The Amen: Patterns and Principles

Introduction: The Crucial Importance of the Amen

0:03 The following message was delivered on September 26, 1993, in the adult Sunday school class of the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Once again, we do welcome any who are visiting with us this morning, and particularly for your sakes, a word of explanation is in order.

0:27 Several weeks ago, we completed a verse-by-verse study of the book of 1 John, under the tutelage of Pastor Lamar Martin, and God willing, in two weeks from today, we will begin a survey of the first eight chapters of the book of Acts, under the guidance of Dr. Robert Martin. And in this interim period, we are addressing a subject of crucial importance. A subject of crucial importance to our corporate life and worship as the people of God, namely, the amen in the public worship of God.

1:08 Now, I will stick my eyeballs here upon my handwritten notes in order to keep the review to a minimum. In our first lesson, we began by examining particularly 1 Corinthians 14, 16 in context. In our first lesson, we began by examining particularly 1 Corinthians 14, 16 in context. In our first lesson, we began by examining particularly 1 Corinthians 14, 16 in context.

1:27 In which we see that a practice was assumed as operative in the church at Corinth, namely, the practice of saying a corporate amen at the conclusion of the praise and worship of one who would be the mouth of the congregation. And as Paul is arguing against the indiscriminate, undisciplined use of unknown languages, he uses as one of his arguments, And as Paul is arguing against the indiscriminate, undisciplined use of unknown languages, he uses as one of his arguments, this very assumed practice.

2:00 How shall he that occupies the place of the unlearned say the amen at the giving of thy thanks, seeing he knows not what you are saying? And lest any of you think, and there might be one or two skeptical ones, that my use of that text and laying so much weight upon it as perhaps the most pivotal text in the New Testament, And lest any of you think, and there might be one or two skeptical ones, that my use of that text and laying so much weight upon it as perhaps the most pivotal text in the New Testament, is forced and unnatural, I would simply point you to the standard commentaries on 1 Corinthians, respected evangelical and reformed commentators.

2:41 F. W. Groshide, commenting on this verse, writes in 1 Corinthians, Chronicles 16, 36, Nehemiah 5 and chapter 8, we find an early record of the congregation responding to a prayer by saying, The same custom prevailed in later times in the synagogue, and from the synagogue it came into the Christian church. To say amen only makes good sense if the hearer understands what is preached or prayed,

3:19 and then he develops the argument of the apostle again, assuming that this was a practice, in the Corinthian assembly. Likewise, Charles Hodge, in his time-proven commentary on 1 Corinthians, writes in the Jewish synagogue, it was the custom for the people to respond to the prayers by audibly saying amen, by which they signified their assent and participation in the petitions which had been offered. Great importance. It was attached by the Jews to the saying of the amen, and then he quotes from some of the rabbis.

4:03 According to Justin Martyr, and he was a 4th century Christian figure, according to Justin Martyr, and he cites the place, the custom passed over into the Christian church. This seems also intimated in this passage, the expression is, say thee amen. That is, utter the familiar formula of assent. And so by introducing the subject with that text, I have not had a case to prove, and in desperation hunted for the semblance of a justification for that case,

4:46 but rather it grows out of the passage. That then led us to answer the question, why bother about so relatively insignificant, a matter? And I answered in a threefold way, because all that pertains to the worship of God is serious business. Secondly, because of the confusion on participation in worship, which exists in our day.

5:14 And thirdly, because of the diversity represented within our own congregation. The will of God for us as a people is beautifully stated, by the apostle in the text to which we've made reference several times in the course of this study, Romans 15 and verse, verses 5 and 6, the God of patience and comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another, according to Christ Jesus, that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father, the Father and the Son, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit. of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Review: Meaning and Significance of the Amen

6:00 Then in our second lesson, last Lord's Day, we sought to ascertain the meaning and the significance of the word Amen. We began by considering the Hebrew root from which our word Amen comes from, and the basic idea is to strengthen, to make firm, or to support. But since meaning...

