Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-21

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Acts 2:1-21

Come, Holy Spirit

May 27, 2012

Pentecost

 

            What an eerie – and yet tremendously exciting – description of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost our passage in Acts 2 gives!

 

            What an eerie — and yet tremendously exciting — description of the Spirit of God bringing life to lifeless, dry bones our passage in Ezekiel 37!

 

            Eerie – yes – even scary – and yet intriguing – and indeed exciting.

 

But still scary.

 

Today is Pentecost — one of the three most important days in the church year – along with Christmas and Easter.  This is the day we celebrate the coming and power of the Holy Spirit – and yet we seem to be uncomfortable with it.  We don’t quite know what to do with it.  It’s hard to generate enthusiasm for Pentecost.

 

            Why do we not celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in the same way we celebrate the coming of Christ – or the resurrection of Christ?

 

            I’m not sure – - but I’m afraid it has something to do with the fact that we are scared. 

 

We are comfortable with looking back at the Bible and saying –

 

             “Yes – how wonderful the coming to the Holy Spirit was ” – -

 

            or “Yes – how wonderful it was that the Spirit of God brought life the dry bones” –

 

but yet – - what we would do if it happened here and now?

 

            The very thought of the Spirit coming into our lives and this Church right now scares us  – doesn’t it?

 

            We want to be able to look back and admire the coming of the Spirit – while keeping it at a safe distance from us.  Like a lion or tiger in the zoo or a shark at an aquarium.  It’s great to look at – but don’t let it get up close and personal. 

 

            The coming of the Holy Spirit is scary.

 

            It’s risky business! 

            We don’t know what might happen if the Holy Spirit were to suddenly come upon us – do we? 

 

            We don’t know what might happen if we were to experience the renewing — life giving work of God’s Spirit — here and now – do we?

 

            We don’t know what might happen if we were to experience a Pentecost of sorts here and now – do we?

 

            And that can be scary!

 

            We just might get excited.

 

            We just might start worshipping like we really mean it.

 

            We just might start really loving each other.

 

            We just might become excited about doing God’s will.

 

            We just might start really wanting to do something – to really make a difference for God’s glory.

 

            We just might start wanting our faith to really mean something to us – and make a difference in how we live.

 

            Wow! We’re talking about scary – risky business here – aren’t we?

 

            We may not want any of this to really happen!

 

We may not really want to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit – - the new life offered by the Spirit of God — because we may be scared of what might happen if we do.

 

            Let Pentecost just be something that happened “back then” – let’s just observe it as a historical event – but let’s not get carried away with it.  Let’s not act like it could happen here – and now.

 

            Let the vision of the dry bones receiving life be just that — a vision — don’t let it be reality — especially not reality for us!

 

            But — guess what — while  we try to avoid getting the Holy Spirit as if we were trying to avoid the plague we also bemoan the fact that we just can’t get anything going – we bemoan the fact that we can’t seem to grow as a Church!

 

            Well, friends — maybe – just maybe — we should re–think Pentecost.

            Maybe we should re-think our attitudes about the life changing – Church changing power of the Holy Spirit.

 

            Do you think that maybe we should take another look at Pentecost – and what the Holy Spirit can do for us – here – and now?

 

            Do you think we should take another look at the life-giving power of God’s Spirit?

 

            Should we take another look at the excitement and enthusiasm of the disciples – the new life of the dead bones – and maybe take the coming of the Holy Spirit more seriously – and see if there is a chance it could happen again – now?

 

What do you think can really make a difference in our lives and our Church?

 

Friends – it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that can make a difference in our lives – and the Church – so we need to see what the Spirit can do for us – pray to be filled with the Spirit – and learn to walk in the Spirit all our lives.

 

Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said that if there was one message he could preach to the church, it would be a message about how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s how much of a difference the filling of the Holy Spirit can make in a person’s life.

 

Many people give up on trying to live the Christian life because it’s too hard. The fact is, it’s not just hard—it’s impossible.

 

It’s impossible to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit’s power.

 

If we are going to be the Christians God wants us to be – and the Church God wants us to be – we had better start praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

 

You see — the Holy Spirit is the oil that makes the machinery of your life run smoothly. Have you ever tried driving a car without oil? You know what happens, don’t you. The engine locks up and breaks down. It’s the same way for a Christian who lives without the oil of the Holy Spirit in their life.

 

Some of you have been walking in the Spirit for many years – but for some of you the idea of being filled with the Holy Spirit is a new concept. But the fact is that all of us need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The fact is that – if we are going to be the Christians God wants us to be – and the Church God wants us to be – we are going to have to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

 

On this Pentecost – let’s look at a passage of Scripture that teaches in plain detail what the Holy Spirit can do for you, how you can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and how you can live a Spirit-filled life. The passage we’re look at is in Ezekiel 37, the story of the Valley of the Dry Bones. This passage teaches us a great deal about the Holy Spirit.

