Reminders for this week:
Worship is a sacrifice of obedience to God that encompasses many aspects of our life, including time, finances, desires, and pride.
Worship is based on grace, and recognizing it as it is given from God daily. We worship in response to God's grace.
We are to shine our light to others so that they will shine theirs back to us.
Starting off this week, there are two words that many confuse with true worship of God.
The first is Religion.
Webster's Unabridged defines it as such: A specific set of fundamental beliefs and practices, usually agreed upon by a sect or group of sects.
The problem is that we don't agree. We don't agree with the guy or gal sitting in the seat next to us, much less any other denomination, or even any other church in our own denomination!
Why? Because we've all come from different circumstances and backgrounds. Each church, while possibly part of the same denomination, was founded by a different set of people.
You've heard the song "Gimme That Old Time Religion", right? It's a nice sentiment, but we can't even agree on who's "Old Time Religion" is the right one from person to person...
See, we tend to get caught up in adding more things to Religion than just the "fundamental beliefs and practices". We add things like dress codes, musical style, and other preferences to the word, and we end up with what I call "Porkfat Religion".
Most in Christian circles would probably not reference Jesse Ventura as a wrestler or as a governer when teaching a class on worship (or anything else for that matter!), but he did something as governer that I really appreciated. He had a big pink pig stamp that he would use when vetoing legislation that was so covered in riders and add-ons that the original bill became the minority part of what they wanted him to sign. The legislature would get it back with the veto notice, and a bright pink pork stamp on everything that he deemed to be "porkfat".
Every church (and every individual in it) has some porkfat when it comes to Religion.
The other word in play here is Tradition. Many traditions in the church are wonderful things to experience!
The tradition of observing Communion so that we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, and his promise to come again.
The tradition of giving our tithes and offerings with a cheerful heart that desires to give because of all that God has given to us.
The tradition of coming together as a body of believers to sing praises to God.
The tradition of hearing the Word of God preached so that we might understand Him better.
These traditions are things that we need to hold onto. However, just like with Religion, there can be "Porkfat Tradition" as well. We create this false form of Tradition in our lives and in our churches when we tie symbols, programs, ways of doing things, and physical items to what Tradition is to us.
Pews, Communion tables, Offering plates, Pulpits, Candlabras, Suits, Ties, etc... these are all symbols and physicial items that we tend to tie to our versions of Tradition.
Service style, Service content, Meditations, Music, Events, Sunday School classes, Service times, etc... These are examples of programs and ways of doing things that we tend to tie to our versions of Tradition.
Our own need for things that are comfortable and familiar keep us bound to what we know, and when that changes, it can cause unrest, division, and fighting for programs and forms of Worship.
While these things in and of themselves are not necessarily bad, they don't require a sacrifice to continue. They become routine and familiar, which is why it's so hard to let them go.
Jesus doesn't speak of Religion or Tradition when He mentions worship in John 4:23-24 [NIV] - But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
When He mentions the word "spirit", this isn't a state of mind or some out of body experience where our eyes roll back in our heads and we fall on the floor, but rather an experience with the Holy Spirit that comes to melt our hearts and let God warm our hearts to what he has done for us, and toward one another for we are all made in His likeness.
The big issue here is that we cannot approach God on our own terms. We can't expect God to meet us when and how we want Him to meet us. That's what got the Pharisees in trouble, because they chose to create their 200+ Pharisitical laws for themselves and the general public to obey, so that they never had to get even close to God's laws. Problem is, they were trying to use their man-created laws to meet God on their terms, and not on His.
The Bible is very pointed about how we worship. It must be on God's terms.
1.) We come to the Father in one way and one way only, which is through Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 [NIV] - I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2.) I cannot come to worship and expect God to bless me if I have unforgiveness in my heart.
Matthew 5:23-24 [NIV] - Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
I have to acknowledge my issues and my part in the conflict, and then be willing to go and resolve them.
We can so easily push aside our spiritual issues with others, and they become almost non-issues with us. It might look something like this:
"I know I need Christ in my life, but I'm not feeling so hot about sitting next to Fred over here after he disagreed with my opinion in Sunday School... Oh well, I'll just press on through and go to church and worship God."
Isn't it funny how we think we can dictate the terms of how we worship, when the Bible speaks so clearly about how worship is to happen?
Here's a few items that the Bible calls for:
God calls us to sing to Him, which we do without much thought. We usually don't even question that physical act of worship.
