Does God Care How We Worship?

Does God care how we worship? For thousands of years, believers have answered with a resounding yes! Ever since the days of Cain and Abel, God has emphasized right worship, and it’s clear that careless worship can have serious consequences. Worship consciously regulated by God’s Word is a distinct characteristic of the Reformed church. Yet today many churches do not understand that both the Old and New Testaments have much to say about appropriate worship before God. Ligon Duncan lays the foundations of the regulative principle in worship, providing full biblical support as well as historical context. He also answers objections: Is this right worship essentially European? Is it flexible to different churches and contexts? Is it really still applicable today? Originally published in Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship (P&R Publishing, 2003). Content has been edited for this new format.