6:26 Meaning is not determined by etymology, but by usage, we then looked at the first usage of the Amen in the word of God, and we found it in that strange ritual that God had instituted on behalf of a jealous husband who was fearful that his wife had been unfaithful to him, and the incident is recorded, and the particular reference, Numbers chapter 5 and verse 22. Then we did...

6:56 Then we did a broad overview of its place in the book of praise, the Psalter, and saw that at the conclusion of the first four books, or sections of the Psalter, we have the double Amen, and in the last of those usages, the clear directive, and let all the people say Amen. Then we saw its usage in a pivotal passage in Chronicles and Nehemiah, then we came on into the New Testament, and noted that in the Gospels it is found primarily upon the lips of the Lord Jesus, producing unusually solemn statements,

7:38 whether claims about his person, spiritual realities, or even threats. Then in the Epistles it is used primarily in conjunction with eulogies, a description of praise and worth to God, and with benedictions, praying, the blessing of God upon man, the creature, and then in the book of the Revelation, all of these various significant usages come together in the various usages that we find there, and we find it in chapter 3 and verse 14 as a personal title which our Lord Jesus Christ takes to himself.

8:22 And the conclusion to which we came was this, in the light of... In the light of the meaning and significance of the word Amen as found in the Scriptures, we must not regard it as a convenient verbal signal that our prayer is over, and certainly we must not regard it as the invention of liturgically-minded churchmen, nor the creation of volatile camp-meeting Methodists or enthusiastic modern charismatics.

8:56 The corporate, corporate saying of the Amen does not have its origins in any of these things, but rather it is a divinely instituted two-syllable vocable, both in Hebrew and in Greek, which has as its overarching significance a divinely instituted expression of affirming hearty assent or consent to what has been said and done. has been stated it is a spirit inspired word buttressing the importance of what is spoken

The Basic Biblical Pattern: God Comes to Us

9:36 now we come this morning to our third study having introduced the subject by setting it in a new testament biblical context and having answered the questions as to why take up the subject having ascertained its meaning and significance from this broad survey of the word of God old and new testaments now we come this morning to consider the basic pattern for the use of the amen in the public or corporate worship of God when we turn to the scriptures

10:15 can we discern in the word of God a basic biblical pattern for the use of the amen in the public or corporate worship of God now those of you who have been a part of this assembly for some time will remember I trust that in dealing with the subject of corporate worship we have sought to demonstrate that in the worship instituted by God there are two fundamental directions of spiritual activity in which

10:52 one of those, God comes to us by the means of his own institution. He has promised his special presence where two or three are gathered together in his name. He is there in the midst and he comes to us in the proclamation of his word and in the ministry and fellowship of the saints one to another. But then there are those activities in which we come to God, draw near to God, and in particular engage in the offering up of spiritual sacrifices unto God as a company of new covenant

11:35 priests. And this is the teaching most clearly set forth in first Peter chapter two, where the people of God are likened to a company of new covenant priests. Within this living new covenant temple and we offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now it is precisely in these two major categories of worship that the verbal amen receives its significance in the pattern of its usage in the scriptures. When we

12:16 turn to the scriptures, we see that the word of God is used in the pattern of its usage in the scriptures. When we turn to the scriptures, we see that the word of God is used in the pattern of its usage in the scriptures. When we turn to the scriptures, we see that the word of God is used in the Are there any overriding pattern in those passages in those recorded instances, particularly the instances of the corporate amen. In the case of the ritual of jealousy, it was an individual

12:48 A woman who was to say amen to the curses pronounced by the priest when she drank that strange concoction which, if she were innocent, would do her no harm, which, if she were guilty, would cause her to become deathly ill and eventually to die.

13:08 Well, apart from that individual usage, the overarching bulk of the material or weight of the biblical evidence demonstrates that the two activities in worship, those things by which God draws near to us and those things by which we draw near to God, set the framework for the corporate use of the amen in the worship of God. Let me seek to demonstrate this. First of all, it was used as the expression of whole-souled corporate assent to the declaration of the word of God.

