March 21, 2021 Sunday Morning Service

Bridger

Good morning, everybody. It is a joy to see a larger crowd and we've normally had over these past several months, but it's great to see everyone here this morning the great encouragement now only to me but to everyone else that everyone is beginning to show up as we go through this pandemic together and as it whines down and do it somewhere so thankful for that to be talking about coming together and we'll be thinking about one word one word. That's found in the Bible and we routinely do this word. We regularly do this word and it's called worship. And we worship together. That's the design of the Sunday Assembly that's the design of the first day of the week is sembly where Christians who have spent the week by themselves doing the work that they must do providing for their families and join their families, but now we have the opportunity on the first day of the week to come together and to worship Our God together and as we think about that opportunity It's sort of like giving a greeting to somebody when we worship and we all like greetings, you know, yesterday went out to breakfast and there was a group of gentlemen who were in the restaurant and they were just happy no cutting up having a good time. But they were saying good morning to everybody that you know saying how do you know that and it's such a good feeling when people do that they can share their you're with one another that way, you know, I just got back from visiting my mom. And and she would as always her greeting is this she'll run and show hug and then she'll back up and she lifts her hands up to my face and she will kiss me on the lips and then she'll back away and hug me again, and she'll do that for all of her sons. well, except one, I won't mention his name cuz he said he's out of the will but but she does that all the time. She has always done it. It's been her custom and her grieving and it's such a joy that when that happens to you and I and here we think about our church and we get together and now we're slowly coming back and those germs are are leaving us and guess what? We're hugging more. We're back almost normal hugging right? We're looking forward to the day we can just simply hug each other one more time. And that's a blessing that's called family. and really when we come together as a church as an assembly we're coming together as a family to worship who God Almighty Our Father our father and worship is that idea? So as we think about worship I want to think about this. Here we go. John chapter 4 verse 21 and 24, you know that God is spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. But here's the background of some of that beginning of verse 21. Jesus is speaking to the Samaritan woman and he just got done telling her that they don't know what they're worshipping. But he know the words you were Samaritans don't know what you're worshipping. You're not worshiping properly. You haven't been for Generations us Jews. We have been we've been sticking to God's word and then he says but the time is coming and now is when we will no longer worship on this mountain. Or on that note. And so he picks up there because woman believe me the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain orange Jerusalem worship the father you worship what you do not know. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews but the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and Truth for the father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit. And those that worship Him must must must Worship in spirit and Truth. There is as in Joshua 24, he says worship God and sincerity and Truth out of a humble heart. We Obey from the heart Romans chapter 6 verse 17 tells us when you do those things out of the heart. It's out of sincerity. It's out of gratitude and thankfulness. And so it's in spirit and in truth according to God's word. So there's a worship that is regulated by God's word. It tells us what to do when it comes to worse and how to do it when it comes to worship. And that is when we assemble together for sure on the first day of the week as we consider worship the word worship comes from the main word for Studio or cross Canelo and it's hard to kiss the kiss literally to kiss towards Some of our forefathers in Churches of Christ kind of added some commentary there. They said kiss the hand toward but it's just literally Kiss tour. And so the object you're kissing toward. Okay, that's the idea. And of course in ancient days, they would certainly kiss the hand of a king or a queen some prominent figure or they might kiss on the cheek or something even more like this.

