1 Peter 2:1-10

1 Peter 2:1-10

The Fifth and Sixth Great Ends: Working For Righteousness, Showing God to the World

Part 5 of The Great Ends of the Church series

August 20, 2006

As Sally and I are packing and preparing for our move to South Carolina, I have been – as I have told you the last several weeks — praying and thinking a lot about what messages God would have me bring to you these last few weeks we have together. As I continue to pray about this, I continue to be struck with the feeling that God would have us to look at what it means to be a Church – what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

The past 4 weeks we have been doing this by looking at one of the first statements in our denomination’s Book Of Order – which has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church”.

Listen to what the Book Of Order says:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

These are great words! They also give us a vision for what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

You see – the Church is not about the building – it’s not about the Minister – it’s about God – it’s about Christ – it’s about people who are trying to fulfill these “Great Ends” the Book Of Order lay out for us. If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God wills for it to be, then it will have to be a Church that is committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

Listen to them again:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

6 “Great Ends”.

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

5. the promotion of social righteousness

6. the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

4 weeks ago we looked at the first of these Great Ends — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – and saw that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God is calling it to be – then you are going to have to be people who are committed to the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism.

3 weeks ago we looked at the second Great End of the Church – the second thing necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be. That is:

the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or LOVE.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for the Wentworth Presbyterian Church to be, you are going to have to be committed to be loving people – people who experience God’s love for yourself – share it with each other – and share it with the world.

2 weeks ago we looked at the third Great End of the Church –

The maintenance of Divine Worship –

and discovered that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to have a heart for worship – and focus on God – not just when you are gathered here – but all the time!

Then – last week – we looked at the fourth Great End of the Church –

the preservation of the truth –

and discovered that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into a world that would be very dark with Christ’s light.

So – 4 things that are needed if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be – 4 things for you to be committed to:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

But – there is more!

Not only do you need evangelism — love – and a heart for worship – and a commitment to shining God’s light into the world – but the 5^th and 6^th Great Ends are also needed:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

Listen to how Peter calls on us to be a holy people – people who work for God’s will in the world and show God to the world:

READ 1 PETER 2:1-10

Some of the most popular shows on TV are the “reality TV” shows – and some of the most popular of these are what I call the “makeover shows”, in which a team of experts are brought in to transform somebody’s wardrobe, car, backyard, house, family, or physical appearance.

A few of the titles of the shows are “Extreme Makeover”, “Ambush Makeover”, “Head to Toe”, “Star Makeover”, “Renovate My Family”, “Makeover Mamas”, “Style Court”, and “How Do I Look?”.

The one considered the most bold and brash of them all – and one of the most popular — is a show called “The Swan” — which promises to turn “ugly ducklings” into “beauty queens”. Each contestant is assigned to a team of makeover experts, including a therapist, a personal trainer, a life coach, a dentist, and a cosmetic surgeon. They undergo a three-month treatment program that is supposed to result in a mental, emotional, and physical transformation. Upon completion of their treatments, some are selected to participate in a beauty pageant, with the chance to become “The Ultimate Swan”.

The website for the show gives information on former contestants.

One is a 33-year-old mother of 5 children. She has never felt beautiful and was the ugly kid at every age, in every class.

Another is a 28-year-old flight attendant in a serious rut. She has incredibly loving parents who want nothing but happiness for her. Unfortunately, she can’t see the beautiful person they see. She wants a total life change.

Still another is 27, an office worker, and has been married for one year. She grew up feeling that no one expected much from her, and so she didn’t expect much from herself. She’s tired of feeling average and is ready to dedicate herself to getting in shape and becoming a better person.

Then there is another who is 36 and recently divorced. She has worked most of her life managing volunteer services. She works so hard helping others in order to avoid doing any work on herself. She needs this life transformation to stop running and start being the person she wants to be.

These women, and the men who appear on similar shows, don’t just want to be a little bit thinner or a little bit healthier. They want to be transformed; they want to become new, better, different people.

These shows are so popular because there are many people who want to be transformed – to be changed. There are many people who want to be what they consider to be “better people” – who are not just curious about what they would look like, but want to know what they could be like if they had 3 months with a team of “makeover experts”. Maybe they not only want to look better – but want to be more disciplined, more patient, more kind, more organized. Maybe they want to be better parents, or have happier marriages, or want to be more successful in their work.

These “Makeover Reality TV” shows speak to those longings. They tell us that, with the right help and some hard work, we could really be somebody.

Time magazine analyzed the shows’ success this way:

“What people want is a new identity. They want to believe that this new, glorious self was inside them all along. These shows cater to the fantasy that if someone with a gifted eye took the time, that person would see your beauty and uniqueness, and would probe past the lie of your drab existence and bring the shimmering, true you to the surface.”

In a sense we all probably want to be better, healthier, more beautiful people.

Well, there is good news.

The good news is you can be.

The good news is we can be.

Transformation is possible.