13:53 It was used as the expression of whole-souled corporate assent to the declaration of the word of God. As God drew near to his ancient people. And spoke his word to them, the manner in which they expressed their whole-souled corporate assent was their corporate amen to the proclamations of God's holy word.

14:28 Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 27 for what is perhaps the most clear expression of this in this. At least the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy chapter 27. Deuteronomy chapter 27.

14:50 Moses gathers the elders of Israel and commanded, Moses and the elders, I'm sorry, command the people saying, keep all the commandment which I command you this day. And then anticipating their entrance into the land of promise. He gives this dialogue. He gives this directive that on that particular day, verse 11, that the people shall stand upon Mount Gerizim and some are to stand upon Mount Ebal.

15:27 On these two mountains, the people are to stand. And as they do, notice what God enjoins them to do. Verse 15, 14. And the Levite shall answer and say unto them, To all the men of Israel with a loud voice, Cursed be the man that makes a graven or molten image, an abomination unto Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsmen, and setteth it up in secret.

15:57 And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. So be it. Let it be so. God pronounces his word.

16:12 Hear a word of cursing. Upon a certain form of activity that was contrary to his will. And the people are in unison to affirm their, so be it, let it be so, their corporate, believing, submissive response to the word of God pronounced by the Amen. And so through with each of these verses, cursed be he that setteth light by his father and mother, and the people shall say, Amen.

The Basic Biblical Pattern: God Comes to Us (Continued)

16:43 To be more correct in terms of the Hebrew pronunciation, all the way down through, at the end of each of the pronouncements of the curses, the people shall say, Amen. They shall say, Amen. There shall be a corporate, verbal expression of their whole-souled assent to what God says. Then in the book of Nehemiah, we have another example of the same general principle.

17:22 In the book of Nehemiah, chapter 5, there was a situation where the people of God, during the period of the restoration, were taking advantage of one another. They were guilty of usury. They were having to hawk their goods and their lands and their children and that with their brethren. Something strictly forbidden.

17:49 In the law of Moses, they were given permission to let out money and goods at interest to Gentiles, but not amongst their own people. There were need and they were to loan something. It was not to be with interest and here they were taking advantage of their brethren in need and the information of this comes to the ears of Nehemiah. Verse 6, and I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

18:19 And this was righteous anger. Notice what he did. He didn't just pop off in the heat of the anger without thinking of a righteous channel by which to express that anger. Then I consulted with myself.

18:34 A very good thing to do whenever you're angry. Consult with yourself. Ask yourself, is this anger just anger? Or is it unjust?

18:44 Or is it a mixture? And if it is just, what just and righteous deeds should this...

18:50 This anger move me to perform? And that's exactly what happened in the case of Nehemiah. And contended with the nobles and rulers and said unto them, you exact usury, every one of his brother, and I held a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, we, after our ability, have redeemed our brethren, the Jews that were sold unto the nations, and would you even sell your brethren, and should they be sold unto us?

19:17 Then held they their peace. And found never a word. Also I said, the thing that you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

19:31 And I likewise, my brethren and my servants, to lend them money and grain, I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive yards, their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, the oil. That you exacted them. Then said they, we will restore them and will require nothing of them.

19:56 So will we do, even as you say. Then I called the priests and took an oath of them that they would do according to this promise. And I shook out my lap and said, so God shake out every man from his house and from his labor that performs not this promise, even thus be he shaken out and emptied. And all.

20:19 All the assembly said and praised Jehovah and the people did according to this promise. So here, Nehemiah, based upon God's revealed will in the Mosaic law, condemns their sin. He maps out by way of application of the principles of that law, a course of repentance and restitution. And.

20:52 And then he pronounces a solemn word from God, a curse that God would shake out as he shook out from his lap. Everyone who would not stick to his promise. And how did the congregation express its hearty consent to that word from God through Nehemiah? They expressed it by this corporate amen.

