Tag: Worship

Gathering at Church

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What does it mean to be a Christian? How does your behavior change? What does God want from me now? How does a believer grow in the faith?

There are lots of questions we may have as we begin a relationship with Jesus, but one fact remains the ultimate barrier to someone growing spiritually in Christ; they attempt to be a lone-ranger Christian. It is so sad to see people claiming to be Christians all the while they have nothing to do with Christ’s church. Jesus loved the church enough to die for her, and we cannot make it to worship only once a week, for one hour?

For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them. (Matthew 18:20)

The meaning of “going to church” or gathering as Christ followers is very important. Many who profess Christ miss this point. The FOUNDATION this new life in Christ is to grow in our relationship with God and to get closer to him.

Gathering together is a PATHWAY to experiencing and connecting with God. When we connect with God regularly, it strengthens our other relationships with friends and family. Going to church won’t make us better people, instead, it connects us with God. When we connect with God, HE transforms us into better people.

When you connect with God, your heart turns towards HIM and desires to make you more godly.

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Worship God’s Name

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It is interesting that in biblical Hebrew, the name represented a person’s character or nature. To call upon one’s name was to seek his presence. So basically, to praise God’s NAME was to praise HIM. Look at these verses and see how this works:

  • Bless his name (Psalm 96:2)
  • Call upon his name (Psalm 80:18)
  • Declare his name (Psalm 22:22)
  • Fear his name (Psalm 86:11)
  • Give thanks to his name (Psalm 106:47)
  • Bring glory to his name (Psalm 86:9)
  • Glory in his name (Psalm 105:3)
  • Hope in his name (Psalm 52:9)
  • Know his name (Psalm 9:10)
  • Lift up hands in his name (Psalm 63:4)
  • Love his name (Psalm 5:11)
  • Praise his name (Psalm 44:8)
  • Rejoice in his name (Psalm 89:15-16)
  • Remember his name (Psalm 119:55)
  • Seek his name (Psalm 83:16)
  • Sing praise to his name (Psalm 7:17)
  • Shout his name (Psalm 66:4)
  • Trust in his Name (Psalm 33:21)

For an authentic worship experience, try using the attached document as a guide. It is a list of all the names of God found in the Bible: Father Son and Holy Spirit. Pronounce each name and allow the name to direct your attention and worship to HIM. Praise him, thank him, give him the glory that he alone deserves.

[ The Names of God ]

Why is God Silent?

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This is the first study in my Decisions: Seeking God’s Guidance class, Wednesdays at King’s Grant Baptist Church.

The purpose today is to show that our sinfulness has blocked communication with God and to see that he will direct us as we obey.

When have you ever fasted? Why or why not?

What benefit did you experience?

An enemy of Joan of Arc once mocked her by jeering, “She says she hears God’s voice; why don’t I hear his voice?” It is reported that Joan replied, “Don’t you wish you did?”

1. If you could ask God one question and be assured of an answer, what would it be?

2. Why have you begun a Bible study on making decisions? Begin by praying that God will lead you in the decision you are facing.

In the year 537 B.C., Cyrus, King of Persia, allowed a small number of his Jewish captives to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the temple. The foundation for the new temple was quickly laid, but then the political situation became uncertain, circumstances interrupted, and economic troubles became so severe that the operation was discontinued. Isaiah 58 is a message for these confused and off-track people.

1. What frustrations do the people feel with God?

The return to Jerusalem had not proven to be the grand, all-transforming experience the people had expected. Fresh troubles continued to make life just as hard or harder than it had been in captivity. The people were asking for God’s help but felt that he was ignoring them.

2. When have you felt a similar frustration with him?

3. What have the people done to try to gain God’s guidance? In what ways did God’s people seem to do the right things (Isaiah 58:1-3a)?

The phrases “they seek me out,” “ask me for just decisions” and “we humbled ourselves” (Isaiah 58:2-3) indicate that the people have come to God with many forms of worship in addition to fasting. They have also prayed, cried out, put on sackcloth and wept. How did they spoil it (Isaiah 58:3b-5)?

4. In what similar ways do people attempt to discover God’s will today?

5. Why does God declare the people rebellious (or acting so pious) (Isaiah 58:1)?

All of the fasting and praying was only an external form. The people said words and went through motions that would make it look as if they were repentant and humble before God. In reality, the people were absorbed in seeking their own selfish pleasures, even while they appeared to be worshiping God.

