[Note: This will once again be a multiple-part blog, beginning today and continuing this week. We will address today what we do when we gather, and during the rest of the week, how we do what we do, and who is with us in our gatherings.]
Worship is the banner, the heading, the category under which we order everything in our lives. It is not just what we were made to do, it is what we do. We are continual worshippers. God wants us to worship Him, to honor Him. To properly respond to Him in every area of life, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, based on who He is and what He does as revealed in His Word. God wants us to humbly respond to the love of God in Christ in God-honoring, Gospel-inspired, Christ-centered, Cross-focused, Word-saturated, Spirit-enabled worship. You must be a believer in Jesus Christ to truly worship God. We worship God because He commands, encourages and enables it. The New Testament teaches that the people of God should worship Him in their lives and families and come together to worship Him corporately. What is corporate worship? Simply it is what Christians do when they gather together as one body to honor God.
What we do when we gather. The church is the body of Christ. We are to be one, under God, in unity, in spirit, in our aims and goals and direction. Remember that we should not think we gather for worship because we have not been worshipping all week, and I will add – we should not think that only part of the service is worship – everything but the sermon, or only the singing.
Pray - Acts 2:42 In corporate prayer one goes to God representing the gathered body, and we agree in spirit as we listen. 1 Tim. 2:1, 1 Cor. 14:16.
Giving thanks – Eph. 5:20 We are to give thanks to God when we gather.
Praises – Hebrews 13:15 We are to praise God when we come together.
Public reading of Scripture – 1 Tim. 4:13 1 Th. 5:27, 2 Th. 3:14, 2 Peter 3:15-16.
Preach the Word - 2 Tim. 4:2 Expounded, explained in preaching, Luke 4:20, 2 Tim. 3:15-17. Biblically, same, distinguishing mark – the gospel, changed life – read, explain, apply. Text-centered. An appeal to repent, explaining what it means. From scripture correctly explained and applied. Say, mean, what difference does it makes.
Teaching – 1 Tim. 4:13 Instructing in the faith, explaining God’s Word.
Exhorting – 1 Tim. 4:13 Application of the biblical truth presented. Biblically-based appeals to act upon the truth that we have heard. An encouragement to do something.
Sing - Col. 3:16 Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Music and singing are necessary to Christian faith and worship. God and His Word are so awesome we must express ourselves. Singing is the Christian's way of saying that God is so great, with such deep feeling; that talking is not enough, there needs to be singing. Singing is an expression of the Holy Spirit, from the Heart, to the Lord. Eph. 5:19 (“speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord”) is one of the clearest exhortations to corporate worship in the New Testament. You can't do this alone. Psalms are the OT songs; Hymns are longer songs about God, spiritual songs are praises to God.
Encourage one another – Eph. 5:18-21 the songs of the new covenant people of God praise God and also encourage and remind one another.
Give – 1 Cor. 16:2 Acts 6:1-6, Rom. 12:8, 13; Rom. 16:1-2, 2 Cor. 8:19-21; Acts 20:4.
Baptize – Acts 2:41 we are to celebrate the profession of faith and subsequent baptism of believers.
The Lord’s Table – 1 Cor. 11:17-34
Fellowship – Acts 2:42 table fellowship is linked with the teaching of the Word – Acts 20:7, 20, 25, 28. The holy kiss/greeting, Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26, 1 Pet. 5:14.
Church discipline – 1 Cor. 5:4-5; Matt. 18:17
Confession of faith – Heb. 10:23-25 the faith is publicly confessed when we gather. 1 Tim. 6:12, 1 Pet. 3:21, Heb. 13:15, 1 Cor. 15:1-3.
Several important observations:
1. Many of these are connected in some way to the Word. Josh. 1:5-9; Ps. 1:2; John 17:17. We read it, preach it, make it the basis of our exhortation, set it to music in hymns and praises; and the Holy Spirit uses it to build up the church in Christ.
2. There are vertical and horizontal elements to corporate worship gatherings. The church exalts God and encourages one another. We come together and engage in corporate worship and pray to God, praise God, celebrate the Lord’s Table, read and listen to the preaching of the Word – and as we do so God uses us to encourage and edify each other. God uses it to renew our awareness of His love and truth. We are encouraged to respond to God in adoration and action.
3. God has given clear practices but no clear methods or order for worship. He has left is up to church leaders led by the Holy Spirit to decide the methods and service order. How often some of the elements are included is left to the discretion of those charged with the responsibility. When it comes to how we do what we do there is freedom.
Tomorrow we will look at how we do what we do. But for now, please take some time today, either alone or with your household, take a closer look at the items on this list. Take note of where there are clear overlaps, maybe something you see n the New Testament is missing. Pray and ask God to use these things as we gather to glorify Himself and build up His church.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
What Results from Worship?
The Result of Worship: What happens?
First and foremost God is glorified.
We are also blessed. Psalm 95:7 says "we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand." That means we are under His authority and watchful, ongoing care. As we look to Him and rely on Him He produces fruit in our lives. God is glorified and we also receive a blessing from Him.
While we are to worship God as an end in and of itself, there are benefits we receive. Ps. 103:2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget none of His benefits. What are the benefits God gives us?
We experience delight in God. Ps. 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. When we worship God there is a growing delight in God. Our vision of God is expanded and we see Him more as He truly is Is. 6 high and lifted up. Your relationship with Him deepens. The gospel changes us from the inside out and as we desire to worship Him and engage in the holy activity of ongoing worship.
We grow as we respond to God's greatness. 2 Pe. 3:18 become more like Christ your desire to give honor to God increases.
We are transformed when we exalt God and we get a glimpse of His awesome glory. We are shaped by it. You will look like what you worship! Like Isaiah 6.
We are strengthened to do God’s will. In God-honoring, Christ-centered worship built solidly on the truth of God's Word, God's people are prepared to do what He wants. Paul said in 1 Thess. 1:9 that they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. When want to serve God, our will completely consumed His will, we will smash our idols in repentance and worship God alone.
We rest in Jesus. Ps. 95 shows the response of God to the response of mankind who rejects Him. He says those who rejected Him would not enter His rest. On the flip side, those who accept and acknowledge His rule will enter His rest. Hebrews 4:1-11 picks off where Psalm 95 leaves off. Those who worship enter God’s rest, the rest Hebrews speaks of, that Jesus purchased with His own blood at the cross, so we could rest from our works and rest in His. A large portion of worship, in the Bible and in our lives, has to do with re-telling and remembering. We need to be reminded. We learn by repetition. Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8).
True worship is always God-centered. God blesses us as a result but it is important to remember that worship is first and foremost a response from us to God that glorifies Him.
Soli Deo Gloria
First and foremost God is glorified.
We are also blessed. Psalm 95:7 says "we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand." That means we are under His authority and watchful, ongoing care. As we look to Him and rely on Him He produces fruit in our lives. God is glorified and we also receive a blessing from Him.