21:20 And by subsequent praise. Praise to Jehovah. So this was their way of expressing that what God had declared through his appointed ruler, they were embracing from the heart and they did so by their corporate amen. And then when we come into the New Testament in those two references to which we alluded last Lord's Day in the book of the Revelation, two of the several.

21:50 We find the same. We find the same ethos, the same climate of its usage in the opening paragraph of Revelation chapter one or the second paragraph. Behold, he cometh with the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. That is the sure and the certain prophetic word of God with reference.

22:23 To the return of our Lord Jesus, he comes, he comes with clouds. When he comes with clouds, every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him and the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. And what is the response of the believing heart to that pronouncement of prophetic utterance? Even so, amen.

22:50 So be it. Let it be. So be it. So be it.

22:53 And then in chapter 22 and verse 20, the conclusion of the book of the Revelation, the Lord Jesus speaking, he who testifies these things saith, yea, I come quickly. And what is the response of that word that comes from the Lord Jesus to John? Amen. So be it.

23:24 Let it be done, Lord Jesus. And so the manner in which John expresses his whole-souled assent to this declaration from the Lord Jesus is with the word amen. Now, by way of application, let me say briefly, God continues to come to his gathered people in the proclamation of his word. And what does he require of us?

Application: Responding to God's Word with Amen

23:56 Well, inwardly, that we receive. We receive that word with whole-souled faith and obedience. Remember the warning of Hebrews that the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith. There is no automatic blessing that comes from being exposed to the word of God.

24:19 It must be received by the inward spiritual activities of faith and obedience. But in appropriation. And we'll come to those principles that guide us. There is also the privilege and in certain situations, I would go so far as to say the duty to express that inward reception of the word of God outwardly and verbally verbally by the amen of affirmation.

24:54 This, you see, clearly points to the principle that when the. The word of God comes to us in the way of his appointment in the corporate gathering of his people, namely by the preaching and teaching of those whom Christ has given to his church and furnished with the gifts and graces to be recognized as the official teachers and preachers to his people. We demonstrate that this is not a one-way activity. There is not only activity in the pulpit.

25:30 And in the. But there is also a spiritual activity among the people of God who are actively following the track of biblical thought and argument and its development and responding to the same in faith and obedience. And at appropriate places, the corporate verbal amen will address the question. Should there be individual amens in the subsequent study in our final study?

The Basic Biblical Pattern: We Come to God

25:59 But suffice it. To say that here in scripture, we see illustrations of this response to the word of God. But then not only does God come to us in our corporate worship, particularly in the ministry of his word, but we come to God with our sacrifices of praise and of adoration of prayer of petition and of intercession. And we are commanded in the scriptures.

26:30 In our public assemblies, that these things should all be done decently and in order. First Corinthians 14 and verse 40. Therefore, in our seasons of prayer, whether in our prayer meetings, whether in our public worship, there are those who lead us in prayer. They become the mouthpiece of God at the throne of grace.

26:56 We are led in our praises by the words. In a common hymn and psalm book, we have the Trinity hymnal, which has paraphrases of many of the psalms in the Psalter. It has the hymns of the church stretching back some of them to the third, fourth century and all the way down to the 20th century in which words that frame the devotion of our hearts, the aspiration of our hearts, are believing.

27:30 And we are led in our praises by the thought patterns of the psalmist, by the thought patterns of those hymn writers whose words are embalmed in printer's ink in our hymnal. And as we are led in those prayers and praises, it is appropriate that at the end of those prayers and praises, there should be the corporate affirmation from our hearts that indeed what was expressed by the brother who led us in prayer in the prayer meeting,

28:10 by the one who led us in prayer in the worship hours on the Lord's day, that the sentiments expressed were indeed sentiments upon which the energy of our own minds and hearts sat as we were led into the presence of God, and into the throne room of God, and unto the throne of grace. And we affirm that by our corporate amen. And we see this again in some of the instances that we looked at last week. First Chronicles 16 and verse 36.