In fact – I’ll tell you a secret — with God’s help, you can become one of the most beautiful people on Earth.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

The last 4 weeks – as we have been focusing on the 6 Great Ends Of The Church and what it means to be the people of God – we’ve seen several times that in many cases it means going against what the world says and does and going towards what God says and calls us to do. As followers of Christ, we might sometimes feel like strangers in a culture that wants less and less to do with God and His truth. Peter uses the word “stranger” several times in his epistle to describe Christians in a pagan world. We are to be strangers in the sense that we’re on a mission as we make our way through this world. We don’t just drift along with the cultural current; we don’t just mark time here until we get to our heavenly home. We are people of purpose, pointing others toward God as we travel through this world.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

I believe that followers of Christ are to be people of distinction who, by the beauty of our lives, show people a better way to live.

Christians are to be the most beautiful people on earth.

How so?

First of all — Christians are distinguished by their moral excellence.

The first thing that distinguishes followers of Christ is moral excellence.

Peter says in 1 Peter 1:13-16

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Now that you are free from your past, that your future in heaven is secure, and that the blessings of God’s Kingdom are already yours to enjoy, live like it.

Live differently.

Live distinctively.

That expression, “prepare your minds for action,” could be paraphrased by saying: “Roll up your sleeves,” or, “Get on with it.”

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

In thinking of some of the contestants in The Swan—women who always thought of themselves as ugly ducklings, who never expected much of themselves, they were –- in a sense — living in ignorance; they weren’t aware of their uniqueness and potential and inherent beauty. That ignorance shaped their life and behavior. They thought they were unattractive so they dressed like it and acted like it. They thought they had no potential so they didn’t strive or dream or take risks. They were living in ignorance.

Peter doesn’t want that to happen to his readers, or to us. He tells us:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

For decades now, some people have been telling us that our existence on this planet is an accident, a cosmic coincidence, and that human beings are nothing more than highly evolved animals. They try to tell us that when we die we simply cease to exist; we return to the Earth from which we came. So why are we surprised when people act like animals, satisfying every physical appetite with no sense of self-control or propriety? Why are we surprised when life is so cheap that a person will kill another human being for $20, or because someone got cut off on the highway? Why are we surprised when so many people live aimlessly, drifting from one relationship to another, one party to another, with no sense of purpose? If this life is all there is, if there are no eternal consequences, if there is no God to whom we must give an account, why shouldn’t people just live for today and do what they please?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Followers of Christ know better than that.

We understand where we came from, why we’re here, and what we were created for. So, we should live like it. We should value life. We should control our appetites. We should take care of our bodies. We should respect other people’s rights and property.

Peter says in 1 Peter 2:2: “Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

These are behaviors that demean us and demean other people, so we take them off like a pair of dirty old clothes.

So, negatively speaking, moral excellence means not conforming to the standards of a culture that is ignorant of God’s truth and love. Positively speaking, moral excellence means being holy.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Now, at first reading, this doesn’t sound especially appealing.

“Holy” isn’t one of the top 10 wannabe’s in our culture. People wannabe popular, they wannabe famous, they wannabe good-looking, they wanna have some fun. But you don’t see many magazines at the newsstands offering “10 secrets to a more holy you.” To most people, holiness sounds like a stuffed shirt; it sounds boring and stifling and joyless.

But the root idea of holiness is “otherness.”

To be holy is to be set apart from the rest, to be different or distinctive.

And since God is the ultimate “other,” holiness also means being like God.

There are some ways in which we can never be like God. We can never be all-powerful, all-knowing, or everywhere-present. But God is also good and kind and merciful and just and faithful and pure and generous and true. And we can be these things! We can’t be perfect, but we can be excellent. And when we are, we will stand out in a culture of moral confusion.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

Unfortunately, many Christians are not doing a very good job of being that these days.

The pollster George Barna has done an extensive survey of people who claim to have a personal, life-changing relationship with Christ, and he finds an appalling lack of distinction from the rest of the population when it comes to lifestyle and behavior. Christian couples are almost as likely to get a divorce as the rest of the population. Christian singles are just about as likely to be active sexually as single people who are not Christians. Nearly 50 percent of people who claim to be born-again followers of Christ believe that it is morally acceptable to live with someone without being married. That’s only 10 percent less than the general population. No wonder so many people have a hard time taking Christianity seriously—they see no discernible difference in the quality of our lives.

Suppose someone were to follow you around for a week or so.

Would they see a discernible difference in the quality of your life, or would it look pretty much like everybody else’s?

Suppose they were to listen in on your conversations in the hallway or the lunchroom or the locker room.

Would they hear gossip or backstabbing or foul language or sexual innuendo?

What if they sat beside you as you surfed TV channels or the Internet, would they find you lingering over shows or sites that were excessively violent or exploitive or pornographic?

Suppose they were to follow you around as you did your daily work, whatever that happens to be.

Would they find you wasting company time or money, losing your temper when things go wrong, humiliating people, or cutting corners on jobs when no one is looking?