While we are to worship God as an end in and of itself, there are benefits we receive. Ps. 103:2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget none of His benefits. What are the benefits God gives us?
We experience delight in God. Ps. 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. When we worship God there is a growing delight in God. Our vision of God is expanded and we see Him more as He truly is Is. 6 high and lifted up. Your relationship with Him deepens. The gospel changes us from the inside out and as we desire to worship Him and engage in the holy activity of ongoing worship.
We grow as we respond to God's greatness. 2 Pe. 3:18 become more like Christ your desire to give honor to God increases.
We are transformed when we exalt God and we get a glimpse of His awesome glory. We are shaped by it. You will look like what you worship! Like Isaiah 6.
We are strengthened to do God’s will. In God-honoring, Christ-centered worship built solidly on the truth of God's Word, God's people are prepared to do what He wants. Paul said in 1 Thess. 1:9 that they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. When want to serve God, our will completely consumed His will, we will smash our idols in repentance and worship God alone.
We rest in Jesus. Ps. 95 shows the response of God to the response of mankind who rejects Him. He says those who rejected Him would not enter His rest. On the flip side, those who accept and acknowledge His rule will enter His rest. Hebrews 4:1-11 picks off where Psalm 95 leaves off. Those who worship enter God’s rest, the rest Hebrews speaks of, that Jesus purchased with His own blood at the cross, so we could rest from our works and rest in His. A large portion of worship, in the Bible and in our lives, has to do with re-telling and remembering. We need to be reminded. We learn by repetition. Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8).
True worship is always God-centered. God blesses us as a result but it is important to remember that worship is first and foremost a response from us to God that glorifies Him.
Soli Deo Gloria
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Why do We Worship?
What is the reason for worship? Why do we do it? Why is it a proper response to God in all of life?
Because God commands and encourages it. He said in Ex. 20:3, "you shall have no other gods before Me". People were to be exclusively committed to worshipping Him. The last words of 1 John, chapter 5, verse 21, are "little children, keep yourselves from idols".
God is worthy of it. Psalm 95:7 "we are the people of His pasture, the sheep of His hand." He inspires it because of who He is. It is rooted in His character; His attributes. God is both transcendent and immanent. Transcendent means He is independent from and superior to His creation. Immanent means He is near to us. His transcendence is reason for reverence and awe. Heb. 12:28-29 because God is a consuming fire we are to offer to Him acceptable worship with reverence and awe. His nearness is reason for rejoicing because we can know Him, love Him, experience Him. John 15:14-15; Acts 17:28 in Him we live, move and have our being. 1 Chr. 16:29 give Him the glory due Him; Ps. 29:2. He is our God, our Maker. Ps. 100:2-3; Rev. 4:8-11. Robert Shaper said "worship is ascribing all honor and worth to our Creator-God precisely because He is worthy, delightfully so." God will not give or share His glory with another. He commands us to keep ourselves from idols. He knows they will ruin us. Idolatry robs God of worship and us of our dignity as people made in God’s image. John Calvin said the human heart is an idol factory. We can make an idol out of anything. We make functional saviors out of almost anything. We must be careful not to make good things into false god things. In my own life and in the lives of those I have come in contact with over the years, things like Bible Reading, fear, hobby, marriage, homework, and the home can become idols of the heart that usurp God's rightful place in our lives.
We worship because God commands it and God deserves it.
What are the results of worship? Tune in tomorrow.
Because God commands and encourages it. He said in Ex. 20:3, "you shall have no other gods before Me". People were to be exclusively committed to worshipping Him. The last words of 1 John, chapter 5, verse 21, are "little children, keep yourselves from idols".
God is worthy of it. Psalm 95:7 "we are the people of His pasture, the sheep of His hand." He inspires it because of who He is. It is rooted in His character; His attributes. God is both transcendent and immanent. Transcendent means He is independent from and superior to His creation. Immanent means He is near to us. His transcendence is reason for reverence and awe. Heb. 12:28-29 because God is a consuming fire we are to offer to Him acceptable worship with reverence and awe. His nearness is reason for rejoicing because we can know Him, love Him, experience Him. John 15:14-15; Acts 17:28 in Him we live, move and have our being. 1 Chr. 16:29 give Him the glory due Him; Ps. 29:2. He is our God, our Maker. Ps. 100:2-3; Rev. 4:8-11. Robert Shaper said "worship is ascribing all honor and worth to our Creator-God precisely because He is worthy, delightfully so." God will not give or share His glory with another. He commands us to keep ourselves from idols. He knows they will ruin us. Idolatry robs God of worship and us of our dignity as people made in God’s image. John Calvin said the human heart is an idol factory. We can make an idol out of anything. We make functional saviors out of almost anything. We must be careful not to make good things into false god things. In my own life and in the lives of those I have come in contact with over the years, things like Bible Reading, fear, hobby, marriage, homework, and the home can become idols of the heart that usurp God's rightful place in our lives.
We worship because God commands it and God deserves it.
What are the results of worship? Tune in tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
What is Christian Worship?
Worship is honoring God. It is the proper response of mankind to God in every area of life, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, based on who He is and what He does as revealed in His Word. It is the soul’s humble response in all of life to the love of God in Christ. It is always God-centered, not self-focused.
These definitions, put together, point to the fact that the only true worship, this side of the Cross, is Christian worship. What are the characteristics of Christian worship?
New covenant worship is…
God-honoring. It is an end in and of itself, not a means to getting something else. There are many benefits that believers enjoy as a result of a life and corporate experience that is God-centered, but we do not worship primarily to get but to give to God. He blesses us as a result but we don’t do it to get a blessing, we do it to bless God.
Gospel-inspired. The good news of what Jesus has done inspires us to worship. The gospel ought to affect everything in the Christian life. Knowing that we were more sinful and lost than we ever imagines, but more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope impels us to respond to God in praise and adoration, offering our lives to Him.
Christ-centered. We come to God through Him and continually are to offer up a sacrifice of praise to God (Heb. 13:15). Jesus is the only Savior and only Mediator between God and man. We come to God only through Jesus, who is the "way, and the truth and the life." (John 14:6)
Cross-focused. The cross shows us not just our unworthiness but our inability to do anything apart from Jesus, as He said in John 15:5, "apart from Me you can do nothing." Jesus went to the cross for us, due to our total depravity and when we come to faith in Christ our response is to worship Him.
Word-saturated. The Bible is our authoritative and sufficient standard for everything relating to life and doctrine. Our interactions with the written Word of God lead us to worship, both individually and corporately. God's Word is to have a primary place among His people: 1 Tim. 4:13 Until I come give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and to teaching. The God of the Bible is to be the focus. Is. 42:8 I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another.