6. If the people’s fasting was sincere, how would it have been different?

In fasting that pleases God, actions directed toward God are combined with actions directed toward people. This is expressed in several ways, such as providing food, shelter and clothing. However, of all the conceivable acts of caring, setting people free from bondage seems to be the most important in this passage. The people were to remember that they themselves had recently been living in exile. They had often been told, “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt.” God wanted them to have the compassion for others that had been shown to them.

7. What is the connection between receiving God’s guidance and a concern for justice?

Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” It may be helpful to think of a light switch. Ignoring God’s concern for justice is like turning off the switch and breaking our contact with God. Heeding God’s concern is like turning on the switch and restoring contact.

8. What promises does God make in Isaiah 58:8-14?

For the people of the Old Testament, salvation was not thought of as a state of bliss, but as living in constant dialogue with God. It is this intimacy with God that is being promised here. Notice that some of the promises are for individuals (as in Isaiah 58:8-10), while other promises are for the nation (Isaiah 58:11-12).

9. What are the requirements for receiving these promises?

God wants signs of right character in those whose prayers he answers, for such character is the only guarantee that what he gives is rightly accepted and rightly used.

10. Why might God be withholding his light from us as a nation? How about from you as an individual?

11. What have you learned from this passage that will help you to discover God’s will and direction in your life?

Take time to confess your lack of sincerity and to ask for God’s light to break forth.

Now or Later: This is a fairly lengthy passage. You will want to study it on your own between sessions or take an extra session to discuss it.

The letter to the Ephesians explains why many people have become ignorant of and separated from God. Read Ephesians 4:17-5:21.

  1. What are the results of doing things our own way?
  2. What behaviors are to characterize our new life as Christians?
  3. Which of the commands in these verses are the most difficult for you to keep?
  4. How will keeping these commands help you to hear the voice of God?

Doing what you please is unacceptable

  1. The wrong way to fast (1-5) Boasting and you think it makes God happy?
  2. The right way to fast (6-14)
    1. The facts (6-10) Sharing with others
    2. The fruits (11-12) Guided by God

What is Bad Religion?

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Have you ever been disappointed or even angry with religion? Perhaps you’ve heard someone say that the church is full of hypocrites. Maybe you’ve even said that yourself!

This is a passage of Scripture that we looked at last night, the first is out series on Decision: Seeking God’s Guidance. At the end, you’ll see how this chapter fits into the topic.

Isaiah rebuked Israel for practicing bad religion—religion that benefited no one and offended God (Isaiah 58:1–14). The prophet specifically zeroed in on fasting (Isaiah 58:2–5), pointing out ways in which the people misused this important spiritual discipline:

  • They nagged God in the interests of their own personal gain.
  • While seeking their own self-interests, they exploited their laborers.
  • Their fasts became a source of strife, debate, and hostility toward others.
  • They used severe fasting practices to call attention to themselves.

After challenging these practices, Isaiah described what true fasting ought to be like (Isaiah 58:6–13):

  • It should result in bringing relief to the oppressed.
  • It should result in feeding the hungry.
  • It should result in the poor being taken into homes for shelter and clothing.
  • Superior attitudes of finger pointing and evil should decline and ultimately disappear.
  • It should lead to repairing things, including damaged relationships.
  • It should involve treating the Sabbath as a day to worship the Lord rather than continuing to work for personal gain.

It’s easy to point the finger at others and criticize or ridicule their religious practices and spiritual life, but what about your own patterns of faith? How do they measure up to the Lord’s description of true religion? If there are places where you need to change, find at least one other person who will hold you accountable for making the necessary reforms.

For me, Isaiah 58:11 ties this chapter to the key on seeking God’s guidance: The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. Pay attention to THIS chapter to better position yourself to hear from God and allow him to guide you.

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A Man’s Foundation

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The Men of Steel are getting back together after a long Summer off… well, the summer turned out to include fall and winter… but we’re back. This time we will look at the Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper. I know that the Promise Keeper movement is a bit old, and we don’t hear much if anything about it, but the teaching and challenge is right on target. So, strap yourself in for a great series.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus ends his teaching with a foundational challenge: those who heard his words and acted upon them was like a man who built his house upon the rock, so that when the winds and water came, it did not fall, because it’s foundation was on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25). One thing in life is sure, storms will come. We cannot avoid them, but we can survive them, and prepare for them.

