Sinclair B. Ferguson

And perhaps it's because we've forgotten what the Bible really is.

It's the mouth of God.

And we need to learn to say with the Lord Jesus in the words of Isaiah,

Morning by morning, He wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

We've been thinking about worship this week, and perhaps you know if you've ever seen pictures of the Ligonier headquarters and Reformation Bible College, that they are situated on a small lake called Shadow Lake.

And across on the other side of the lake stands St.

Andrew's Chapel, the church where Dr. Sproul was minister.

I've always loved worshiping with God's people there for many reasons, but one of them is it's the only church that I have ever attended where the congregation sings the Sanctus.

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.