If they were to sit at the dinner table in your home, would they be surprised at the lack of meaningful conversation between you and your spouse, or at how harsh or inattentive you were to your children?

Suppose they were to go shopping with you, would they see you spending money as freely as everybody else on things that really don’t matter and don’t last?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

Our behavior ought to be so distinctive that it causes people to stop and take notice. Not because it’s so weird, but because it is so attractive, so excellent. That’s what it means to be a person of distinction: showing people a better way to live.

` But, you know, moral excellence alone won’t give us influence with the people around us. Holiness, while it is admirable, can also be intimidating and distancing. How do you get close to a person who seems to be morally superior? And how do you pursue moral excellence without appearing self-righteous or judgmental?

If we are holy as God is holy, people may notice that we’re different, they may even admire certain aspects of our lives, but they won’t be influenced by our lives unless something else is present. That something else is love.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

You have to be distinguished by a moral excellence.

You also have to be distinguished by a remarkable love.

That’s the second transformation God wants to work in your life. He wants to turn you into people of remarkable love.

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:22:

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

Peter uses two different words for love here. The first is the Greek word philos, which we know describes brotherly love. It’s the love that people commonly feel toward their friends and family. And certainly, as God’s people, we ought to have positive, loving relationships with the important people in our lives.

But then Peter uses a second word that is not quite as familiar as the first, but one we use from time to time because there is no English word that quite captures the richness of it. It’s the word agape.

agape is the word the Bible uses to describe God’s kind of love.

It’s a unique love, unlike anything you find in human relationships.

It’s unconditional love, sacrificial love. This kind of love doesn’t just respond to people, it reaches out to people. It seeks people—even when they don’t want to be loved, even when they are hard to love. This is the kind of love that sets followers of Christ apart from the rest of the population.

Anyone can love their friends and family, but Christians are called to love everyone.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Now, Peter is mainly speaking here about the way Christians love one another. He’s saying that the quality of relationships we enjoy in the church ought to be so honest, so sincere, so transparent, and so authentic that the world can’t help but notice a difference.

Is that true of us?

Suppose someone were to be visiting the church this morning, sitting right here in the service for the very first time.

Would they be surprised at how friendly we were toward one another, and toward them?

Would they be amazed at how many people said hello to them and introduced themselves?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

But even though Peter is speaking primarily about love for the family of God, certainly this agape love ought to spill over into other relationships as well—to the people in our neighborhood, to our clients and co-workers and competitors, to strangers we meet on the street, extended family, even to people who might be described as our enemies.

We all have people in our lives who are difficult to love, who have snubbed us or hurt us or taken advantage of us.

Are we willing to forgive past offenses, to overlook shortcomings, to give people a second chance?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

You have to be distinguished by a moral excellence.

You have to be distinguished by a remarkable love.

One without the other isn’t good enough.

Moral excellence without love is cold; people admire holiness, but they keep their distance.

Love without moral excellence is flimsy; people feel comfortable around us, but walk away unchanged.

But combine moral excellence with remarkable love, and you produce people of irresistible influence.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

God can transform you into the most beautiful people on earth – people of moral excellence and remarkable love.

Have you experienced this kind of transformation, this total makeover?

It’s not a three-month project. It’s a lifelong process, but it begins when you let God work in your life and make a difference in your life – then work through you to make a difference in the world.

God has already begun that work in many of our lives, but Peter reminds us here that we are still a work in progress.

“Like newborn babies, grow up in your salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)

If you were to ask God to do some work in your life these days, where would it be?

In the area of moral excellence?

Changing some behavior?

Or would it be in the area of remarkable love?

Enabling you to reach out to someone you might have overlooked or stuggled with?

Invite the Lord to begin that transforming work in your life today.

At the beginning of the message, we talked about the fantasy that, if someone with a gifted eye took the time, they might see our inherent beauty and uniqueness. They might probe past our drab exterior and bring our shimmering, true self to the surface.

It turns out that is no fantasy at all — it’s the gospel.

It’s the good news that you have been created in the image of God, that your failures and flaws can be redeemed, and that by God’s grace you can become a person of distinction who, by the beauty of your life, shows the people around you a better way to live.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

The good news is that each of you have been created in the image of God, that your failures and flaws can be redeemed, and that by God’s grace each of you can become a person of distinction who, by the beauty of your life, shows the people around you a better way to live.

In other words, God through you can fulfill the 5^th and 6^th Great Ends of the Church:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

In other words, God can transform you – so that by your moral excellence and remarkable love you can become the most beautiful people on earth. Amen.

Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13-16

The Fourth Great End: Preserve The Truth

August 13, 2006

Part 4 of Great Ends Of The Church Series

As Sally and I are packing and preparing for our move to South Carolina, I have been – as I have told you the last several weeks — praying and thinking a lot about what messages God would have me bring to you these last few weeks we have together. As I continue to pray about this, I continue to be struck with the feeling that God would have us to look at what it means to be a Church – what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

The past 3 weeks we have been doing this by looking at one of the first statements in our denomination’s Book Of Order – which has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church”.

