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How Then Shall We Worship?: Biblical Principles to Guide Us Today
Dr. R.C. Sproul is one of today’s preeminent theologians. For more than fifty years his solid, practical messages have impacted and inspired generations of believers. The “Classic Theology Series” continues Dr. Sproul’s legacy.
How Then Shall We Worship? is a landmark look at God’s design for authentic worship. Today’s church cannot seem to agree on what corporate worship should look like. Some choose contemporary forms, others prefer traditional expressions. Yet pop culture or the status quo do not hold the answers. God’s Word does. Dr. Sproul digs deep into rich Scripture passages to provide a guide for worship today.
Readers will discover that God intends worship to be an unforgettable encounter between Himself and His people—a joyous experience engaging the worshiper’s entire being.
How Then Shall We Worship? is a landmark look at God’s design for authentic worship. Today’s church cannot seem to agree on what corporate worship should look like. Some choose contemporary forms, others prefer traditional expressions. Yet pop culture or the status quo do not hold the answers. God’s Word does. Dr. Sproul digs deep into rich Scripture passages to provide a guide for worship today.
Readers will discover that God intends worship to be an unforgettable encounter between Himself and His people—a joyous experience engaging the worshiper’s entire being.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2013
86 people are currently reading
506 people want to read
About the author
R.C. Sproul
672 books1,931 followersDr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.
Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.
Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.
He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.
Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
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May 5, 2018
A biblical exploration of how we should worship. Sproul shows how to follow the principles and models in Scripture. He points out that we must ensure that all we do in worship is to God's glory and honor, and according to His will. We must worship God as He has decreed, so we're not free to simply worship as we desire.
Sproul asks the thought-provoking questions, "What is pleasing to God? If God were to design worship, what would it look like?" He points out that vast portions of the Old Testament specifically tell us God's ordained style and practice of worship for His OT people. Because God is more explicit in the OT than the NT about how He wishes to be worshipped, Sproul draws principles from there. He does explain several times that we can't simply carry OT style and practice into the NT, because the OT sacrificial system was fulfilled by Christ. Although there is discontinuity between OT and NT, there is continuity in that God has not changed.
Sproul also explains how the senses should be engaged in worship.
Items Sproul doesn't discuss (as far as I recall): who can lead in worship, giving offerings in worship, the day of worship, or the number of worship services on that day.
Notes
Sacrifices in Faith
Problem with Cain's offering wasn't what he offered, but how he offered it (without faith or reverence). Heb 11:4.
The House of Prayer
While Zacharias prayed, congregation also prayed. No reason this wouldn't continue to NT church. Congregation should participate with pastor in directed, corporate prayer: pastor directs congregation to pray by name for those who are ill, burdened, mourning, and congregants say aloud names of people about whom they're concerned.
Symbolism in Worship
Christ ordained and consecrated bread and wine for communion, not other food and drink. We should use bread and wine to worship God as He directs. Alternatives may be acceptable in extreme circumstances (such as a concentration camp).
Baptism: Part 2
NT baptism was instituted by Jesus in Matt 28:19, which was different than baptism of John the Baptist (sign of repentance given to Jews in preparation for Messiah, not covenantal sign).
Baptism is an outward sign of promise of God. When Christian comes to faith, that shows God has kept His promise. God hasn't failed to keep His promise, so no need to be baptized again.
To You And Your Children
NT doesn't command or give clear examples of infant baptism, but doesn't explicitly forbid either, or teach that profession of faith is required before baptism.
OT sign of faith and covenant, circumcision, was given to infants. NT sign of faith and covenant, baptism, should be too.
NT command to "repent and be baptized" or "believe and be baptized" is given when audience is adults, not children.
Infants may have been included in one of the 3 household baptisms (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16). Greek "oikos" translated "household" is at least as weighty as our word "family" which suggests children. In OT, when head of household entered covenant, entire family received benefit. This principle is reaffirmed in NT (1 Cor 7:14).
If God had meant to stop including infants in covenant community in NT, He would've made this plain. 1 Cor assumes continuity of inclusion of infants in covenant. Heb says new covenant is more inclusive than old.
Infant baptisms aren't mentioned until middle of 2nd century, but they're spoken of as universal practice of church. There's no record of this practice changing after apostles.