You blow a kiss. Sometimes we say when we say goodbye we do that right, but in other cultures it's saying hello. blowing a kiss kissing towards That is what worship is its. Kissing the father. It's kissing the father to work and just as we blow that kiss to him and you can fix yourself as a mommy or daddy and you grab that piss and you taking it. That's what he does for our worship. It's a kiss. So every time we do an act of worship their acts of worship rap Everytime We Sing that's an act of worship. Every time we pray that's an act of worship. Every time we read the scriptures together. Every time there's a preaching in a message. Every time you go out and serve. That's doing what God desires of us. But when you put it in that fashion with a kiss toward you get a picture of the work that word gives us a definite picture and it's about a kiss. That's what worship is. So the question I have this morning and a question. I'll be asking through out the sermon is why are you here today? Some will say well we have to worship God on the first day of the week. That is a decent reason God's early desires us to worship him on the first day of the week no doubt about it. But is that all there is when it comes to worshiping God and that isn't all about just God. Well the proposition this morning is it's more than just worshipping God and it's more than just the Lord's supper. Right? Some people do come for the Lord's supper and then we will go right but that's not it. It's more much more when it comes to worshiping kissing the hand. Wart or kissing toward God. I don't know what the next screen is. But as we get to Isaiah chapter 2 the idea of worshipping God, we're going to talk about two worlds this morning. And there's going to be two passages dealing with each word and we're going to look at first of our look at motivation. Why are you here participation what you do when you are here? And so as we consider that and get into that, I want us to take a look at what I say, Isaiah prophesied about the coming time of worship in the Lord's Church. The Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountain shall be exalted above the hills and All Nations all ethnic groups all if not us shall flow to it many people should come and say come and let us go up to the mountain little Lord to the house of the god of Jacob. He will teach us his ways and we shall walk in his path for out of Zion. That's Jerusalem. Shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Notice how he uses one word to describe both words, right and out of the word the Lord from the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem, but he does in the poetic fashion. What was described her lyrics by Sia? The city of God and that is Jerusalem. So he says together with Jews and they will worship God together. It only coming to the end of Isaiah Isaiah chapter 66 verse 23 it shall come to pass that from the new moon to another and from one status to another All Flesh shall come to worship before me says the Lord now are you say while he's only using using Jewish language there by saying from one new moon to another word for one Sabbath to a another. Yes he is, but what you talkin about? He's talking about a fixed time. Abortion just asking juice had a fixed time of worship from one new moon to the other after one Sabbath to another isn't that special isn't that something remarkable? That's what he's talking about. We coming to the New Testament. We understand that fixed time for worship for everyone can come together is what day today Sunday the first day of the week and so we are great. We appreciate that so much but as we consider what Isaiah said here Notice, he says first of all don't be a learning in Isaiah chapter 2 and now he says they'll be worship and Isaiah chapter 66 and all of us a prophecy Prophecy of the coming Church. Let's talk about the motivation the motivation in from that we get what we had just heard from Kayden who read Hebrews chapter 10 verses 23 through 25. Let us hold fast the confession of Our Hope. There's one whole of salvation. Romans chapter 8 verse 24. Hope there's one hope Ephesians chapter 4 and verse for so there's this and remember it's not a wish I wish to go to heaven know I expect to go to heaven. That's the idea of biblical fast to that confession of Our Hope without wavering. That is b or sure of your salvation.

For he who promised is faithful? And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some we come to this passage. Especially preachers they come to this passage and they will highlight not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. We know that if you miss the Lord's assembly guess what that's a sin. That's a command right there. And every time we missing assembly on purpose we sent. No, he's not talking about well, if you're in a nursing home, and you can't get around God understands that if your sick God understands that if you've been in an auto wreck God understands that if you were helping someone God understands that right, he's talking about all things being equal. You better be there. But I want to set that aside because that's not really why we're here. We're not here simply, but we don't miss the assembly. I want us to think about what the writer here says. He says consider one another the word there simply means to think down. In the Greek to think about the individual to think about each other. That's why we come to the assembly not just to worship God right there. Is this vertical right this vertical aspect to worship that is week we worship but there's a horizontal aspect. We don't worship each other, but we consider and we think about one another. What is that me to think down upon one another to think? Well he saying. Get to know one another just like us we work during the week. They work during the week. They had families 2:10 to they had animals to tend to they couldn't get together all the time. They didn't have the conveniences that we have, right? They didn't have telephones and they didn't have any mail. They didn't have all the luxuries and so coming together on the first day of the week to worship. God also meant to be and one another company to share with one another and so to stir up. 2 stirrup to provoke stir the pot and we'll get to that in just a second but to think about one another to think about your wife. I think about my life. You know when he says one another what is that mean? It's a two-way street one another it's reciprocal right? We want to get to know each other better. We want to know what's going on in our lives, right? We want to know how you doing physically emotionally, spiritually. We want to know about you why

Because you're my brother because you're my sister. That's why that's why. it's so why did you come here this morning? Did you come here to think about your brother and your sister? Did you come here to stir up to provoke one another to love and good works? Now let's think about the idea of love for just a second.

That love that's beautiful that love that looks out for the interests of another that's the love under consideration. And he says when he get together on Sunday, you should find out about each other learn more about each other and encourage one another for what? to do more loving to do more good works because if we don't do that, we're not going to be as loving and we're not going to be doing those good works. But that's what coming together on the first day of the week means it means we're preparing ourselves and one another to meet. The week ahead to meet the people. We will come into contact with. And it begins here on the first day of the week preparing your heart for all of that. To stir up to provoke you into love to loving others. Now, what's love has that song from Tina Turner from the 1980s What's Love Got to Do With It everything everything? Right though. I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love. I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal and do I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge of though. I have all Faith so that I can remove mountains but have not love. I am nothing you know, I was a younger person thinking about that idea about faith moving mountains. Of course, that's just an idiom to the expression. It's a figure of speech doesn't mean the move mountains. I thought that was pretty cool though that once I became a Christian I can move a mountain. So you go up to the mountain side. You start thinking and I can't move the mountain. I just don't have enough Faith. So I'll start small with a pen. I put up and then I'll start thinking about that.