God calls us to stand before Him, which we do to a point... Now, I'm not saying that we have to stand all the time. There are those who are physically unable to stand for longer periods, or at all for that matter. The Spirit may lead some to pray, kneel, or even dance before the Lord in worship. The problem comes when we choose to sit because standing (or other forms) cramp our style. "We always stand for 2 songs and sit for a 3rd. Why are we still standing?! I don't want to stand, so I am going to sit down!"
God calls us to assemble together, which we do each week. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:24-25 [NIV] - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
God calls us to raise our hands in worship... Woah... them's fight'n words! Maybe so, but they're Biblically sound. I Timothy [NIV] - I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
It has to do with fully dropping our pride at the door and coming before God in a humble manner. God doesn't gloss over the details, and neither should we. If anything, church should be a place where we are even more resolute to follow the instructions of our leader than any other place on earth. God gave everything for us, so we should give everything for Him.
We have to remember that the Bible never gives us the ability to dictate how we come to God for worship. It's His way or the highway.
It all comes down to how deep our relationship with Christ is going to be. If we choose not to sacrifice our lives to God, there's a death syndrome that we share with Cain. Not that we are going to die physically, but that there is an evaporation of the richness and warmth of the life of God within us.
Instead of a cup that runneth over, we have a dry and empty cup that has nothing to pour out as an offering to God.
Questions to ponder:
Am I stuck in Porkfat Religion or Porkfat Tradition?
Am I willing to let God change me?
Do I come to woship on my own terms, or on God's terms?
Does my cup run over, or is it dry?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Price Of Worship - Week 2
Looking back at last week's material, we learned that worship is a sacrifice of obedience to God that encompasses many aspects of our life, including time, finances, desires, and pride.
Worship is based on grace, and recognizing it as it is given from God daily. We worship in response to God's grace.
The biggest question of the day is: Is our sacrifice really a sacrifice?
Cain's sacrifice was not brought according to the precedence set forth by the first sacrifice in human history, which was the blood sacrifice to cover Adam and Eve's sin. Cain's sacrifice did not follow the prescribed pathway that God had given for worship, which was to bring a blood sacrifice that was the best he had and was a symbol of his reliance on God, rather than his ability.
The rejection of his offering (even though it was rejected because he didn't bring it correctly) rattled his cage, and he left angry.
We experience this in the church today as well. There are times in services and otherwise that things happen to rattle our cage. In those situations, we tend to respond as Cain did.
Let's look at a few instances:
When was the first time in your church experience that the words of the music were put up on a screen for the congregation to read, rather than using the hymnal? How did that make some people feel?
What about the first time you were asked to sing something besides a hymn in worship?
What about the day that the new Choir Director or Worship Leader put drums or a guitar on stage, or used a cassette or CD for the choir to sing to?
How about when the decor of the Sanctuary or Worship Center changed for the first time?
The bottom line: If something in a worship setting is new, different, or innovative, it tends to call me to excercise some flexibility.
I can either respond to that call selfishly (I want what I want no matter what), or in submission to God's perfect will, which is to worship Him no matter what may change around me.
There are going to be those who respond adversely (selfishly) to these changes.
There are also those who will respond adversely to those who respond adversely, and that causes worship wars.
Old vs. New
Traditional vs. Contemporary or Modern
Organ vs. Guitar and Drums
The list goes on and on!!!
Scripture talks about issues like these, which are caused by an unwillingness to sacrifice the animal known as pride.
This sacrifice is huge, because it removes our security blanket that we use to come to God in the known, the familiar, and on our own terms.
It comes down to doing what it takes to allow that sacrifice to happen, so that we can worship in the way God intended us to.
We all remember the son "This Little Light Of Mine", right?
There is an article written by Professor Michael Gonzales of Biola University called "When Worship Means Something", that speaks to a different perspective on light. Here's an excerpt:
"So, how do we get to that holy of holies? Let me encourage you by reciting John 1:5 - 'The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot comprehend it.' Maybe I should paraphrase it: 'the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has no power to squash it out.'
This applies to all things. You are having problems with a worship team member? Well, if you're walking in the Spirit, 'the light shines in the darkness.' Even if you are accused of something, 'the light shines in the darkness'.
You don't have to be Darth Vader to be on the dark side. It can be in the way you respond to someone else. I understand what it's like to serve under bad circumstances, but what counts sometimes is how we respond. How we let our light shine cna make all the difference in the world.
Sometimes we can also irritate newcomers when we worship. The other day I sat in church and we had a new worship leader (an intern) take over the worship leading chores. The music went on and on and, after each song, he was really into it; he kept repeating the choruses over and over again. My light wasn't shining too bright that day. I wanted to unplug his amp, not only because we were singing so long (over 30 minutes), but because we were doing it standing on our feet! Bless his heart, for he thought he was doing the right thing. His voice is just right and his playing is excellent, but for him, at that moment, worship meant one thing and for me it meant another.