 

If you can turn to your Bibles or a pew Bible that might be helpful – because we are going to be referring to Ezekiel 37 a lot. It’s on page 1315 in your pew Bibles.

 

Look at the passage.

 

What can the Holy Spirit do for you?

 

Well – let’s look at some things the Holy Spirit can do for you:

 

One thing is: He can revitalize your life.

 

Take a look at verse 5 in Ezekiel 37 –

 

(v. 5) This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will come to life.

 

Then — skip down to verse 14…

 

(v. 14) I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live.

 

That’s what the Holy Spirit does for you.

 

The Holy Spirit revitalizes you.

 

The Holy Spirit takes you from the point of merely surviving to the point of truly living.

 

The Holy Spirit changes your life from “black and white” to the “wonderful world of living color” – so to speak.   

 

The Holy Spirit changes your life from “mono” to “stereo”.

 

It’s as if your life were changed from a moped to a mercedes.

 

The Holy Spirit changes your life.

 

The Holy Spirit infuses you with freshness and newness.

 

Another thing the Holy Spirit can do for you is that it can renew your hope. Take a look at verse 11 – 12:

(v. 11-12) Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord days: O My people I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord.”

 

What’s God doing here?

 

He’s sending the Holy Spirit and renewing the hope of the Israelites.  

 

Have there been times in your life when you felt like the people of Israel felt here?

 

Have there been times when you have said:

 

“My bones are dried up and my hope is gone”?

 

 I think we all have.

 

The presence of the Holy Spirit changes your perspective on life. One of the benefits of life that is filled with the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit renews your hope.

 

In Ephesians 1 Paul says that the Holy Spirit is given to us as…

 

…a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those        who are God’s possession…(Ephesians 1:14)  

 

Paul’s saying that the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life guarantees that you will get through this life—no matter how dark it may seem, no matter dry you may feel, no matter how desperate things might be—the Holy Spirit will keep your hope alive. A benefit of the Spirit filled life is the absence of despair.

 

Another thing the Holy Spirit can do for you is that it can  restore your dreams.  Look at what Ezekiel writes in verse 14:

 

I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.   (vs. 14)

 

The people of Israel had a dream of living in their own land. When Ezekiel recorded these words from God they had been living for years in exile. God was saying to them: 

 

“Do you know that dream I gave you? Don’t give up on it. I’ll restore it.”

 

  God will do the same for you.

Too many of us go through life like we’re living in exile. We live like we’ve been banished from our homeland, banished from the benefits and promises that all children of God can claim. If you’re not walking in victory, you’re living in exile. If you’re not experiencing power over sin, you’re living in exile. If you’re not filled with joy, and peace, and hope, and love—you’re living in exile.

 

God didn’t create you to live in exile. He created you to experience the benefits of our heavenly citizenship here on earth. It is through the fullness of the Holy Spirit that you experience the fullness of life. In Him you experience life as it should be lived.  

 

            That’s what the Holy Spirit can do for you. The Spirit will revitalize you, renew your hope, and  restore your dreams. The Spirit will give you life as it should be lived.

 

Now, maybe you’re saying,

 

“I want that. I want to go from the Valley of Dry Bones to the Valley of Life. How do I get there? How do I experience this difference in my life?”

 

Let’s take a look at how to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

First of all… you have to ask for it.  In fact, “asking” may not be a strong enough term. A better term might be “speak it” or “claim it.” Take a look at Ezekiel 37:4:

 

(v. 4) “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life…’”

 

The fullness of the Spirit is God’s promise to all believers. It’s a promise that we can all claim; it’s a promise that God will certainly deliver. But here’s the thing — if we don’t claim it, if we don’t speak it, if we don’t ask for it—we’ll never experience it.  

 

You know — there are times when I have to speak to myself the same way that Ezekiel spoke to the bones in the valley. I have to say:

Bill, hear the Word of the Lord. The Spirit of God is going to breathe life into you. Receive it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop doubting Him. Stop flirting with despair. Let God do His work.” Maybe you need to have a little talk to that effect with yourself!

In Ephesians 5: 18 Paul writes:

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)

He writes it as an imperative command. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an act of obedience on our part. It’s something we do; it’s something we initiate by asking for it…by claiming it as God’s promise. If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, then ask for it. Say:

 ”God, fill me with your Spirit.” – and God will!

The first step to being filled with the Holy Spirit is just that easy.

