Sinclair B. Ferguson

Sometimes we speak about what's called the regulative principle in our worship.

Some people think that it's just Presbyterians who have a regulative principle.

Actually, all of us have a regulative principle.

Sometimes it's more obvious, and sometimes, alas, it's a regulative principle that seems chaotic.

And we need a regulative principle, otherwise every single one of us would end up starting his or her own denomination.

We need principles that guide and govern what we do in worship.

And as we've been thinking, sometimes that principle is, what do we like, or what will appeal to outsiders?

which rather suggests that our worship is going to be about us rather than about God.

Now, our basic regulative principle for worship is, what does God tell us He likes?

What does God tell us He wants?

And what does God tell us will be most helpful to us, to enable us to come into His presence and to praise Him?

And there's only one way to discover the answer to those questions.

It's by searching the scriptures and reflecting on and applying their teaching to the churches to which we belong.

So that ultimately our regulative principle is going to be the one that God gives to us.

If we seek out the Scriptures, I think we will find two things.

First of all, we will see that there are certain constants in worship, what are sometimes called elements.

And these are, or should be, in every service, no matter who we are, where we are, or how many or few of us there may be.

There'll be singing praise.

There'll be praying, there'll be the exposition of Scripture, there'll be baptism and the Lord's Supper.

These are constants.