Lord's Supper
Christ is really present at Lord's Supper, but His presence isn't tied to bread and wine, and He's not physically present.
Only Jesus' divine nature is omnipresent (Matt 28:20); His human nature isn't (John 7:33), and thus can't be present at Lord's Supper celebrated around globe.
In Lord's Supper, we are communing with whole Christ, because we commune with united person of Christ (human and divine).
The Whole Person
God's people must worship Him in truth (John 4:24). Mind must be actively engaged in worship. Reading and preaching of Bible are important, because they lead to understanding.
In addition to involving mind, OT worship involved 5 senses.
The Sounds of Worship
Ps 150:3-5 says to praise God with trumpet, lute, harp, timbrel, stringed instruments, flutes, cymbals. Nothing written later removes legitimacy of praising with these instruments.
We don't need to limit singing to Psalms, but whatever we sing must be theologically and biblically sound.
The Touch of Eternity
Jesus used wine in Lord's Supper. By its taste, wine communicates pain and joy, sorrow and gladness of Christ's death; grape juice doesn't.
Sproul asks the thought-provoking questions, "What is pleasing to God? If God were to design worship, what would it look like?" He points out that vast portions of the Old Testament specifically tell us God's ordained style and practice of worship for His OT people. Because God is more explicit in the OT than the NT about how He wishes to be worshipped, Sproul draws principles from there. He does explain several times that we can't simply carry OT style and practice into the NT, because the OT sacrificial system was fulfilled by Christ. Although there is discontinuity between OT and NT, there is continuity in that God has not changed.
Sproul also explains how the senses should be engaged in worship.
Items Sproul doesn't discuss (as far as I recall): who can lead in worship, giving offerings in worship, the day of worship, or the number of worship services on that day.
Notes
Sacrifices in Faith
Problem with Cain's offering wasn't what he offered, but how he offered it (without faith or reverence). Heb 11:4.
The House of Prayer
While Zacharias prayed, congregation also prayed. No reason this wouldn't continue to NT church. Congregation should participate with pastor in directed, corporate prayer: pastor directs congregation to pray by name for those who are ill, burdened, mourning, and congregants say aloud names of people about whom they're concerned.
Symbolism in Worship
Christ ordained and consecrated bread and wine for communion, not other food and drink. We should use bread and wine to worship God as He directs. Alternatives may be acceptable in extreme circumstances (such as a concentration camp).
Baptism: Part 2
NT baptism was instituted by Jesus in Matt 28:19, which was different than baptism of John the Baptist (sign of repentance given to Jews in preparation for Messiah, not covenantal sign).
Baptism is an outward sign of promise of God. When Christian comes to faith, that shows God has kept His promise. God hasn't failed to keep His promise, so no need to be baptized again.
To You And Your Children
NT doesn't command or give clear examples of infant baptism, but doesn't explicitly forbid either, or teach that profession of faith is required before baptism.
OT sign of faith and covenant, circumcision, was given to infants. NT sign of faith and covenant, baptism, should be too.
NT command to "repent and be baptized" or "believe and be baptized" is given when audience is adults, not children.
Infants may have been included in one of the 3 household baptisms (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16). Greek "oikos" translated "household" is at least as weighty as our word "family" which suggests children. In OT, when head of household entered covenant, entire family received benefit. This principle is reaffirmed in NT (1 Cor 7:14).
If God had meant to stop including infants in covenant community in NT, He would've made this plain. 1 Cor assumes continuity of inclusion of infants in covenant. Heb says new covenant is more inclusive than old.
Infant baptisms aren't mentioned until middle of 2nd century, but they're spoken of as universal practice of church. There's no record of this practice changing after apostles.
Lord's Supper
Christ is really present at Lord's Supper, but His presence isn't tied to bread and wine, and He's not physically present.
Only Jesus' divine nature is omnipresent (Matt 28:20); His human nature isn't (John 7:33), and thus can't be present at Lord's Supper celebrated around globe.
In Lord's Supper, we are communing with whole Christ, because we commune with united person of Christ (human and divine).
The Whole Person
God's people must worship Him in truth (John 4:24). Mind must be actively engaged in worship. Reading and preaching of Bible are important, because they lead to understanding.