The second step is easy also. After you’ve asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you need to accept it. Another way to say it is “Receive it.” Even though we initiate the work of the Spirit in our lives by asking for it, being filled with the Spirit is not something we can do for ourselves. It is something that God must do for us — it is something we must receive. We receive the Holy Spirit by yielding to  God and  allowing Him to have His way in our lives.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is that simple.

You ask for it. You accept it – then you act on it.   

Imagine with me if you will that your banker called you and said, “Someone has just deposited $10 million into your bank account. It’s there…and it’s all yours.”

What would you do?

You would probably start writing checks (10% going to the Church, of course).  paying bills, making investments, giving gifts, and so on.  Or you might say, “But I don’t feel like a millionaire. I don’t look like a millionaire. I don’t deserve to be a millionaire. I don’t see any of the money…where is it?” But the fact is, in this scenario you are a millionaire. You can live like a millionaire, if you’re willing to act on it. In the same way, God has placed a deposit into your spiritual account — He has offered you the Holy Spirit. In your account there is joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. In your account there are spiritual gifts, there is power, there is life. They are yours, but you have to act on it. You have to start “writing checks”, so to speak. Don’t wait until you feel it—just do it.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an elusive experience that we have to spend half of our lives chasing. It is the promise of God, it is the command of  God, and it is available to all believers. If your heart is right with God, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit right now. Ask for it. Accept it. Act on it. It’s that easy.

 There’s another thing about the Spirit filled life you need to know.  In addition to knowing how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you also need to know how to walk in the Spirit.

Bill Bright, whom I mentioned earlier, taught a principle called “Spiritual Breathing.” His concept was that, as you go throughout the day, you can become aware of sins in your life, and can “exhale” them by confessing them to God. And then you can “inhale” His presence in your life by surrendering yourself to His control.

When you’re going through your day, and you realize you’ve just had a thought you should not have had, don’t wait to repent — don’t wait to confess it—take care of it right then. Breathe out – and ask God for forgiveness, — and breathe in – receiving the forgiveness God gives.

Do this all day long, every day of your life.

Whenever you think something or say something or do something that breaks the flow of the Spirit in your life, exhale — confess it immediately and surrender control to Him. You exhale what is impure in your life, then you inhale His presence. The idea is that you recognize and acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life throughout the day. You walk with him all day long.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

I like that phrase—let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit is an all-day, every-day experience. And it’s the key to victory. It’s the key to a dynamic relationship with Jesus.  

God’s promise in Ezekiel is:

(v. 14) I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.

Anything less is just existing. God wants to fill your life with living color. He wants to revitalize you; He wants to renew your hope; He wants to restore your dreams. He wants to fill you with the Holy Spirit, so that you can live in his power.

Is this what you want?

Then ask for it. Accept it. Act on it. He will do it: He will fill you with His Spirit. And then, start practicing spiritual breathing—keeping in step with the Holy Spirit throughout the day, every day. I can promise this: His presence in your life means that you will never be the same.

What might happen if we were to ask for God’s Spirit – act on God’s gift – and walk in the Spirit?

Let’s try and see!

Let’s take the coming of the Spirit off the pages of the book – and into our lives as we ask for – act on – and walk in the Spirit of God. Amen.

1 Kings 19:1-18, Matthew 5:13-16

1 Kings 19:1-18

Matthew 5:13-16

The World Would Be Mighty Dark Without God’s Light 

(4^th Great End Of The Church:  Preserve The Truth

May 20, 2012

Part 4 of Great Ends Of The Church Series

Sally and I are certainly staying busy as we continue to unpack boxes and adjust to the “routine” here at Edgewood – and we continue to feel blessed to be a part of such an exciting and active Church! I am spending my first Sundays talking  about things we may need to consider if we are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, and I have been using one of the first statements in our denomination’s Book Of Order – which has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church” – as a guide for us to go by as we have considered things God might want us to be doing here at Edgewood.

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.  (F-1,0304)

These are great words, and they give us a vision for what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – and 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 Edgewood  is going to be the Church God wants it to be, then we will have to be committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

We’ve seen how we need to be committed to the proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism. We have looked at our need to be committed to the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or love.  We have also seen how we need a commitment to the third Great End of the Church – the maintenance of Divine Worship.

But – there is more!

Not only do we need evangelism — love – and a heart for worship — but the fourth Great End – the preservation of the truth – is also needed.

Our Gospel passage for today – Matthew 5:13-16 – is a call to us to preserve the truth. 

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, one of us in the group made the statement:

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

The rest of us laughed and teased them about making such an obvious statement.  But you know what – the 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.

Jesus tells us: “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 Edgewood is going to be the Church God intends for it to be, we are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church – preserving the truth.  You and I are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into the world.

And yes – the world would be very dark 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.”

