Last week we took a look at what worship should look like by getting back to the original purpose behind the creation of man. We'll continue looking this week at what the purpose of worship is.
Questions to Ponder from last week:
1. How can I do more to know God and enjoy Him forever?
2. What can I do to get back to the original purpose God intended for humankind in my own life?
Let's take a look again at a summary of what the original created order was to look like:
1. Humankind has a relationship with God.
This relationship carried with it a duty, and had a destiny. there was an assignment of responsibility to be fulfilled, and fruitfulness was the destiny that was given to us. We should come together each week in worship with a sense of the continued restoration of the original purpose behind our creation, and with a desire to continually bring ourselves back to that point.
2. Humankind also has a rulership under God.
This reminds us that there is a responsibility to have dominion over what God has entrusted to us, but also that this can only be exercised by a remembrance of and submission to dependency on God.
This moves us to the place of worship.
We worship god because of His goodness, and in recognition of the destiny He has for us. This not only encompasses a destiny of eternal life with Him someday, but also the destiny He has for us here on earth at this present time.
Lamentations 3:22-24 [NIV] - Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself "the LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait on him."
There is a destiny for today, and so we praise Him for His mercies that are made fresh each day and given to us to make it through each day.
We worship God because there is a dependency upon Him for us to make it through each day as well. We desire for God to have His way in us; for Him to come and fill us up every morning so that we can make it through the day. This is no accident, but rather, an intelligent design built into us so that we remember who created us, and on whom we depend.
When we look at mankind in the Garden before sin entered the world, we see that man knew God in several intimate ways.
1. Man knew God's presence. The Bible says that God came to speak with Adam regularly in the cool of the day.
2. Man knew God's voice. Adam says in Genesis that he heard God's voice.
3. Man knew God's power. He realized that it sustained his capacities to function in the role God had given him.
4. Man knew his own place. A place of dependency, responsibility to excercise rule, a place with purpose, and of duty in faithfulness, worship, and a walk with God.
All of this was badly damaged after the entrance of sin in the world due to the fall of Adam and Eve. As we discuss worship, it is that place where, having been forgiven of sin, we come into what amounts to an ongoing recovery program.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit increasingly manifesting itself in our lives, changing us and shaping us from day to day through the spirit and through the word that we make step-by-step, incremental movements back towards God's original purpose for us.
Worship of God is central in the process of that purpose being realized. Therefore, it follows that a purpose of Worship is the recovery of the purpose of God in humankind.
This moves us beyond the very restrictive thought that is pervasive throughout all of the Bible believing world today, that worship is simply a lauding or appreciation of the splendors of heaven and of even God Himself in all His mightiness and glory. However wonderful and appropriate that may be, that is not all that God has in mind for worship.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: It is NOT being said that worship should not be used for that purpose! It is certainly a very effective and enjoyable way to give God glory for who He is and what He has done in our lives. We SHOULD exalt Him at all times, for He deserves that! However, we must realize that God's purpose for worship is more than that, and we must remember this each time we come into His presence.
There is always MORE!!
This is why Scripture is just as relevant to today's world as it was when it was written so long ago. Within every command, every covenant, and every purpose God set forth for us, there is always more than just what you see or experience the first time you read or hear it. This is a good rule of thumb to remember, so that we don't try to put God in a box and expect that His ways will always be the same.
Worship is not just a jubilation, but it is cause for a transformation in us, and an advancement in what God desires to do through us.
II Corinthians 3:18 [NLT] - So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord - who is the Spirit - makes us more and more lik ehim as we are changed into his glorious image.
Some have likened the reflection to the Word of God. The book of James speaks to this thought. As we open and look at the Word, we see the reflection of what God desires for us and aw are changed by that reflection into something that more closely mirrors the life God intends for us. The teaching, training, and instruction that the Bible provides allows us to catch a glimpse of our Savior, and in that glimpse, we are changed. That change has a purpose, and it's purpose is to return us to the original purpose of man's creation.
This change brings us back to the altar; to a place of sacrifice. We've talked about that before, but that's where it starts. God meets man in his brokenness and starts a progression to bring him back to his original purpose.
We can study in the Scriptures that progression, leading to the possibilities of what a life of true living worship in the life of the Spirit can be. In other words, it shows what worship can be like in today's times; the time of the church, where the Spirit is here to minister in and to and through the body of Christ.
