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Emerging Church Discussion
I hear we are getting together this week and I am leading a discussion on the emerging church.
To prep I suggest you read the article, Five Streams of the Emerging Church by Scott McKnight in the Feb. 07 edition of Christianity Today magazine. This movement is broader than the Mississippi river and much harder to spell, but is having a great amount of influence across denominational lines. It would also be good to do some prep work on what the word “missional” is all about. This is the one term that all emerging types use, but its application can be very different from church to church.
I will be framing the discussion in three parts:
1) What is the emerging church movement?
2) What are the implications for the local church?
3) The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of the Emerging Movement.
See you on Wednesday!
Tad Thompson
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Is Hell Passe’?
I don’t ordinarily watch CBN News, but I happened to tune in last evening as they were preparing to do a feature story on the virtual absence of “hellfire preaching” from American pulpits. Among those interviewed or quoted were Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, R. C. Sproul, Bill Hybels and a relatively unknown pastor in Virginia Beach named Michael Simone, whose Spring Branch Community Church borrows heavily from the Willow Creek model and has grown from 100 to 1,400 since 1993. More about Pastor Simone in a minute.
As you might imagine, Patterson and Sproul were decrying the lack of preaching on the judgment of God in American churches while Hybels and Simone were on the other side saying, in effect, “Hey, maybe it’s not such a bad thing” (my paraphrase). Patterson and Sproul view this as a sign of lukewarmness and capitulation to the surrounding culture while Hybels and Simone just see it as an attempt to be “relevant to the culture.” (After all, who really cares about future judgment anymore when I’m up to my eyeballs in debt, my marriage is falling apart and the kids are asking for a divorce? I need real, practical help here and now!)
Enter Jonathan Edwards. The journalist quoted Edwards’ most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” preached in 1741 at the height of the Great Awakening. He also mentioned the fact that it was quite common in hymns and sermons prior to the 1800’s to hear references to hell, damnation and the judgment of God on sinners. As Sproul, Hybels and Simone gave their opinion on Edwards’ sermon, Sproul said that people need to hear the bad news and be confronted at some point with the judgment of God on sinners. Hybels chimed in and said that such preaching isn’t relevant anymore (big surprise). But the following comment from Pastor Simone is the reason I decided to post this blog. He said that if Edwards preached this sermon today, it wouldn’t be called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Pastor Simone said it would be titled “I Went on Vacation and Felt Empty Inside.” And he said it with a straight face. I sincerely hope he was taken out of context through the editing process.
When God’s righteous judgment on sinners is reduced to an “empty feeling inside,” what does that mean for the church today, especially in America? If this kind of trivialization is typical in the pulpit, it follows that prayer for revival, awakening and concern for souls are remote thoughts at best in the pew.
Please don’t get me wrong. Pastor Simone and Spring Branch Community Church are doing some wonderful things to take care of orphans and the poor (you can read about it here or visit www.orphanetwork.net). I believe they sincerely care about people. I think they want to see people go to heaven rather than hell. But words betray belief, and Pastor Simone’s words seem to betray a belief that eternal destiny is of less consequence than having a full and meaningful life here and now.
~ Greg Dixon
www.lbcofnwa.com
Filed under: Theology | 8 Comments
Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?
Does prayer change God’s mind? This is one of those nifty little questions that people like to toss around when discussing prayer. The problem is that most folks do not take the time or effort to think what a question is really asking. So let’s formulate an answer to this question.
In thinking about this one first has to determine, What is prayer? We defined prayer as communication with God last Sunday and we walked through four different categories of prayer. I find it interesting that three of those categories are relational and build trust and intimacy with God. Only one of the categories, supplication, focuses on bringing requests to God. So prayer is not primarily asking of God, prayer is primarily about intimacy with God. When we are intimate with God it changes our asking. Asking is something we do of our earthly fathers and it is also something we do of our heavenly father.