One day a hurting wife came to see a pastoral counselor on the same day as the horrific earthquake on the other side of the world. The two separate events that have one thing in common, the same root cause: negligence in building standards. Lousy foundations make for temporary homes.

Many men today believe in God but have no pattern whatsoever for worshiping him. He might show up because his wife and children beg him. Perhaps for special occasions. Certainly if it is expected or convenient. But his predominant feeling is that he can worship God wherever he wants, not just in uncomfortable clothes sitting in a stuffy old sanctuary at church. So he heads to the beach, the mountains or the golf course because his theology tells him that God is everywhere, but he is missing the point of worshiping. This man will refuse to admit that he is shallow, and that his goal is not engage in sincere worship, but to avoid commitment.

Who, what and how a man worships determines everything about him in life. The first step toward becoming a man of steel is to be honest with God. We must know that we cannot come to God on our own terms, but only on HIS terms. We must worship in accordance with HIS ways of worship, rather than with flimsy human reason, pride and arrogance. We become a life built with nothing at the center, and nothing underneath; homes without foundations and relationships without roots.

Men need worship that brings:

  • Substance, poured into him
  • Strength at his foundations
  • Stability in his marriage
  • Steadfastness into his relationships
  • Trustworthiness into his work and business practices

The answer is found by beginning where God always starts with men… at worship. So what is authentic biblical worship?

Read Romans 12:1-2: This passage contains all the elements of true worship.

The motivation to worship: “the mercies of God.” God’s mercies are everything He has given us that we don’t deserve: eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, intercession and much more. The knowledge and understanding of these incredible gifts motivate us to praise him with thanksgiving—in other words, worship!

The manner of our worship: “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice.” Presenting our bodies means giving to God all of ourselves. The reference to our bodies here means all our humanness; our hearts, minds, hands, thoughts, attitudes. In other words, we are to give up control of these things and turn them over to him, just as a literal sacrifice was given totally to God on the altar.

The method of our worship: How do we do this? The Bible says, “by the renewing of your mind.” We renew our minds daily by cleansing them of the world’s “wisdom” and replacing it with true wisdom that comes from God. We worship Him with our renewed and cleansed minds, not with our emotions. Emotions are wonderful things, but unless they are shaped by a mind saturated in truth, they can be destructive, out-of-control forces. Where the mind goes, the will follows and so do the emotions. First Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have “the mind of Christ,” not the emotions of Christ.

True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. Worship can include praying, reading God’s Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place.

Next time we will look at several ways or areas of worship.

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What is God’s Glory?

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In a recent class on Wednesday nights, I have a friend who asked an interesting question: “What is God’s Glory?” Admit it, that’s not really an easy question to answer. I always sense that it was ascribing to God the honor due him, that he is worthy of our worship, praise and obedience.

If you spend much time in church, you hear God’s glory mentioned all the time. Contemporary songs and classic hymns celebrate God’s glory. Many worship traditions include the Gloria Patri: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…” Preachers tell us we should seek to glorify God in all we do. In the Reformed tradition, the catechism reminds us that the chief purpose of our lives is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

But, have you ever wondered what the glory of God really is? When we speak of God’s glory, what are we talking about? How do you answer my friend’s question?

According to theologian Millard Erickson, the Hebrew word for “glory” refers to a perceivable attribute (an individual’s display of splendor, wealth and pomp), but in relation to God, it does not point to a particular attribute, but rather to the greatness of God’s entire nature.

Ezekiel 10:4 helps us to get a glimpse of and understand God’s glory: “Then the LORD’s glory rose from above the winged creatures and moved toward the temple’s threshold. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the LORD’s glory.” The word translated here as “glory” is kabod in Hebrew. This word comes from a root with the basic meaning of “heavy.” From this root word came a word meaning “rich.” Ancient Hebrews would refer to a rich person as “heavy in wealth” much as we might say someone is loaded. The literal sense of kabod also included being loaded with power, reputation, or honor. It’s from this use of the word that we get the meaning of glory.

So, God’s glory is God’s weightiness in wonderful qualities such as might, beauty, goodness, justice, worthiness and honor. When it comes to these characteristics and so many others, God has them in superabundance.