In addition to involving mind, OT worship involved 5 senses.
The Sounds of Worship
Ps 150:3-5 says to praise God with trumpet, lute, harp, timbrel, stringed instruments, flutes, cymbals. Nothing written later removes legitimacy of praising with these instruments.
We don't need to limit singing to Psalms, but whatever we sing must be theologically and biblically sound.
The Touch of Eternity
Jesus used wine in Lord's Supper. By its taste, wine communicates pain and joy, sorrow and gladness of Christ's death; grape juice doesn't.
July 7, 2018
Disappointed by this book, to be honest. I expected so much more to be included than actually was, based on other books I have read about worship. Also, I did find myself at odds with Dr. Sproul on some key points, because of differing theological convictions (he was Reformed, I'm not). Furthermore, some of the arguments in this book seemed logically inconsistent. Why remind the reader repeatedly not to transfer such-and-such OT worship practice to the NT because of the new covenant, but then use the principles of OT circumcision to make the case for infant baptism? Finally, some topics just seemed like they don't even belong in a book about worship (e.g., the pastor greeting his people and being ready to shake everyone's hand after the service).
April 2, 2013
R.C. Sproul is always a good read. This book is no exception.
Worship is a controversial subject these days. The biggest question is: Should worship be contemporary or traditional?
Sproul's book speaks very little about style. He focuses more on the other aspects of worship, Baptism and the Lord's supper are the the main ones that come to mind. He also speaks of the buildings we worship in and the posture we use while worshiping.
Worship should also contain things that involve the senses. Taste, touch, smell, etc. - all of these should be involved some way. Wine, bread, stories, objects - Jesus used them all to show us what the kingdom is like.
While not as good as some of his classics, this is style a good read. As a bonus, a study guide is included at the end.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this book free of charge from David C Cook and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Worship is a controversial subject these days. The biggest question is: Should worship be contemporary or traditional?
Sproul's book speaks very little about style. He focuses more on the other aspects of worship, Baptism and the Lord's supper are the the main ones that come to mind. He also speaks of the buildings we worship in and the posture we use while worshiping.
Worship should also contain things that involve the senses. Taste, touch, smell, etc. - all of these should be involved some way. Wine, bread, stories, objects - Jesus used them all to show us what the kingdom is like.
While not as good as some of his classics, this is style a good read. As a bonus, a study guide is included at the end.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this book free of charge from David C Cook and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2015
As usual, R.C. Sproul does the church a great service through hi writing by making expansive doctrines both plain and practical. In the case of this book, the topic is worship and the instruction in understanding how worship is to be thought of and how it is to be done is information every Christian ought to reflect upon. As a worship leader myself, I am constantly reading about Christian worship in order to hone my skills. This book has helped enormously along this lines and I commend it to everyone who attends a Bible-believing congregation.
December 11, 2018
Concise and practical. A couple of interesting notes:
- Sproul argues that we SHOULD look back to worship in the OT (including the temple) to get an idea of what is pleasing to God in worship:
“Our understanding of worship is truncated if we see it completely apart from its Old Testament origins.” (24)
- The types and shadows (animal sacrifices, etc) do not carry over to NT worship, but the principles do:
“We can discern principles in the patterns of worship that God revealed from heaven to His people in the Old Testament, and that those principles can and should inform the patterns our worship follows.” (19)
- Central to temple worship was not sacrifice but prayer:
“Jesus did not call the temple a house of sacrifices or a house of preaching. He called it a house of prayer. The temple’s chief designation was that it was to be the focal point of the nation and of the people for prayer.” (53)
- Symbolism is important in worship, and symbols are not “merely” symbols. Nonetheless, all symbols are “married” to the Word.
“The Bible is His written Word, but it is mute. So, God used visual signs as part of His communication with His people. Along with His written Word, He gave a multitude of signs, symbols, external gestures, and rites. The purpose, just as in human communication, was to reinforce that Word.” (61)
“The symbol not only points beyond itself, but is itself part of the reality, so that the symbol escalates the intensity of the sign to another level.” (62)
“God, when He outlined His pattern for worship in the Old Testament, also mandated visible signs, tangible acts of drama that are not isolated from the Word or contrary to the Word but are married to the Word.” (64)
- He spends a good deal of time talking about the importance of the five senses, the whole person, in our worship. A whole chapter is devoted to the role of beauty in worship.
