Word centred worship

No human can live without a heart - its the beating heart that keeps the whole body functioning and flourishing as it pumps oxygenated blood and other vital substances around the body. If you heart isnt doing its job, your whole body and your ability to function in world suffers.

The longing for revival

Look at your own life, long for revival - want to experience the victory of Jesus

Look at church in UK and see it in decline and in dissaray

Look at the world - War, Long for the gospel to bring about change in world

As a church where do we begin? And where do we focus? OUr heartbeat?

Social action? heart for helping people

Social justice? heart for standing for oppressed and marginalised?

Political influence? Heart to bring change within power structures?

Cultural influence - Heart to stay relevant and attract people?

Passage this morning tells us what heartbeat of church is to be if we are to function properly as God intended in all areas of life.

Be Word centered worshippers.

Journeying with people of Israel as they live out promises of God, as they depend on God’s power, they are to go to war with God’s enemies, confident that the victory is sure in the power of their God, given through their leader.

Yet they still have to fight. We’ve read of one battle already, next few weeks we will read of battle after battle, as they seek to occupy the land God has given, and expand God’s Kingdom on earth.

And that is true for Christian life.

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Sitting in Coffee shop. Explitives and

2 things dawned. There are so many lost people who need the gospel

We are living time of war. Spritual war against sin, world and devil.

If we are to see Jesus Kingdom grow in our lifetime we are to go to war.

Thought last wee about call to be dependent and proactive. But what does it look like - where does it begin.

Dedicate yourself to God

Joshua 8:30–32 NIV

Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.

Having conquered Ai - might assume natural thing for ISraelites to do - go towards next battle in conquest of Canaan. But unexpectantly pause. Just like they did in chapter 5. Writer reveals to us core of Israelite life and foundation of success. Spiritual renewal.

It’s not an impulsive decision. Don’t just suddenly feel need. It’s something that Moses commanded back in Dueteronmy 27

Deuteronomy 27:1–5 NIV

Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. Build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool on them.

As people live out promises of God, as they experiencing his Victory, but seek to continue to progress, they are to continually dedicate themselves to the Lord.

Alter is to be of uncut stones possibly symbol that it is not work of man but of God that people can come to him.

Make fellowship offering - this is similar to atonment offering, except that people would keep a part of the animal to eat, representing their fellowship with God. Gather together to meet with God, which included a peace offering - giving thanks to God for his goodness.

Context Deuteronmy 27 (backdrop for Joshua - read Deut)

2 mountains, Ebal and Gerizim. Two side of coin of relationship with God, one Gerizim - pepole will hear read aloud blessings for obedience to God,

Ebal - hear curses - penalties inflicted on those who break the law - place where guilt and burden of sin would be most felt.

Yet this mountain also where God would make provision for forgiveness and fellowship.

Incredible picture of the gospel

Exactly what we see at the Cross on Calvary Hill.

Where was the weight of sin’s curse felt the most? Where did God’s judgement fall with such intensity that the sun was darkened so that no one could witness the agony of the awful exhange? At the cross, the very place where, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, God held out his mercy. On the mountain where the curse fell, God offered a lamb as the terms of peace

Where our battle must begin. It’s as we come to the Cross, and see both the weight of our sin but also the cure, and from there surrender ourselves completely to Jesus as natural response to his mercy.

“If Jesus gave his all for you to secure your eternal salvation, why would you hold anything back from him.”

We never move on from the cross.

athelete

Atheletes sacrifice relationships, family time, comforts - surrender themselves completely to their discipline.

Ronnie Lott - sacrificed his pinky finger to keep playint

We are called to dedicate ourselves to Jesus completely and give ourselves to his mission.

Why are we called to gather as a people of God Sunday by Sunday. Not just stay at home. Because it’s as we gather together that we also meet with God, unite Spiritually around the cross and renew our minds and hearts, preparing us for battle - to serve him in the week that follows.

Before the church can do Battle with Satan we must completely surrender to Jesus.

Let us dedicate ourselves to him afresh this morning.

What will that look like in practice. What is to be at the heart of church life if we are experience victory of Jesus. What is to be our priority if we want to see the his Kingdom come.

Dedicate yourself to God’s word!

All kinds of things we are tempted to prioritise as a church. Lots of good things, social justice, social action, community programs, global concerns. right that we play our part in relation to whats going on in Ukraine. But practice must be driven by belief - truth. Listen to God’s voice, center around his word to us.

