Focus: Order Of Worship

Text: Ezk.46:9

"But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the NORTH GATE to worship shall go out by the way of the SOUTH GATE; and he that entereth by the way of the SOUTH GATE shall go forth by the way of the NORTH GATE: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it."

God is the God of order and change. He is the unchangeable changer. God changes everything while remaining unchanged Himself. Paul tells us, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints" (1Cor.14:33). In verse 40, Paul says, "Let all things be done decently and in order."

Our text is about divine order in public worship. God enters through the East Gate and fills His house with glory. The Prince of the land comes through the East Gate into the new temple. Nothing is said about the west side here.

The North and South Gates are mentioned as direct opposites. Worshippers who enter from the North Gate would exit from the South Gate, and those entering from the South Gate would exit from the North Gate. In other words, no worshipper would go out the same way that they came in. Worship is divinely designed to alter your life in a radical way. As we worship by God's standard we are uniquely changed. We don't come to church just to observe routine, but to experience divine change. In worship we follow God's arrangement and obey the Spirit's protocol. We should maintain ease of spiritual traffic. Flow of traffic must be maintained.

Observing God's order results in our spiritual change. Worship is regulated and done solely on God's terms. The protocol of worship is that we worship as God requires, not as we wish. The people enter by one gate and exit by another. Jesus says to a man, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Lk.9:62). There is no going back from the way we came.

Those who come without faith go home full of faith. Those who come sad go back home with joy. Those who come visionless go home with a sense of vision and purpose. Those who come feeling like failures go home fully empowered to succeed. Those who come sick go home healed. Those who come hopeless go back full of hope. Those who come feeling downcast go back home fired up in their spirits. Those who come troubled go back home thrilled and uplifted. Those who come feeling unwanted go home feeling accepted. Those who come needy go home with the mindset of the needed.

The bottom line is that no worshipper leaves the place of worship remaining the same. Those who follow God's order of worship will experience God's miraculous change. Worship that can't change you is worthless.

God designed worship to be a feast, not a fast. We enjoy God and each other. We feast before the Lord and taste of His goodness. We feast on God's word and encounter His presence. Blame no one but yourself if you leave the presence of God the same way you came.

Public worship is different from private worship. We need spiritual leaders who conduct spiritual worship in the way and manner that God stipulates in His word and directs by His Spirit. It is time for spiritual order in spiritual worship. As we follow God's order we'll experience God's change.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter