True and Proper
Worship • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Worship in the new Community
Worship in the new Community
We have been in this series on worship now for nearly two months and we are in the last couple of weeks on it
One of the things that we have done is walk from the Old Testament to the New Testament
We are looking at how this theme of worship goes from the first pages of the Bible to the last pages.
It is in everything
God designed us as worshipers
God designed us primarily as people who worship…
Whether it is cheering on your favorite sporting team
Whether it is religiously following a politician
whether it is coming to church and lifting your hands
Everything we do is worship!
I actually found out this week that the english word for Worship comes from the old english Worthship, referring to the worthiness of a person or an object to receive praise, adoration, sacrifice…This is very similar to the greek and Hebrew too
So what we have been talking about is the worthiness of the Lord to receive our adoration! To receive our praise
But I think the need to worship is baked into the human condition
I am actually reminded of a verse out of Ecclesiastes
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
God designed us to think about eternity, to ask question like, is there a God
We are designed to search out because we inherently know that all of this didn’t just spontaneously exist…That the creation denotes a creator…And anyone who can do this desires all of our praise.
Because we rationally know that if the answer is yes to that question then we have a responsibility
Human creatures are just looking for something to worship
Last week we left off talking about how Jesus worshiped
That first we see with Jesus that He had this unwavering allegiance to Jesus and his obedience was given to who he was allegiant to…
Jesus was obedient until death because his allegiance was in check
This week if you didn't get it before…We are moving to the early church…
How did the early church treat worship?
So Flip with me to arguably the greatest verse that Paul has ever written
We did a huge series on Romans and Pastor Evan covered these verses very well…But they are worth re-looking at when you think about worship
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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.
When Paul says I urge you, The Greek there is to say get off the fence! Make a decisive decision as to what you were going to do
The point that Paul is making is that Holiness is a deliberate act of of the will
Worshiping God is deliberate…It is making a choice.
So Paul is actually being really direct and saying look in View of God’s mercies!
In other words
Central to worship is remembering the mercies of God.
Central to worship is remembering the mercies of God.
What is Paul saying here? In view of God’s Mercies?
Now we just finished a study though the book of Romans we spent a number of months there so what I am going to do will be review for many of us.
What Mercies is he talking about? Well I am Glad you asked:
Let’s just look at the Mercies that Paul talks about in the book of Romans:
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Ok Righteousness is given through faith: This means you do not need to try to be the most perfect person in the world…That when your allegiance is in Jesus then obedience will follow!
Last week one of the points I made is what you are obedient to reveals your allegiance! Jesus’ Obedience unto death revealed his allegiance to the father…What you are obedient to reveals who you are allegiant to…
So last week we talked about how Jesus was worshipful and obedient to his father and his whole life was worship but in a joyful way, not a legalistic way
Sometimes we believe that righteousness comes through acting a certain way or by being really good…
But what Paul is saying is that righteousness is by having your faith or your allegiance in Jesus!
THAT IS MERCY!
Then look: No difference between Jews and Gentiles God freely redeems anyone! It doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from, what your background is. Jesus wants to redeem you and start a relationship with you!
THAT IS MERCY!
All have the sin problem, all have fallen short of God’s favor…But even so Jesus brings us Grace!
And you are justified…Which means even though you are guilty! Jesus on the cross declares you NOT GUILTY!
MERCY!
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
See the new mercies in Jesus is that suffering is now even different…Because Jesus suffered and died we now see all of life differently
Suffering stinks but in Jesus suffering gives us perseverance and character and hope…
And even through suffering we can experience God’s supernatural love
The amount of stories of christians who have been persecuted from around the world, who in the midst of being tortured say something like a mysterious love for my captor came over me…And I pitied the person torturing me and began praying for them!
THAT IS HUGE MERCY
That through Jesus, suffering takes on a new meaning!
Because God is with us in the midst of our suffering
In view of God’s Mercy!
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
How about this for mercy. Our sins deserve punishment and death but because of Jesus he covers us with his blood…He takes our punishment and now we are saved from God’s anger at sin
Because Jesus simply loves his creation and wants to redeem it! And now we are saved from the wrath of God, we just get to experience the Love of God!