When we think of God’s glory, we remember that God has all good things in greater quantity and quality than we can ever imagine. Notice, also, that God’s glory is solid and substantial. It isn’t mere reputation. It isn’t dependent on anyone or anything else. God’s glory reflects his essential nature.

Yet the notion of heaviness does not fully convey the glory of God. In fact, if we equate God’s glory with heaviness, we might miss an essential quality of his glory. Look again at Ezekiel 10:4. God’s glory is not like a giant rock that sits there passively because it is so large it cannot do anything else. Rather, God’s glory shines like the sun.

In fact, if we’re looking for an image to represent the glory of God, the sun is a strong candidate. For one thing, the sun is the heaviest object in our solar system (with a weight estimated at more than a hundred times that of the earth). But, of course, the sun doesn’t just sit there. It is continuously active, burning so fiercely that it lights and warms the earth, which is about 93 million miles away.

The similarity between God’s glory and the sun is found in Scripture. Consider the promise of Isaiah 60:19: “The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor will the moon shine for illumination by night. The LORD will be your everlasting light; your God will be your glory.” This promise comes true in the vision of the heavenly city found in Revelation 21:23: “The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

In the New Testament, the Greek word for “glory” is doxa, which conveys the meaning of brightness, splendor, magnificence and fame. Check out how it is used in the New Testament:

  1. Jesus prays that the Father would glorify him as he had glorified the Father (John 17:1-5)
  2. We see his glory at the resurrection (Acts 3:13-15, 1 Peter 1:21)
  3. We see it at the glorious second coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:30)

You and I are called to live our lives in the light of God’s glory. We do so when we acknowledge his glory in worship, and when we live worshipfully each moment, reflecting the glory of God in the world.

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The Purpose of Work

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Many men feel that working is part of the curse, going all the back to Adam getting thrown out of the garden (Genesis 3:17, 18-19) but notice that Adam was commanded to work in the garden before the fall, when the world was still a paradise (Genesis 2:15).

They say that man has three basic needs in life: love, purpose and significance. Many times, humans attempt to find purpose and significance in work itself. In Ecclesiastes 2:4-11, Solomon details his search for meaning in a variety of projects and works of all kinds. Even though the work brought some degree of satisfaction in accomplishment, his conclusion was: “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

The fact is, the curse made work laborious and difficult (which is what we often experience every day). But work is a blessed activity and the desired goal of work is found in this verse:

“So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.” (Ecclesiastes 3:22)

“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)

“If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:28).

Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

So, why work? This brief video explains the real purpose of why we work…

Other biblical principles regarding work are:

  • Work is done not only to benefit the worker, but also for others (Exodus 23:10-11, Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Ephesians 4:28).
  • Work is a gift from God and, for His people, will be blessed (Psalm 104:1-35, 127:1-5, Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, 5:18-20, Proverbs 14:23).
  • God equips His people for their work (Exodus 31:2-11).

The Christian attitude toward work should be like Jesus: “My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Work is of no value except when God is in it.

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Being a True Worshipper

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There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about worship (check below) but I thought this video was well done:

A Call to True Worship:
Psalm 8:1, Psalm 29:2, 95:6, 99:5, John 4:21, 22, 23, 24

Reasons for Worship:
Deuteronomy 12:5, 6, 7, Philippians 2:9, 10, 11, James 4:8, Revelation 5:9, 4:11

Examples of Worship:
Exodus 33:9, 10, Psalm 100:4, Romans 12:1, 2, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 5:7

Worship in Song:
Exodus 15:20, 21, Psalm 59:16, Psalm 63:3, 4, Psalm 66:4, Psalm 150:1-6

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The Celebration of Community

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These are notes from my reading John R. W. Stott’s classic book, The Cross of Christ.

Perhaps this presentation of Christ’s cross is too individualistic. If so, this section should restore the balance. The purpose of Christ’s self-sacrifice on the cross was not just to save isolated individuals but to create a new community, whose members would belong to him, love one another and eagerly serve the world. The community of Christ will be nothing less than a renewed and reunited humanity, which Christ, as the second Adam, will head (1 Corinthians 15:45).

