Worship, Ancient and Modern

Liturgical forms of worship in free churches were on the rise during the ministry of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. This tendency hasn’t slowed and continues to this day as evangelicals have a renewed interest in read prayers, prayer books, responsive readings, and vestments. In this sermon on Romans 12:6–8 titled “Worship, Ancient and Modern,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks pressing questions of this movement. When one reads the descriptions of early church life, do they see themselves? Do they find these liturgical elements in Scripture and in what sense is the New Testament teaching binding on worship forms? While the liturgical practice of a prayer book and prescribed prayers each week is often argued on the basis of the Lord’s Prayer, Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges this interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s critique of the liturgical movement also takes the listener through church history in order to give a historical context for its development. While Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that both Martin Luther and John Calvin affirmed the authority of Scripture, it was Calvin who carried that belief beyond the realm of salvation and into church governance and worship. The goal in worship, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, should be to correspond as closely to the picture given in Scripture. Listen to this intriguing and informative message on the history and development of church worship practices.