Listen to what the Book Of Order says:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

These are great words! They also give us a vision for what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

You see – the Church is not about the building – it’s not about the Minister – it’s about God – it’s about Christ – it’s about people who are trying to fulfill these “Great Ends” the Book Of Order lay out for us. If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God wills for it to be, then it will have to be a Church that is committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

Listen to them again:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

6 “Great Ends”.

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

5. the promotion of social righteousness

6. the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

3 weeks ago we looked at the first of these Great Ends — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – and saw that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God is calling it to be – then you are going to have to be people who are committed to the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism.

2 weeks ago we looked at the second Great End of the Church – the second thing necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be. That is:

the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or LOVE.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for the Wentworth Presbyterian Church to be, you are going to have to be committed to be loving people – people who experience God’s love for yourself – share it with each other – and share it with the world.

Last week we looked at the third Great End of the Church –

The maintenance of Divine Worship –

and discovered that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to have a heart for worship – and focus on God – not just when you are gathered here – but all the time!

So – 3 things that are needed if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be – 3 things for you to be committed to:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or love.

3. the maintenance of divine worship

Whether or not Wentworth Presbyterian is the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be depends on your commitment to these Great Ends of the Church – your commitment to:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or love.

3. the maintenance of divine worship

But – there is more!

Not only do you need evangelism — love – and a heart for worship – but the fourth Great End is also needed:

the preservation of the truth

the preservation of the truth

Listen to how Jesus calls on us to “preserve the truth” in Matthew 5:13-16:

READ MATTHEW 5:13-16

Several years ago Sally and I were at Long Beach with some friends. While we were there a Total Lunar Eclipse took place. We went out on the beach to see the eclipse – thinking that it would be a great place to witness this wonder of nature. It was a great place to view it, but some of the streetlights from the road kept the night from being as dark as it could have been. When we realized that the streetlights might interfere with our experiencing the full effect of the eclipse, Sally made the statement:

“You know – it would be a lot darker if there weren’t so much light out here.”

Well, the rest of us laughed and teased Sally about making such an obvious statement.

But you know what – Sally’s statement was really quite correct – even if it was obvious — it would have been a lot darker if it had not been for the light.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And yes – it would be very dark if there were not the light of Christ in the world.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

We’ve heard these words – Jesus’ call to be light for the world – to preserve His truth in the world – but too many times we might feel we are powerless to do anything about the evil we see in the world. We may feel the darkness is so great that we cannot overcome it. We may feel that even Jesus cannot give us the light we need to overcome the darkness of the world – so we give up and do not even try to make a difference by shining the light of Christ into the world around us.

We don’t try to make a difference in the world.

We don’t try to preserve the truth.

We don’t try to shine the light of Christ.

And it is very dark in the world without the light of Christ.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And the world would be very dark without the light of Christ.

So – how well do you do that?

How well does this Church preserve the truth?

How well does this Church shine the light of Christ into the world around us?

How well does this Church exert influence in the world for Christ?

That’s the question you have to answer.

Are you powerless?

Is the quest for social change hopeless before you begin?

Is it fruitless to try to preserve some semblance of God’s truth in the world?

Or can you exert some influence in the world for Jesus Christ?

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And the world would be mighty dark without the light of Christ.

There is a great deal of pessimism around today that grips and even paralyzes people – even Christians.

Many Christians wring their hands in a holy kind of dismay.

Society is rotten to the core, they say.

Everything is hopeless.

There is no hope but the return of Jesus Christ.

Some have suggested that people are rubbish – and we can do nothing to save them – we can do nothing to shine the light of Christ into such a dark world – we can do nothing to preserve the truth in the world.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And the world would be mighty dark without the light of Christ.

Regardless of how many people may feel – regardless of the ideas that the world is beyond help and that it is fruitless to try to preserve any truth and shine the light of Christ into the world – regardless of the idea of many that people are rubbish – the truth of the Gospel is that people are not rubbish.

The truth is that people are men and women made in the image of God. Yes — we are fallen – we are sinners — but the image of God has not been destroyed.

Are we not capable of doing any good?

The doctrine of total depravity, which means that every part of our human being has been tainted by sin, does not mean that we’re incapable of doing any good.

Jesus himself said that although you are evil you are able to do good things and give good gifts to your children.

Now of course we believe in sin.

We believe that when Jesus Christ comes again He is going to put things right.

But — if you develop a Christian mindset you don’t concentrate exclusively on the fall of man and the return of Christ. You don’t think only about how bad things are and how there is no hope for the world. You also think about the creation and about the redemption through Jesus Christ. You think about how God is redeeming the world through Jesus Christ – and calling us to – even in the midst of this fallen and sinful world – work to preserve His truth and shine His light.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And the world would be mighty dark without the light of Christ.