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 may feel overwhelmed by the daunting task of trying to make a difference for Christ and preserve God’s truth in the world — so we don’t try to preserve God’s truth or make a difference. We may feel overwhelmed by the darkness that is in the world — so we don’t try to preserve the truth or shine the light of Christ. And the world is indeed mighty dark without God’s light.  

But Jesus says: “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.”

How well do you do that?

How committed are you to shining God’s light to the world?

How committed are you to preserving God’s truth in the world?

How well do you shine the light of Christ into the world around you?  

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

 

These are questions you have to answer.

 

Are you really powerless — unable to make a difference in the community and the world for Christ – unable to preserve the truth of Christ in the world – unable to shine God’s light into a dark and sinful world?

Is it really a losing battle 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?

Can you do some things that will help preserve God’s righteousness and truth in the world?

Can you shine the light of Christ into a world that is mighty dark without the light of Christ?

 

Jesus says: “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.”

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” they lament. “There is no hope but the return of Jesus Christ” they say. 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.

 

Friends – these are nothing but excuses that we might give for not acting like the “salt” and “light” Jesus says we are. Regardless of how 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 of the Gospel is that people are men and women who are made in the image of God.  Yes — we are fallen – we are sinners — but the image of God has not been destroyed. Yes – it is not easy to preserve God’s truth in the world or shine  God’s light in the world – but it is possible – and we cannot give up trying. 

 

Our Old Testament lesson for today is the story of Elijah fleeing from Jezebel and feeling that all was lost.  He had just won a wonderful victory on Mount Carmel – but he was afraid for his life. Jezebel had promised to kill him – and he knows she could make good on that promise, so he runs away and even wants to die. He thinks that trying to preserve God’s truth in the world is a losing battle.  But God comes to him in a powerful way and lets him know that the battle is not lost – that over 7,000 people in Israel were still following God – and God will bless his efforts to shine His light to the country and the world.

 

Like Elijah, we can sometimes feel the “battle” for preserving God’s truth and shining God’s light in the world is lost before we even begin. That’s not a very Christian way of looking at things! If we can develop a Christian mindset and not  concentrate exclusively on how bad things are in the world we can begin to see that regardless of how bad things may seem, God is still good. If we can develop a Christian mindset we can begin working for God’s goodness – preserving  God’s truth – and shining God’s light in the community and the world.

The fourth Great End of the Church is: Preserving the truth.

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

Friends — 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 checkered 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 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, might be compared to rotting meat — but Christians are to be the world’s salt. The world, Jesus says, might be compared to 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 called 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. 

 

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 need to use the power of prayer. Prayer is an indispensable part of the Christian’s life and of the church’s life. Our first duty towards society and the people in our community 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 to praying about these things. 

 

A second power we must use is the power of truth.  God’s truth is powerful. God’s truth is much more powerful than the lies the world tries to make us believe.

Do you believe that?

Or — do you think the world’s lies are stronger than God’s 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 world. God’s truth is much more powerful than bombs and tanks and weapons. When you feel overwhelmed in your efforts to preserve the truth of God in the world over against the powers of sin, remember — we have the truth – others don’t.

 

If we are going to preserve God’s truth and shine God’s light, we are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer and committed to power of the truth.

 

Third — we are going to have to be committed to the power of example. Truth is powerful when it’s argued, but it’s more powerful when it’s lived. People need not only to understand God’s truth – they need to see it. It’s hard to exaggerate the power for good that can be exerted by Christians doing what they can to touch others with God’s truth and love.  One Christian nurse in a hospital who is doing what they can to touch people with God’s love, one Christian teacher in a school, one Christian young person, one Christian in a shop or in a factory or office who are doing what they can to share God with others can make a big difference. 

Christians are marked people. The world is watching. And God’s major way    of making a difference and 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 them and be attracted by how they live.

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

 

If you want to make a difference for God in the world – if you want to help God preserve His truth and shine His light – you are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer — the power of the truth – and the power of example. You are also 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, and 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, and committed to Christ who will pray together, think together, formulate policies together, and get to work together in the community.

 

The power of prayer – the power of the truth – the power of example – and the power of the group are some of the tools Jesus gives us for preserving His truth and shining His light in the world. We have to be committed to doing everything we can to preserve the truth of God and shine the light of God to those around us, regardless of how small it may seem that our efforts are. 

 

A man was walking down the beach one evening and noticed that there were many, many starfish along the shore.  He knew that starfish died if they stayed out of the water for too long – but felt that there was nothing he could do with so many starfish out of the water.  He continued walking – and noticed a man walking towards him along the share.  He could tell the man walking towards him seemed to be stooping down and throwing things into the water.

Surely he’s not trying to save the starfish he thought.

But that’s exactly what he was doing.

As he came close enough to talk to the man, he said:

“Don’t you know there are too many starfish for you to save? You’re wasting your time!”