COME ON! MERCY
Remember we are just looking at one line here…In view of God’s Mercy…
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
So not only are we united with Jesus through death but we will now experience resurrection to
How is that for mercy?
Death has no power over us any more
It was Pastor John McArthur who said that all death can do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus
Paul even quotes Hosea when he says: Oh death where is your power? Oh death where is your sting?
How is this for mercy. You don’t have to be afraid of dying! Death has lost its sting!
Oh death where is your victory!
Death for the christian is turned from trauma to joy
Because all death does for you and me is takes us to the throne-room of God where you will experience love in all of God’s fullness…
This is MERCY
Then look again at Romans 6:5-7The body that is ruled by sin is done away with!
In other-words through Jesus he can set you free from sin
I 100% believe that if you are here with a sin issue
Whether it is Lust and Pornography
Whether it is Greed
Whether it is pride
Whether it is deceitfulness
whether it is any “ism” alcoholism to racism…
That though Jesus that you can be 100% delivered from all of these things.
I have seen it time and time again..>People who surrender their lives to Jesus and treat Jesus as Lord…Radical changes
This is MERCY!
It is the power of God to set people free from the sinful things that used to control them!
THIS IS MERCY!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Our lives used to condemn us! …Our own words would condemn us…
that we have done but because of the blood of Jesus there is no condemnation!
We are set free from it! If your life is given over to Jesus your also free from eternal condemnation
Mercy! Straight up mercy!
How many things in our professional lives are we condemned for?
Sometimes the way you grew up your internal monologe is one of concemnation…Maybe you had a mother or father who was super condemning of your life and every decision that you made!
And now you just have a voice of condemnation in your head. Jesus wants to set you free from that because if you have been forgiven in him then you have new life in Him and THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION IN JESUS!
This is MERCY!!!
And there is more mercy
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
How about this for a mercy?
Even in your life when you are struggling through something and you don’t even know what to pray the spirit of God comes to us in our weakness and even if your prayer is a wordless groan!
God is like. YUP I totally get it!
I know what you mean
I’ve got your back! I hear you
Like when you’ve been married for so long and your deflated and your spouse looks at you and is like yup I get it! No words are necessary you just get what they are saying
That is what the holy spirit does
You are going though something rough and are like…I dont even know how to articulate what I am thinking right now and the Holy spirit is like I know your every groan…I’ll intercede for you!
MERCY!
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing
There is nothing
No height, no depth, the present or the future or any powers…>There is literally nothing that can separate us from the love of the father
He loves you and when your life is wrapped up in his life
There is an unbreakable bond of love
Mercy
It’s all mercy
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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.
So in this brand new church centered in and on Jesus…What does Paul URGE the church to do?
One Remember all of the mercies of the Lord
Whenever you are struggling in life you should make a timeline in your life of God’s mercy…Because we easily forget…All the way though the bible there is this command to remember…Remember I am the one who brought you out of slavery with a mighty hand
Remember I am the one who gave you the promised land…
And church, I am not kidding whenever you are going though a time that is difficult get out a sheet of paper and say ok what has God done in my life…write down God’s mercies in your life
I just remember being a young pastor and parent and it sort of seems like when your a young parent of three little kids every little change is like a huge change and you freak out a little and ask How can God ever get us out of this situation!
And now my wife and I whenever we face really big challenges our new line is like hey, God has never not provided…He has always taken care of us…He will do it again!
Remembering the mercies of God builds and strengthens your faith
and two
He calls the church to a lifestyle of holiness!
A lifestyle of holiness is worship
A lifestyle of holiness is worship
Now Paul doesn’t use the word holiness…. But this is what he is saying
Now Holiness is a word ascribed to the Lord. God is holy. He is totally other in everything he says and does.
The Lord is set apart! And when he saves us from our sin…We now need to be set apart from sin
And this is a decision that we make…
This is why Paul says I urge you
It is actually making a definitive decision to to say not only has Jesus saved my life but I am going to set my life apart for him…That’s what a living sacrifice is!
And actually if you want to see a great picture
It is a decision to say I am going to stay away from the things that cause me to sin
There is a woman named Phoebe Palmer who was a 19th century evangelist who had a huge impact on American Christianity
She traveled the country calling people to holiness
She literally wanted to go to christians and her message was yes, I know that you have accepted Jesus, now what?