28:49 Here, when David instituted a special order of full-time musicians in the worship of God, Asaph and his company, David composes a special psalm of praise and that psalm is sung with the accompaniment of the musicians and at the end of it notice verse 36 the last refrain is blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel from everlasting even to everlasting and all the people said Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

29:31 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

29:31 I mean, they said, so be it. Our minds and our hearts have been following the track of the praises expressed by those appointed on that occasion by the prophet king in Israel, David. And as they followed the track of those expressions of praise, they signified it, not by constantly breaking in and disrupting the flow by every other word saying Amen. Amen.

30:01 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

30:02 So people could not follow the language of these Asaph and his company, but at the conclusion of that entire expression of worship and praise to God, the people say with a corporate Amen indeed that expresses the sentiments and the desires of our hearts. Similarly, in Nehemiah chapter 8. Nehemiah chapter 8. Remember now, we're seeking to grasp the biblical pattern for the use of the Amen in the corporate worship of God.

The Basic Biblical Pattern: We Come to God (Continued)

30:43 Nehemiah 8.

30:46 Here in this chapter, we read, and it's very specific, verse 1. All the people gathered themselves together as one man unto the broad place that was before the water gate, and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly. Now notice how specific it is.

31:10 Both men and women and all that could hear with understanding. The implication is somebody took care of the little nursing babies. Whether they had a rotating nursery system for that day, I don't know. But it's clear that you didn't have squawking little babies.

31:32 It said all that could hear with understanding. It doesn't give us the precise age. Some would fit that description at an earlier age than others. And it's not an incidental reference.

31:43 Notice how it's repeated. Verse 3. And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday in the presence of the men and the women and of those that could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the.

32:04 Book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for that purpose. Verse 5. Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.

32:15 Verse 6. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Now, there may have been an occasional soft Amen by one or more of the multitudes gathered as one man.

32:44 But the whole indication seems to be that gathering as one man, they had one set of ears to hear the law of God. And then at the end of the reading of the law of God, when there was praise offered unto God and Ezra blessed God, the God who had come in the proclamation and reading and explanation of his word, that all the people answered in a corporate manifestation of their corporate acceptance, both of the word of God and of the praise that was offered to God. They answered, Amen, Amen. Notice the people answered.

33:28 Answered whom? Answered their God who had come to them in. His own word and to whom they had come in the words of praise offered by Ezra, the leader of the congregation. And then in the first Corinthians 14 passage, I go back to it again in the light of all of this.

33:54 I trust it makes a little more sense. First Corinthians 14 or 16. Else, if you bless with the spirit. How shall he who?

34:06 Sells the place of the unlearned say the amen at the giving of thanks, seeing he knows not what you are saying. Clearly indicating that when one in the assembly gave thanks in an intelligible language, then the entire assembly, even this unlearned one. And there's a debate among the commentators and the exegetes as to precisely who he is. Let's say for the sake of argument.

34:36 It is the person least acquainted with the ways of the worship of this new covenant assembly. But even he knows that when praise is offered unto God, it is appropriate that there should be the blending of his voice as an expression of intelligent faith with the voices of all of the assembled people of God in the corporate. Amen. And you see that in those pictures of the worshiping groups in the book of the revelation.

35:05 I prefer. You to this one final passage in revelation chapter five revelation chapter five verses 13 and 14 and every created thing which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things that are in them heard. I saying unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever and the four.

35:36 Living creatures said amen and the elders fell down and worshiped as there is this great expression of corporate praise the four living creatures say amen to the praise that is offered by all of the creation under heaven now by way of application. Let me say very briefly as we've considered the biblical pattern for the use.

Application: Active Participation in Worship

36:08 It should be abundantly clear to all of us then that the people of God men women and children who can hear with understanding are not spectators in the two categories of divinely instituted activity and corporate worship. When God comes to us in the proclamation of his word we are to be active in our intellect.

36:38 We are to render concentrated responsiveness to that word we are to go out to the word that comes to us with the full vigor of the mind and with the spiritual activities of faith and a disposition of obedience and then in an appropriate manner at an appropriate time the principles of which will follow. We are to make.