Colossians 1:24-27 [NIV] - Now i rejoice in what was suffered for you, and i fill up in my flesh wat is still lacking in regard to Christ's affliction, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We live in a time where God's highest purposes for man are reachable, but we had to go through a process of recovery and discovery to get there.
We see the process develop through individuals in the Scriptures.
1. The first instance of sacrificial worship is where God teaches man in the first pathway of recovery, as He Himself sacrifices animals to cover Adam and Eve's newly discovered nakedness and shame. (Genesis 3)
2. One generation teaches another about worship as we see that Abel learned the proper pathway for sacrifice and exercises it. (Genesis 4)
3. Altars become a regular part of worship, and Abraham learns from god the principle of tithing as a worshipful act. This act of worship even preceded the Law! (Genesis 14)
4. Abraham also broke bread and shared wine in worship with Melchizedek, king of Salem, who's name means "King of Peace". Abraham could not have known how far that act of worship would reach, but we see Jesus referring back to it in the New Testament.
John 8:36 [NIV] - Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.
5. In Abraham's son Isaac, there was the building of an altar for sacrifice that tested Abraham's willingness to follow God's commands. (Genesis 26)
6. Jacob also builds an altar, and captures the manifestation of the glory of God in his vision of angels ascending and descending from the heavens that touches his heart so greatly that he can't help but worship God. (Genesis 33)
7. When bringing about the Exodus, God tells Moses that he would use him to bring the Israelites out of bondage and back to Himself. In order to complete that journey, Moses was to bring them to the mountain to serve and to worship (Exodus 3)
In all of these moments, we see that worship is not only to praise God for His attributes, but to follow the higher purpose of complete fellowship with God by submitting to His ways and living in His truths. These were examples, not just of the manner in which the sacrificial order called the Jews to worship, but examples of the principles by which we come to worship in Spirit and in Truth today.
Worship is the key to the pathway of recovery of all God has for us; to the realization of the fullness of His purpose for us, in us, and through us.
Questions to Ponder:
1. What steps can I take to remember the two parts of Worship we've learned so far?
a. Worship is for exalting God and giving Him glory.
b. Worship is a recovery a discovery of the original fellowship man had with God.
2. How can I use this knowledge to regain dominion over my life, and continue my progression of recovering the original purposes God has for me?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Purpose Of Worship - Week 1
We've been studying the PRICE of worship over the last 4 weeks, and are hopefully willingly paying that price just as Jesus paid the ultimate price for us. Now, let's move on to looking at the PURPOSE of worship.
Scholars have tried to makes sense of just what worship is for years. However, I feel that the Westminster Catechism puts it about as concisely as can be said: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
This statement hits home on two points:
1.) The Lord wants us to know Him. He wants us to know his heart and to worship Him for what He has done.
Now, the word "know" here isn't used like a couple of friends hanging out. It's not "oh yeah, I know them." The meaning of the word in this context is in the way a husband and wife know each other; a complete and intimate knowledge of absolutely all there is to know. That's the kind of relationship God desires with us.
2.) The Lord wants us to enjoy Him forever. The scriptures back this up completely.
Any notion that references in the Bible to reverence and "fear" of God should be so out of proportion that any form of joy would somehow be considered sacrilegious or offensive is NOT the point. Worship is to bring joy to both God and to us. Rejoicing in worship brings glory and enjoyment to God, and it gives us a way to step back from the issues at hand in our lives and to allow God to work in us and through us.
See, worship is not so much for God, as it is for us. Now, we are BY NO MEANS the center of worship, but rather, worship is a means for us to catch a grander vision of what God has done and is doing in our lives.
Psalm 100:3-5 [NIV] says this - Know that the Lord is GOD. It is He who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness endures through all generations.
We worship not only to glorify Him, but to experience a rejoicing that transforms us by bringing our focus back to the Creator of all things.
It allows us to resonate with the One who made us, and allows us to know Him more and see the joy of the Lord becoming our strength regardless of what may be going on in our lives.
It is in this balanced and joyful worship that we come to find out more about the Lord and His contiued work at hand in our lives. We come to Him by His glory and power and rejoice in the Lord as He becomes our strength.
This is all dealth with in the Scriptures, and the best place to find the purpose of worship is to go back to the beginning. We need to look at its purpose as it was seen in the very fountainhead of the created order.
It is in understanding God and man's relationship, and what was to flow out of that relationship.