- Interestingly enough, and this may have been one of the more shocking points of the book, Sproul encourages the use of (or we could say return to) incense in worship. To me, this almost seems to be in contradiction to his noting that the types and shadows of the OT temple do not carry over, just the principles, incense being a type for the prayers of the saints.
“Because Rome used incense, the Reformers rejected it, and now we have, as it were, thrown the baby out with the bathwater. In our Protestant protest, we have isolated ourselves from an element of worship that God provided, and we have lost something. We need to see that when God ordained worship, He included an olfactory dimension. Therefore, we have to be careful about making a principal objection to the use of incense in worship.” (164)
- Sproul argues that we SHOULD look back to worship in the OT (including the temple) to get an idea of what is pleasing to God in worship:
“Our understanding of worship is truncated if we see it completely apart from its Old Testament origins.” (24)
- The types and shadows (animal sacrifices, etc) do not carry over to NT worship, but the principles do:
“We can discern principles in the patterns of worship that God revealed from heaven to His people in the Old Testament, and that those principles can and should inform the patterns our worship follows.” (19)
- Central to temple worship was not sacrifice but prayer:
“Jesus did not call the temple a house of sacrifices or a house of preaching. He called it a house of prayer. The temple’s chief designation was that it was to be the focal point of the nation and of the people for prayer.” (53)
- Symbolism is important in worship, and symbols are not “merely” symbols. Nonetheless, all symbols are “married” to the Word.
“The Bible is His written Word, but it is mute. So, God used visual signs as part of His communication with His people. Along with His written Word, He gave a multitude of signs, symbols, external gestures, and rites. The purpose, just as in human communication, was to reinforce that Word.” (61)
“The symbol not only points beyond itself, but is itself part of the reality, so that the symbol escalates the intensity of the sign to another level.” (62)
“God, when He outlined His pattern for worship in the Old Testament, also mandated visible signs, tangible acts of drama that are not isolated from the Word or contrary to the Word but are married to the Word.” (64)
- He spends a good deal of time talking about the importance of the five senses, the whole person, in our worship. A whole chapter is devoted to the role of beauty in worship.
- Interestingly enough, and this may have been one of the more shocking points of the book, Sproul encourages the use of (or we could say return to) incense in worship. To me, this almost seems to be in contradiction to his noting that the types and shadows of the OT temple do not carry over, just the principles, incense being a type for the prayers of the saints.
“Because Rome used incense, the Reformers rejected it, and now we have, as it were, thrown the baby out with the bathwater. In our Protestant protest, we have isolated ourselves from an element of worship that God provided, and we have lost something. We need to see that when God ordained worship, He included an olfactory dimension. Therefore, we have to be careful about making a principal objection to the use of incense in worship.” (164)
June 4, 2018
The title is a little of a misnomer - when I bought it I thought that this is an academic work that would address the styles of worship and discuss the different positions about it, but it turns out actually it is geared at the layman reader and explores worship a little more at the personal level than at the corporate setting. Also in a slight deviation from the main theme of worship, other topics like prayer, baptism and the Lord's supper are also discussed. If the title in subsequent revisions were changed to following Christ or living a Christian life, I would be happy to add at least 1 stars to the rating.
Sproul writes in the first person and provides an easy read with the conversational style for the opening chapters of the book. Thereafter, chapters 6-8 on the topic of baptism were excellent - it helped me understand the position of infant baptism for the first time! In contrast, Chapter 9-11 seemed to lack theological exhaustiveness (width) and substance (depth); after reading each chapter I felt a desire to have been persuaded more so I could agree with Sproul’s substantives.
Mercifully, in Chapter 12 (The sounds of worship), the excitement and endgame to starts to pick up, with the delightful church history juxtaposed against tradition from Scripture. It was a pleasant surprise to find a rather exhaustive study/discussion guide at the end of the book (because this too is not reflected on the cover). I’d like to say that this book has the potential to become a really great 5 Star title with minor tweaks to the titles, editing and by further elaboration in some chapters, but with Sproul’s passing in 2017, I doubt we would see that come to fruition.