If we are pessimists and think that we are incapable of doing anything to help change the world – to preserve God’s truth and shine the Light of Christ in our communities, then we are theologically extremely unbalanced if not actually heretical and harmful.

It’s ludicrous to say Christians can have no influence in society.

It’s biblically and historically mistaken.

Christian churches have had an enormous influence on society down its long and checked history.

Kenneth Latourette in his work on the history of the expansion of Christianity has written:

“No life ever lived on this planet has been so influential in the affairs of men like the life of Jesus Christ. From that brief life and its apparent frustration has flowed a more powerful force for the triumphant waging of man’s long battle than any other ever known by the human race. By it millions have been lifted from illiteracy and ignorance and have been placed upon the road of growing intellectual freedom and control over the physical environment. It has done more to allay the physical ills of disease and famine than any other impulse known to man. It’s emancipated millions from chattel slavery and millions of others from addiction to vice. It’s been the most fruitful source of movement to lessen the horrors of war and to put the relations of men and nations on the basis of justice and of peace. Christ and his church have had an enormous influence. And if only we were out and out for Jesus Christ in the fullness of our commitment, then we would have far more influence than we do.”

So – we need to put away the pessimism that says the world is too bad – things too grim – and there is nothing we can do to preserve the truth and shine the Light of Christ in the world.

We are not powerless.

I’m afraid what we are, rather, is often lazy and unbelieving and disobedient to the commission of Jesus.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And the world would be mighty dark without the light of Christ.

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

In both these metaphors of the salt and the light, Jesus teaches about the responsibility of Christians in society. He is teaching us our responsibility in our community and in the world.

The world, Jesus says, can be compared to rotting meat.

But Christians are to be the world’s salt.

The world, Jesus says, is like a dark night.

But Christians are to be the world’s light.

Like salt in putrefying meat, Christians are to hinder social decay.

Like light in the prevailing darkness, Christians are to illumine society and show it a better way.

It’s very important to understand that we as Christians have something to offer the world – we have the truth that can preserve the world and the light that can shine in the world’s darkness.

It’s also very important to see the need to offer the truth that can preserve the world and shine the light of Christ in the world.

Too many Christians understand that we have something to offer the world – but fail to offer it!

But we have to offer it.

We are not just called to be different from our environment. We are to have a powerful influence on our environment. Salt has to be rubbed into the meat in order to stop the rot. Light has to shine into the darkness to dispel the darkness.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And the world would be mighty dark without the light of Christ.

But – how can we preserve the truth?

How can we be salt and light for the world?

Jesus gives us power to do this – if we will use it.

First of all – we must use the power of prayer

The power of prayer.

There are some Christians who are so involved in social activism that they never stop to pray.

I believe they are wrong.

Prayer is an indispensable part of the Christian’s life and of the church’s life. And the church’s first duty toward society and its leaders is to pray for them.

If you feel there is – in the world and in the community — more violence than peace, more indecency than modesty, more oppression than justice, more secularism than godliness, then you have to commit yourself – as individual Christians and a Church – to praying about these things.

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world. To do this you must use the power of prayer.

A second power you must use is the power of truth.

All of us believe in the power of the truth of the gospel.

We love to quote the Apostle Paul who wrote in Romans 1:16:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes,”

We are convinced of the power of the gospel – convinced that it brings salvation and redemption to those who respond and believe in Jesus.

But it isn’t only the gospel that is powerful.

All God’s truth is powerful.

God’s truth of whatever kind is much more powerful than the devil’s lies.

Do you believe that?

Or — do you think the devil is stronger than God?

Do you think lies are stronger than the truth?

As Christians we have to believe that truth is stronger than lies and the power of God is stronger than the power of the devil.

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:8:

“We cannot do anything against the truth but only for the truth.”

As John said in his prologue to his Gospel:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”

Of course it cannot the darkness cannot overcome it — it’s the truth of God.

If anybody should believe that it is Christians.

It’s true. God’s truth is much more powerful than bombs and tanks and weapons. That’s the power of the truth.

Remember – we have the truth – they don’t.

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of the truth.

Third — you are going to have to be committed to the power of example.

The power of example.

Truth is powerful when it’s argued. It’s more powerful when it’s exhibited.

People need not only to understand the argument. They need to see the benefits of the argument with their own eyes. It’s hard to exaggerate the power for good that can be exerted by a Christian family in which the whole community can see the husband and wife loving and honoring one another, devoted and faithful to one another, finding fulfillment in one another.

They see the children growing up in the security of a loving and a disciplined home.

They see a family not turned in on themselves but turned outwards—entertaining strangers, welcoming, keeping an open home, seeking to get involved in the concerns of the community and so on.

That’s the power of example.

One Christian nurse in a hospital, one Christian teacher in a school, one Christian in a shop or in a factory or office.

Christians are marked people.

The world is watching.

And God’s major way of changing the world is to implant within it his people with their different values and different standards and different joys and different goals; so that, people see and are attracted.