Spirit-enabled. You can’t worship God apart from the Holy Spirit who only indwells believers. You must be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ to truly worship God. When you have been born again to a living hope through faith in Christ you are regenerated by God. You experience a change in your life – the triune God take the place of all false gods you previously served; you are new, transformed at the deepest level of your existence, enabled and empowered by God to live a new life; you have a new identity, no longer defined by the old one. You have a new mind that enables you to hunger for God’s word and follow His truth and reject the lies you once believed. Your emotions are different, now you love God and other people you once hated. You have new desires for living a life that pleases God – the appetite for what is wrong no longer controls. You become a part of a new family, the household of God, the Body of Christ, the Church. You live by the power of God and are enabled to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting. All this equals up to a life that worships the God of the Bible rather than false gods. Worship is magnifying God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit as you live in His presence for His glory. Only a believer can do that. This side of the Cross Christian worship is the only true worship – the holy activity of believers who know how absolutely dependent on God they are.
Which leads us to the reason for worship. Why do we worship? We'll address that tomorrow!
These definitions, put together, point to the fact that the only true worship, this side of the Cross, is Christian worship. What are the characteristics of Christian worship?
New covenant worship is…
God-honoring. It is an end in and of itself, not a means to getting something else. There are many benefits that believers enjoy as a result of a life and corporate experience that is God-centered, but we do not worship primarily to get but to give to God. He blesses us as a result but we don’t do it to get a blessing, we do it to bless God.
Gospel-inspired. The good news of what Jesus has done inspires us to worship. The gospel ought to affect everything in the Christian life. Knowing that we were more sinful and lost than we ever imagines, but more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope impels us to respond to God in praise and adoration, offering our lives to Him.
Christ-centered. We come to God through Him and continually are to offer up a sacrifice of praise to God (Heb. 13:15). Jesus is the only Savior and only Mediator between God and man. We come to God only through Jesus, who is the "way, and the truth and the life." (John 14:6)
Cross-focused. The cross shows us not just our unworthiness but our inability to do anything apart from Jesus, as He said in John 15:5, "apart from Me you can do nothing." Jesus went to the cross for us, due to our total depravity and when we come to faith in Christ our response is to worship Him.
Word-saturated. The Bible is our authoritative and sufficient standard for everything relating to life and doctrine. Our interactions with the written Word of God lead us to worship, both individually and corporately. God's Word is to have a primary place among His people: 1 Tim. 4:13 Until I come give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and to teaching. The God of the Bible is to be the focus. Is. 42:8 I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another.
Spirit-enabled. You can’t worship God apart from the Holy Spirit who only indwells believers. You must be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ to truly worship God. When you have been born again to a living hope through faith in Christ you are regenerated by God. You experience a change in your life – the triune God take the place of all false gods you previously served; you are new, transformed at the deepest level of your existence, enabled and empowered by God to live a new life; you have a new identity, no longer defined by the old one. You have a new mind that enables you to hunger for God’s word and follow His truth and reject the lies you once believed. Your emotions are different, now you love God and other people you once hated. You have new desires for living a life that pleases God – the appetite for what is wrong no longer controls. You become a part of a new family, the household of God, the Body of Christ, the Church. You live by the power of God and are enabled to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting. All this equals up to a life that worships the God of the Bible rather than false gods. Worship is magnifying God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit as you live in His presence for His glory. Only a believer can do that. This side of the Cross Christian worship is the only true worship – the holy activity of believers who know how absolutely dependent on God they are.
Which leads us to the reason for worship. Why do we worship? We'll address that tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What is Worship?
Psalm 95:6-7 is an invitation, an encouragement to act. God wants us to do something in response to Him. It shows us the reality of, the reason for and the result of worship.
The Reality of Worship: What is it?
We think of it in terms of what we do in “worship services” – worship through singing, prayer, the Word, the Lord’s Table – great things – but the Bible words translated worship refer to more than we usually refer to when we use the word worship. A look at the three Hebrew words used in Psalm 95:6 helps us come to a definition.
Worship (shachah) means to depress, to prostrate yourself, bow yourself down. It was used for the action of bowing down as an act of respect to a superior being. Joseph in his dream in Gen. 37 saw his sheaves, representing his brothers, bowing down to his sheaf; Ruth bowed before Boaz Ruth 2:10; David bowed before Saul. It was an act of honor done when making a request. Those who practiced this would often fall on the ground flat out on their face and kiss the ground, or fall to their knees and touch the ground with their forehead. It was a way of showing submission, yielding to a greater power. When applied to God it stood for honoring God with prayers. It was a way of saying “You are greater than me and I an dependent on You”.
Bow down (kara) means to bend your knees, kneel. A way of making yourself vulnerable, showing you were weaker. It was a position of humility, showing a humble attitude.
Kneel (barak) means to bend the knee, bow in praise to another, to ask for a blessing. There was a connection in Old Testament times between kneeling and being blessed.
Put together the three words in Psalm 95:6 give the idea of honoring God by submitting to Him humbly and looking to Him to meet our needs. This side of the Cross we need a fuller definition so here are three definitions of worship: one for those who like things simple; one for those who like to think things through; and one for those who like a more emotional connection. (If you are well-balanced, you'll get all three!:))
Simple version: Worship is honoring God. There is urgency in the call to worship Come, let us. It is a privilege, a duty, an awesome undertaking. It is not trivial, frivolous or light. It is weighty, important, necessary. Worship is the most important and most continuous activity that humans engage in. The Westminster confession begins: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". John Piper said "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with Him." We honor what we value and delight in and enjoy. Worship is man’s highest activity, the noblest pursuit, the highest aim. Worship is actively honoring God who is vastly superior to us in every way.
Thinker version: Worship is the proper response of mankind to God in every area of life, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, based on who He is and what He does as revealed in His Word. John Stott said "All true worship is a response to the self-revelation of God in Christ and Scripture, and arise from our reflection on who He is and what He has done…the worship of God is evoked, informed, and inspired by the vision of God…the true knowledge of God will always lead us to worship." A proper response to God is to honor Him as our Creator, Maker, Provider; far bigger and greater than us; who made everything and holds it all together. If worship is a proper response to God we will not be focused primarily on whether we like or enjoy what the church does when it gathers, we will examine ourselves and see whether our lives are in line with what God expects of us all week long.
Feeler version: Worship is the soul’s humble response in all of life to the love of God in Christ. Worship should permeate all of life. Our desire is to be people who are loving God with everything we’ve got! We want to “shout with joy to the Lord,” exalting God for who He is and what He has done! We want to live for God's glory! Col. 3:17 “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Some important implications:
1. Thomas R. Kelly wrote, in A Testament of Devotion: “Walk and talk and work and laugh with your friends. But behind the scenes, keep up the life of simple prayer and inward worship.” D.A. Carson says, “we cannot imagine that the church gathers for worship on Sunday morning if by this we mean that we engage in something that we have not been engaging in the rest of the week. New-covenant worship terminology prescribes constant worship”. Going to a church service on a Sunday and do something you haven’t been doing all week long is like a man saying I love you to his wife every Sunday for one hour, treating her like a queen, falling over himself doing things for her, trying to build her up and impress her but as soon as the hour is up he flips a switch and becomes a tyrant, demanding, unkind, even cruel – all week long until that one hour every Sunday. Or like a parent who only one time per week treats their child like a gift from God but the other 6 days treats them harshly, critical, unyielding, unfeeling, unaffectionate. If we think we only worship once a week to get recharged for the coming week; if we engage in something here that we haven’t been doing all week long we are in trouble because whatever we are doing all week is our real worship. People who see worship as just what we do when we gather fail to see the bigger picture of what God wants – a life given over to Him fully. Things make sense when we see all of life as worship. We ask not what God can do for us but what does God expect of us?