As a Dad of a three, almost four year old, I get asked many things. And one thing I am learning is that I have to say no many many times. Why? Because my little girl asks of me many things that would not be good for her if I said yes. I must say no because I love her. She also asks of me things that do not fit into the plan for the day. For me to say yes would be disruptive to what must be accomplished. Now, as a human father I am fallible. Sometimes I say no when I should say yes. Sometimes I say yes when I should say no. Sometimes I act like I am not listening. But God is not fallible. He is perfectly wise in all of his dealings with us and he is perfectly good in all of his dealings with us. So God answers our prayer always according to his character. He never answers our prayers because he gives in to us or thinks we have a better argument, etc. God always answers according to his purposes and plan. We can rest assured that God always hears and responds for our good.
The next word in this question is the word “change.” We know clearly from the Scripture that God does not change! Malachi 3:6 says, “For I the Lord, do not change…” God does not change his in his character or purposes. He, at times, in the Scripture, does change in his actions towards men. This does not mean that his will changed or his plan changed or his character changed. And it certainly does not mean that he was forced into action by prayer. It simply means that God has ordered things in such a way that he lovingly responds to our prayers when those prayers are in line with his purpose and character. For example, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to them judgement. Then is vs. 10 it states, “When God saw their deeds, that they turned away from their wicked ways, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.” Here is an example of God “changing” in his actions towards men. Now, was this outside of his knowledge, purpose, or character. Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, when Jonah was whining about God’s response to the city’s belief God said, “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh?” God’s actions were in-line with His character and plan. Why would he go to the trouble that it took to get Jonah to Nineveh had he not intended to show compassion upon them. This is a great passage to illustrate that God has a plan that will come to pass and at the same time we make real choices, that have real consequences. This is what happens when a sovereign God determines to interact with his creation.
The final word in this question is the word, “mind.” The key thought here is that my mind and God’s mind is quite a different thing. My mind cannot come close to conceiving or understanding an omniscient mind. So to even reason whether or not prayer changes God’s mind, one must first admit to have no real knowledge of what the mind of God is like. God says in Isaiah, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.”For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (55:8-9)
So, to declare that prayer changes God’s mind is quite a statement. That would suggest that someone knows the reality of the mind of God. So here lies our answer to this question. Prayer does not change God’s mind. God does respond to our prayers and does, at times, change course of action as he relates to us as his creation. But this is always, always, always in line with His will and His character.
- Tad Thompson
Filed under: Theology | Leave a Comment
Before Alvin Plantinga made Christian philosophers respectable (even cool!), there was Francis Schaeffer, the preeminent Christian philosopher of the 20th century. Schaeffer saw the chilling effects of modernism up close in the old United (Northern) Presbyterian Church. He eventually became the first minister to be ordained in the Bible Presbyterian Church, a new fundamentalist denomination arising in the late 1930’s from the controversy with modernists over inerrancy. Schaeffer is perhaps best known for his founding of L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and for his books like How Should We Then Live? and The Great Evangelical Disaster.
But few of us think of Francis Schaeffer as a preacher. I recently was reminded of his book No Little People, a collection of sixteen sermons preached at L’Abri through the years. One of the sermons is entitled “The Lord’s Work In the Lord’s Way.” As we approach the time of year when we remember the death and resurrection of Christ, a couple of paragraphs from this sermon seem especially appropriate:
“As we see the Lord Jesus dying on the cross, we who are Bible-believing Christians must fight for the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement. Theological liberalism deliberately destroys the atonement’s substitutionary quality, and liberalism controls much of the traditional church structures. So we may have to pay a high price ecclesiastically in order to be faithful to the Bible’s teaching. But no matter the cost, let us be faithful. We must stand at all costs for the substitutionary atonement. The central thrust of the cross is the substitutionary atonement, but this does not exhaust its meaning. The cross also teaches a lesson in humility. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus … being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross’ (Phil. 2:5, 8). This is where the Christian is to dwell if he is to know something of the power of the Spirit. Just as Christ was humbled in the external space-time world, in the hard stuff of history, not merely in someone’s imagination, nor in some idealistic setting that makes His death a utopian statement withdrawn from life — so, too, a Christian should have a truly humble heart in the hard reality of the practical world. There is to be a practical reality of the seed falling into the earth to die.” (The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, Volume Three, A Christian View of Spirituality, Second Edition, Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1982, p. 45)
As Easter approaches, think about the great objective truths of redemption accomplished and applied. Consider Jesus the King, reigning from the cross. Rejoice in the full payment He made for sins with His own precious blood. Exult in His finished work on the cross for us who believe. Do not neglect the central thrust of the cross, the substitutionary atonement.
