Worship that Reflects the Character of God

Title: Worship that Reflects the Character of God

Text:

Series: Let's be a Christ-Centered Church

What does it mean that God is the Author of Peace in all of the Churches?

“peace” - freedom from worry;

- It is what God has given us

- It is what God has called us to

In Romans, Paul points out the fact that this is the peace we have received with God in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Speaks to harmonious relationship between God and man

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5365 Thoreau’s Ignorance

5365 Thoreau’s Ignorance

When Thoreau, the naturalist, was close to death, he was visited by a very pious aunt who asked, “Henry, have you made your peace with God?” “I didn’t know,” was Thoreau’s answer, “that we had ever quarreled.”

And in his answer he revealed his profound spiritual ignorance. Too many people are like him. They are utterly unconscious of the fact that they have sinned against God and so have “quarreled” with Him, and are really lost and separated from God. The first step in coming to Christ is to realize one is a sinner, a lost sinner.

Thoreau’s answer revealed that he still was a lost man: he didn’t know he was lost and so he had never come to Christ to get saved. Here is the truth about man’s sin and lost condition by nature.

—Christian Victory

Speaks to harmonious relationships between men

For the Christian, it is the supernatural ability to live in peace with others because we are at peace with God.

The usage in this passage implies that it is not just a passive peace, but a peace that happens because we devote ourselves to the edification of believers.

This is how we received peace with God by the proactive work of Jesus Christ. He did not sit back and sit at peace.

We are not called sit back and be at peace. This peace requires the proactivity of God’s people.

And why would Paul say this here? It is because God has gifted believers for specific reasons, and worship is to be a reflection of the character of God:

Christian worship is to reflect the character of God. The Holy Spirit is not like a Ping-Pong ball careening from one person to another and creating mass confusion. - Garland, David E.

Garland, David E.. 1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Kindle Locations 15204-15205). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Proposition:

We should yearn for the corporate assembly to worship God in a manner that shows for the character of God!

(1) Because of who God is, our worship is commanded to be for edification (v. 26)

Explanation:

Though we do not see the character of God spoken about until later, this command is given with this character of God in mind.

Explain: psalm, teaching, tongue, revelation, interpretation

Application:

Principle: an individual who is at peace with God is free to obediently seek peace with other believers at church.

This means that whether singing, teaching, or speaking the character of God is manifested as we pursue peace. Blessed are the peacemakers.

What prevents people from this principle application?

An individual who is exhibiting the opposite of this, who exhibits a critical spirit, who is using his platform to promote his anger is one who (this application is for outside the assembly times too…i.e. social media):

Is not at peace with God

Has forgotten that he’s at peace with God

Illustration:

1001 Illustrations that Connect Illustration 83: Going to the Maker

ILLUSTRATION 83

GOING TO THE MAKER

Topics: Bible; Consequences; Disobedience; Guidance; Happiness; Obedience; Renewal

References: Psalm 119:105; John 10:10

My old laptop simply would not run the MacBible software anymore. Though I had experimented with it for hours, nothing worked. My wife, wise woman that she is, suggested that I call the owners of the software for help, but no, I knew what I was doing.

That morning, after having exhausted every last idea, I gave in and called the MacBible Corporation. After speaking to a friendly voice, I was assured that the person to whom I was being referred would know exactly what to do. I wasn’t convinced, but I called him anyway.

The name I had been given sounded familiar, and I soon learned why. The person on the other end of the line was none other than the man who had written the MacBible software. He gave me a brief set of instructions, which I wrote down. In minutes, my computer software program was up and running. I just had to go to the man who wrote the program.

How many times in life don’t we try to work out our problems our own way? Finally, when all else has failed, we go to the one who designed us. Soon, if we obey, we find ourselves once again at peace with God and functioning as he planned.

—Tim Quinn, Holland, Michigan

(2) Worship that reflects the character of God uses tongues in these specific ways (v. 27 - 28):

Explanation:

Limited number (v. 27)

Orderly (v. 27)

Interpretation (v. 27)

Keep silence (v. 28)

Keep private (v. 28)

Application:

Principle: Christian worship is to

Illustration:

(3) Worship that reflects the character of God uses prophecy in these specific ways (v. 29 - 30):

Explanation:

Limited number

Limited number

Let others weigh carefully

Consideration for other speakers

Application:

Principle: Christian worship at GBC is to be characterized by the proactive use of gifts in an orderly and self-restrained manner.

