A Heart To Worship - A Man After God's Own Heart Series

OPEN: A little 6 year old girl and her 4 year old brother were sitting together in church. The brother was giggling, singing and talking out loud.

Finally, his big sister had had enough. “You’re not supposed to talk out loud in church” she said.

“Why? Who’s going to stop me?” the boy asked.

The girl pointed to the back of the church and said, “See those two men standing by the door? (pause…) Those are hushers.”

APPLY: What’s a “husher?”

I spent a fair amount of time this week considering that and I’ve come up with a deeply theological interpretation of that term. Now get ready.

A husher… is someone who wants to “hush” you. They want to stop you from doing what ever it is that you’re doing. There is something you’re doing in worship that they don’t feel comfortable with and they want to hush you. They want to stop what you do.

I. Now, that’s not all bad. There are times when people need to be “hushed” in worship.

For example: Paul wrote the church at Corinth and he told them there IS a time for people to hush:

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

If anyone speaks in a tongue, two— or at the most three— should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

In that early church at Corinth there was no New Testament like we have now. They might have had a copy of the Gospel of Matthew and perhaps a letter like the one to the Galatians, but there was much they didn’t have available. So it seems God gave certain gifts to the worshippers to allow them to learn what you folks learn now directly from the New Testament. We believe that many of these gifts came by the laying on of Apostolic hands and that when the Apostles died, so did the gifts.

Certain people in the church of Corinth (for example) had the gift of tongues. And God would use these people to share the Good New about Jesus with individuals who didn’t speak their language. Kind of like one of us going into the Hispanic community and speaking to them in Spanish about Jesus - even tho’ we didn’t really know Spanish. It was a great gift, and those with the abiility to speak in unknown languages wanted to use them in the worship time as well. Paul told them they could use their “tongues” in worship if they wanted but they were always to have someone who could interpret - BUT if there were no interpreter… they couldn’t use their tongues in worship. They had to “hush.”

Certain folks there had the gift of prophecy. They would recieve a direct commandment from God FOR the congregation - kind of like Jeremiah or Isaiah did in their day. But if one prophet were speaking and another received a revelation… the first man was to “hush”, sit down and let the next person stand and share his revelation.

In case those with prophetic gifts were to protest that they couldn’t help themselves – that they “just had to” go on talking anyway - Paul told them their gift was subject to them. They needed to “hush.”

And then Paul tied it all together by saying: “God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

The point is… there was a time for people to be “hushed” even in that New Testament church. Even in a congregation where they were loaded with miraculous abilities. God sought order.

II. And, back in Old Testament there was an ORDER the Israelites were to follow in Worship.

God spelled out in great detail what He expected to have take place at the Tabernacle.

What kind of sacrifices were accepted

What kind of behavior was expected.

Who was in charge

Who would be allowed in certain parts of the tabernacle.

I mean… there were rules to be followed for orderly worship.

But, then, every once in a while, people would do something… unexpected. Several times in Scripture we find people worshipping God just off the cuff.