At the same time, remember that the cross is a deeply personal lesson in humility for us who seek to follow Christ, and an elusive one as well. “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.’” (Luke 9:23-24, ESV)
Blessings,
Greg Dixon
Filed under: Theology | Leave a Comment
Speaking of Redefining Church
Here is a great piece that I think dares to ask the questions that need to be asked of those who are applauded for their “innovation”.
Peace!
CT
www.lbcofnwa.com
Filed under: Theology | Leave a Comment
Redefining Church
I don’t know about you, but I’ve grown weary of the terms or labels “contemporary” and “traditional”. I’m 40 years old, and for the past 18 years I’ve been involved in some kind of church leadership. During that time I’ve noticed a shift. It’s been my experience, and I would consider it a safe bet (though I’m Southern Baptist and therefore can’t gamble), that the term “contemporary” was originally a catch-all term that meant new, up-to-date, relevant, dynamic, expressive, and casual. The antonym “traditional,” though most pastors wouldn’t admit it, meant old, outdated, irrelevant, static, stoic, and formal. However, in 2007, the terms describe far more than the style of a particular worship service. While some churches continue to have both “contemporary” and “traditional” worship services, these terms have come to describe churches as a whole regarding their teaching, worship, programming, planning, membership, and leadership. Here’s what I mean.
There are always exceptions (and I can think of several), but as a rule, the following could be considered characteristic of typical contemporary and/or traditional churches.
Contemporary churches are theologically shallow in their teaching (delivering moralistic platitudes or self-help ideas), irreverent in their worship (it’s all about me), consumer-oriented in their programming (focused on felt needs), pragmatic in their planning (if it works do it), lacking in wisdom within their membership (young and biblically illiterate), and inclusive in their leadership (marketplace qualifications take the place of biblical standards like those in Acts 6, I Timothy 3, and Titus 1, when considering leaders).
Traditional churches are pharisaical in their teaching (legalistic), too rote in their worship (mechanical without real understanding of the meaning or significance), insensitive in their programming (inconsiderate of others), inflexible in their planning (we’ve always done things this way), lacking in energy among their membership (old and biblically retired), and exclusive in their leadership (the same people serve on all the committees and teach all the classes).
If the church is going to be the church the Lord intended it to be, it needs to be redefined more than it needs new innovation. The church needs to go a different direction rather than a new direction. Why “different” and not “new?” Well, when the church returns to the truth of Scripture as a basis for their teaching, worship, programming, planning, membership, and leadership, the concepts may seem new to most people, but in reality it will merely be a return to an old ways of doing things that will simply be different than what this generation is used to doing.
That said, I believe a church that redefines itself to become a church Christ builds and blesses will include the following:
1) Sound teaching. Teaching shouldn’t focus on tickling the ears of an audience. It should be truth that comes from a holy God which is absolute, inflexible, uncompromising, and assertive because it is God’s good, perfect, and pleasing will for His creation. Teaching within a church should not “add to” or “take from” the full, final, complete, and authoritative Word of God.
2) A biblical understanding of worship. When the people of God worship, there is a reality to His presence that believers and non-believers should find appealing; therefore, services should not be designed to attract, please, or manipulate man, but should be focused on glorifying the One who is being worshipped.