The man stooped down and picked up another starfish and threw it back into the water.

“I just saved that one” he said.

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 Edgewood is going to be the Church God intends for Edgewood to be, we are going to have to be committed to the fourth Great End of the Church. We are going to have to be committed to preserving the truth.  We 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.  We are going to have to be committed to the power of prayer, the power of the truth, the power of example, and the power of the group.

We are going to have to be committed to shining God’s light and preserving God’s truth by doing whatever we can – wherever  we can – and whenever we can. 

We are going to have to be committed to preserving the truth and shining the light of Christ into a dark world.

That’s the fourth Great End of the Church. Amen.

Proverbs 31:1-7, 2 Timthy 1:1-7

Proverbs 31:10-32

2 Timothy 1:1-7

“Thank God For Godly Women”

May 13, 2012  (Mother’s Day)

            Happy Mother’s Day to all of you.

There’s an old saying that:

 ”God couldn’t be everywhere at once, so he made moms.”

That statement may not be theologically accurate, but it does convey a great attitude towards motherhood – our moms fill a place in our lives that no one else can fill.

Every mom is aware that her job involves much more than cooking and cleaning and carpooling. It involves nurture, it involves guidance, it involves building character. And, as I have learned with my own mom, the job doesn’t end when a child moves out of the house.  

So — on Mother’s day preachers stand in pulpits and extol the virtues of motherhood. You, perhaps, came to Church today expecting to hear a typical Mother’s Day sermon – but maybe this will be more than typical.

You see – as much as I appreciate and have been blessed by my Mom – and as much as all of us have been blessed by and nurtured by our mothers – I want to expand the typical “thanks Mom” of Mother’s Day to say: “Thanks!” “Bless you!” “Thanks for all you do!” to all of the women of the Church who play such a vital role in shaping the lives of the children, youth, and indeed all of us in the Church.

“Thanks!” “Bless you!” “Thanks for all you do!” to all the women of the Church who do so much to help us accomplish what we accomplish as a Church.

The sign out front today – and indeed the sermon title in the bulletin for today – says:

Thank God For Godly Women

Yes – thank God for Godly mothers – but – more than that –

 Thank God For Godly Women

I am so thankful for the Godly mothers of Edgewood — but – I am really thankful for all the Godly women of Edgewood – whether they are mothers or not – married or single – who play such a vital role in our Church.  The Godly women who play such a vital role in the Christian education and nurture of our young people – who play such a vital role in all aspects of our Church – who serve in the kitchen as well as on the Session – who busy themselves with the crafts as well as with the leadership – who work behind the scenes and in the spotlight – wherever you look at Edgewood, you will find a Godly woman – whether they are mothers or not – blessing us all by their commitment to being the women God has called them to be and leading us as a Church to be the Church God is calling us to be.

So – yes – I say thank God for Godly mothers – but more than that I say: Thank God for Godly women.

In our New Testament lesson from 2 Timothy for today, Paul is giving praise to God for the faith of Timothy – a faith his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois passed on to him. 

Passing on the faith.

Making sure that others know about God.

That’s the work of Godly mothers – but more than that – that’s the work of Godly women.

When Paul wrote 2 Timothy he was in prison.  He had been arrested for preaching the Gospel of Christ in disobedience to Caesar’s orders. Paul sent Timothy, the young man he led to the Lord, to Ephesus to tend to the Church there in his absence. Paul established the Ephesian Church when he returned from his second missionary journey. Ephesus was an important place to establish a Church, as it was the capital city of 230 independent communities in the Roman province of Asia. If the Gospel was preached in Ephesus, it would spread outward from there like spokes on a wagon wheel. The Church was just beginning in an area famous for it’s idolatry and sexual infidelity.  Before Roman rule people in Ephesus had engaged in child sacrifice and the worship of idols. When Roman rule established order child sacrifice was forbidden, yet people still worshipped at these pagan  temples. Ephesus was a battleground between Christianity and paganism. Into this battleground Paul sent one young man to be a leader while he could not be there himself.  Many people would think this was foolish — what could one young man do? Yet Paul sent Timothy in large part because of the work that his mother and grandmother had begun in him when he was a child – and the faith that had been planted in him.

Paul knew that Timothy grew up in a Godly home. The NIV says Timothy had a sincere faith.  This faith began in his grandmother, was passed down to his mother, who in turn passed it down to him. Though neither directly led Timothy to salvation, Paul did – but  it was his grandmother’s and mother’s actions that planted a seed that would one day blossom into the flower of Christian faith. 

All this is to say that Lois and Eunice were Godly women in a time when godliness was not fashionable. Thank God for women who are willing to be Godly – even when it may not be fashionable or popular or easy.   Godly women – women who are willing to step up to the plate and give of themselves – their time – their very souls to serve God and others in the Church and the community – are a blessing.