Only in capturing human kind's original purpose in the created order can we understand God's highest objectives of coming in to worship Him with the freedom given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Worship is not only for the sake of praising Him for redemption, but it is for the purpose of seeing a restoration in our being of what the original idea was behind our creation.
Genesis 1:26-28 [NKJV] says this - Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion ove rthe fish of the seas, over the birds of the air, and over every t living thing that moves on the earth."
There are three fundamental things laid out in this passage:
1.) We have been created by God, and therefore our being exists because of His idea for us, His power shown in bringing us about, and the resource of His being made available to help us become what it was He made us to be.
2.) What god made us to be is described here as well. He made us to be people that experienced dominion. This word carries with it a dependency; to excercise this area of oversight. It's not some chest thumping authority, but rather, a realm of assignment, which was planet earth.
3.) Man was also given the promise of a compounded diving creative power working in and through him. Procreation is one example of this power. However, even while the birth of a child is a miraculous thing, the idea of "be fruitful and multiply" doesn't stop there.
Being fruitful is more about the idea of being productive; seeing something meaningful come out of our lives while here on earth.
The Garden of Eden is a good example - It was considered a paradise because of its sinless state, but it wasn't a place where people just ran around popping grapes into their mouths and playing all day. God made it as a place to be productive; to subdue the earth and all the creatures on it.
We talked in class about whether or not Eden had weeds that needed to be pulled. And while the general consensus was that there weren't any weeds to be pulled, we need only look at the care it takes for plants and animals to thrive today to see that there was some subduing that had to be done. Fruit trees thrive best when the fruit is harvested and the cycle of producing it starts over again. Rose bushes thrive best when pruned on occasion. Animals thrive best when properly fed, cleaned, and cared for. The thought was also presented that Eden may have been the "resting place" for those who when out to subdue the rest of the earth. All of these are interesting thoughts, and we'll have to ask when we get there!
All of these things, however, were continually related to man's deep dependence on the One who created him in the first place. It was only in walking in that fellowship with God that the rulership of the earth could happen.
What we need to remember as pastors, teachers, small group leaders, nursery workers, cooks in the kitchen, or congregation members, as that we have not been given the idea of worship as an excercise. It's not there for us just to go through the motions and check all the elements off the list, no matter how sincere our motives.
It's not even to simply tell God how great He is! That is certainly a large part of why we worship, but it's not the whole reason. God calls us into His presence, not only for the purpose of receiving our gift of worship, but that in response, His love gives back to us by re-actuating the loving idea He originally had for human kind.
Worship's purpose is that there might come the fullness of the realization of God's purpose in us, and in us, begin to extend it to all the earth.
As the Church, we are called to worship that we might be fruitful and multiply; that we would subdue the earth not with force, but by sharing the unending love of God with all in our view and loving them unconditionally.
The Church is called to have dominion in the spiritual realm as well.
We are called to worship in order to overthrow the powers of darkness that press into our world.
We are called to worship in order to overthrow the powers of destructiveness that break marriages, friendships, relationships, and people.
It is the power of a Church worshiping in spirit and in truth that will see it's power multiplied and released through the presence of the Holy Spirit in it and through it.
Questions to Ponder:
1.) How can I do more to know God and enjoy Him forever?
2.) What can I do to get back to the original purpose God intended for humankind in my own life?
Scholars have tried to makes sense of just what worship is for years. However, I feel that the Westminster Catechism puts it about as concisely as can be said: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
This statement hits home on two points:
1.) The Lord wants us to know Him. He wants us to know his heart and to worship Him for what He has done.
Now, the word "know" here isn't used like a couple of friends hanging out. It's not "oh yeah, I know them." The meaning of the word in this context is in the way a husband and wife know each other; a complete and intimate knowledge of absolutely all there is to know. That's the kind of relationship God desires with us.
2.) The Lord wants us to enjoy Him forever. The scriptures back this up completely.
Any notion that references in the Bible to reverence and "fear" of God should be so out of proportion that any form of joy would somehow be considered sacrilegious or offensive is NOT the point. Worship is to bring joy to both God and to us. Rejoicing in worship brings glory and enjoyment to God, and it gives us a way to step back from the issues at hand in our lives and to allow God to work in us and through us.
See, worship is not so much for God, as it is for us. Now, we are BY NO MEANS the center of worship, but rather, worship is a means for us to catch a grander vision of what God has done and is doing in our lives.
Psalm 100:3-5 [NIV] says this - Know that the Lord is GOD. It is He who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness endures through all generations.