3) Evangelistically responsible programming. They will understand the role of God’s sovereignty in biblical conversion. They will present the gospel without compromise and trust the Lord to transform the lives of those who respond to His grace instead of attempting to manipulate their conversion through emotional appeals. They will not, in the words of Jeremiah, heal the brokenness of people superficially. They won’t appeal for people to find Jesus as if He is the one that’s lost. They won’t resort to foolish tactics, fads or pop-psychology. They will be able to approach people as human beings rather than targets, consumers or numbers. They won’t have to attend church marketing seminars to learn how to effectively market the church in the 21st century. They can spend more time telling people about the truth and less time worrying about their techniques.
4) Spirit-directed planning. Spirit led people are prayerful people. They seek God’s direction. They react to what God is doing and get on board with Him instead of expecting Him to bless what they are doing. They are sensitive to the doors of “His will” opening and closing along the way. They will be reactive more than proactive.
5) Multigenerational membership. Churches built around target groups/audiences have become commonplace. But Paul instructed Titus to tell the older men to instruct younger men and older women to teach younger women. Of course, this implies that older men and women should have something to teach and younger men and women have the desire to learn. The church needs both/and not either/or.
6) Discerning leadership selection. There are scriptural guidelines as to how Christ serves as head of His church and the characteristics or qualities of those who serve Him as leaders in spiritual development (elders) as well as service ministries (deacons).
Church elders and pastors are ultimately responsible for making sure Christ remains at the head of the church where they serve by following the teaching of His Word in every aspect of the church’s life as well as their own personal life, so they can fulfill their responsibility to bring glory to God and to share His good news with man. But every Christian should be concerned. Are you?
Soli Deo Gloria
CT
www.lbcofnwa.com
Filed under: Theology | 3 Comments
The Leader’s Temperament
Is it ok to use a blog to think outloud? Here’s a little something I’ve been thinking about, and would be happy to know what you all think of it.
There’s a verse in a song by a gal who goes by the name of Jem that sums up the power that our beliefs have on us. She sings, “And it’s ironic too, ’cause what we tend to do is act on what they say, and then it is that way.”
As a young pastor, I spend a lot of time reflecting on Christ-like leadership. Leadership is God’s idea. History demonstrates very clearly that when there is a void in leadership, things go badly; and when there is bad leadership, things go even worse. History also demonstrates that God raises up true Christ-like leaders through whom he leads his people in paths of righteousness.
Moving from generals to specifics…
The verse from the song I quoted reminds me of how important it is for the Christian leader’s temperament to be tempered by gospel truth and not lie. An example of a lie we may believe to some degree is, “This is as good as it gets. You better just resign yourself to the reality that you and your church will never rise to the next level of glorifying and enjoying God. In fact, there is no next level.” What a depressing lie, huh? And if this depressing lie gets a grip on our hearts, we’ll be depressed. And the irony of it all is that in believing the lie, we end up leading the lie.
However, if our hearts are gripped by the gospel truth that Christ will transform us and our churches into his likeness, will we not be filled with joy and solid expectation? And will not our own joyful and expecting temperament harmonize with the truth we proclaim? And will not those who look to us for leadership be lifted up in their own spirits to strive forward with joy and expectation?
What I am trying to say is that temperament is part of our leadership. Temperament is is contagious. And do not the precious promises purchased by Christ apply to our temperaments?
Of course we’ll have seasons of sorrow, but may they never be from subtle lies or forgotten truth! Christ lives and reigns among us. He is able to do beyond what we ask or imagine. For his name’s sake he will build his church.
Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
May his light shine upon you brothers.