So, as dim as my light might have been that moring, I surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, and continued to praise God in song."
See, it's all about forgiveness. Professor Gonzales had to surrender to the Lordship of Christ, forgive the young worship leader in his heart, and continue to praise God for what He has done in his life.
In Matthew, the Bible speaks to this as something huge that must happen for our sacrifice to be right.
Matthew 6:14-15[NIV] - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men in their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
The Message puts it like this:
Matthew 6:14-15[MSG] - In prayer, there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.
Forgiveness and Surrender are sacrifices. Each must happen in order for our worship to be received and accepted by the Lord.
Without making those sacrifices, our worship is worthless to God because it is done with selfishness (This isn't the way I worship...), anger (I can't believe we're doing this!), and malice (I'm witholding my tithe, and writing a comment card about this every week until it changes!) in our hearts.
He will not forgive us if we are not willing to do the same.
As we close, two songs about surrender come to mind. One is a hymn, and one is a contemporary tune:
I Surrender All
All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all
Surrender
I'm giving You my heart, and all that is within
I lay it all down for the sake of You my King
I'm giving You my dreams, I'm laying down my rights
I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life
And I surrender all to You, all to You
And I surrender all to You, all to You
How many people miss the timeless truth and picture of surrendering to God when they shut out the idea of singing that wonderful hymn?
How many people miss the same thing when they shut out the idea of singing that beautiful contemporary chorus?
Let's work together to find a way to let our collective Light shine together, and allow God to build us up into unity!
Questions To Ponder:
1.) When it comes to worship, do I act selfishly, or in submission?
2.) How is my Light, and how can I make it shine brighter?
3.) Are forgiveness and surrender things I practice daily?
4.) Am I ready to sacrifice pride?
NOTE: If you wish to have the entire article from Professor Gonzales, please Click Here to email Jeremy.
Worship is based on grace, and recognizing it as it is given from God daily. We worship in response to God's grace.
The biggest question of the day is: Is our sacrifice really a sacrifice?
Cain's sacrifice was not brought according to the precedence set forth by the first sacrifice in human history, which was the blood sacrifice to cover Adam and Eve's sin. Cain's sacrifice did not follow the prescribed pathway that God had given for worship, which was to bring a blood sacrifice that was the best he had and was a symbol of his reliance on God, rather than his ability.
The rejection of his offering (even though it was rejected because he didn't bring it correctly) rattled his cage, and he left angry.
We experience this in the church today as well. There are times in services and otherwise that things happen to rattle our cage. In those situations, we tend to respond as Cain did.
Let's look at a few instances:
When was the first time in your church experience that the words of the music were put up on a screen for the congregation to read, rather than using the hymnal? How did that make some people feel?
What about the first time you were asked to sing something besides a hymn in worship?
What about the day that the new Choir Director or Worship Leader put drums or a guitar on stage, or used a cassette or CD for the choir to sing to?
How about when the decor of the Sanctuary or Worship Center changed for the first time?
The bottom line: If something in a worship setting is new, different, or innovative, it tends to call me to excercise some flexibility.
I can either respond to that call selfishly (I want what I want no matter what), or in submission to God's perfect will, which is to worship Him no matter what may change around me.
There are going to be those who respond adversely (selfishly) to these changes.
There are also those who will respond adversely to those who respond adversely, and that causes worship wars.
Old vs. New
Traditional vs. Contemporary or Modern
Organ vs. Guitar and Drums
The list goes on and on!!!
Scripture talks about issues like these, which are caused by an unwillingness to sacrifice the animal known as pride.
This sacrifice is huge, because it removes our security blanket that we use to come to God in the known, the familiar, and on our own terms.
It comes down to doing what it takes to allow that sacrifice to happen, so that we can worship in the way God intended us to.
We all remember the son "This Little Light Of Mine", right?
There is an article written by Professor Michael Gonzales of Biola University called "When Worship Means Something", that speaks to a different perspective on light. Here's an excerpt:
"So, how do we get to that holy of holies? Let me encourage you by reciting John 1:5 - 'The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot comprehend it.' Maybe I should paraphrase it: 'the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has no power to squash it out.'
This applies to all things. You are having problems with a worship team member? Well, if you're walking in the Spirit, 'the light shines in the darkness.' Even if you are accused of something, 'the light shines in the darkness'.