Well the now what is to make a decision to set your life apart for Jesus
To allow Jesus to come into every part of your life and cleanse you!
Holiness is making a definitive decision to become a living sacrifice…In view of all God has done for you!
Let’s look at the next part of what Paul says here
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world:
Non-conformity with the world is an act of worship
Non-conformity with the world is an act of worship
See conformity with Jesus means non-conformity with the world
This is something that all the early church authors would talk about
Let’s look at a few examples:
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
See in view of God’s mercy our act of worship looks like full commitment to Jesus
There is a fence that we walk on every day…And that is the way that the world usually works
That is the judgement…The self righteousness…that is the brokenness that the world usually operates in
But what Paul is saying is look the world wants to have you! but the world’s desires pass away!
Live for Jesus in every area of your life
From Romans 12 it is clear that acceptable worship to God involves living like Jesus,,,
The idea is that real Reverence to the Lord is surrender to the point that you look like him
Phoebe Palmer whom I mentioned before was famous for her alter calls
Well Palmer was famous for preaching that Christ himself is the alter Infact still today the thing that she has the largest impact on is “alter theology” which she sort of developed…
She called the church to Entire devotion toward God
She had three steps that she would call people to
She would call the church to laying your body on the alter of God!
In churches where she would preach she would ask them if they had an alter, if they did not she would insist that one would be built before she came and preached…Because her entire message was Romans 12:1-2…To make a decisive decision to become a living sacrifice…
She called this concentration, This is your decision to say Jesus you have my whole life and my body too. Set me apart for you!
The next thing she would call people to is faith…And this is a little different than you might think: The people who Palmer preached to already had faith in Jesus This was faith in Jesus that he can actually cleanse you from sin and give you a new life!
and third she called people to testify In other words…Just tell someone else about what God has done for you
This is what Phoebe Palmer called the church to and she started a revival in holiness
She helped to create a people who were following Jesus and not the ways of the world
We need this now more than ever. We need the church to look like Jesus…We don’t need the church to look like a political parties or protesters…We need the church to look like Jesus…
One of the things that I am continually troubled at in American culture is the problem that Christianity has when it too tightly aligns with any political party…
The message you all get as Americans is that the moral thing to do is to be on this side of the asile or that side of the asile.
And both sides fall exceedingly short to the glory and power of Jesus christ
So as your pastor I don’t want you looking like a good republican or a good democrat I want you looking like Jesus and that takes time with Jesus
The Apostle Paul uses Malachi 3 to talk about our lives and the useless things being burned up
It is the idea of the refiner’s fire and I think it is central to the point on holiness and worship:
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,
See a silver refiner sits in his cubicle with the silver over the hottest part of the fire and has to watch carefully…
See the impurities are being burned out but if he holds it too long in the fire then the silver can over heat and be ruined
But the silver smith knows the perfect time to remove the silver from the fire and that is when it becomes so reflective that he can see his own face in the silver!
Church. The call to worship in the early church is the call to holiness
Its not necessarily singing songs or attending church…They saw their whole lives as worship when they went out into the world and lived as living sacrifices…Not participating in the things that the world does
It is the call to remember the mercies of God
It is the call to be set apart for the lord
Worship is when the parts of your life that no one ever sees reflect Jesus’ life
Worship is when the parts of your life that no one ever sees reflect Jesus’ life
It is the call to look like Jesus and not conform any longer with this world
So today
Maybe you're here and you want to become a christian
Or more likely maybe you’re here and you already believe what Jesus did for you what you want is sanctification…You want your whole life set apart
You want the refiners fire
You want the impurities in your life to burn up so that when God looks at you he just sees a person after his own heart
CHURCH this is WORSHIP!
It is a whole life…with your body, not conformed to the pattern of this world but a life that looks like Jesus’ life!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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.
Prayer Team in the back
Maybe today you need to make a definitive decision that your life will be of worship to the Lord !
Maybe today you need to make a definitive decision that your life will be set apart for Jesus
Maybe today you need to make a definitive decision that your life will no longer reflect the patters of this world but will reflect the person of Jesus