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Pride

Pride

As C.S. Lewis indicates: Pride is essentially competitive—is competitive by its very nature—while the other vices are competitive only, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good looking, there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.

Gary Inrig, “A Call to Excellence,” Victor Books, Wheaton, ILL, 1985, pp. 33-45

What prevents us from this?

Our pride does not like to be judged or for people to weigh what are saying. (v. 29)

We absolutely despise being wrong. Why?

We despise being wrong because we have wrongly attached our self-worth to what we are saying.

Because we have attached our self-worth to what we are saying, we are devastated when someone judges what we have said to be wrong.

This means that we tend to have a greater zeal for our own glory than the glory of the LORD.

God’s character being manifested in our worship is more important than us being wrong

This mindset shows that we have FORGOTTEN the peace we have with God and that our worth is not tied to what people say about us but to Jesus Christ.

Our individuality does not like to work under orders (v. 30)

This is often not something we are consciously saying.

This is something within our sinful nature.

There is something humbling about being told what to do.

Listen to how we introduce what we do to people:

“I manage all of the finances for such and such company...”

“I am the supervisor of such and such...”

“I teach people how to...”

Remember now the humility of Jesus Christ.

Illustration:

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Sheila-ism

Sheila-ism

Another poll sheds light on this paradox of increased religiosity and decreased morality. According to sociologist Robert Bellah, 81 percent of the American people also say they agree that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue.” Thus the key to the paradox is the fact that those who claim to be Christians are arriving at faith on their own terms—terms that make no demands on behavior. A woman named Sheila, interviewed for Bellah’s Habits of the Heart, embodies this attitude. “I believe in God,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time I went to church. But my faith has carried me a long way. It’s ‘Sheila-ism.’ Just my own little voice.”

Against the Night, Charles Colson, p. 98

(4) Worship that reflects the character of God has a two-fold purpose (v. 31):

Explanation:

That all may learn

That all may be comforted (implore, invite, exhort, call together, encourage)

Application:

Principle: The orderly, self-restrained worship is to encourage and invite all people in participation.

Illustration:

1001 Illustrations that Connect Illustration 207: Human-Sized God

ILLUSTRATION 207

HUMAN-SIZED GOD

Topics: Incarnation; Jesus Christ; Jesus, One with the Father

References: John 1:18; Colossians 1:15–20

A village had a statue so immense that you couldn’t see exactly what it represented. Someone finally miniaturized the statue so one could see the person it honored.

“That is what God did in his Son,” said the early church father Origen. Paul tells us Christ is the visible icon or image of the invisible God (Colossians 1). In Christ we have God in a comprehensible way. In Christ we have God’s own personal and definitive visit to the planet.

—Dale Bruner, “Is Jesus Inclusive or Exclusive?” Theology, News & Notes (October 1999)

(5) Worship that reflects the character of God is made possible by God. (v. 32 - 33)

Explanation:

Worship that reflects the character of God uses prophecy in these specific ways (v. 29 - 30):

Limited number Let others weigh carefully Consideration for other speakers

Worship that reflects the character of God has a two-fold purpose (v. 31):

God has designed men in such a way that man still has control over his own spirit. This is to contradict the errant teaching of their day and our day as well, that men lose control of their bodies when the Spirit takes over.

That all may learn That all may be comforted

Worship that reflects the character of God is made possible by God. (v. 32 - 33)

Application:

Principle: We are responsible for the decisions we make in relation to assembly worship.

What prevents us from this?

A misguided understanding of the Holy Spirit causes people to wait for impressions or feelings.

This misguided idea of the Holy Spirit causes some people to sit idly by and not proactively seek the kind of peace that reflects the character of God.

Illustration:

Conclusion:

Do you really know the Author of Peace?

If you really know the Author of Peace, have you taken time to remember how this Peace was made possible for you?

Does your worship today manifest the evidences of the peace you say you have?

Are you paralyzed by your pride or individuality, that’s why you are NOT proactively manifesting the character of God in your worship?

Our worship is to reflect the character of God. This should be proactively, not sitting back. We should have a humility that allows others to discern and help correct us. It goes both ways. This produces stronger, more mature Christians and an environment of true peace, as opposed to the chaos in our world.