You don't have to be Darth Vader to be on the dark side. It can be in the way you respond to someone else. I understand what it's like to serve under bad circumstances, but what counts sometimes is how we respond. How we let our light shine cna make all the difference in the world.
Sometimes we can also irritate newcomers when we worship. The other day I sat in church and we had a new worship leader (an intern) take over the worship leading chores. The music went on and on and, after each song, he was really into it; he kept repeating the choruses over and over again. My light wasn't shining too bright that day. I wanted to unplug his amp, not only because we were singing so long (over 30 minutes), but because we were doing it standing on our feet! Bless his heart, for he thought he was doing the right thing. His voice is just right and his playing is excellent, but for him, at that moment, worship meant one thing and for me it meant another.
So, as dim as my light might have been that moring, I surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, and continued to praise God in song."
See, it's all about forgiveness. Professor Gonzales had to surrender to the Lordship of Christ, forgive the young worship leader in his heart, and continue to praise God for what He has done in his life.
In Matthew, the Bible speaks to this as something huge that must happen for our sacrifice to be right.
Matthew 6:14-15[NIV] - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men in their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
The Message puts it like this:
Matthew 6:14-15[MSG] - In prayer, there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.
Forgiveness and Surrender are sacrifices. Each must happen in order for our worship to be received and accepted by the Lord.
Without making those sacrifices, our worship is worthless to God because it is done with selfishness (This isn't the way I worship...), anger (I can't believe we're doing this!), and malice (I'm witholding my tithe, and writing a comment card about this every week until it changes!) in our hearts.
He will not forgive us if we are not willing to do the same.
As we close, two songs about surrender come to mind. One is a hymn, and one is a contemporary tune:
I Surrender All
All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all
Surrender
I'm giving You my heart, and all that is within
I lay it all down for the sake of You my King
I'm giving You my dreams, I'm laying down my rights
I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life
And I surrender all to You, all to You
And I surrender all to You, all to You
How many people miss the timeless truth and picture of surrendering to God when they shut out the idea of singing that wonderful hymn?
How many people miss the same thing when they shut out the idea of singing that beautiful contemporary chorus?
Let's work together to find a way to let our collective Light shine together, and allow God to build us up into unity!
Questions To Ponder:
1.) When it comes to worship, do I act selfishly, or in submission?
2.) How is my Light, and how can I make it shine brighter?
3.) Are forgiveness and surrender things I practice daily?
4.) Am I ready to sacrifice pride?
NOTE: If you wish to have the entire article from Professor Gonzales, please Click Here to email Jeremy.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Price of Worship - Week 1
We're taking a look at Worship as a lifestyle choice. Instead of trying to focus on Worship as a musical style or genre, we are endeavoring to make the idea of Worship into an "all day, every day, in every way" experience, just as God wants it to be. We were not only created to worship, we were created worshiping!
What single word describes worship to you?
Some answers are "a connection", "honoring God", "praise", "community", or "fellowship".
The real essence of worship is sacrifice. This concept is not new, as the Bible mentions this word well over 200 times. However, we choose not to explore it very often, because the word is a heavy and sometimes frightening concept.
The first example of sacrifice takes place in the garden of Eden, where God had to sacrifice an animal in order to use it's skin to cover Adam and Eve. Sin was covered, but sacrifice was the price.
Genesis 3:21 [NIV] - The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
That sacrifice set up a pattern that would repeat itself through the entire Old Testament. Sacrifices were made for sin to be covered by those who understood the price for faith in God. We see those who believed in God in the OT times making the trek to the temple once per year to sacrifice their animals, crops, and earnings in order to cover their sin from the eyes of God.
The New Testament looks at it a different way. Before Jesus came, the Law was king. After Jesus' death, burial, and ressurection, the age of Grace came about, allowing God's perfect sacrifice for us to cover our sins. Instead of sacrificing an animal, we were asked to sacrifice ourselves for His purpose.
Romans 12:1-2 [NIV] - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Sacrifice is still the basis for our worship, but in a much different way.
We sacrifice time to come together as believers and commune with God.
We sacrifice financially in order to give to the Lord out of our income, much in the same way the Israelites sacrificed animals and crops (two main sources of income) as an offering to the Lord.
We sacrifice our desires in order to be obedient to the Will of God.
We sacrifice pride to become humble and allow God to lead us.
All of these acts of sacrifice are based on the Grace that God showed us by sending Jesus to die in our place. Everything we are given comes from Him.
James 1:17 [NIV] says - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Romans 11:34-36 [NIV] puts it this way - Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
If we do not believe or accept that all good and perfect things come from God, then we have no reason for grace to abound in our lives. If we don't consider that god has no need of anything, but is the giver of everything, then grace doesn't have a reason to exist, and our worship is worthless.