We worship not only to glorify Him, but to experience a rejoicing that transforms us by bringing our focus back to the Creator of all things.
It allows us to resonate with the One who made us, and allows us to know Him more and see the joy of the Lord becoming our strength regardless of what may be going on in our lives.
It is in this balanced and joyful worship that we come to find out more about the Lord and His contiued work at hand in our lives. We come to Him by His glory and power and rejoice in the Lord as He becomes our strength.
This is all dealth with in the Scriptures, and the best place to find the purpose of worship is to go back to the beginning. We need to look at its purpose as it was seen in the very fountainhead of the created order.
It is in understanding God and man's relationship, and what was to flow out of that relationship.
Only in capturing human kind's original purpose in the created order can we understand God's highest objectives of coming in to worship Him with the freedom given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Worship is not only for the sake of praising Him for redemption, but it is for the purpose of seeing a restoration in our being of what the original idea was behind our creation.
Genesis 1:26-28 [NKJV] says this - Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion ove rthe fish of the seas, over the birds of the air, and over every t living thing that moves on the earth."
There are three fundamental things laid out in this passage:
1.) We have been created by God, and therefore our being exists because of His idea for us, His power shown in bringing us about, and the resource of His being made available to help us become what it was He made us to be.
2.) What god made us to be is described here as well. He made us to be people that experienced dominion. This word carries with it a dependency; to excercise this area of oversight. It's not some chest thumping authority, but rather, a realm of assignment, which was planet earth.
3.) Man was also given the promise of a compounded diving creative power working in and through him. Procreation is one example of this power. However, even while the birth of a child is a miraculous thing, the idea of "be fruitful and multiply" doesn't stop there.
Being fruitful is more about the idea of being productive; seeing something meaningful come out of our lives while here on earth.
The Garden of Eden is a good example - It was considered a paradise because of its sinless state, but it wasn't a place where people just ran around popping grapes into their mouths and playing all day. God made it as a place to be productive; to subdue the earth and all the creatures on it.
We talked in class about whether or not Eden had weeds that needed to be pulled. And while the general consensus was that there weren't any weeds to be pulled, we need only look at the care it takes for plants and animals to thrive today to see that there was some subduing that had to be done. Fruit trees thrive best when the fruit is harvested and the cycle of producing it starts over again. Rose bushes thrive best when pruned on occasion. Animals thrive best when properly fed, cleaned, and cared for. The thought was also presented that Eden may have been the "resting place" for those who when out to subdue the rest of the earth. All of these are interesting thoughts, and we'll have to ask when we get there!
All of these things, however, were continually related to man's deep dependence on the One who created him in the first place. It was only in walking in that fellowship with God that the rulership of the earth could happen.
What we need to remember as pastors, teachers, small group leaders, nursery workers, cooks in the kitchen, or congregation members, as that we have not been given the idea of worship as an excercise. It's not there for us just to go through the motions and check all the elements off the list, no matter how sincere our motives.
It's not even to simply tell God how great He is! That is certainly a large part of why we worship, but it's not the whole reason. God calls us into His presence, not only for the purpose of receiving our gift of worship, but that in response, His love gives back to us by re-actuating the loving idea He originally had for human kind.
Worship's purpose is that there might come the fullness of the realization of God's purpose in us, and in us, begin to extend it to all the earth.
As the Church, we are called to worship that we might be fruitful and multiply; that we would subdue the earth not with force, but by sharing the unending love of God with all in our view and loving them unconditionally.
The Church is called to have dominion in the spiritual realm as well.
We are called to worship in order to overthrow the powers of darkness that press into our world.
We are called to worship in order to overthrow the powers of destructiveness that break marriages, friendships, relationships, and people.
It is the power of a Church worshiping in spirit and in truth that will see it's power multiplied and released through the presence of the Holy Spirit in it and through it.
Questions to Ponder:
1.) How can I do more to know God and enjoy Him forever?
2.) What can I do to get back to the original purpose God intended for humankind in my own life?
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Price Of Worship - Week 4
Reminders: 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.
Religion and Tradition in Worship have their place, but we must be willing to cut off the excess and allow the true meaning of Religion and Tradition to come through without all the “pork fat”.
Questions to ponder from last time:
Am I stuck in “pork fat” Religion or Tradition?
Am I willing to let God change me?
Do I come to worship on my terms, or God’s terms?
One of the myths of the church as it is happens to be that the “Worship” portion of the service is the music.