Sproul writes in the first person and provides an easy read with the conversational style for the opening chapters of the book. Thereafter, chapters 6-8 on the topic of baptism were excellent - it helped me understand the position of infant baptism for the first time! In contrast, Chapter 9-11 seemed to lack theological exhaustiveness (width) and substance (depth); after reading each chapter I felt a desire to have been persuaded more so I could agree with Sproul’s substantives.
Mercifully, in Chapter 12 (The sounds of worship), the excitement and endgame to starts to pick up, with the delightful church history juxtaposed against tradition from Scripture. It was a pleasant surprise to find a rather exhaustive study/discussion guide at the end of the book (because this too is not reflected on the cover). I’d like to say that this book has the potential to become a really great 5 Star title with minor tweaks to the titles, editing and by further elaboration in some chapters, but with Sproul’s passing in 2017, I doubt we would see that come to fruition.
January 5, 2018
R.C. Sproul set out on a journey to tackle a very controversial issue in the church today. He addresses various forms of worship in this book (communion, baptism, etc.). He did a great job of tackling big issues and pulling the Bible verses that address each topic and making them reachable for the average reader. He even address the issue of baptism from both perspectives, which was nice...especially being someone who disagrees with his stance on baptism. Reading through this book, I sadly was made aware of so many areas of worship in the church today that aren't being doing the way God intended them to be done, which is very sad. This book would be a great read for pastors, worship leaders, and the average Christian. Anybody will be able to glean things from this book that will be important to their understanding of true worship. At the end of the book, there was even a study guide that would be great for a small group study. The only complaint I have is that I would have liked some of the aspects of worship to have been discussed a little more in depth. But overall, this was a very concise and to the point book. I highly recommend it to everyone!
July 17, 2019
Ugh. A Book written by a Christian for elderly people who have spent the majority of their lives in Christian circles. Sproul is a very arrogant many who believes himself to be smarter than he is and everyone else to be dumber than he is. He takes the tone of "setting the ignorant straight" in this work, and honestly, spends much of the book arguing irrelevant points. He also uses a vocabulary larger than many people understand. So basically, this book is written for upper class, well-educated, American Christians who have been Christians so long they have nothing better to do than argue about stupid things. Of course I don't agree with Sproul on many theological issues, but my main problem is the audience and the author. If you already believe as Sproul, you will enjoy this. If you are wanting something that challenges you to grow and think, you will not.
August 24, 2019
4.5/5. On Amazon, it says that the paperback version of this book is 256 pages. I find that hard to believe because this book of Sproul's meditations on how Christians should worship felt both concise and engaging to me. He treats each issue in a way that is not meant to be thoroughly comprehensive. Rather, through a series of stories from his life and ministry, along with scriptures and interpretations to accompany them, Sproul gives a reasonable treatment and perspective on the various subjects of Christian worship.
The study guide and chapter outlines at the end are well written and would serve as a useful tool for group study or even personal re-examination of the content.
This is a good book.
The study guide and chapter outlines at the end are well written and would serve as a useful tool for group study or even personal re-examination of the content.
This is a good book.
February 4, 2022
Must read!
As a christian who is involved in worship services through singing and playing piano, this has helped me understand a deep reality in how God ordained worship through the history of redemptive history. I can only keep praying that the beauty of worship expressed in Scripture can once again be made visible in His Church. This book is a must read for a christian who desires to understand the truth about worship and how to apply it with biblical principals and boundaries.
As a christian who is involved in worship services through singing and playing piano, this has helped me understand a deep reality in how God ordained worship through the history of redemptive history. I can only keep praying that the beauty of worship expressed in Scripture can once again be made visible in His Church. This book is a must read for a christian who desires to understand the truth about worship and how to apply it with biblical principals and boundaries.
January 23, 2025
Its all about worship
In today's culture we've lost the reverence and awe of worship. Most think worship is just going to a church service. Its so much more. Only God is worthy of our worship and it is He that tells us how to worship Him. R.C. Sproul brings us back to Gods way of worshiping Him.