Contrary to popular belief worship can be offered in the wrong way, and not accepted by God. Not coming to worship with the right attitude, wanting our own way, being distracted, etc... These are all ways that worship can be more about "going through the motions" than an actual worthy offering to God.
In Genesis 4:3-5 [MSG], we see the first written example of worship gone wrong.
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.
What do we see here? Two offerings are given, but only one is accepted. The difference? Abel brought the best of the best for his sacrifice, knowing that his reliance on God's grace was the only reason that his flock prospered. Cain brough a sacrifice, but it was not in compliance with what God had apparently set earlier as an acceptable sacrifice. he brought "an offering", but it was not the firstfruits. It was not the best of the best. It was brought out of obedience, but not out of his thanks for God's grace.
Are there things that happen in our lives to make it so we come to church more like Cain than Abel? Of course there are. The problem is that those are the days where we lay ourselves on the altar of Tradition (we've always come to church/ i'm just doing this because i've always done it/ i'm here God... now bless me!/ hey, they should have had communion right after offering... what's going on here?) instead of on God's altar.
Questions to ponder for week 1:
What kind of sacrifice am I?
Do I lay on the altar of Tradition, or the altar of God as a living sacrifice?
Am I "an offering", or am I a "firstfruit"?
What single word describes worship to you?
Some answers are "a connection", "honoring God", "praise", "community", or "fellowship".
The real essence of worship is sacrifice. This concept is not new, as the Bible mentions this word well over 200 times. However, we choose not to explore it very often, because the word is a heavy and sometimes frightening concept.
The first example of sacrifice takes place in the garden of Eden, where God had to sacrifice an animal in order to use it's skin to cover Adam and Eve. Sin was covered, but sacrifice was the price.
Genesis 3:21 [NIV] - The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
That sacrifice set up a pattern that would repeat itself through the entire Old Testament. Sacrifices were made for sin to be covered by those who understood the price for faith in God. We see those who believed in God in the OT times making the trek to the temple once per year to sacrifice their animals, crops, and earnings in order to cover their sin from the eyes of God.
The New Testament looks at it a different way. Before Jesus came, the Law was king. After Jesus' death, burial, and ressurection, the age of Grace came about, allowing God's perfect sacrifice for us to cover our sins. Instead of sacrificing an animal, we were asked to sacrifice ourselves for His purpose.
Romans 12:1-2 [NIV] - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Sacrifice is still the basis for our worship, but in a much different way.
We sacrifice time to come together as believers and commune with God.
We sacrifice financially in order to give to the Lord out of our income, much in the same way the Israelites sacrificed animals and crops (two main sources of income) as an offering to the Lord.
We sacrifice our desires in order to be obedient to the Will of God.
We sacrifice pride to become humble and allow God to lead us.
All of these acts of sacrifice are based on the Grace that God showed us by sending Jesus to die in our place. Everything we are given comes from Him.
James 1:17 [NIV] says - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Romans 11:34-36 [NIV] puts it this way - Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
If we do not believe or accept that all good and perfect things come from God, then we have no reason for grace to abound in our lives. If we don't consider that god has no need of anything, but is the giver of everything, then grace doesn't have a reason to exist, and our worship is worthless.
Contrary to popular belief worship can be offered in the wrong way, and not accepted by God. Not coming to worship with the right attitude, wanting our own way, being distracted, etc... These are all ways that worship can be more about "going through the motions" than an actual worthy offering to God.
In Genesis 4:3-5 [MSG], we see the first written example of worship gone wrong.
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.
What do we see here? Two offerings are given, but only one is accepted. The difference? Abel brought the best of the best for his sacrifice, knowing that his reliance on God's grace was the only reason that his flock prospered. Cain brough a sacrifice, but it was not in compliance with what God had apparently set earlier as an acceptable sacrifice. he brought "an offering", but it was not the firstfruits. It was not the best of the best. It was brought out of obedience, but not out of his thanks for God's grace.
Are there things that happen in our lives to make it so we come to church more like Cain than Abel? Of course there are. The problem is that those are the days where we lay ourselves on the altar of Tradition (we've always come to church/ i'm just doing this because i've always done it/ i'm here God... now bless me!/ hey, they should have had communion right after offering... what's going on here?) instead of on God's altar.
Questions to ponder for week 1:
What kind of sacrifice am I?
Do I lay on the altar of Tradition, or the altar of God as a living sacrifice?
Am I "an offering", or am I a "firstfruit"?
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