Discussion on the Regulative Principle

In this part of the sermon: Expounding John 4:24, Martin uses Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman to illustrate the regulative principle. He explains how Jesus cuts across both Jewish formalism and…

Jeroboam, fearing political repercussions if Israelites worshipped in Jerusalem, established an entirely different religious system with new altars, calves, non-Levitical priests, and feasts. This illustrates man-made worship driven by pragmatic and carnal concerns, leading God's people astray.

You remember way back to the days of the kings of Israel? Back to Rehoboam and Jeroboam you remember what happened? Jeroboam was set up as king over Israel and he was concerned. He had a pragmatic carnal political concern. And his pragmatic carnal political concern was that if the people of God were allowed to go up to Jerusalem to worship it would have horrible political ramifications for him. The result would be that when the Israelites made their journey up to Jerusalem and worshipped at the set feast in the temple that their hearts would be turned back to the son of David and the son of So...

22:10 - 23:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God Almighty takes his worship seriously. God means it. When he says do what I say. Don't add to it. Don't subtract from it.

Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered 'strange fire' not commanded by God, using their own imagination and creativity in worship. God's immediate judgment by fire, consuming them, illustrates the severity with which God views unauthorized worship.

What I have called three sobering illustrations of the regulative principle. The first one Henry has already mentioned. Leviticus chapter 10. Leviticus chapter 10 beginning in verse 1. And Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron each of them his censer and since thereon which he had not imaginative in worship. They were going to use their powers of imagination and they were going to be creative. That's an inward today isn't it? Everybody's got to be creative.

41:24 - 42:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin discusses the cases of King Uzziah's leprosy for burning incense and Uzzah's death for touching the ark. These illustrate that even sincere but misguided worship, not done…

The example of King Uzziah, who was struck with leprosy for burning incense, a duty reserved for the sons of Levi, illustrates that even a king is not exempt from God's regulative principle in worship.

Okay. Because I don't have that one listed. Do you have another one? You're saying that there in this phrase, this general phrase, did what is right in his own eyes. There's some irregularities associated with the worship implied in that. Clearly the case of King Uzziah where he went in to burn incense and it was only required of the sons of Levi to burn incense and he was forbidden to do it and God stepped in and even the king wasn't allowed to violate this principle and his hand became leprous. You recall that incident? That's good.

44:06 - 45:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The issue was that though they had sought God sincerely and in spirit they had not sought God in truth they had not sought him according to the ordinance they had not sought him they had neglected to follow what was comm…

David and Israel were transporting the Ark of God on a new cart with great joy and sincere worship. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out to steady the ark and was struck dead by God. This illustrates that even well-intentioned but disobedient worship, not following God's prescribed method for carrying the ark, incurs divine judgment.

Now the problem was not that David was not worshiping God in spirit. There was no problem there. In 1 Chronicles 13 and verse 8 and they carried verse 7 they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab and Uzziah and Ahio drove the cart and David and all Israel played before God with all their might even with songs and harps and psalteries and timbrels with cymbals and trumpets. Oh they were in spirit of worship.

45:42 - 46:16 Read in full sermon