The following is from a sermon preached by Rev. Paul den Butter around 1982. The text for this sermon was John 4:24, as well as Exodus 20:25
- "God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24
- "And if thou wilt make me an alter of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it thou hast polluted it." - Exodus 20:25
“…they have to be very careful that
they do not make [alter] of hewn stone. And they may not use any tool, any
hammer or axe or whatever. They may not use any tool to beautify those stones.
They must take simply the rock, the unadorned stones. 'Ah, but then the alter
is not nice, then the alter is not beautiful. Then it is simply a primitive
thing.' Well, that’s what it may be in our estimation, but it’s God’s will, is
it not? Whether it’s a primitive thing or not, it is God’s will that the alter
will be built of rough stones and that no tool be used.
“'Ya, but those stones are going to
be much nicer if you use some chisel, and if you make some ornaments, some
adornments on those stones. The alter is much more beautiful, and much more
serviceable in your worship service.'
"Ah, but the principal is not what I
like, not what I think that is nice and beautiful, not what adorns my worship
service, but the principle is what God has said! Not my tastes determines, but
God’s command. God has the right to determine what it should be like. And this
is a principle nearly almost forgotten. It was perfectly understood by our
Reformers. They did not look for innovation. They did not look for all sorts of
adornments in the church. Why do people today look for all sorts of things that
beautify the worship service and make it more attractive? Why do we see
vestments in all sorts of colors? I’m convinced it is simply to fill the aching
void of the absence of reality.
"When the church of Christ was most
vigorous in its spiritual life, it had the most simple form of worship. When
God converted most people, and when God’s children were edified in the worship
service, and when the Lord was present in the worship services, it may have
been in a barn or an open field, the worship as such was as simple as simple
can be.
"But what do we see today? That in
direct proportion to the loss of true spiritual life there is an increase in
forms and ceremonies. And the forms and ceremonies are meant to fill the void
of true spiritual life. And so Satan is using tools to adorn our alter, but in
the meantime he is polluting it. He is corrupting dit. And men are willing instruments
in his hands.”
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