Holy Spirit knows what is in God’s heart to be prayed for. An intercessor leading prayer in a service needs to be led by the Holy Spirit. Prayer is only effective when led by God’s Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit interceding on behalf or believers on earth, as indeed Jesus in Heaven intercedes for us.
Q.6 What has the Holy Spirit got to do with our sung worship?
Note: Any writer of Christian music and words would say they need the Holy Spirit so that they can write them. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14-15 about singing in the Spirit -see a later question about this. Ephesians 5:18 talks about Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. There are many mentions to singing, something that is part of a spirit filled believer’s worship life.
Q.7 What about spiritual gifts? [1 Corinthians 12:1-11]
Paul mentions some of the spiritual gifts in this passage: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues. Not all of these will form a definite part of worship. Wisdom, knowledge and prophecy can be spoken within a sermon, healing can take place during prayer. The really difficult one for most people is ‘speaking in tongues’. In some worship services, the congregation may be encouraged to sing in the Spirit – in a different tongue. Coming out of the charismatic movement in the 1970s, many Christians were encouraged to seek speaking in tongues – but now we find churches are split by it – some seeing it as being ‘unspiritual’. The reality is worship and worship services will bring out the emotional side of our faith – and for some that will mean bypassing the intellect and worshipping in words they don’t understand – for others it won’t, but worship that is sincere [Acts 2:46] and led by the Holy Spirit will not be uniform -just heartfelt.
Without the Holy Spirit infusing worship we will not be practising Christian worship. End your study in prayer – thanking God for giving us the Holy Spirit to lead us in worship.