REVOLUTIONARY WORSHIP:
All of life for God’s glory
By William Taylor
10Publishing. 126 pages. £5.99
ISBN 978 1 913 896 133
This book is based on five sermons preached at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, London in 2018 (although they have been updated to mention the Covid lockdown). There are also some helpful questions at the end.
Taylor argues that we are called to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4.24) and thus holy living is the core of true worship (Rom.12.1-3). We don’t need a worship leader in any gathering, because Jesus Christ is our worship leader. The finished word of God in Jesus Christ has completely replaced the tangible worship of the Old Covenant (Heb.12.18–13.8). We should avoid the dead ends of mysticism and experientialism. Thus, the first four sermons are an inspiring call to holy living in worship of our God.
Taylor is weakest on corporate worship in the fifth sermon on Ephesians 5.18-20. He recognises that corporate worship has both a horizontal and a vertical element but struggles to articulate a reason for why the gathering of believers on a Sunday is any more important than a home group or meeting someone one-to-one. This forgets that believers have been meeting on a Sunday from the start (Acts 20.7, 1 Cor.16.1-2). When we meet together, we also witness to the world that God is calling a people as a living temple united in worshipping him (1 Peter 2).
This is a very readable book that urges us to worship God by seeking holiness in every aspect of our lives.