37:08 Our hearty reception of that word by giving with our fellow believers the assent in a verbal corporate congregational amen further as we approach God in prayer and praise both in corporate singing and being led in prayer and praise we are to affix the hearty assent of our inward being by the corporate.

37:38 Verbal amen I've had several very helpful notes and questions from some of you in the course of these studies one sister wrote already we that is we as a family are committed to a clear verbal amen after the corporate prayer parenthesis even in the nursing TV room and a parenthesis could one of God's many reasons for instituting the amen in worship be to keep our.

38:09 Minds closely following the prayer so that we can say a clear amen without being hypocritical I think that individual had some very receptive insight to that reality if our amen is not to have the condemnation of God this people draws near to me with their lips but their heart is far from me if the amen is to be the effusion in verbal form of a full heart. Then.

38:40 Demands that the heart be made full by the activity of the mind and only then as we give ourselves to the demanding labor of intelligent whole soul hearing of the word of God following the track of the one who leads us in prayer and praise can we then as a matter of faith and of spiritual worship at the conclusion of that prayer. That expression.

39:10 Of praise add our amen as an act of worship in spirit and in truth furthermore it should be clear from our study of these passages that the amen in corporate worship transcends diversities of culture temperament past traditions and personal taste while all of these factors will influence what I will call the cosmetic aspects. Of the use of the amen in the corporate worship of God as they do in many other things that is our temperament diversity of cultural backgrounds etc.

39:52 There must not be a negation of the joyful and solemn use of the amen in a manner consistent with all of those other diversities but they must never become. The. Occasion to negate it while they will be a constant influence coloring the manner etc.

Principle 1: Overarching Goal of Corporate Affirmation

40:20 Well having sought to grasp the meaning of the word amen establish the basic biblical patterns for its use now we come to consider the major biblical principles which must regulate our use of the amen in the corporate worship of God. Of the use of the amen in the corporate worship of God. Of the use of the amen in the corporate worship of God. But what are the major big biblical principles which must regulate our use of the amen in our corporate worship.

40:59 Well there are two. The first is the overarching goal of corporate affirmation which must not be obscured in our use of the amen. In the public worship of God. The overarching goal of corporate affirmation must not be obscured in our use of the amen in the public worship of God.

41:27 In almost all of the recorded uses of the amen which we examined the corporate affirmation forms an integral aspect of its use. In Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 27 it is the covenant nation as a nation at least representatively that issues the corporate amen to the covenant curses. In 1st Chronicles 16 it is the whole congregation which declares its hearty sympathy with the praises of Asaph and his musicians.

42:06 All the people said amen. And in 1st Corinthians 14. It is the individual saying the amen but as part of the corporate response of the church. And Paul is so concerned that none be left out of that corporate response that he focuses upon the one whom he calls the unlearned.

42:31 And says he will be left out and there should be none left out. The amen at the giving of the thanks should be the one voice of the congregation. The affirmation affirming its hearty assent to the thanks and to the praise rendered unto God. Now if we get hold of that principle.

42:52 The overarching goal of corporate affirmation must not be obscured in our use of the amen. This principle will make us strive for an all inclusive use of the amen. Which will fulfill at least one aspect of that text that we have learned. Looked at several times in the course of this study in Romans 15 and in verse 6.

43:19 That with one accord you may with one mouth glorify God. There is the church that has one mouth in bringing glory to God. And surely one of the most heightened expressions concrete manifestations of that reality. Is when the gathered people of God.

43:41 Seek with one mouth to respond with the corporate amen. And this principle will make us strive to exclude any use of the amen. That would excessively individualize its significance. That would excessively individualize its significance.

44:06 Therefore at the end of prayer it is right and proper. Unless things have been prayed. Which you believe are contrary to scripture. And contrary to the sentiments of your own heart.

44:18 And then to say the amen would be hypocritical. And I would hope if the time ever came. That if things were prayed that were patently unbiblical. That the very silence of the people of God would condemn the one who sought.

