01/09/2024
CRF Liturgy Explained
1. Call to Worship⸺ When the saints approach God in worship, we do not do so of our own initiative. Rather we are summoned by our sovereign Creator and Lord to draw near to Him. So, at the beginning of the worship service, a passage of Scripture is read to call us to humble ourselves and approach the throne of God through our mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Confession of Sin⸺ Once we have been drawn into the presence of God by His Spirit, the next thing for us to do is confess our sins before Him and receive His forgiveness for us in Christ. This reminds us that if we come to God, we must do so not on the basis of what we have done but through the perfect work of Jesus Christ who is our substitute.
3. Consecration ⸺ After confessing our sins and receiving afresh God’s forgiveness, we move into the time of “consecration” (a word meaning “to set apart”). At this point of the service, we sit and receive instruction from God’s Word through the public reading and preaching of the Scriptures. Here, the Word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword renews our minds and teaches us how we are to think and live faithfully as God’s covenant people. We are “set apart” from the world by having our minds and hearts renewed. After receiving God’s Word, we respond by dedicating ourselves and our works to God through our tithes and offerings.
4. Communion⸺ The climax of the worship service is the observance of the Lord’s Supper, which we have each and every Sunday. Here the Lord invites us to His Table for a fellowship meal with Him and one another which we do to memorialize His death for us on Calvary. This meal reminds us of our redemption from sin and evil in the new covenant just like the Passover reminded the children of Israel of their deliverance from Egypt. Through most of the church’s history, the Lord’s Supper has been the central act of Christian worship. Today, it is observed only a few times a year in most churches. We believe this is a grave mistake which needs to be reformed in our day.
5. Commission⸺ The service closes with a commission and a benediction. At this time, we will hear a final charge from God’s Word and a blessing as we depart. After the Lord gathers His elect together to commune with us, He sends us back out to our stations of life to be faithful witnesses of His truth.