2. We are natural born worshippers. We will worship – the question is who or what we will give honor, glory and all of our attention to? Mark Driscoll says "worship is a biblically faithful understanding of God combined with a biblically faithful response to Him." Idolatry is just the opposite - it is a biblically unfaithful response to God combined with a biblically unfaithful response to Him. We will worship, the question is who or what are we worshipping? Worship never ceases. We worship the Creator or the creature. Why does it matter? God hates idolatry because it robs Him of glory and ruins us as people made in His image. All of life is really ceaseless worship. Am I worshipping God or someone or something else?
The three definitions given above complement one another. They point to the fact that the only true worship, this side of the Cross, is Christian worship. What are the characteristics of Christian worship? Tune in tomorrow to find out!
Soli Deo Gloria
The Reality of Worship: What is it?
We think of it in terms of what we do in “worship services” – worship through singing, prayer, the Word, the Lord’s Table – great things – but the Bible words translated worship refer to more than we usually refer to when we use the word worship. A look at the three Hebrew words used in Psalm 95:6 helps us come to a definition.
Worship (shachah) means to depress, to prostrate yourself, bow yourself down. It was used for the action of bowing down as an act of respect to a superior being. Joseph in his dream in Gen. 37 saw his sheaves, representing his brothers, bowing down to his sheaf; Ruth bowed before Boaz Ruth 2:10; David bowed before Saul. It was an act of honor done when making a request. Those who practiced this would often fall on the ground flat out on their face and kiss the ground, or fall to their knees and touch the ground with their forehead. It was a way of showing submission, yielding to a greater power. When applied to God it stood for honoring God with prayers. It was a way of saying “You are greater than me and I an dependent on You”.
Bow down (kara) means to bend your knees, kneel. A way of making yourself vulnerable, showing you were weaker. It was a position of humility, showing a humble attitude.
Kneel (barak) means to bend the knee, bow in praise to another, to ask for a blessing. There was a connection in Old Testament times between kneeling and being blessed.
Put together the three words in Psalm 95:6 give the idea of honoring God by submitting to Him humbly and looking to Him to meet our needs. This side of the Cross we need a fuller definition so here are three definitions of worship: one for those who like things simple; one for those who like to think things through; and one for those who like a more emotional connection. (If you are well-balanced, you'll get all three!:))
Simple version: Worship is honoring God. There is urgency in the call to worship Come, let us. It is a privilege, a duty, an awesome undertaking. It is not trivial, frivolous or light. It is weighty, important, necessary. Worship is the most important and most continuous activity that humans engage in. The Westminster confession begins: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". John Piper said "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with Him." We honor what we value and delight in and enjoy. Worship is man’s highest activity, the noblest pursuit, the highest aim. Worship is actively honoring God who is vastly superior to us in every way.
Thinker version: Worship is the proper response of mankind to God in every area of life, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, based on who He is and what He does as revealed in His Word. John Stott said "All true worship is a response to the self-revelation of God in Christ and Scripture, and arise from our reflection on who He is and what He has done…the worship of God is evoked, informed, and inspired by the vision of God…the true knowledge of God will always lead us to worship." A proper response to God is to honor Him as our Creator, Maker, Provider; far bigger and greater than us; who made everything and holds it all together. If worship is a proper response to God we will not be focused primarily on whether we like or enjoy what the church does when it gathers, we will examine ourselves and see whether our lives are in line with what God expects of us all week long.
Feeler version: Worship is the soul’s humble response in all of life to the love of God in Christ. Worship should permeate all of life. Our desire is to be people who are loving God with everything we’ve got! We want to “shout with joy to the Lord,” exalting God for who He is and what He has done! We want to live for God's glory! Col. 3:17 “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Some important implications:
1. Thomas R. Kelly wrote, in A Testament of Devotion: “Walk and talk and work and laugh with your friends. But behind the scenes, keep up the life of simple prayer and inward worship.” D.A. Carson says, “we cannot imagine that the church gathers for worship on Sunday morning if by this we mean that we engage in something that we have not been engaging in the rest of the week. New-covenant worship terminology prescribes constant worship”. Going to a church service on a Sunday and do something you haven’t been doing all week long is like a man saying I love you to his wife every Sunday for one hour, treating her like a queen, falling over himself doing things for her, trying to build her up and impress her but as soon as the hour is up he flips a switch and becomes a tyrant, demanding, unkind, even cruel – all week long until that one hour every Sunday. Or like a parent who only one time per week treats their child like a gift from God but the other 6 days treats them harshly, critical, unyielding, unfeeling, unaffectionate. If we think we only worship once a week to get recharged for the coming week; if we engage in something here that we haven’t been doing all week long we are in trouble because whatever we are doing all week is our real worship. People who see worship as just what we do when we gather fail to see the bigger picture of what God wants – a life given over to Him fully. Things make sense when we see all of life as worship. We ask not what God can do for us but what does God expect of us?
2. We are natural born worshippers. We will worship – the question is who or what we will give honor, glory and all of our attention to? Mark Driscoll says "worship is a biblically faithful understanding of God combined with a biblically faithful response to Him." Idolatry is just the opposite - it is a biblically unfaithful response to God combined with a biblically unfaithful response to Him. We will worship, the question is who or what are we worshipping? Worship never ceases. We worship the Creator or the creature. Why does it matter? God hates idolatry because it robs Him of glory and ruins us as people made in His image. All of life is really ceaseless worship. Am I worshipping God or someone or something else?
The three definitions given above complement one another. They point to the fact that the only true worship, this side of the Cross, is Christian worship. What are the characteristics of Christian worship? Tune in tomorrow to find out!
Soli Deo Gloria
Friday, April 16, 2010
Worship Matters
What is worship? What does it mean to worship God? Why do we do it? What happens when we worship God? The answers to these questions matter because they reveal our understanding of God Himself and His revelation of Himself. Worship matters supremely because God is supremely to be worshipped. What we think about God and worship matters.
We become like what we worship. Worship shapes us. Worship matters because we are born worshippers and we will worship someone or something. We will either give honor and glory to our Creator, God Almighty or we will give it to something in His creation.