Just as Godly women were desperately needed in New Testament times, Godly women are desperately needed today!

In the aftermath of the tragic shootings at Columbie High School in Colorado in 1999, I had someone ask me if what happened was according to the will of God, and if so, why. I explained to them that – while this horror was not God’s will – tragic things of this type never, ever are – it might show us that we need to do a better job at training our young people – and adults alike – to love and follow God. I can remember that — when I saw the faces of the young gunmen — I did not see two children who looked like they could be capable of such a thing. They did not look like monsters who could enter a schoolhouse and, after killing all they could, turned the guns on themselves. They looked more like two boys who were hurting and confused and needed someone to tell them about God’s love. Somehow the message of God’s love and care for them didn’t get to them – as it did to Timothy when his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois raised him and taught him about God.  These were Godly women in a time when being Godly was not easy or popular – but they were Godly nonetheless. Yes – we need more Godly women!

Recent studies show that the average child will spend 6 minutes a day talking to their parents, while spending hours of unsupervised time watching television or on the internet. There is a battle going on around every person in today’s world. Everyone can choose and live their own lives either in evil ways or God’s ways. If we can be persuaded to ignore God while maintaining what is called a “politically correct” lifestyle, then the world and it’s powers have won that battle — but if we follow God’s will for us, then we can win the battle for Godliness in our homes – our Church – our communities – and our world. To do that, we need to teach our young people God’s ways, and to do that, we need more Godly adults – men and women who are willing to be Godly when being Godly is not easy or popular.

I hope you men haven’t tuned me out already – because this goes for you also – and on your day in June I’ll talk more about that – but today let’s look at Godly women. 

I thank God for you, Godly women – you who are willing to  step up to the plate and give of yourselves – your time – your very soul to serve God and others in the Church and the community. You are a blessing.  What you do makes a difference! We need more of you!

So – what does it take to be a Godly woman – a woman who is willing to step up to the plate and make a difference – who is willing to give of yourself  — your time –to serve God?

First, it takes accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. You can’t be a Godly woman until you do that. You have to choose the way of God over the way of the world.

In Romans 12:2 Paul urges Christians:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The world offers many things that look beautiful, yet turn out to be just trash. My niece lived in England for some time and has told me about a tradition there of opening a “popper” at the Christmas meal. A “popper” is  a colorfully wrapped tube filled with cheap prizes. When you pull on it, it “pops” like a cap gun, tears in half, and the prizes come out.  A “popper” is very pretty, but the greatest part of opening it is the loud bang.  That’s because each “popper” is filled, not with wonderful prizes, but with trashy gifts that are even below the quality of a Cracker Jack prize. Outwardly the “poppers” are beautiful, but what is in them is useless.

A lot of times, the things the world wants you to follow are like “poppers” — outwardly beautiful yet inwardly full of uselessness.

We need women who are committed to the lasting things of Christ instead of the worthless things the world tempts us with.  You may outwardly be  the most  beautiful woman in this Church today, but if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior then that beauty is indeed only skin deep. You need to be beautiful – in Christ – you need t be a Godly woman – who loves God and is willing to step up and help tell others about Christ.

 Accepting Christ is the first step to being Godly woman. 

The second step is – be more concerned with internal godliness than on external vanity. Paul wrote top Timothy is 1 Timothy 2:9-10

⁹I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

Paul is not saying that women should not groom themselves. What Paul is saying is to not let your outward appearance take the place of your inward godliness. The “good deeds” Paul is referring to here are deeds that reflect a Christ centered heart, deeds that reflect godliness. You should be as well groomed on the inside as you are on the outside. Don’t spend all of your time grooming yourself and your household while neglecting prayer and time in the Word of God. You must see to your inner person. You must be concerned about your spiritual growth.

So – accepting Christ is the first step to being a Godly woman and seeking internal godliness is the second.

The third is – be willing to spend time with and train your children if you are a mother – or any child who needs it – in the Church or not – whether you are a mother of not. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14-15:

⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

I imagine Timothy, as he was growing up, made all the same mistakes that our own children (and we ourselves) made. He probably went through his rebellious stage, he probably spent time experimenting in the things of world, he might have  went out “with the boys” and he ,ay have done all the wrong things. Yet his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice planted the seeds of the Gospel in his heart by teaching him about God from the time he was a child. They shared with him a love of the Scriptures. Later on in his life when Paul led him to Christ, this foundation laid by his godly mother and grandmother came into play. That’s the influence of a Godly woman!

I read of a man who. as a young child, prayed every night a simple prayer his mother taught him.  Maybe you prayed it also – I know I did.  The prayer was:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray, dear Lord, my soul to take.