In today's culture we've lost the reverence and awe of worship. Most think worship is just going to a church service. Its so much more. Only God is worthy of our worship and it is He that tells us how to worship Him. R.C. Sproul brings us back to Gods way of worshiping Him.
March 7, 2017
I appreciated the Biblical references supporting the author's description of how God wants us to worship Him, and I was encouraged that the church where I worship meets the criteria laid out for worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
January 3, 2024
There were many good things to take away from this book on baptism and the Lord's supper. When it came to instruments, Psalms, and even incense though it got kind of counter confessional. Encouraging in places and discouraging in others.
October 21, 2018
A Deep look at the worship that brings God honor.
February 12, 2024
what worship is about
A much needed book on how to worship God, as He, God, is the consumer of our worthily worship in Spirit and in truth.
A much needed book on how to worship God, as He, God, is the consumer of our worthily worship in Spirit and in truth.
March 5, 2025
A great fly-over of worship principles. I would have liked for Sproul to have provided more specific details in how to worship God.
October 18, 2013
How Then Shall We Worship? by R.C. Sproul is one of those books that needs to be read by both new Christians as well as ones that have been in His service their whole lives. In our modern, entertainment driven society, we often forget what the Bible says worship really is. We loosely use terms like “worship leader” and “times of worship”, but what does it truly mean to worship and how do we go about it? Sproul systematically walks the reader through the various elements of worship pointing out elements that are clearly spelled out in Scripture but often given no more than lip-service in the modern church.
He makes numerous, powerful statements about what worship is, why we worship, and who God says he is. He does this by starting his book addressing the secular mindset that we bring to the church. He explains that congregations are bored and that many of their members find the services to be an “exercise in irrelevance”. Due to the edgy, fast-moving standard of the entertainment industry, Western Christians have come to expect to be entertained or they quickly lose interest. In reaction to this, many churches are experimenting with worship in an attempt to draw people back into the church.
Sproul, in traditional fashion, lends credibility to his position through his advanced use of language and extraordinarily organized, formal thought. This makes it difficult for those who oppose his position to ignore his points or claim them to be outdated. His major premise is that we fail to worship as God tells us to since so little prevalence is given to how the Old Testament shows us how to worship.
He starts his thorough and methodical examination of this topic by tying the two testaments together with a quote: “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: `This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me.’” (Matthew 15:7-9a) Sproul uses this verse (and many others) to keep coming back to the idea that many modern Christians embrace the Old Testament in theory and as history but not in practice. He further substantiates his case by briefly examining several historical figures that illustrate his point.
He asks tough questions like: What role does sacrifice (personal, not animal) play in worship? How much does congregational prayer take part of worship? Can liturgical worship offer signs of God and that which is holy? Sproul never gets goes off on merely personal feelings (though he offers them) but rather steadily gives biblical background to explain and/or remind us what worship really is and how far our practice has deviated from that ideal.
The only negative to this book is that some of the later chapters (about two-thirds the way through the book) seem to be a bit of a rabbit-trail since Sproul doesn’t tie them into his main theme of worship clearly. This problem is resolved at the end of the book as he ties all his loose thread together however. Ultimately, his only flaw is breaking his pattern of methodical clarity. Sproul creates a very well-rounded, well thought out explanation of potentially one of the most damaging (and ironically most accepted) flaws in the modern church service. After reading this, it seems to me, that this flaw spans across most, if not all, Christian denominations and threatens to make modern worship more like that in church of Ephesus than that in the church of Philadelphia (Rev 2:1-7, 3: 7-13).
Trent Nicholson, Ph.D., D.Min.
Desert Bible Institute, President
Dr. Nicholson is a member of the christianaudio review program. To learn more, visit their website at: http://www.christianaudio.com.
He makes numerous, powerful statements about what worship is, why we worship, and who God says he is. He does this by starting his book addressing the secular mindset that we bring to the church. He explains that congregations are bored and that many of their members find the services to be an “exercise in irrelevance”. Due to the edgy, fast-moving standard of the entertainment industry, Western Christians have come to expect to be entertained or they quickly lose interest. In reaction to this, many churches are experimenting with worship in an attempt to draw people back into the church.