As Jesus said, “They see your good works, and they give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth. You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of the truth.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of example

Fourth, you are going to have to be committed to the power of the group.

The power of a dedicated minority.

It has been said:

“We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a vision of a just and gentle world. The quality of a whole culture may be changed when two percent of its people have a new vision.”

That was the way of Jesus.

He began of a small group of only 12 dedicated people.

Within a few years, Roman officials complained they were turning the world upside down.

There is a great need for dedicated Christian groups committed to one another, committed to the vision, committed to Christ, who will pray together, think together, formulate policies together, get to work together in the community.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

The fourth Great End of the Church is

Preserving the truth.

Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” – shining His truth – His love – His will – into a world that would indeed be mighty dark if it were not for the Light of Christ.

If Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth.

You are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world – the world that would be might dark without the light of Christ.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of the truth.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of example.

You are going to have to be committed to the power of the group.

You are going to have to committed to preserving the truth

And that’s the fourth Great End of the Church. Amen.

Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah 6:1-8

August 6, 2006

Part 3 of “The Great Ends Of The Church” Series

As Sally and I are packing and preparing for our move to South Carolina, I have been – as I have told you the last several weeks — praying and thinking a lot about what messages God would have me bring to you these last few weeks we have together.  As I continue to pray about this, I continue to be struck with the feeling that God would have us to look at what it means to be a Church – what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

The past 2 weeks we have been doing this by looking at one of the first statements in our denomination’s Book Of Order – which has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church”. 

Listen to what the Book Of Order says:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200) 

 

These are great words!  They also give us a vision for what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing. 

You see – the Church is not about the building – it’s not about the Minister  – it’s about God – it’s about Christ – it’s about people who are trying to fulfill these “Great Ends” the Book Of Order lay out for us. If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God wills for it to be, then it will have to be a Church that is committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

Listen to them again:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

6 “Great Ends”. 

1.      the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2.      the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3.      the maintenance of divine worship

4.      the preservation of the truth

5.      the promotion of social righteousness

6.      the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

2 weeks ago we looked at the first of these Great Ends — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – and saw that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God is calling it to be – then you are going to have to be people who are committed to the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism.  Whether or not Wentworth Presbyterian is the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be depends – first on foremost – on your commitment to this first Great End of the Church — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind. 

Last week we looked at the second Great End of the Church – the second thing necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be.  That is:

the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or LOVE.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for the Wentworth Presbyterian Church to be, you are going to have to be committed to be loving people – people who experience God’s love for yourself – share it with each other – and share it with the world.

So – 2 things that are needed if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be – 2 things for you to be committed to:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or love.

But – there is more!

Not only do you need evangelism and love – but the third Great End is also needed:

the maintenance of divine worship

the maintenance of divine worship

Listen to these words of Isaiah 6:1-8 that describe a worship experience Isaiah had – and give us some clues as to how we can develop a heart for worship:

READ ISAIAH 6:1-8

Worship is one of the things necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be.

For Wentworth Presbyterian to be the church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to have an attitude of worship – a heart for worship. 

Now — when we refer to worship, most people think we’re talking about the meeting that takes place here between 10:00 and 11:00 on Sunday – or 11:00 and 12:00 on Sunday morning at most churches.  That’s true to a certain extent—the Sunday morning service should be a worshipful experience—but that’s not all there is to worship, because that’s not all there is to life. What we need to realize is that worship is a lifestyle; it’s a 24 hour a day, a seven day a week experience.

We can develop a bad habit if we’re not careful: the habit of “critiquing” the worship service instead of fully participating. We’ll attend a service and find ourselves evaluating the music, evaluating the hymns, evaluating the Choir, evaluating the Sermon —and not evaluating them on how well they impacted us spiritually, but on how well they were “performed”. And if they don’t measure up to our standards, we’ll say something like:

 “I don’t know…I just didn’t get anything out of  worship this morning… I didn’t like the hymns, the Choir didn’t sound as good as they sometimes do. There were too many mistakes… the Sermon just didn’t speak to me.   I just didn’t get anything out of worship.”

Now – I must say that Joyce, the Choir, and I strive to make every aspect of the service the best that it can be. We want the music to speak to you, we want the message to be uplifting and life-changing. We do that because it’s our gift to God.    But the fact is that we don’t hit a home-run every Sunday in every area—and if the only way you can get something out of worship is for us to be brilliant every week, you’re missing out on the heart – and the purpose — of worship.

The purpose of worship is not so much to entertain you – or to even speak directly to you.  There are times you may be entertained by great music or spoken to be a moving message – but that is not the real purpose of worship.

Soren Kierkigarrd was a Danish Christian Philosopher who developed theory about worship that he termed the “theatre of worship.”  He pointed out that too many people attend worship services as if they were attending a play.  They see the ministers, musicians, and choirs as the actors – and themselves as the audience. Looking at it in this way, they feel they can critique the service as to how it touched them or didn’t touch them. They feel they have a right to say: 

“I just didn’t get anything out of worship this morning… I didn’t like the hymns, the Choir didn’t sound as good as they sometimes do. There were too many mistakes… the Sermon just didn’t speak to me.   I just didn’t get anything out of worship.”