What are we to be about as a church? People of the word.

Joshua 8:33–35 NIV

All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel. Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Notice the word ALL. appearing several times. ALL of God’s people are to gather to hear ALL of God’s word.

All of God’s people v33, including elders, officials, judges, foreigners and native born, women and children v35. Notice how they gather, half on one side, half on the other, and what is at the centre - The ark - with ten commandments - law of Moses written on stone.

Word of God - stone tablets picture?

Word of God is the lifeblood for the people of God. It’s the heart of the existence. It’s as they live by God’s word that they know how enjoy relationship with him, experiencing his blessing as they live lives that please him.

Where they are - Mount Gerizim and Ebal is in place called Shechem - same place God made promises to Abram, and same place to which Jacob returned after a long exile. Significamce as people gather here, its a pause to look to truthworthiness - the faithfulness of God, and commit themselves to live by his word as its read aloud.

Because that is where the power is for the journey they are on. Victory belongs to the Lord, and it’s as they dedicate themselves to live by his perfect word that they will experience the blessing.

God’s word is truth

God’s word is life

God’s word is forever

thomas jefferson, once president in 1804 began cutting up his bible, keepimg bits he believed and removing what he didn’t

Temptation to think that way to change world is compromise on bible. But only way see world changed is as we uphold authority of scripture.

Let the word be the lifeblood, because its God’s word that is perfectly true and powerful.

1 Peter 1:24–25 NIV

For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

It’s why as a church we want the reading and preaching of God’s word to be central in our gatherings. It’s why we preaching through scripture most of the time rather than topical, because we want God’s word to set the agenda, and we don’t skip over difficult passages, or suppress hard truths, and why we want you to have bibles open to hold preacher accountable because it’s God word that has authortiy.

And that we prioritise being together where ever possible.

Preaching to converted but for some listening at home genlty challenge you to consider that call here, that Christian life is a corperate life, family life. We are called to sit together under his word wherever that is possible.

We are to dedicate ourselves to his word, as the primary way he reveals himself to us, and teaches us what it looks like to enjoy a relationship with him.

Will we dedicate ourselves to the word - not as accademic exervice but that we might know God better and know how he wants us to live, that we might dedicate ourselves to him.

In your own lives will you make time daily to be fed by glorious truth. To be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

In our conversations will we be intentional about his word being on our lips

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

It might be that you arrange to regualrly meet with someone to open God’s word together.

Join a life group if you havent already, as mid week we seek to gather around ther word and do life together.

Dedicated to God, by being dedicated to his Word. The two are inseperable.

You want to make a new friend. You want to get to know them, but don’t listen to anything they say.

When we seperate God and His word, that is what we do. If we want to be dedicated to God, we must be dedicated to listen to his word. But as we do that we experience the joy of a healthy heart. A life of power for Glory of God.

Israelites long complex history there is a simple formula throughout. When they listen to God’s word and trust him, they experience the blessings of the promises. When they fail to trust him and turn from his word they experience the cruse.

Example in Joshua

One author writes

Love of the Word has been a prominent feature in the history of all the saints, of whom we know anything, since the days of the Apostles. This is the lamp that Athanasisus and Chrysostom, and Augustine followed. This is the compass that kept the Waldensians and Albigenses from making shipwreck of the faith. This is the well that was reopened by Wycliffe and Luther, after is had been long stopped up. This is the sword with which latimer, and Jewell, and Knox won their victories. This is the manna which fed Baxter and Owen, and the noble host of the Puritans, and made them strong in battle. This is the amoury from which Whitfield and Wesley drew their powerful weapons. This is the mine from which Bickerstetch and M’Cheyne brought forth rich gold. Differing as these holy men did in some matters, on one point they were all agreed - they all delighted in the Word.

We want to see revival in our lives, in Northfield, in UK, in the word. Then church has to get back to healthy heartbeat.

We are to be word centred worshippers

Dediecated to his God and his word, because just as by his Word he spoke creation into being, so though his word he continues to bring life today.

“It is an amoury of heavenly weapons, a laboratory of infallible medicines, a mine of exhastless wealth. It is a guidebook for every road, a chart for every sea, a medicine for every malady, a balm for every womb. Rob us of our Bible, and our sky has lost its sun, and in the best of other books we have naught but the glimmer of twinkling stars. ... It may be compared to the skies, which hold at once the most blessed and the most beautiful elements - soft dews to bathe the opening rose and bolts to rend the oak asunder. “