Worship is NOT music. Music is a RESOURCE for worship, but it is just one of many “tools in the shed”.
There's a story about a church in England that had a great group of 5 young Christian men who were in a band. Their pastor saw that the 5 of them had something special, and gave them every opportunity to use their talents in worship. When they wrote a song, they were able to bring it to the congregation. They led on a regular basis, and the church started growing at a very impressive rate. Problem was, the pastor noticed that people would leave once the music was finished. He saw that people were coming for the entertainment value, rather than out of a heart to serve God.
The pastor brought the 5 young men into his office shortly after this revelation, and sat them down. He told them about his observations, and about how he was feeling because of what was going on. He then said that he'd like them to break their worship down to the bare minimum for a while, and really get back to the basic reasons of why they were coming to worship. 4 of those young men that this pastor had poured into turned on him, told him exactly what they thought, and stormed out of the office never to be seen again at that church.
The purest form of Worship is to come before God with a broken heart and a contrite spirit that is not caught up in anything of its own doing.
We should not worship because of the contributions we offer, but because of what God has immeasurably given to us.
Let's get back to the story. There were 5 young men in that office that day, and all but one decided to bail. That one young man humbled himself and was submissive to his pastor's wishes. He went home and started to pray and read scripture. Eventually, the words of a song came to him. The pastor heard that song, and had him use it as their anthem for a while. It caused the church to fall on their knees and remember why they came together each week.
The young man? Matt Redman. The song? The Heart Of Worship.
I know that almost all of us have sung this song at one time or another in our lives as believers. This song is sung all over the world in many languages. Matt has gone on to write well over 100 songs used in worship today, and many countless others for his local body that he still serves in England. Does anyone know the name of the other 4 young men who left? Not really... Matt came with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and God blessed him immeasurably.
Philippians 3:3 – For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.
We worship through the Spirit of God that indwells us when we become a full fledged follower of Jesus.
We glory in what Christ did for us by His sacrifice on the cross.
We put no confidence in the flesh (our own thoughts, dreams, and desires) because we know that it will ultimately seek its own way, not God’s way.
Paul adopts the Old Testament word Circumcision when it comes to speaking about those who are in Christ. Instead of an earthly ritual that physically signifies a Jew from a Gentile, but a circumcision of the heart.
Colossians 2:11-14 - In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
We look at the book of Romans and see a reference to Abraham and the beginning of the ritual of circumcision.
Romans 4:11-12 - And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Walking the path of Abraham is to walk a path of Worship. From the beginning of his story in Genesis chapter 12 through the end of it in chapter 24, we see altar after altar after altar for worship being built, and we also see alter experiences in Abraham’s life.
Experiences at the ALTAR can ALTER us for life. As we continue a path of Worship, we are continually called to sacrifice as God commands us, just as Abraham did.
Just as physical circumcision was required under the old covenant in order to unite yourself with God, a circumcision of the heart is required today under the new covenant.
Ultimately, it comes down to a sacrifice of my life. Remember the verse we started with a few weeks ago:
Romans 12:1 - 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.
There is an emotional response (I urge you)
There is a physical response (offer your bodies as living sacrifices)
There is a mental response (this is your spiritual, or reasonable act of worship)
There is a spiritual response (this is your spiritual, or reasonable act of worship)
It is a full and complete response from us, and whenever that happens, there is a cutting into the flesh that has hold on us.
In the Old Covenant, that small amount of blood that would flow from a circumcision was a sacrifice of self. There was pain and discomfort.
There was a sacrifice of his identity. A change to a part of him that stated what he was from the day he was born.
There was a sacrifice of his privacy. A ritual that made him expose his most private place.
There was a sacrifice of his creativity. A surrendering of his future, as that part of the body is God’s plan for procreation and continuing Abraham’s lineage.
Under the New Covenant, we are still required to sacrifice ourselves.
God’s truth cuts to the core of our identity, and changes who we have been.
God’s teachings make it clear that we are to forsake our comfortable privacy and share our experience with the world.
God’s great commission for us demands that we use our creativity as a tool to bring others to Him, and not let it become the center of our attention and effort.
The pathway of faith calls us to sacrifice ourselves. The path itself has never changed… merely the method by which we follow it.
Let us worship with:
Our Regenerated Spirit
Our Renewed Mind
Our Revived Emotions
Our Rededicated Body
Questions to ponder:
What pathway am I on when I come to worship?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Price Of Worship - Week 3
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?
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 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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