But – Kierkigarrd admonished people to change their view of worship.  To Kierkigarrd, worship was more of a time when the ministers, musicians, and choirs AND the congregation were the actors – and God is the audience.  This means that we can’t judge the service, but only God can.

Worship, then, is not about us and what “speaks to” or “does not speak to” us – but it’s about focusing on God – what God would have be doing as a Church and as individual Christians – listening to God’s call – and responding.

Worship is not so much about us as it is about God.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God. 

Certainly the music, the choir, and the message can assist you in worshipping God and are important elements of the worship experience – but the main focus for worship must be on God.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

Mike Pilavachi is the pastor of a contemporary church in England that has seen some incredible worship leaders (or musicians) in the past several years. Many of their worship leaders have written some of the greatest contemporary Christian music out there today. 

Well, Mike noticed that a tendency had developed among the congregation  to focus too much on the performance of the music. He noticed that the focus of the services became about the music, and not about Jesus. He said the church needed to be brought back to the place where each one is bringing their own contribution to the worship, not just watching the band and grading their performance. So he made a drastic move. He “banned the band” and said, “We’re not doing any music for a while—we’re going to take some time to get re-focused on who it is we’re here to worship.” They had several services with no performed music, and this became a time of renewal for their church. Eventually they began doing music again with a band leading the worship songs—but it was with a new focus.

Out of this experience, one of the musicians –  Matt Redman –  wrote one his best known songs. It goes…

When the music fades, and all is stripped away

And I simply come, Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart

I’ll give you more than a song

For a song in itself is not what you have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to heart of worship

And it’s all about you, All about you Jesus.

I’m sorry Lord for the thing I made it

When it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus.(The Heart of Worship © Kingsway 1999 Thank You Music)

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

That’s the heart of worship. It’s all about God.

It’s all about Jesus.

It’s not a matter of how well Joyce plays or how well the choir sings or how well you know the hymns – even though Joyce and the choir are usually a true blessing –

It’s not a matter of how well I preach –

it’s a matter of where your heart is.

 I’ve been all kinds of churches throughout my life—and attended worship at many conferences.   I’ve found that it’s possible to attend services where the piano is  hopelessly out of tune,  the pianist plays like they are playing a dirge, the sermon is  long and dull — and yet a connection with God can be made in a very real, very personal, very intimate way.

I also found that it’s possible to attend services where the music was awesome, the sermon dynamic—and leave just as stubborn and self-willed and cold-hearted as when you walked in the door.

Worship is not about the production quality of the service, it’s about the state of your heart.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

We all need to learn how to have a heart for God. This is a crucial lesson to learn in order for us to be the Christians God is calling us to be.  This is a crucial lesson for you to learn in order for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God wills for it to be. 

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

 Friends — if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

To be the Christian God is calling you to be, you have to be involved with a church, but you can’t focus your eyes on the church. You have to participate in the the service, but you can’t focus on whether the service “speaks to you” or not. You have to learn from the messages and Bible studies, but you can’t focus your eyes on the minister.   You have to have a heart for worshipping God.

For Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God is calling it to be, you are going to have to develop a heart for worshipping God.   

The story in Isaiah 6 that teaches three things you can do to develop a heart for worship.

First of all, this passage teaches us to…

1.      Get focused on God.

You need to know who it is you are worshipping. 

I was once talking to someone who – by the way – attended another Church – who told me:

 “I went to church today, but my heart wasn’t in it. Knowing what I know about the pastor, I just couldn’t worship.”

Now, her pastor was not involved in anything illicit, he’s was just a little hard-headed, and he and she don’t see eye-to-eye on a couple of administrative issues. Apparently he was a little stern with her husband in a board meeting, and it made her mad.

Iterestingly, her husband shrugged the whole thing off. He just said, “I don’t go to church to worship him. I go to worship Jesus.”

Isaiah 6:1 tells us:

(v. 1) In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah mentioned King Uzziah. In some ways he had been a good king, but he was just a man and he made many mistakes. His reign was a time of prosperity for Judah, but the book of 2 Chronicles says,

But after King Uzziah became so powerful, his pride led to his downfall. (2 Chronicles 16:16)

Basically, King Uzziah decided to rewrite the rules of Judaism, and he was eventually struck with leprosy. So Isaiah begins this chapter by saying – in effect – 

“Regardless of what happened with King Uzziah, I saw the Lord. My eyes weren’t on the king; my eyes were on God.”

If you want a heart for worship – which you must have to be the person God calls you to be – and this Church must have to be the Church God is calling it to be,   you need to do the same thing Isaiah did:

 get your eyes off people and get focused on God.

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s MAJESTY.

Notice what Isaiah said…

(v. 1) … I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s HOLINESS.