Sproul, in traditional fashion, lends credibility to his position through his advanced use of language and extraordinarily organized, formal thought. This makes it difficult for those who oppose his position to ignore his points or claim them to be outdated. His major premise is that we fail to worship as God tells us to since so little prevalence is given to how the Old Testament shows us how to worship.
He starts his thorough and methodical examination of this topic by tying the two testaments together with a quote: “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: `This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me.’” (Matthew 15:7-9a) Sproul uses this verse (and many others) to keep coming back to the idea that many modern Christians embrace the Old Testament in theory and as history but not in practice. He further substantiates his case by briefly examining several historical figures that illustrate his point.
He asks tough questions like: What role does sacrifice (personal, not animal) play in worship? How much does congregational prayer take part of worship? Can liturgical worship offer signs of God and that which is holy? Sproul never gets goes off on merely personal feelings (though he offers them) but rather steadily gives biblical background to explain and/or remind us what worship really is and how far our practice has deviated from that ideal.
The only negative to this book is that some of the later chapters (about two-thirds the way through the book) seem to be a bit of a rabbit-trail since Sproul doesn’t tie them into his main theme of worship clearly. This problem is resolved at the end of the book as he ties all his loose thread together however. Ultimately, his only flaw is breaking his pattern of methodical clarity. Sproul creates a very well-rounded, well thought out explanation of potentially one of the most damaging (and ironically most accepted) flaws in the modern church service. After reading this, it seems to me, that this flaw spans across most, if not all, Christian denominations and threatens to make modern worship more like that in church of Ephesus than that in the church of Philadelphia (Rev 2:1-7, 3: 7-13).
Trent Nicholson, Ph.D., D.Min.
Desert Bible Institute, President
Dr. Nicholson is a member of the christianaudio review program. To learn more, visit their website at: http://www.christianaudio.com.
September 14, 2016
How Than Shall We Worship
R. C. Sproul
Book Summary: Dr. R.C. Sproul is one of today’s preeminent theologians. For more than fifty years his solid, practical messages have impacted and inspired generations of believers. The “Classic Theology Series” continues Dr. Sproul’s legacy. How Then Shall We Worship? is a landmark look at God’s design for authentic worship. Today’s church cannot seem to agree on what corporate worship should look like. Some choose contemporary forms, others prefer traditional expressions. Yet pop culture or the status quo do not hold the answers. God’s Word does. Dr. Sproul digs deep into rich Scripture passages to provide a guide for worship today. Readers will discover that God intends worship to be an unforgettable encounter between Himself and His people—a joyous experience engaging the worshiper’s entire being.
Review: Good book on the elements of worship. Interesting for a new convert or for someone who is thinking about worship. Agree with the music during worship, but number one thing I found interesting is how the music of hymns were sometimes tavern tunes. I do not mind modern tunes, but I do believe much of music in church is like a concert not for the congregation. I attended worship where no one sage the hymns because the stylization was not in sync with the screen or in the program. The look of a sanctuary and how things in the building are labeled are all important. I also think that how we view going to church is important. This book was packed with the varied views of other denominations.
I would like to thank Net Galley and David C. Cook for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
R. C. Sproul
Book Summary: Dr. R.C. Sproul is one of today’s preeminent theologians. For more than fifty years his solid, practical messages have impacted and inspired generations of believers. The “Classic Theology Series” continues Dr. Sproul’s legacy. How Then Shall We Worship? is a landmark look at God’s design for authentic worship. Today’s church cannot seem to agree on what corporate worship should look like. Some choose contemporary forms, others prefer traditional expressions. Yet pop culture or the status quo do not hold the answers. God’s Word does. Dr. Sproul digs deep into rich Scripture passages to provide a guide for worship today. Readers will discover that God intends worship to be an unforgettable encounter between Himself and His people—a joyous experience engaging the worshiper’s entire being.
Review: Good book on the elements of worship. Interesting for a new convert or for someone who is thinking about worship. Agree with the music during worship, but number one thing I found interesting is how the music of hymns were sometimes tavern tunes. I do not mind modern tunes, but I do believe much of music in church is like a concert not for the congregation. I attended worship where no one sage the hymns because the stylization was not in sync with the screen or in the program. The look of a sanctuary and how things in the building are labeled are all important. I also think that how we view going to church is important. This book was packed with the varied views of other denominations.
