The Fire and Blade of Worship

So I did a quick google search and discovered that there are now more than 2500 personality test available for you to take.

We are a people who are fascinated with what makes us tick.

Some personalities value truth and logic above all else, whiles others long for joy and happiness

Some are governed by moral right and wrongs, while others are governed by relational harmony.

Some are concrete thinkers - and some are abstract thinkings

Some are assertive while others are more accommodating

Our personalities are indeed fascinating and each personality reflects the manifold witness of God’s divine image.

It would not be hard to distinguish and group together all the different personality types where we have.

all the logical thinkers over here

all the feeling feelers over there

and so on

However, if we were to drill down through the differences between us… what would bond us together?

What is one thing that we all have in common that make us tick?

At the end of day one thing we all have in common is that we are all worshippers.

No matter who you are, at your core you are designed to worship - There is no one on earth who is not a worshipper…

The question then we must all ask ourselves and ask each other is, “who or what do we worship”?

Worship is always controversial.

The evangelical church has been engaged in worship wars from the beginning…

Everyone has an opinion on worship, because we are all worshippers at our core.

And typically when people disagree about worship they are actually disagree about the form or style of worship - mainly, music.

Drums or no drums

hymns or modern praise

What about singing the psalms?

even chanting the Psalms.

However, we need to understand that...

Worship is far more than just the songs we sing on a Sunday morning

Its more than a feeling, its more than words, its deeper and far more profound than we often think.

At Exodus, there is a lot of intentionality that goes into our worship time each week. We strive to be faithful worshippers.

so, for us to be faithful worshippers of God, we must ask the question...

What is Worship?

Now, answering this question is far more challenging than it seems.

There are a few anchor we can hold to:

Our worship will be God centered

It will be under the authority of God’s word

It will be in Spirit and Truth.

But Its interesting, the bible never defines worship for us. But rather it describes worship.

We see worship as song, we see worship as work, we see worship as warfare.

We could have a whole series on worshipping God through

Singleness or marriage

Retirement and parenting

How we worship God at work, and how we worship God through rest.

And this is why the bible does not define worship, for any single definition will fail to see the scope of this thing called worship.

So this morning I want narrow it down and help you understand why we worship the way we do here at Exodus Church.

Why do we move through the service the way we do?

For many of you the liturgical movements of our service are strange and unsettling. I understand that

For some, it provides a sense of comfort and assurance.

This morning, I want to walk through our Liturgy, explain its movements, and why we choose to worship together in this way.

And to do this it is first important to understand worship...

Not as an experience…

Not as an expression...

But as formation.

Worship as Formation

Worship is formative. Always. God has actually created us to be formed by that which we worship.

And this is true no matter who or what you worship. As a worshiper you are always being formed into the image of that which you worship. For good, or for bad.

Speaking of idols the psalmist says in Ps. 135:18...

Psalm 135:15–18 ESV

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.

All those who make, those who worship them, become like them.

Example: Golden Calf

The Golden Calf

Do you all remember the story in Exodus 32 when the people of Israel made the golden calf for themselves to worship?

Moses was delayed coming down from mount Sinai, for he was up on the mountain receiving the word of God for the people.

The people grew tired of waiting for Moses so they told Aaron to make them gods who would go before them and lead them.

So Aaron took their gold and formed for them a golden calf,

the people worshipped the golden calf and even proclaimed that it was this golden calf that brought them up out of the land of Egypt.

they feasted with and sacrificed to it.

they danced and played before it as a celebration of their deliverance.

While Moses is on the mountain, God tells him what the people are doing.

Do you remember what God called the people?

Exodus 32:7–9 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

He calls them a stiff-necked people.

Its a strange name indeed… He could have called them rebellious, depraved, forgetful, impatient idolators

But he calls them a stiff necked people. Why?

God is telling Moses the people have become like what they worship.

In the same way that the golden calf had a stick neck, as it was made of gold, so the people have become like what they worship.

When Moses came down the mountain he burned with the anger of the Lord and took the golden calf and melted it down, ground it to dust and threw it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

This was a symbolic act to say, “you want to worship a golden calf, then drink the gold that you might become like what you worship.”

You see, worship is formative, no matter what. You are always formed into the image of that which you worship.

In the positive sense, Paul explains the formative power of worship in 2 Cor 3

2 Corinthians 3:18 RSV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Beholding (contemplating, reflecting) the glory of the Lord = Worship

We are being changed into his likeness = This requires the blade of scripture and the fire of the Spirit.

To be changed into his likeness is a death and resurrection, it is to walk the path of the sacrifice.

It is to let the Spirit due his work on us.

WHich is what Paul says next.

For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit = God’s active work in worship.