44:32 To express unbiblical sentiments. As the corporate as the mouthpiece of the corporate people of God. At the end of our service. When the whole congregation has expressed its praise.

44:49 Its aspirations. Its devotion. That amen is not just a liturgical appendage. All of the sentiments expressed.

44:58 We are saying at the end of that. Lord Soviet. I buttress it by this two syllable vocal bowl. And the reason we usually don't sing amen.

45:10 The pinched. Vowel a. The long a. Is very difficult to sing.

45:15 And so the open a. And that's more akin to the proper Hebrew pronunciation. Amen. So that it's not a matter of consequence.

45:28 That in the singing. Most of us say amen. It's a lot easier than to hold a long note a. Try it sometime at home.

45:36 But to say a. In that posture. And as far as I can see. That's the reason why.

45:42 You have the more Hebrew pronunciation in the singing of it. And you have an anglicized pronunciation. Because the Greek would also be. What we would call the short a.

45:53 The alpha in the transliteration of it. Amen. Well so much for that little bit of the linguistic aspect. But the principle you see of corporateness.

Principle 2: All-Encompassing Commitment to Maximum Corporate Edification

46:05 Must dominate in our thinking. But then there is a second. Biblical principle. And it's this.

46:13 The all encompassing commitment to maximum corporate edification. Must never be undermined by the use of the amen.

46:25 In the public worship of God. The all encompassing commitment to maximum corporate edification. Must never be undermined by the use of the amen. In the public worship of God.

46:40 In 1 Corinthians 14, the most crucial passage with reference to this matter of the all-encompassing commitment to maximum corporate edification. When Paul is trying to sort out the abuses at Corinth and the exercise of their gifts in their public gatherings, he goes after one central issue again and again and again. Look at verse 3 of 1 Corinthians 14. He that prophesies speaks unto men edification.

47:14 Verse 4, he that speaks in the tongue edifies himself. He that prophesies edifies the church. Verse 5, I would you all speak with tongues, but rather you should prophesy. Greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, except he interpret that the church may receive edifying.

47:37 Verse 12, so also since you're... You're zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may abound unto the edifying of the church.

47:47 The end of verse 26, let all things be done unto edifying. Again and again and again, he says, you Corinthians, get this through your skull. The purpose of your corporate gatherings is not primarily for you to have an opportunity to do something that makes you feel good spiritually. It is to gather that you...

48:10 That you might build up one another corporately. Edifying, building up is the great end in view. And this is why he sorts out the matter of tongues. He sorts out the matter of prophecy.

48:27 It's not enough that they simply prophesy. That is, those who have been given a gift to speak the word of God by divine revelation are not simply to speak it at any impulse. It's to be done...

48:39 It's to be done in such a way that people can be edified. One is to speak and others are to be silent. A second is to speak and others are to be silent. There's to be a limitation upon the number who speak.

48:52 And then even the gender of those who speak. All of these things have one great end in view. And that is the edification of the body that is gathered. Now, why do we not tolerate crying babies?

49:09 In our... In our corporate meetings for praise and worship in the ministry of the word?

49:14 It's because it would undermine edification. The mind cannot follow the track of the prayers of those who lead us in prayer if it's distracted with the shrill whining cry of an infant. Why would we not tolerate a gurgling, burping drunk coming into the assembly? Why?

49:36 For the simple reason that it would undermine... It would undermine our corporate edification.

49:43 Why do we not tolerate teenagers all sitting together and whispering and writing notes to one another? Well, not only because it's shameful and a disgrace to God, but it would undermine corporate edification. Well, you see, if we get hold of this principle when we gather, we do not gather here as so many individuals. We gather as a visible expression of the body of Christ.

50:09 We gather... With one mouth, we may glorify God.

50:13 With one set of ears, we may receive the word of God. And with one mouth, we may respond to that word with the affirmation of our amen. And as we render our praise as a company of new covenant priests in this new covenant sanctuary, so we would do so unto corporate and mutual edification. Now, you see how that...