His mother taught him that prayer when he was a small child, kneeling at the foot of his bed. His mother came in every night to kiss him goodnight, and she’d always ask, “Have you said your prayers?” If he had forgotten, he’d get up from the bed and say his prayers.  As a teenager he, out of rebellion, ran away from home –got in trouble and ended up in a Juvenile Hall. As he would lay in his bunk every night – scared – would remember and pray the same prayer his mother had taught him as a child. After his release from Juvenile Hall, he continued to not live the right way or make wise choices in what he did. One night he was knocked unconscious and left for dead by one of his “friends” while out partying – and when he woke up in the hospital the next day he prayed the same prayer his mother had taught him as a child. Finally, he accepted Christ as his savior and – with tears in his eyes – prayed that same child’s prayer.   After coming to faith in Christ, he said that the prayer meant something to him as a child, but it meant so much more now.  That simple prayer his godly mother taught him finally brought him to Christ. That’s the influence of a Godly woman!

We need you — the Godly women we have at Edgewood – and we need more of you! We need more women who — whether they are mothers or not – married or single – are willing to play a vital role in our Church.  We need more Godly women who are willing to play a vital role in the Christian education and nurture of our young people – who are willing to  play a vital role in all aspects of our Church – who are willing to serve in the kitchen as well as on the Session – who are willing to busy themselves with crafts as well as with leadership – who are willing to work behind the scenes and in the spotlight – who are willing to work wherever and do whatever is needed – and bless us all by their commitment to being the women God has called them to be and their commitment  to leading us as to be the Church God has called us to be.

We need women who know Jesus as their savior – who are seeking internal Godliness – and who are committed to taking the time to train our young people in God’s ways – or do whatever they can – to make Edgewood  the Church God would have us be!

The new, larger print, more readable Pew Bibles the women took on as a project and that we dedicated today are one more example of the commitment the women here at Edgewood   have to the Church and to God’s Word – and are a true blessing!

I – and I believe all of us – want to say today and every day — “Thanks” “Bless you!” “Thanks for all you do!” to our Godly women here at Edgewood! We certainly thank God for you!  Amen.

Isaiah 6:1-8, Revelation 4:1-11

Isaiah 6:1-8

Revelation 4:1-11

May 6, 2012

Part 3 in Edgewood “6 Great Ends” Series

Do You Have A Heart For Worship?

As we are beginning our ministry together here at Edgewood Presbyterian we are spending some time looking at some things we might need to be doing if we are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, and using one of the first statements in our denominations Book Of Order  – what has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church” – as a guide as we consider some of the most important things for us to be doing as a 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. (Book Of Order, Presbyterian Church USA, F–1.0304)

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 – as beautiful as it is –  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 Edgewood is going to be the Church God wills for it to be, then we will have to be a Church that is committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

6 things that help define for us what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

We’ve looked at the importance of “the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind” – or evangelism – telling others about Christ – and the importance of “the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God” – or love for God, each other, and all people. The next “Great End” – the next thing we need to hold as important for our lives as individual Christians and our life together as a Church – is “the maintenance of divine worship”.

If we are going to be the Church God wants us to be we are going to have to be committed to evangelism – love – and worship. So – let’s look for a few minutes today at worship – what it’s about – and how we call can develop a heart for worshipping God.

Have you heard the story about Gladys Dunn?

It seemed that Gladys moved into a community and was looking for a Church.  She noticed one particularly pretty Church – and attended worship there one Sunday.  The Sanctuary was just as beautiful on the inside as it was pretty on the outside – and the music wonderful. But – the minister was boring and dry.  As he droned on and on, Gladys noticed that most of the congregation was nodding off.  Finally –after what seemed to be an eternity – the minister completed his sermon and said:

“Now – everyone greet your neighbor”

Gladys noticed the gentleman beside her was trying to wake himself from the nap he had taken during the sermon – so she stuck her hand out to greet him.

“I’m Gladys Dunn” she said.

The man looked at her and responded:

“I’m glad it’s done too, lady!”

Worship is one of the things necessary for us here at Edgewood to be the church God intends for us to be. If Edgewood is going to be the Church God intends it to be, we are going to have to have an attitude of worship – a heart for worship.  Not an attitude of “Glad It’s Done” when it’s over — but an attitude – a heart – for worshipping and giving praise to God.

Now — when we refer to worship, most people think we’re talking about the meeting that takes place here between 11:00 and 12:00 on Sunday morning. 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 in it and experiencing it. We’ll attend a service and find ourselves evaluating the music, evaluating the hymns, evaluating the Choirs, evaluating the Sermon — and not evaluating them on how 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.”  We can begin critiquing the worship service like the judges on “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent” or “Dancing With The Stars”  or “So You Think You Can Dance” or “The X Factor” might critique the contestants.