This is Key, Worship is formative, because it is God who is actively at work on us in our worship.

How does this happen? How is it that God works on us in worship?

Romans 12:1 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

God is the one who rolls up his sleeves to work on us, and he does so as our great high priest.

And we are to present ourselves to him as living sacrifices.

God stands ready as our high priest, knife in hand, ready to do what priests do with their sacrifices.

He is the high priest wielding the sword of the Spirit where he divides us into pieces with the sharp blade of God’s word...

cutting away the unclean aspects of our lives like,

Pride, jealously, bitterness, anger, envy, lust, fear, and doubt…

He cuts us into pieces and then puts us back together again…

He lays us open like the priest did to the sacrificial animals.

He calls us to die under the blade of scripture and and then sets us on fire with the Power of the Spirit.

And then raises us back to life, washing and cleansings us of all our sins.

He then brings us close as one who has been renewed in the power of the risen Christ.

He speaks to us through his word, and then invites us to feast with him at his table.

You see, Jesus does to us what the priests did with the sacrifices in Leviticus 9...

In fact, Paul had in mind the sacrifices of the OT when he calls us to be living sacrifices.

Paul had in mind the three sacrifices of Leviticus 9

Sin offering

The sin offering had to do with confessing and cleansing of sin and defilement.

Burnt Offering

The Burnt Offering was an offering of praise. Offering ones whole self to the Lord.

Peace offering

The peace offering was a meal shared with God the worshipper, and the community of believers.

So Paul calls us to present ourselves as living sacrifices…We come as living sacrifices, submitting ourselves to this process of confessing and cleansing, of offering praise, and of feasting with God and each other.

This is our morning liturgy.

He calls us to come before him as sacrifices (call to worship)

He then cuts us deep with the two edged sword of scripture, he separates us into pieces as our sins are laid bare before him. (confession)

He then puts us back together and washes us clean and he raises us back to life (assurance of pardon)

He then welcomes us closer as he speaks to us through his word (Sermon)

We then praise him with our whole selves (offering)

He then invites us to his table where we feast together (Communion)

He then sends us back out into the word renewed in the covenant to proclaim the good news of the king (benediction)

This is the story we participate in each and every week through our liturgy as we gather together to worship as the people of God.

The liturgical worship is the story of the gospel

Call to worship - Christ call on our lives

Confession - The gospel convicts us of our sin

Assurance - We are Justified in Christ - declared right/forgiven

Sermon - Discipleship and sanctification

Offering - As we mature we give our whole selves to him

Communion - Glorification when we fully become like the one we worship.

Benediction - We bring this gospel story to the nations

The liturgical worship is the story of the gospel

The liturgical worship is a dance

The liturgical worship is dialogical

The Liturgy

For many the word liturgy sounds like a word you would want to avoid.

Liturgy sounds old and archaic, its sounds catholic, lutheran, or orthodox.

And it smells of vein repetition and or dry tradition.

However, did you know that every church has a liturgy?

It only differs on whether or not its a good liturgy

In fact, every person lives according to liturgies.

Your life is liturgical, because God has made us liturgical beings.

God has not created us as just thinking things… where we come to church just to learn about God and go home and think about what we learned.

God has created us mind, body and emotion to worship him.

A robust biblical liturgy is how we get the story of the gospel not just into our heads, but all the way down into our bones.

Liturgy is how the gospel is caught not just taught.

The liturgy is the dance that the Spirit leads to form us into the image of Christ.

The liturgy is the dialogue between Christ and his bride on a Sunday morning.

He calls us into His presence;

We respond by confessing our sins before the presence of God

He then declares our sins forgiven;

We respond by singing praise to him for work he has done.

He speaks His word of Hope, comfort, rebuke, encouragement, promise and command;

We respond giving our whole selves to him, including our finances as we give our tithes and offerings.

He feeds us at His table; and

We respond by eating and drinking as he has told us to do

He sends us back into the world on mission

We respond by going into the world proclaiming the gospel of Christ in both word and deed.

And this liturgy is not something we have made up for we see it all throughout the Bible.

You see this liturgy forming the book of Revelation,

We see this throughout the psalms, and the prophets.

We see it in Nehemiah

We see in the three offerings of Leviticus 9.

You see all over the place in the bible.

Look with me quickly at Isaiah 6 and see how his vision of God follow this same basic liturgical flow.

First you have the call to worship in 1-4

Isaiah 6:1–4 ESV

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Confession v.5

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Assurance of Pardon vv.6-7

Isaiah 6:6–7 ESV

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Sermon v.8

Isaiah 6:8 ESV

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

How does Isaiah respond to God’s word? Here I am! Send me.