From the Day of Pentecost onward (Acts 2), it has been clear that conversion to Christ means also conversion to the community of Christ. These two transfers—of personal allegiance and social membership—cannot be separated. Read 1 Peter 2:4-10, written by the apostle who preached powerfully on that Day of Pentecost.

First Peter 2:4-10 is the basis of the Community study:
Peter describes what is true about Christian believers. He does NOT necessarily describe how we feel all the time. We are living stones in a spiritual house, a holy and royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.

One note specifically about the people of God as “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5) and “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9): This is the famous priesthood of all believers on which the Reformers laid great emphasis. In consequence of this universal priesthood, the word “priest” (Greek hiereus) is never in the New Testament applied to the ordained minister. The minister shares in offering what the people offer but has no distinctive offering to make that differs from theirs.

The uniqueness of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross does not mean that we have no sacrifices to offer, but only that their nature and purpose are different. They are not material but spiritual, and their object is not propitiatory (turning away God’s wrath) but eucharistic (thanksgiving), the expression of a responsive gratitude. What would be some examples of “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Peter 2:5)?

You may come up with many different examples from your own experience, but I see eight kinds of spiritual sacrifices mentioned in Scripture:

  1. We are to present our bodies to him for his service, as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1); that sounds like a material offering, but it is termed “spiritual worship,” presumably because it pleases God only if it expresses the worship of the heart.
  2. We offer God our praise, worship and thanksgiving, “the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15).
  3. We offer prayer, which is said to ascend to God like fragrant incense (Revelation 5:8).
  4. We offer “a broken and contrite heart,” which God accepts and never despises (Psalm 51:17).
  5. We offer faith, which is called a “sacrifice and service” (Philippians 2:17).
  6. We offer our gifts and good deeds, “for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).
  7. We offer our life “poured out like a drink offering” in God’s service, even unto death (2 Timothy 4:6).
  8. We may present the special offering of the evangelist, whose preaching of the gospel is called a “priestly duty” because the evangelist’s converts can be presented as “an offering acceptable to God” (Romans 15:16).

First Peter 2:6-8 include three Old Testament quotes that are applied to Christ. Notice how and why the stone affects different people in different ways:

  1. First Peter 2:6 quotes Isaiah 28:16, which is in the context of God’s promise that evil will be found out, judged and swept away. The person who trusts in the Lord will endure and will not be touched by the judgment.
  2. First Peter 2:7 quotes Psalm 118:22; the psalmist’s next words confirm that the Lord is the one who put the stone in place: “The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Ps 118:23).
  3. First Peter 2:8 quotes Isaiah 8:14, which also calls the Lord a sanctuary for those who trust him while promising that unfaithful Israel will “fall and be broken” (Isaiah 8:15).

We have received mercy so that we may “declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Our new intimate relationship to God, which has replaced the old and painful estrangement, is marked by:

  1. Boldness: we are able to approach God is freedom and confidence; humbly (as sinners) yet boldly (as forgiven sinners) we come into God’s presence.
  2. Love: this love has driven out fear; responding to his loving initiative with an answering love of our own.
  3. Joy: we are no longer alienated and humiliated, we are rescued and restored; worshiping him with musical instruments and expressing our joy in songs of praise.

These are not to be thought of as purely private and interior experiences, they are to distinguish our public worship. Consider your public worship with other believers. What aspects of our worship express boldness, love, and joy?

The brief time we spend together on the Lord’s Day must not be separated from the rest of our lives; it is intended to bring our lives into focus.

Singing is a unique feature of Christian worship: I sent a few Journeyman missionaries to the Far East and they developed friendships with young local Buddhist monks. The Christian young men prepared an American style meal, and the evening led toward sharing music and Christian praise songs. The boys ask the monks to share some of their songs from the Buddhist faith. The monks got together and chanted a little and then shyly confessed, that “we really don’t have any songs in our religion.”

Whenever Christian people come together it is impossible to keep them from singing. The Christian community is a community of celebration. Evaluate the element of joy and thanksgiving in our worship experiences.

The community of Christ is the community of the cross. Having been brought into being by the cross, it continues to live by and under the cross. Our perspective and our behavior are now governed by the cross. All of our relationships have been radically transformed by it.

  1. The cross is not just a badge to identify us
  2. The cross is not just the banner under which we march
  3. The cross is also the compass that gives us our bearings in a disoriented world