Senior Adult Luncheon - 20230712
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Well, those of you who are Reds fans (or baseball fans in general) will understand this, but we are going deep into the bullpen today. Pastor James is sick, and Pastor Bill was not available today. So, you get me. Sorry for that!
We are going to look at my area of supposed expertise today, but I hope that it is helpful to you. I want to encourage some participation, so I have a couple of prizes today. We’ll see how this all goes.
Thoughts from Pastor James:
What are ways as a senior adult that you find challenging to live the Christian life?
Specifically thinking about how we can become like the world, and it is only by the Word that we are transformed.
What are concerns that you have for your children or grandchildren as it pertains to the worldly influences?
What ways have you found helpful in using the Bible with your grown kids or grandchildren?
When you have your grandkids over do you read scripture at meals or do you just pray?
As a senior adult, how many of you have been regularly active in church for less than 40 years?
Less than 25 years? (etc.)
So, judging from that, many of you have been in church as long as I’ve been alive. That means you have seen some interesting things. I mean, I was in church every Sunday nine months before I was born. I’ve been a Christian since like 1984. I have also seen some of the changes first hand.
(Book Giveaway) Thinking about that, what would you say worship looked like 40 years ago? Someone paint that picture for me.
...
Ok, we sang hymns, we had reverence. The gospel was preached.
(Book Giveaway) Now, somebody tell me how worship today looks differently than worship 40 years ago?
...
Music has changed. Maybe not as reverent (clothing, etc.). Gospel is still preached (at least here).
(Book Giveaway) Now, finally, what did worship look like in Scripture?
OT - sacrificial system, Levitical laws, blood atonement. Singing, reading of the law and the prophets (scripture), looking to the Messiah
NT - Messiah has come, sacrificial system and priestly system had been replaced by Christ. Still singing and proclamation of the gospel/scripture.
OK, so let’s look at a couple passages of scripture and think through what the Bible says about worship and how we as believers, especially if you are in the latter half of life, how we can prepare our hearts and minds for worship.
Let’s start by looking at a passage from Hebrews 13.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
And we are also going to look at Romans 12:1-2
1 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. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Now, I want you to see how the New Testament writers, who were actually Jewish and had that cultural understanding of the Christ - the Messiah, yet also were actual followers of Jesus. This is the part where many Jews diverged from Christianity. They are still looking for the Christ - they missed Jesus.
If we look at the Hebrews passage, we see that the writer there goes back to the ceremonial system. If you are struggling to understand the language and imagery here, I would encourage you to read the book of Leviticus. It is a great way to understand or at least get a picture of how the sacrificial system worked. It talks about how the priests were ordained, or set apart. It talks about how the sacrifices should be brought and prepared. It talks about the different types of sacrifices.
All of that is the undergirding of the passage in Hebrews 13. The writer takes that knowledge that his predominantly Jewish audience would know in their bones, and makes the leap to Christ.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
He sets up how Jews who reject Christ and still seek atonement under the Law are missing it. They don’t have a right to it. Later (12-13) we see the only way is through Christ. In these verses here, he points to that old sacrificial system. Again, if you know your Leviticus, you understand the burning outside the camp, etc.
But then we see:
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
We should and must share in Christ’s sufferings. We see that in Romans 12:1
1 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.
We are a living sacrifice. We are expected to endure the same reproach Christ endured.
We know it is hard today to live out our faith, but Christ has called us to do it anyway. Why?
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Because we are ambassadors of heaven. This isn’t our final home. We are citizens of another kingdom.
15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
This is the heart of the matter. I define worship as a sacrifice of lips and life, and I get that from here. Through Christ we are to continually, daily, over and over again, offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.
Sacrifice means something has to die. In our case, many times, our convenience has to die. Our pride. Our preferences. We have to put those to death. We have to offer up the fruit of lips that acknowledge Christ.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
This is how we are transformed, this is how we renew our minds. By offering up that sacrifice of praise.
And how we don’t neglect to do good and share what we have. This is how we show our love. We sacrificially give our time, our talents, our treasure to our neighbors for God’s glory. Hebrews tells us that such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
And that is what worship is: giving our lives to Him, because He gave His Son for us. It isn’t an item we check off of a checklist, but a desire to show our love.
Worship isn’t the music time. Worship is a way of life. It is how we live our lives. It is an attitude of the heart.