If we are to respond properly to God we must, this side of the Fall and the Cross, come to God through Jesus Christ and be reconciled to Him, regenerated, born again to a living hope, new creations, new worshippers living by faith. No longer living for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised" Psalm 48:1
We become like what we worship. Worship shapes us. Worship matters because we are born worshippers and we will worship someone or something. We will either give honor and glory to our Creator, God Almighty or we will give it to something in His creation.
If we are to respond properly to God we must, this side of the Fall and the Cross, come to God through Jesus Christ and be reconciled to Him, regenerated, born again to a living hope, new creations, new worshippers living by faith. No longer living for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised" Psalm 48:1
Friday, April 9, 2010
Transformation, Part 154
The Cross should change everything, but sometimes Christians find surprising little changed in their lives. The cross should spell the end of the world as we knew it, so why does it sometimes not show in our lives? We come to faith in Christ & our sins are forgiven; but we still sin. We often hinder God’s process by choices we make. We sabotage God’s work for fear that He may use us in some big way that we aren’t capable of. We buy an untrue version of the Gospel that costs little and demands even less. We are irritable, picky, short fused, angry, unforgiving because we live with a sense of entitlement rather than brokenness before God. Our reception is sometimes off. Like an antenna that’s broken or a satellite dish that is pointed in the wrong direction. We can’t get the signals God is sending out.
We often find it hard to forgive other believers. Andree Seu writes, "we file away offenses, we bring to mind the thing we have against that person and remember to act chilly toward him. We keep a bookmark where we left off, expending mental energy to remember our grievance, rather than the far simpler course of starting each encounter with a clean page. If we only understood that the Christian who insulted us last week is a constantly changing and progressively sanctifying person. The Holy Spirit has rolled up His sleeves and started cleaning out his fixer-upper of a heart, and you just happened to get in the way of some garbage being hauled out. The person you are still nursing resentment toward is in the middle of his story, and is not yet what he will be. Come to think of it, the same goes for you."
The truth: in Christ our identity is changed, we are set apart, we are being made holy, being sanctified progressively by God. We have been saved, justified; we are being saved, sanctified; we will one day be saved from the presence of sin, glorified. The process is ongoing. Assured by the promise and purpose of God; guaranteed by His character. But we are in the midst of the struggle Paul spoke of in Rom. 7 – I want to do right, but I do wrong. It feels like "take 54" or 154 or 1,054. Why can't we get it right? Maybe we are trying too hard.
Take comfort, you who are too hard on yourselves. Rest in the finished work of Christ and allow Him to live His life through you. Be wary, you who are too easy on yourselves, make sure you are in the faith. I love Phil. 2:12-13. 2:13 says God is at work in us & 2:12 says we are to work out (not work for - that was bought at the cross) our salvation with fear and trembling. So much of the Christian life boils down to cooperating with God, doesn't it? And what is Jesus doing? Praying for believers. Isaiah 53:12 "...yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors". (See Heb. 7:25) Christ is praying for believers right now. The thought can only humble us.
If you are not a Christian you need Jesus. You are responsible before God for what you have heard about Jesus. As Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:20, I implore you (I urge you, ask you, invite you) on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. The outcome of His death is joy; He is in process of gathering His family together, the authority to do so is all His (All authority on heaven and earth Matt. 28:18).
Only God knows where each person is at so we preach Christ crucified and leave the outcome to God.
We often find it hard to forgive other believers. Andree Seu writes, "we file away offenses, we bring to mind the thing we have against that person and remember to act chilly toward him. We keep a bookmark where we left off, expending mental energy to remember our grievance, rather than the far simpler course of starting each encounter with a clean page. If we only understood that the Christian who insulted us last week is a constantly changing and progressively sanctifying person. The Holy Spirit has rolled up His sleeves and started cleaning out his fixer-upper of a heart, and you just happened to get in the way of some garbage being hauled out. The person you are still nursing resentment toward is in the middle of his story, and is not yet what he will be. Come to think of it, the same goes for you."
The truth: in Christ our identity is changed, we are set apart, we are being made holy, being sanctified progressively by God. We have been saved, justified; we are being saved, sanctified; we will one day be saved from the presence of sin, glorified. The process is ongoing. Assured by the promise and purpose of God; guaranteed by His character. But we are in the midst of the struggle Paul spoke of in Rom. 7 – I want to do right, but I do wrong. It feels like "take 54" or 154 or 1,054. Why can't we get it right? Maybe we are trying too hard.
Take comfort, you who are too hard on yourselves. Rest in the finished work of Christ and allow Him to live His life through you. Be wary, you who are too easy on yourselves, make sure you are in the faith. I love Phil. 2:12-13. 2:13 says God is at work in us & 2:12 says we are to work out (not work for - that was bought at the cross) our salvation with fear and trembling. So much of the Christian life boils down to cooperating with God, doesn't it? And what is Jesus doing? Praying for believers. Isaiah 53:12 "...yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors". (See Heb. 7:25) Christ is praying for believers right now. The thought can only humble us.
If you are not a Christian you need Jesus. You are responsible before God for what you have heard about Jesus. As Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:20, I implore you (I urge you, ask you, invite you) on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. The outcome of His death is joy; He is in process of gathering His family together, the authority to do so is all His (All authority on heaven and earth Matt. 28:18).
Only God knows where each person is at so we preach Christ crucified and leave the outcome to God.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Cross is the Main Event, Part 3
Last time we looked at why Jesus did what He did. What are the results?
Redemption…forgiveness. Eph. 1:7 53:11 the righteous one, my servant, make many righteous. He will justify those who believe by grace through faith Heb. 10:17 their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. God takes the initiative in forgiveness. Tim Keller says There was a debt to be paid--God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born--God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering. We might waive a penalty, but if we don’t absorb the cost, there is no suffering on our part, only kindness. Isaiah 53:10 God provided a guilt offering; the death of the Servant satisfied both the needs of sinful people and the requirements of God with regard to His broken law and offended holiness.
Reconciliation…peace. 53:10 prolong, prosper, see, satisfied, righteous are words of peace. 53:12 Portion, spoil are proceeds of war at the end of war. 53:5 He bore our punishment. “Correct” by word or deed, ‘peace punishment’ needed to secure peace with God. Peace means to be complete or whole – a personal, secure, relationship with God. Peace with God is where we are brought near to Him and are reconciled. He took the chastisement that brought us peace 53:11. Now it's time to look at a big, important word: Propitiation (1 John 2:1-2). Propitiation means turning away anger, expiation is often used in its place but it is different – means making amends for a wrong done. Propitiation is personal, done for a person; expiation is impersonal, done for a crime. Expiation is an impersonal process where sin is dealt with; propitiation is a personal process, where God is justly angry over sin and if people are to be forgiven something must be done about the anger. The death of Christ is the way God removes the divine wrath from sinners. Propitiation is where God’s wrath is not merely appeased, but put aside. We use the word wrath with relation to God with a qualification – not like us, w/o the defects we see in people even at their best, wrath untainted by human sin. We must face it. Our sins are the object of God’s wrath. Every sin displeases God. One of the things Christ did at the cross was make the offering that turns away wrath and as we put our trust in Him we need not fear it anymore. This is assurance of peace for Christians. We have nothing to fear. He dealt with all aspects of our need: infirmities, sorrows; moral and spiritual guilt that alienate us from God. We declared war against God by our sin; He brings peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20).