Isaiah said…

(v. 3) And they [the angels] were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty…

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s GLORY.

Isaiah said…

(v. 3) …the whole earth is full of his glory.

When you come to church, don’t look at people as much as you look at God.

Look at His majesty.

Look at His holiness.

Look at His glory.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.  You are going to have to be able to focus on the majesty – holiness –  and glory of God.

This doesn’t just apply to Sunday morning. It applies to everyday of the week. If we’re not careful, we can let the imperfections of others prevent us from focusing on God. Maybe someone you work with is not as good of a Christian as you think they should be. Don’t let their imperfections prevent you from seeking God. Maybe your boss claims to be a Christian but you don’t like the way he or she does business. Don’t let your boss’s imperfections prevent you from seeking God’s presence in your life.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and if you want to have a heart for worship—if you want to develop a worshipful lifestyle — stop looking at people and get focused on God.

If, as a congregation, the Wentworth Presbyterian Church will do this, the same thing will happen here that happened in Isaiah.

Listen to what Isaiah wrote…

(v. 4) The glorious singing shook the temple to its foundations.

Get focused on God and see if the worship doesn’t shake you to your foundations.

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

 Friends — if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

The first step in this is focusing on God.

The second thing we need to do to have a heart of worship is that we need to… Get cleansed by grace.

Get cleansed by grace.

There is something about seeing God for who God is that causes us to see ourselves for who we are. Isaiah eye-witnessed the glory of God, and then he said,

(v. 5) My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race.

There’s a story in Luke 5 where Jesus told Peter to put his net into the deep water. Peter answered by saying that they had worked all night and had caught nothing, and continued by saying, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Peter didn’t exactly sound enthusiastic about it. But you know what happened next:

“They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.” (Luke 5:6)

In fact, when they began to load the fish into the boat, there were so many that the boat began to sink. Peter realized that he was in the presence of not just a man, but the living Christ. His response was that…

..he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

That’s what happens when you get in the presence of God.

Pride suddenly melts away and you become aware of your own sinfulness, your own inadequacy. You can’t help but respond the way Isaiah did.

“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”

It’s not that God wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness merely for the sake of doing it so that we can talk about how wretched we are. He wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness so that we can experience the transformational power of his grace.

Listen to what happened next to Isaiah…

(v. 6-7) Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

That’s the purpose of being in the presence of God.

We acknowledge our sin so that we can experience his forgiveness.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

Having a heart for worshipping God means focusing on God – and it means that we recognize this crucial truth: we aren’t able to approach God on the basis of our own worthiness; we are only able to approach God because He has made us worthy. We are made worthy through what Jesus has done for us. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we can be in the presence of our holy God. The book of Hebrews says,

We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)

The act of worship involves recognizing our total dependence upon God’s mercy in our lives. We don’t approach Him proudly. We don’t approach Him on the strength of our good deeds or our acts of righteousness. We approach Him with a sense of humility, with a sense of gratitude for His forgiveness. When you have this attitude, it’s impossible to get distracted by some of the aspects of the service. It’s impossible to get distracted by any superficial thing, because your heart is directed toward God.

What this means in our day-to-day life is that you don’t need a Church service atmosphere to enter into worship. You don’t need a Choir or anything else. You can worship him alone, in the privacy of your room, just you and him. Now obviously it is important that we come together as a body and worship together each — but this isn’t the only time worship takes place.

It’s a seven-day-a-week experience.

So – the third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

 If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

Having a heart to worship God requires that you:

get focused on God,

get cleansed by grace,

and thirdly…

3. You have to get ready to go.

Listen to what Isaiah says …

(v. Then I head the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?” And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

Worshipping God and working for God go hand-in-hand. Our best response to worship is to say, as Isaiah said,

(v. Lord, I’ll go! Send me.

Here are a couple of things I’ve learned about worship.

 First, right worship leads to right living.

When you have a one-on-one encounter in the presence of God, it affects the way you spend the rest of your day. It affects what you say and how you treat the people in your life.

Do you want to become a better person?

Do you want to be holy?

 Spend time in the presence of our holy God each day.

Right worship leads to right living.

Right worship also leads to evangelism. The more time you spend with God, the more you want to share God with others.

Also, right worship leads to acts of compassion. It is impossible to be unmerciful to others when you have just been drenched in the mercy of God. It’s impossible to be unforgiving toward others when you have just basked in God’s forgiveness. And it is impossible to turn away from the needs of others when you have had a personal encounter with God’s goodness.

The Six Great Ends of the Church are:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

5. the promotion of social righteousness

7.      the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

Evangelism and love are the first two.

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to be committed to evangelism – committed to experiencing God’s love and sharing it with the world – and you have to have a heart for worshipping God.

As a church and as individuals, you need to develop a heart of worship: you need to get focused on God, get cleansed by God’s grace, and get ready to go into the world and do his work. That’s the lifestyle of worship.

And that’s the third Great End of the Church.

 

Amen.