But he says it all. I have bestow all my goods to feed the poor. That's all I give my body to be burned but have not love it profits me. Nothing nothing. That's right. Love what suffers long and is kind.

Love suffers long and is kind does not envy. Does not parade itself is not puffed up does not behave rudely does not provoke does not think evil. Does not do those things love rejoices in the truth not in iniquity. Love bears all things hopes, all things endures all things Love Never Fails. That's love. Now you think about all the broken relationships in the world? from time immemorial And when you go up before God and the and the body and send the minister and you say I do why do you say I do I love you?

They need to go to chapter 13 First Corinthians because that's what love is puts up with me love puts up with you. Love doesn't abandon someone simply because they've done something wrong. That's not how it works. Love puts up with a lot. And so it is that we are to stir up one another to love. And good works. You know in first and Titus Titus Chapter 3 beginning a verse 1 the Bible there talks about maintaining good works. And then in chapter 3 verse 827 versus later it says maintain good works. And then few versus later reversed 14, it says maintain good works. And I'm quite familiar to you. I hope is Ephesians chapter 2 inverse 10 uses for we are created in Christ Jesus for unto good works. That's not really what it says. Some people don't like it when they hear this but it says for we are created in Christ Jesus on the basis of good works. How did we get into Jesus Christ? By Good Works not works of the law. but works of God works that God has given under the gospel dispensation under the New Covenant not under the old law, but under the new I'm so scared how you get into Christ? You need to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. For without faith. It is impossible to please God, right? So you have to believe

And then he says you have to repent of your sins. In fact God it said and Jonah chapter 3 and verse 10 that the people had Miniver had repented and he saw their works. Repentance is the work confession confessing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Confession with the mouth with the lips therefore that's a work I need to do being baptized into Christ is an assignment that God has given to each of its a work that we need to do. Those are the good works. That's almost as well. Those things really aren't works. Especially baptism because in Colossians chapter 2 verse 12, it says where we are baptized into Christ into the working of God, but wait a minute. It says were baptized. into Christ Into the working of God, the working of God is the forgiveness of sin. God works that way but I have to bring myself to be baptized. I have to want to be baptized and I have to understand the purpose of why I'm being baptized. Those are the good works. So he says for your created in Christ Jesus, that's how it all began. That's how you your creation of a new create creature in Christ began by doing those good works. So as we consider more of these these thoughts you want to go now to the idea of participation participation. if we think about

going back to the the motivation. The motivation is what did they do? If we do it, they did will get what they got right before me say that before. So what did they do? They came together? Yes to worship God but they came together to exact you know what I didn't finish that they came together to consider to think about one another in order to stir up love a good work and noticed when it says but exhorting one another Encouraging one another come on. You can do it right that work there for encouraging exhorting means run to one side. Have you ever seen a marathon? The Boston Marathon New York City marathon in San Francisco marathon, Oklahoma City Marathon everywhere and not one. But if there's someone that comes running along the side of the runner. And they're giving them water. That's right. Keep it going. Keep it up. You're doing good. That's why we come together. Do you need any help? Is there anything I can do for you? These are the things that we're dealing with here. This is what the first century Christians did and so we must as well. But as we consider more of the participation we could be dealing with 1st Corinthians chapter 14. Now I'm going to say at the outset that this is a passage or chapter that falls in the context of the miraculous chapter 12 chapter 13 chapter 14. We read or quoted part of First Corinthians chapter 13 because just after he talks about love. He says prophecies tongues, and then other things were going to see Those Supernatural gifts are going to be done away with. So as we coming to chapter 14, you still talking about the supernatural gifts. He Supernatural powers that were given to individual Christians by the laying on of hands. Now, we know that we understand that that's part of the context Now set that aside. Because this is just now you said outside the miraculous. You have a simple worship service pursue Love and Desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue? Does not speak to men but to God for no one understands him. However in the spirit, he speaks Mysteries, but he prophesize speaks edification. edification exhortation and comfort free things Strengthening building up edification exhortation and encouragement Comfort all three of these we get from should get from preaching. We also should get it from the word of God. two men He who speaks of the tongue edifies himself, but he prophesize edifies the church now. I'm not a prophet. Technically I am. Write profit is simply one who? Forest Hills