Transformation…change. 53:10-12 The Lord is committed to do His will, Servant is involved in what the Lord willed. Whoever becomes a recipient of God’s favor through His offering become His children (Offspring). 53:10 When a person believes, Jesus sees His offspring. See means experience. A relationship is started. You become a member of His family. We stray like sheep, we return like children. The guilt offering was made, now He is gathering His family. The work of paying for sin was finished on the cross, the harvest of bringing in those who believe and are saved through faith in that sacrifice continues. By believing in Christ, we become God's children; adopted into God’s family. He draws us near in relationship; initiated, sustained by Him. 53:5 by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah uses healing in a total sense; a person fully restored and complete. The spiritual work of transformation God does in the lives of those who believe. Those who are in Christ are 2 Cor. 5;17 new creations. They have a new life; reoriented by Jesus and centered on the truths of His Word. The cross becomes the compass by which everything is reoriented.
Redemption…forgiveness. Eph. 1:7 53:11 the righteous one, my servant, make many righteous. He will justify those who believe by grace through faith Heb. 10:17 their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. God takes the initiative in forgiveness. Tim Keller says There was a debt to be paid--God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born--God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering. We might waive a penalty, but if we don’t absorb the cost, there is no suffering on our part, only kindness. Isaiah 53:10 God provided a guilt offering; the death of the Servant satisfied both the needs of sinful people and the requirements of God with regard to His broken law and offended holiness.
Reconciliation…peace. 53:10 prolong, prosper, see, satisfied, righteous are words of peace. 53:12 Portion, spoil are proceeds of war at the end of war. 53:5 He bore our punishment. “Correct” by word or deed, ‘peace punishment’ needed to secure peace with God. Peace means to be complete or whole – a personal, secure, relationship with God. Peace with God is where we are brought near to Him and are reconciled. He took the chastisement that brought us peace 53:11. Now it's time to look at a big, important word: Propitiation (1 John 2:1-2). Propitiation means turning away anger, expiation is often used in its place but it is different – means making amends for a wrong done. Propitiation is personal, done for a person; expiation is impersonal, done for a crime. Expiation is an impersonal process where sin is dealt with; propitiation is a personal process, where God is justly angry over sin and if people are to be forgiven something must be done about the anger. The death of Christ is the way God removes the divine wrath from sinners. Propitiation is where God’s wrath is not merely appeased, but put aside. We use the word wrath with relation to God with a qualification – not like us, w/o the defects we see in people even at their best, wrath untainted by human sin. We must face it. Our sins are the object of God’s wrath. Every sin displeases God. One of the things Christ did at the cross was make the offering that turns away wrath and as we put our trust in Him we need not fear it anymore. This is assurance of peace for Christians. We have nothing to fear. He dealt with all aspects of our need: infirmities, sorrows; moral and spiritual guilt that alienate us from God. We declared war against God by our sin; He brings peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20).
Transformation…change. 53:10-12 The Lord is committed to do His will, Servant is involved in what the Lord willed. Whoever becomes a recipient of God’s favor through His offering become His children (Offspring). 53:10 When a person believes, Jesus sees His offspring. See means experience. A relationship is started. You become a member of His family. We stray like sheep, we return like children. The guilt offering was made, now He is gathering His family. The work of paying for sin was finished on the cross, the harvest of bringing in those who believe and are saved through faith in that sacrifice continues. By believing in Christ, we become God's children; adopted into God’s family. He draws us near in relationship; initiated, sustained by Him. 53:5 by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah uses healing in a total sense; a person fully restored and complete. The spiritual work of transformation God does in the lives of those who believe. Those who are in Christ are 2 Cor. 5;17 new creations. They have a new life; reoriented by Jesus and centered on the truths of His Word. The cross becomes the compass by which everything is reoriented.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Cross is the Main Event, Part 2
Last time we looked at what Jesus did. But why did He do it?
God’s great love. 53:7-9 Jesus was beaten by ungodly men, whipped, thrashed, abused to the point of death; then He was put on a cross to die, made a spectacle to the world. It was all for love that the Creator of the Universe allowed Himself to be dealt with like this. He allowed Himself to be hated so that He could show us His love. Isaiah 53:10 says the Lord as pleased to do this, God’s heart was revealed in delighting to provide a guilt offering (Eph. 2:4-5; John 3:16 1 Jn 4:9-10).
Our desperate need. Rom. 5:6 53:6 All we and the Lord. He suffers and we are still straying. The Lord, acting as high priest in relation to the Victim/Servant, loads up on Him all our wrongdoing. The Servant suffers isolation from humanity and suffers for our sin under the Lord’s hand. God takes our sin seriously. Christ was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed due to our twistedness. We explain sin away: shortcomings, mistakes, lapses, accidents. We refuse to bow to God’s rule, insist on going our own way, make our own rules that coddle rather than kill lusts; we make peace with our sins rather than war. Our sin is death corruption.
Our total inability. Rom. 3:9-18 53:6 the picture of straying like sheep summarizes our inability and inadequacy and our tendency to wander. Shows the danger we are in without Jesus, sheep without a shepherd. 53:4 completes Isaiah’s accurate diagnosis of our sinful condition – to see the Servant and find no beauty in Him reveals our bankruptcy, one with those who despised and rejected Him; our will is misguided apart from Christ, to look at Him and not see the answer to our sin problem is to condemn ourselves as corrupt and guilty before a holy God. Every aspect of human nature is inadequate; we cannot get ourselves to God. Rom. 3 shows us this truth. Every avenue is blocked by which we might bring ourselves to God – all human attempts fail. Nothing but God revealing Himself by making the Servant known and drawing us to Himself will do. What Jesus did at the cross & does in saving us is all God’s work & none of ours.
God’s perfect will. Isaiah 53:10 God really wanted to do this – because of the outcome that He planned to bring about. God planned it before time began. It was His will to crush Jesus for us. And Isaiah 53 was inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoken and recorded by the prophet Isaiah 700+ years before the actual events took place. Spoken as if it was already accomplished! (Acts 2:22-24; 4:27-28)
What are the results? (check out tomorrow's blog to find out)
God’s great love. 53:7-9 Jesus was beaten by ungodly men, whipped, thrashed, abused to the point of death; then He was put on a cross to die, made a spectacle to the world. It was all for love that the Creator of the Universe allowed Himself to be dealt with like this. He allowed Himself to be hated so that He could show us His love. Isaiah 53:10 says the Lord as pleased to do this, God’s heart was revealed in delighting to provide a guilt offering (Eph. 2:4-5; John 3:16 1 Jn 4:9-10).