I would like to thank Net Galley and David C. Cook for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
May 26, 2016
As always, a clear, concise, and thought-provoking book from R.C. Sproul. It probably helped that he was preaching to the choir to me on most of these issues, but I really liked the way he dealt with the issue of formalism in worship (first by pointing out that everyone has a liturgy whether they like it or not and then pointing out that the problem is never the presence of forms but the content of the heart), the importance of worshipping God genuinely and not by flattery (something I'd never thought of as being a potential danger with regards to God!), and also the importance of the church actually being a house of prayer. I also found the last section on incorporating all five senses into worship really interesting, though I would have liked to see more of how Sproul would like to implement smells in worship since he didn't develop it enough for me. I also would have liked him to deal with John 4 on worship being "in spirit and in truth" and whether or not that is a fair objection to his points on utilizing all five of the senses. Either way, this was overall a clear, enjoyable, and thoughtful look on what New Covenant worship should look like.
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars (Very G00d).
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars (Very G00d).
January 11, 2016
I have been reading and listening to R.C. Sproul for a long time, so I wasn't surprised that he argued for formal worship services in awe-inspiring sanctuaries. I also expected his views on the sacraments, though I don't recall realizing that there were actually four views of the Lord's Supper (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Zwingli, and Calvin). What most intrigued me was the discussion on engaging the five senses in worship. Sproul argues that we should use actually wine for its particular taste. We should burn incense like churches did before the Reformation. Obviously we hear music and the Word of God. We should see something of God's beauty in the sanctuary. Also, we should lay hands on each other, and the pastor should personally greet congregants with a hand shake at the end of each service.
August 2, 2017
I've read through several of these shorter works by Sproul, and generally found them all helpful in one way or another. I did expect more out of this one than I did, as it was really just a very introductory discussion of worship. The chapters were short, and a third of the book was review questions for study and reflection.
Overall it was good, but just not as in depth and as practical as I was hoping it would be.
As a baptist, I found his two chapters on baptism, particularly the second one, very interesting reading.
This is a good book, but I would only recommend it to people as a starting point, particularly if they didn't want to read deeply on the topic.
Overall it was good, but just not as in depth and as practical as I was hoping it would be.
As a baptist, I found his two chapters on baptism, particularly the second one, very interesting reading.
This is a good book, but I would only recommend it to people as a starting point, particularly if they didn't want to read deeply on the topic.
December 7, 2015
This book was filled with biblical answers to important questions about worship. I appreciated seeing an in-depth discussion of things that have been a part of worship since my birth. I learned a lot about how different denominations view things, and the biblical reasons they give for their beliefs. While I don't agree with all of his conclusions, it was informative to my own faith to see the step-by-step process that our spiritual fore-fathers went through to form their own belief system. It is a very deep read, but given enough time it is digestible in small sections over many days or weeks.
December 21, 2013
This is a reprint of a book that came out in 2006, A Taste of Heaven. Sproul teaches on the principles of worship as found in Scripture. I think every Christian should read this book. Even if you don't agree with Sproul on some issues, such as infant baptism, there is a wealth of good teaching in this book about biblical worship. There is an extensive study guide, nearly eighty pages long. This would be a great resource for someone teaching a class on worship. It would be good for a Sunday School class or a church board discussion. See my full review at http://bit.ly/1gNas8i.
May 31, 2013
Well argued and thorough discussion of the practical aspects of Christian Congregational Worship. The author seems to favor the high liturgical tradition, but approaches the past with a critical eye rather than simple blind enthusiasm. All in all, the book is refreshing in it's fair presentation of multiple viewpoints on each topic. The author does a good job of presenting even viewpoints to which he does not subscribe.
August 17, 2015
Very interesting book to read.
June 19, 2018
The major takeaway from this book is that for true worship to take place the mind must be engaged as well as the mouth. Sometimes we tend to mouth the words in a song without thinking about what we are saying. Sproul concludes his book by saying "How then shall we worship? To honor God as God, we must worship Him as He and He alone decrees." "We must work, and work hard, to remove the shadows we have placed over the glory of God, that God's people may be renewed by basking in his divine splendor and brilliant glory."
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