He speaks for God. That's a minister. That's a preacher. That's an elder right speaks for God now. I don't have the ability to tell I can force tell I can give you a message from God and give it to you but I don't have the ability to foretell future events as prophets. And so that's the idea of Prophecy of God just like ministers and preachers do today. So three things edification exhortation Comfort that's all part of the assembling together. Necessary for one another and then we coming to verse 15. He says what is the conclusion then I will pray with spirit and I will also pray with understanding. I will send you with spirit. I will also sing with understanding notice the idea of worship those worship acts. I'm going to pray but I'm going to put my heart in it. I'm going to understand the words of the prayer. And when I sing the song three songs, we know by heart we can sing those songs without even looking at a book some of them right and sometimes we do that without even thinking and we're just putting out those words but yet we're not giving any thought to the words, right? He says so when you sing understand what you're saying when you pray understand what you're praying. So that's part of what these folks were doing for their Worship in the first century 2000 years ago. He says, otherwise if you blessed with the spirit, how will he who occupies a place of the uninformed say Amen that you're giving of things since he does not understand what you say you and deed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. Well, here's the problem. You know that there are a lot of people in religious circles, especially on the television who Advocate speaking in tongues. And you know what? That is, right. What's the language? What is the language? When people in the first century spoke in tongues, it says they didn't speak in their native tongue as Folk another tongue in another language, right? But today someone says I speak in tongues. I mean

That's what they mean. How does that edify you?

In other words if you can understand it, why am I babbling it? Right? That's what Paul has been saying. He says it doesn't notify anybody. But if there's an interpreter there, then it could hurt if I because then he can interpret that what he saying to you and you can under understand but a lot of these people think that speaking in tongues just simply means you got to sign you witnessing a sign that God has blessed this man using the preacher and he's able to speak in tongues and that he's able to pass on that same gift to you. And so everybody standing up in their testimony service and they're all going.

Can you read that in your Bible? You can't read that in your Bible. It's not anybody. But anyhow, as we think about chapter 14 notice, he says speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always giving thanks always and I made a mistake but the idea here is we've been talking about singing and praying right and one of the reasons we sing together is to offer. Thanks. As he says singing making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things to God the father in The Authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's about Thanksgiving. So edification Comfort encouragement. Strengthening building. That's what it's about. Now as we consider the book of Hebrews.

The writer. I think it's Paul. But the writer says this he says we are not like those who shrink back to Perdition. you know the Son of Perdition was Judas he had his place. And the writer says we're not like those who shrink back to Perdition. And what was he talking about the whole context of the book of Hebrews. Is this Jewish Christians?

They were converted to Christ. That is they left the teachings of Moses? They no longer bound themselves to the Old Testament law, but they found themselves to Jesus Christ. Will they felt the pressure for Mom and Dad and their families? Some of those families kick them out of the house. Domino's family has disowned them.

All their brother ran him out of town. You can't open up a business here. They just criminate it again, babe who prejudice against them? And so what are you do? Well, they begin to go back to Moses. but along the way the writer points out reasons why they weren't learning. They weren't growing and then in the middle of the book. He says by this time you all have ought to be teachers of the word. But you need someone else to teach you the fundamentals of the faith again. They weren't learning. They weren't drug. Why weren't they learning? Why weren't they growing? Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves as is the habit of some so we're leaving going back to Moses because they no longer wanted to be a part of the church. They wanted no longer to be a part of Christ. They had no reason to because they forgot everything they ever learned they weren't learning and growing morphine crowded and most of all They weren't coming for encouragement and they weren't coming to encourage others. All of them played out in the book of Hebrews. So the question we asked again. Why are you here this morning? Why are you why are we here? Hopefully have a better understanding of what it means to worship together. And what do you simply means because it's a sacred assembly. Right. God is in our present Our Father. We're kissing our father because of our brother Jesus Christ. Yes, our brother in The Flash. He's our elder brother. The Bible says and he has given us as Avenue this this this way of reaching the father. And he says every Sunday every Lord's day. He wants all his children to come together and blow him kisses. Give him kisses worship Him in spirit with your heart and in truth. That's what he desires or we have a loving father and we have a loving brother and those two reasons not to be enough to compel us and to motivate us to participate. on the Lord's Day worship together You're not a Christian you need to be. You're not a Christian. You need to be a child of God. And Jesus says he that believes and is baptized shall be saved and upon doing so one has been born of water and born of the spirit. The teaching of the spirit that's the idea. Peter said on the day of Pentecost to all the Jews when they asked the question what shall we do? Peter said repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. You can do that today and know without a doubt you are in Jesus Christ, you are in his church. You have all spiritual blessings. You have the Forgiveness of sins. You have the blood of Jesus Christ that keeps you pure and asked our brother says in his prayers. Sometimes as he did today. Father sees not your sins, but he sees the blood that covers you. That's what the father says. So why not come and kiss the father for that. Very reason if you have done all that and you wandered away. Peter talks about a man who had power he wanted power for greedy reasons. Any Arab kid already become a Christian? Peter said you don't have to be baptized again so that God May forgive you. And so if you wandered away you haven't been a part of the assembly. You haven't been faithful to God. He says all you have to do is repent and you're back in the fold if your subject to an imitation of Jesus Christ this morning when you come together as we stand and sing.