Our desperate need. Rom. 5:6 53:6 All we and the Lord. He suffers and we are still straying. The Lord, acting as high priest in relation to the Victim/Servant, loads up on Him all our wrongdoing. The Servant suffers isolation from humanity and suffers for our sin under the Lord’s hand. God takes our sin seriously. Christ was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed due to our twistedness. We explain sin away: shortcomings, mistakes, lapses, accidents. We refuse to bow to God’s rule, insist on going our own way, make our own rules that coddle rather than kill lusts; we make peace with our sins rather than war. Our sin is death corruption.
Our total inability. Rom. 3:9-18 53:6 the picture of straying like sheep summarizes our inability and inadequacy and our tendency to wander. Shows the danger we are in without Jesus, sheep without a shepherd. 53:4 completes Isaiah’s accurate diagnosis of our sinful condition – to see the Servant and find no beauty in Him reveals our bankruptcy, one with those who despised and rejected Him; our will is misguided apart from Christ, to look at Him and not see the answer to our sin problem is to condemn ourselves as corrupt and guilty before a holy God. Every aspect of human nature is inadequate; we cannot get ourselves to God. Rom. 3 shows us this truth. Every avenue is blocked by which we might bring ourselves to God – all human attempts fail. Nothing but God revealing Himself by making the Servant known and drawing us to Himself will do. What Jesus did at the cross & does in saving us is all God’s work & none of ours.
God’s perfect will. Isaiah 53:10 God really wanted to do this – because of the outcome that He planned to bring about. God planned it before time began. It was His will to crush Jesus for us. And Isaiah 53 was inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoken and recorded by the prophet Isaiah 700+ years before the actual events took place. Spoken as if it was already accomplished! (Acts 2:22-24; 4:27-28)
What are the results? (check out tomorrow's blog to find out)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Cross is the Main Event
“The Cross is the Main Event”
J.I. Packer said the cross…takes us to the very heart of the Christian gospel. I want to focus on some key aspects at the heart of the gospel as seen in Isaiah chapter 53: What Jesus did; why He did it and what results.
What did Jesus do?
Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave. 1 Cor. 15:3-5. Born in humble circumstances, most would not have picked Him out of a lineup of would-be Saviors. As Isaiah 53:2 says, He had no form, no majesty, no beauty. Just common folk; and yet, the Servant’s entire ministry was uncommon. People were not thinking manger, stable, baby born in Bethlehem but conquering superhero. But the incarnation pointed to the cross. Jesus came to earth to die. Isaiah 53:3 He was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief not his own. It was due to one truth.
He was our substitute. He took what we deserved. Isaiah 53:4 says He took our griefs, our sorrows, we esteemed stricken, smitten, afflicted. Esteemed is an accounting word, a reckoning of value, what eyes saw and minds comprehended added up to zero. Isaiah 53:5 He was wounded for our transgressions (our willful, rebellious, deliberate sin against God and His Word), and crushed for our iniquities (bend double, the bentness or pervertedness of human nature; the result of the Fall & and ongoing nature of sin). His sufferings were for us but we had no part in them, people stood back and figured He deserved all He got – but it was us who deserved the punishment not Him. He dealt with our moral and spiritual need.
We are not mentioned except for being the contributing factor in the sin which caused His pain. With no cooperation or understanding from us, the Servant took on Himself all our sins. He dealt with our sin, our alienation from God, the marred image of God in us. He was not punished for any fault of His own, but as a result of our sin. This is known as the substitutionary atonement. The shedding of blood for the remission of sins, Christ dying in our place. He did not merely suffer because of the people’s sins, but in the place of the people. 53:4 signifies Substitution; 53:5 that it was Penal. Jesus was penalized for our sins. Penal Substitution. He deserved praise not punishment but He chose the cross. He acted by means of substitution. 53:4 He lifts up and loads our needs upon Himself; 53:5 His sufferings the penalty which He paid for our sins. The punishment essential to our peace with God fell on Him.
Why did Jesus do it? (check out tomorrow's blog on the web to find out!)
J.I. Packer said the cross…takes us to the very heart of the Christian gospel. I want to focus on some key aspects at the heart of the gospel as seen in Isaiah chapter 53: What Jesus did; why He did it and what results.
What did Jesus do?
Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave. 1 Cor. 15:3-5. Born in humble circumstances, most would not have picked Him out of a lineup of would-be Saviors. As Isaiah 53:2 says, He had no form, no majesty, no beauty. Just common folk; and yet, the Servant’s entire ministry was uncommon. People were not thinking manger, stable, baby born in Bethlehem but conquering superhero. But the incarnation pointed to the cross. Jesus came to earth to die. Isaiah 53:3 He was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief not his own. It was due to one truth.
He was our substitute. He took what we deserved. Isaiah 53:4 says He took our griefs, our sorrows, we esteemed stricken, smitten, afflicted. Esteemed is an accounting word, a reckoning of value, what eyes saw and minds comprehended added up to zero. Isaiah 53:5 He was wounded for our transgressions (our willful, rebellious, deliberate sin against God and His Word), and crushed for our iniquities (bend double, the bentness or pervertedness of human nature; the result of the Fall & and ongoing nature of sin). His sufferings were for us but we had no part in them, people stood back and figured He deserved all He got – but it was us who deserved the punishment not Him. He dealt with our moral and spiritual need.
We are not mentioned except for being the contributing factor in the sin which caused His pain. With no cooperation or understanding from us, the Servant took on Himself all our sins. He dealt with our sin, our alienation from God, the marred image of God in us. He was not punished for any fault of His own, but as a result of our sin. This is known as the substitutionary atonement. The shedding of blood for the remission of sins, Christ dying in our place. He did not merely suffer because of the people’s sins, but in the place of the people. 53:4 signifies Substitution; 53:5 that it was Penal. Jesus was penalized for our sins. Penal Substitution. He deserved praise not punishment but He chose the cross. He acted by means of substitution. 53:4 He lifts up and loads our needs upon Himself; 53:5 His sufferings the penalty which He paid for our sins. The punishment essential to our peace with God fell on Him.
Why did Jesus do it? (check out tomorrow's blog on the web to find out!)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Cross SHOULD change everything
The Cross should change everything, but sometimes we American Christians find surprising little changed in our lives and it we stop long enough to think about it, the most astute among us will even wonder why.
Jesus is not broken. The Gospel does work. It is just that our reception is sometimes off. Like an antenna that is broken or a satellite dish that is pointed in the wrong direction. We can’t get the signals God is sending out.
I think of the Mary’s at the foot of the cross. They had to have been crying, weeping, wailing. And for good reason. Jesus was killed at the cross. The only time we even allow ourselves to grieve, even a little bit, is when someone dies – have you noticed? It is OK to cry then. But if you are not at a funeral better wipe those tears away and be strong.