Now – I must say that Eugenia, Wilson and today Jeannie, the Choir, and I strive to make every aspect of the service the most worshipful  that it can be. We want the music to speak to you, we want the message to be uplifting and life-changing. We don’t do that so you’ll give us praise – although a word of thanks from time to time is helpful – but – speaking for myself and I am sure for them – 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 by a moving message – but that is not the real purpose of worship.

Soren Kierkigarrd was a Danish Christian Philosopher who developed a 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” and name all the things that they did not like about the service. 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 the audience.  This means that we can’t judge the service, only God can.

Worship, then, is not about us and what “speaks to you” or “does not speak to” us – but it’s about focusing on God – what God would us 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 we here Edgewood are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we 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, and your heart for worshipping God. 

Matt Redman a Christian song writer –describes it this way:   

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)

Friends – you and I 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 Eugenia or Wilson or Jeannie  play or how well the choir sounds or how well you know the hymns — even though the music is usually a blessing – and it’s not a matter of how well I preach – it’s a matter of where your heart is.

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

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

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

If we here at Edgewood are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God. 

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

Our Scripture passages for this morning from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 give us a vision of worship in heaven and – especially the Isaiah passage – teach three things you can do to develop a heart for worship.

First of all — get focused on God.

You need to know who it is you are worshipping. 

In the community where I first served I was talking to a woman who did not attend the Church I served – who shared with 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 was just a little hard-headed, and he and she didn’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. Interestingly, her husband shrugged the whole thing off. He just said, “I don’t go to church to worship him. I go to worship Jesus.”

He was focused on God.

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 his pride led to his downfall. Basically, King Uzziah decided to rewrite the rules of Judaism, and he was eventually struck with leprosy. 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 us to be,   you need to do the same thing Isaiah did. You need to 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 wrote ..

(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 wrote ..

(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 we here Edgewood are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.  We are going to have to be people who 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 every day. 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. Maybe someone you know just “gets under your skin” or “rubs you the wrong way”.  Don’t let that keep you from seeing God in them and deepening your relationship with God.

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, we can do this, the same thing will happen to us that happened  to Isaiah.

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.

 We need to have a heart for worshipping God. 

The first step in this is focusing on God.

The second step is to get cleansed by God’s 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) I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among people of unclean lips  

Pride suddenly melts away and you become aware of your own sinfulness, your own inadequacy when you get focused on the glory of God. You can’t help but respond the way Isaiah did. It’s not that God wants you to acknowledge your sinfulness merely for the sake of doing it so that you can talk about how wretched you are. God wants you to acknowledge your sinfulness so that you can experience the life – changing 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. You acknowledge your sin so that you can experience His forgiveness.

Having a heart for worshipping God means focusing on God – and it means that you recognize this crucial truth: you aren’t able to approach God on the basis of your own worthiness; you are only able to approach God because He has made you worthy. You  are made worthy through what Jesus has done for you. You  can be in the presence of our Holy God because Jesus died on the cross for your sins. The act of worship involves recognizing your total dependence upon God’s mercy in our lives. You don’t approach Him proudly. You don’t approach Him on the strength of your good deeds or your acts of righteousness. You approach Him with a sense of humility and with a sense of gratitude for your 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 your 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 God alone, in the privacy of your room, just you and God.  

Now obviously it is important that we come together as a body and worship together each week — but this does not have to be the only time worship takes place. It can be a seven-day-a-week experience.

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

You need to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and that means that you get focused on God and get cleansed by grace. Thirdly – it means that we have to be ready to go. Yea – it’s getting close to 12 and you may be ready to leave – but that’s not what I’m talking about when I say you have to be ready to go.  Listen to what Isaiah says …

(v. 8) Then I heard 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. Your  best response to worship is to say, as Isaiah said: “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”  

Right worship leads to right living. When you have a one-on-one encounter with 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 your holy God each day. Spend time worshipping – praising – and focusing on 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.

In a very real way the third Great End of the Church – “the maintenance of divine worship” impacts the first two Great Ends – “the proclamation of the Gospel” and “ the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God”.   Worship where you focus on God – get cleansed by His grace – and get ready to go for Him is an essential part of being the individual Christians and the Church god would have us be. 

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship. As a church and as individuals, we need to develop a heart of worship – not an attitude of “glad – it’s done” but a true heart for worshipping God. We have 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.

So – the question is – Do you have heart for worship?

Do you have a desire – a passion – for worshipping God – every day?  

Do you let yourself get focused on God, get cleansed by God’s grace, and get ready to go into the world and do Hiis work?

Having a heart for worship is essential for us to have

The maintenance of diving worship

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