Worship paper finished.
Introduction:
Worship is at the heart of the church of Jesus, and this is because worship is being served by Jesus. Our Savior brings us His saving gifts, His promises, the benefit of His death and resurrection, and we take hold of them by faith, rejoicing at the surprise and delight of this divine kindness.
Worship belongs to Jesus. He has instituted it, and he has done so for a specific purpose, with s specific end in mind, and that is that we sinners would be forgiven, absolved, comforted by His forgiving, absolving and comforting Word. The Holy Spirit, then, through the means of the external Word, comforts our conscience. And we can say a bit more.
I would like, in this essay, to put forth the thesis that the divine service is instituted by Jesus so that the Holy Spirit, through the Word, would create in our conscience a reflection of the heavenly council. This forensic understanding is found in the Scriptures and Confessions, and it is helpful as we consider the words and forms of the liturgy. http://www.facebook.com/wolfmueller