The cross should spell the end of the world as we know it. It should shake us to the core. It should remake us. It should…it could…so why is it not showing in our lives? Could it be because we are so afraid to be seen as weak, to cry, to grieve, to be silent, to stop and contemplate, meditate on truth that we don't allow it to sink into our hearts so that it can affect our lives? We rush from here to there and everywhere medicating ourselves with something other than the balm from Gilead. We run to the well of empty cisterns when the well of living waters in spilling over and we run right past it. Could it be that we have bought an untrue version of the Gospel we've picked up somewhere that costs little and demands even less?
This Easter I want to know Jesus and Him crucified. I want to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. I want to stand by His grace and be used of Him for earth-shattering, life-changing, bigger-than-me kinds of things. I want to want Jesus more than I want to watch the Lakers game, more than I want to eat a good dinner, more than I want to be known for doing something great. I want to know Jesus in the way that those who really know Him know Him. Like Paul, like John, like Mary, like Martha. Martha was busy and distracted but Jesus redirected her. He is merciful not punitive. He refocused her attention on what is truly important. I think she learned.
So the cross spells death to us and life to Christ. The cross changes everything. It will change your living and forgiving. Really come to the cross and you will stop beating people up; including you. Really know the power of the cross and you will be willing to forgive and you will stop withholding good from those to whom it is due – do good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith. Really come to the cross and get a vision of Jesus and yield to Him and you will stop living stoically like there is nothing to celebrate or even truly grieve about. The tears will flow and so will the joy.
Jesus is not broken. The Gospel does work. It is just that our reception is sometimes off. Like an antenna that is broken or a satellite dish that is pointed in the wrong direction. We can’t get the signals God is sending out.
I think of the Mary’s at the foot of the cross. They had to have been crying, weeping, wailing. And for good reason. Jesus was killed at the cross. The only time we even allow ourselves to grieve, even a little bit, is when someone dies – have you noticed? It is OK to cry then. But if you are not at a funeral better wipe those tears away and be strong.
The cross should spell the end of the world as we know it. It should shake us to the core. It should remake us. It should…it could…so why is it not showing in our lives? Could it be because we are so afraid to be seen as weak, to cry, to grieve, to be silent, to stop and contemplate, meditate on truth that we don't allow it to sink into our hearts so that it can affect our lives? We rush from here to there and everywhere medicating ourselves with something other than the balm from Gilead. We run to the well of empty cisterns when the well of living waters in spilling over and we run right past it. Could it be that we have bought an untrue version of the Gospel we've picked up somewhere that costs little and demands even less?
This Easter I want to know Jesus and Him crucified. I want to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. I want to stand by His grace and be used of Him for earth-shattering, life-changing, bigger-than-me kinds of things. I want to want Jesus more than I want to watch the Lakers game, more than I want to eat a good dinner, more than I want to be known for doing something great. I want to know Jesus in the way that those who really know Him know Him. Like Paul, like John, like Mary, like Martha. Martha was busy and distracted but Jesus redirected her. He is merciful not punitive. He refocused her attention on what is truly important. I think she learned.
So the cross spells death to us and life to Christ. The cross changes everything. It will change your living and forgiving. Really come to the cross and you will stop beating people up; including you. Really know the power of the cross and you will be willing to forgive and you will stop withholding good from those to whom it is due – do good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith. Really come to the cross and get a vision of Jesus and yield to Him and you will stop living stoically like there is nothing to celebrate or even truly grieve about. The tears will flow and so will the joy.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Slain, Condemned...and Praying
Isaiah 53:12 "...yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors."
When Jesus was dying on the cross He prayed for those who condemned Him, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". Little did they know that He was being condemned for those He would ever live to pray for.
You who are weary and downcast take heart. You who are defeated. You who are needy. Christ is praying for you right now. Does that thought humble you? If it does there is an ember of life burning in your soul that God will use to fan into flame a revival – it will begin in you and jump to someone else and it will be an unstoppable force that is not human but divine.
If the thought of Christ praying for you leaves you chilled (or saying you don’t need it, but thanks anyway) maybe you are not His. Take heart that it is those who are alive that can feel. Those who admit their need that the Great Physician can heal. Sometimes we feel the highest and lowest of emotions. Sometimes our hearts play tricks on us. Thank God that He is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Thank God the blood cleanses and the Word transforms. It is those who are alive that can love and also resent. It is those who are alive that God is at work in. It is those who are dead that Christ awakes.
It is the prayed for that receive the benefit of the intercession. Knowing it is Christ who is making those requests for us can only humble real followers. We are set free in Christ and by Christ. We are made new by the blood of the Lamb who was slain. It is the One who was condemned for us that took all condemnation that ever could and would be hurled at us. As Thomas Watson put it…"Christ by his intercession answers all bills of indictment brought in against the elect. Do what they can, sin, and then Satan, accuses believers to God, and conscience accuses them to themselves; but Christ, by his intercession, answers all these accusations."
When Jesus was dying on the cross He prayed for those who condemned Him, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". Little did they know that He was being condemned for those He would ever live to pray for.
You who are weary and downcast take heart. You who are defeated. You who are needy. Christ is praying for you right now. Does that thought humble you? If it does there is an ember of life burning in your soul that God will use to fan into flame a revival – it will begin in you and jump to someone else and it will be an unstoppable force that is not human but divine.
If the thought of Christ praying for you leaves you chilled (or saying you don’t need it, but thanks anyway) maybe you are not His. Take heart that it is those who are alive that can feel. Those who admit their need that the Great Physician can heal. Sometimes we feel the highest and lowest of emotions. Sometimes our hearts play tricks on us. Thank God that He is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Thank God the blood cleanses and the Word transforms. It is those who are alive that can love and also resent. It is those who are alive that God is at work in. It is those who are dead that Christ awakes.
It is the prayed for that receive the benefit of the intercession. Knowing it is Christ who is making those requests for us can only humble real followers. We are set free in Christ and by Christ. We are made new by the blood of the Lamb who was slain. It is the One who was condemned for us that took all condemnation that ever could and would be hurled at us. As Thomas Watson put it…"Christ by his intercession answers all bills of indictment brought in against the elect. Do what they can, sin, and then Satan, accuses believers to God, and conscience accuses them to themselves; but Christ, by his intercession, answers all these accusations."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Substitute Planned His Death
Christ's substitutionary death in our place was a case of supreme substitution. My sin for His life. My filthy rags for His riches. His condemnation for my salvation.
We were under the sentence of death. We were supposed to die for our crimes. We were rightly condemned. We were separated from God.
And God planned it before time began (Rev. 13:8). It was His will to crush Jesus for us. In one sense our sins sent Jesus to the cross. In the fullest sense God did.
We were under the sentence of death. We were supposed to die for our crimes. We were rightly condemned. We were separated from God.
And God planned it before time began (Rev. 13:8). It was His will to crush Jesus for us. In one sense our sins sent Jesus to the cross. In the fullest sense God did.
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