Benediction v.9

Isaiah 6:9 ESV

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

And in walking through the liturgy each and every week we get the gospel not only into our minds, but into our bones.

Call to Worship

When we gather together to worship on the Lord’s day, we must understand that it is not us who invites Spirit into our presence, but he is the one who calls us.

This is a beautiful story that we so often have our eyes closed too.

The creator of the world, The incarnate Christ, the one who walked on water and rose from the dead. This God, has called you here this morning.

He calls you to himself so he can embrace you

love you

Care for you

Help you

Strengthen you

shape you and form you

He has called you to come into his presence to sing for joy

And he called you to come into his presence so that you might receive comfort after a night full of tears and terror.

The Spirit is here my friends… and he is at work.

You know… the Spirit is described in three primarly ways in the bible.

Fire

Wind

Oil

These three descriptors of the Spirit are interesting because non of them can be grasped and held onto.

Often time we think of the Spirit as being the emotional feeling that comes and goes…

However this is not helpful. This is not how the Spirit is to comfort us, teach us, strengthen us and care for us.

The most tangible appearance of the Spirit is the person sitting next to you.

That person through whom the Holy Spirit dwells is how the Spirit ministers to you.

The church is the temple of the holy spirit, you are the temple of the holy spirit, if you want to be comforted or encouraged by the Spirit, don’t look for an emotional experience, look to the body of Christ.

This is the call to worship, the God who loves you and gave himself up for you, has called you to come into his presence with singing.

Confession of Sin

When we come into the presence of God, like Isaiah we confess that we are individuals with unclean lips

For we have individually fallen short of the glory of God.

And our sin, if left unconfessed, keeps us from worshiping God for who he is.

We must first be cut up and cleaned out so that we can then be put back together renewed in the gospel.

So we confess our sins as individuals

But we also see that our relationship with God is not just an individual thing. But rather we relate to God as a people, a community.

And as a community we must confess our sins together so that the church body as a whole can be cleansed from our sins.

Its an amazing thing how the sins of an individual will affect others.

And when we confess our sins, when we ask God for his forgiveness we in no way need to wonder if God hears us.

We don’t need to question if his grace will cover our sins this time

No, as a Church we can be, and must be, assured of our pardon

Assurance of Pardon

The assurance of pardon is when one of the elders of the church proclaims God’s assured forgiveness over his people.

These are the words of God’s assurance to us. And we need to hear it, every week.

in the same way our children need to hear us say, “I forgive you and i love you” so we need to hear this from our heavenly father.

And unlike other Christian traditions we do not think we have any authority in of ourselves to forgive your sins.

But rather we proclaim to you, we declare to you, by the great and powerful name of Jesus that your sins are forgiven.

We are harolds of God, we announce his forgiveness to you.

Then having confessed our sins, having received God’s assurance of our forgiveness, he has then recalibrated our hearts to hear from his word. We then move into the sermon..

Sermon

The sermon is not my words to you, but rather I seek to translate God’s word to you.

Our sermons are richly biblical and theological.

We want to serve you a good meal in the sermon.

We want to pull ingredients from Genesis all the way to revelation. We want to preach and proclaim the full council of God’s word.

So after God feeds us through his word, we then respond to his words by singing and giving ourselves to Christ through the offering.

Offering

Having been called into the presence of God, having been forgiven of our sins, have listened to his word, we now offer him our resources.

We give back to God what he has given to us.

This offering is to God in response of all that he has given us.

For he has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness, and now we give back to God a portion of what he has given us so that the message of the gospel can advance throughout the world.

We then move to the mountain top of the service.

Communion

Throughout the bible when we see God renewing his covenant with his people, it finds its climax near the end when God would feast with his people. We likewise see communion as being the highpoint of the service.

For this is not just a meal, but it is as Paul says, participation with Christ

1 Corinthians 10:16 ESV

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

When we drink from the cup we enter into the presence of God showing that the only reason we are there is because of the new covenant found in Christ blood.

And this meal that Jesus serves us is a foretaste of the great meal that is to come. When we all celebrate the glory of Christ in the new heavens and the new earth!

Benediction

The benediction is the sending.

You see, God calls us into his presence at the beginning of the service, he then, through worship, reforms and recalibrates our hearts.

He then sends out out into the world to bring the glory of God, and the message of the gospel to a lost and dying world.

He brings us into camp, he heals us, he feeds us, he redeems, renews, and restores us, and then he sends us back on mission, so that we might go forward seeing the redeeming, renewing, and restoring of all things to Christ.

Church the is the power of Worship.

That when we gather together on the Lords Day, he is active in our presence. He takes you and molds you, forms you, and recalibrates you to see him clearly. He then by the power of his spirit sends you out on a mission to see the whole world join you in this transformative worship.