50:40 That principle will help us. It will keep some of you who have a natural tendency to be overly profuse with your individual amens. The average person finds it very distracting to have someone next to him punctuating every sentence with an amen. Well, you see, even though you may feel like you want to say it, just like the tongue speaker feels, Oh, I've got to speak in my divinely given language.

51:04 And the prophet says, Oh, I feel the divine impulse. I've got to say, Thus saith the Lord. He said, No. The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets.

51:13 Verse 32. The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. Overly profuse individual amens will be restrained.

51:25 Ill-timed amens will be restrained. Overly loud amens, which may scare a child and distract a visitor, will also be restrained. But you say, Pastor, that's hot. That's right.

51:40 I can't get... I can't get...

51:41 I can't get... I can't get...

51:41 I can't get... And give you the principles, give you the application in certain areas.

51:46 But beyond that, God has not given us a specific rubric. He has not given us a divinely inspired liturgical outline, which tells us precisely when to punctuate our worship with the amens. But if, under God, we can get hold of these two major biblical principles, they will help us to regulate our use of the amens, amen in the corporate worship. Principle number one, the overarching goal of corporate affirmation must not be obscured in our use of the amen, and the all-encompassing commitment to maximum

52:28 corporate edification must not be undermined by our use of the amen in the worship of God. And if we get hold of those principles and seek prayerfully to implement them, then we'll be kept on the one hand from feeling the need of a wooden stilted uniformity imposed upon us by a written liturgy, and on the other hand we'll be kept from the confusion, disorder, and self-centeredness of individual carnal impulses regulating our use of the amen. Furthermore,

Conclusion: Benefits of Regulated Amen

53:07 visitors who come among us will sense that we are indeed a participatory congregation. We do not participate by everyone standing up and saying his little thing and having a so-called a sharing time. No, we have seen from the Word of God the centrality of the public reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word of God by those who are given by the head of the church to be the official teachers of his church. But when we properly engage in the corporate amen, both in our response to the Word and in our

53:48 affirmation at the end of the prayers and praises of those who lead us, and at the end of the hymns and psalms that we sing to God, visitors who come among us will sense immediately that we are a participating congregation, that we are not passive listeners of the Word of God. We are not spectators. Hopefully, as with the communion, your children will ask, what meaneth this amen? And you'll be able to sit down with your Bibles and begin to show them why at family worship, when daddy or mommy is leading in prayer, or when one of the other children is praying, and they express what is in their hearts, that they should affirm it with the use of the

54:32 amen. And your family table or your living room where you have family worship becomes a place where your children, catching the overtones of what they have heard in the gathering of the people of God, learn the appropriate and proper and spiritually intelligent use of the amen in the worship of God. Well, our time has gone. I've sought to lay before you the contours of the use of the amen in the scriptures, the two major places where we find it used.

55:07 And then these two major biblical principles that ought to regulate our use of the amen. God willing, next week, the major practical dangers to be avoided in the use of the amen. And hopefully, we'll cover five of them, unless some more notes open up some other areas that I've not yet been made aware of. Well, let's pray together.

Prayer

55:30 Father, we thank you this morning that we come to you, the living and the true God, the God of the world. The God who in mercy and in grace has come to us with your own holy and infallible word. The God who has come to us in the person of your son, who says of himself, I am the amen, the faithful and the true witness. And we pray, oh God, that by your spirit, applying your word to us individually and as a company of your people, that we may glorify

56:15 you. That we may make it evident in our worship that indeed we are receiving your word in faith and in obedience. And that when praise and petitions are offered by those who lead us, that our minds and hearts are indeed running in the track of that leadership. Oh Lord, take from us everything and anything, whether in temperament or background or culture, that would keep us from conformity to your word in this aspect of our corporate worship together.

56:52 Hear then our prayer. Continue with us throughout this day that we may know your gracious presence in our midst. We ask these mercies through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.