Brett
Filed under: Theology | 2 Comments
The Spirit of Prayer
Our home bible fellowship group has been working its way through a little but deeply profound book by Dr. Gardiner Spring (1785-1873) entitled, “The Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character.” This work seeks to remind people that the mere external forms of religion do not necessarily reveal that one actually possesses true religion. If I might be so bold as to assign a theme Scriptural text to this book, it would be 2 Corinthians 13:5 which says, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test?” Oh yes, but who likes tests? One of the recent chapters is entitled, “The Spirit of Prayer.” It serves as a great reminder of what is prayer and for consideration I present four keys to prayer offered by Dr. Spring along with some personal comments. Whatever else prayer might be, it is not God-honoring or God accepted prayer without these four keys.
1. The Spirit of Prayer is Sincere
“The hearts of men may be as stupid and unfeeling, as proud and as self-righteous; they may be in the exercise of as sensible opposition to the character of the Most High, to the law and the Gospel, while offering up the most solemn expressions of homage, as they are when God is not in all their thoughts. But it is not so with the righteous. His prayers goes not forth out of feigned lips (Psalm 17:1). With the spiritual worshiper, the heart feels what the lips express.”
Whatever prayer may be, it must be sincere, the “heart feels what the lips express.” Are your prayers genuine? Are they true expressions of what a regenerate heart desires? It is easy to go through the motions. Listen to your prayers. Do they all begin the same? Do they all sound the same? Do they all take about the same amount of time? I am not trying to be critical, but simply challenging as the Scriptures do declare that it is possible to draw near to God with our mouth and honor Him with out lips and yet have our hearts far from Him (Mark 7:6). May our prayers be filled with the fresh air of sincerity.
2. The Spirit of Prayer is Humble
“It [prayer] flows from a broken and contrite heart. The publican could not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Every sentiment of his heart constrains him to make the affecting confession, “O my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to you, for my iniquities are increased over my head, and my trespass is grown up into the heavens” (Ezra 9:6).”
Sometimes we can come to God without a true sense of reverence, of holy fear. There is a saying that says, “familiarity breeds contempt.” In other words, the better we get to know someone, the more likely we are to find fault with him. We might not like to admit it, but sometimes we can become flippant in our prayers and approach God with an inappropriate attitude that seeks to bring Him down on our level as if God is subject to us. May we seek to keep our vision of God high and holy.
3. The Spirit of Prayer is Believing
“Though the child of God has an impressive sense of personal unworthiness and ill-dessert, yet he knows that he has a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, who is touched with the feeling of his infirmities, and he may therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that he may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).”
The believing spirit of prayer knows what God has done according to the testimony of His Word as well as what He has done for him personally. The believing spirit of prayer sees prayer as absolutely necessary for life and godliness. To live without prayer is akin to living without God in the world. The believing spirit of prayer sees prayer as breathing and God Himself to be life-sustaining air. Do you believe this about prayer? Do you believe this about God?
4. The Spirit of Prayer is Submissive
“The suppliant prefers the will of God to his own. He pours forth his heart with the affectionate submission of a servant. He is prepared to be accepted, or to be rejected in his petitions. He approaches the mercy-seat with the desire that God would exercise His wisdom and grace in granting or denying his requests.”
We cannot forget those words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the garden, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). This is an aspect of prayer of which it is easy to say with the mouth but much more difficult to live. Are we willing to submit ourselves to the answer, direction, moving, or prompting of God in response to our prayers? Do we take time to listen and hear God? How much blessing is missed because we pray, we speak, we inform and declare things to God but then do not quietly wait for and expect and answer; particularly if that answer may be something different than we expect or want?
May we strive to know the joys of consistent secret prayer – of constant intimacy with our God and Savior – to know His heart and His will and then to be able to respond as did David – “7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.’”
May we grow in our desire of prayer, in the duty of prayer as well as in our delight of prayer, giving ourselves over into the sovereign hand of God who works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed Godfrey
www.HopeCBC.org
Filed under: Theology | 5 Comments
I have often pondered the theme of this post, but I am not sure I have any good anwers to the question. This is the beauty of blogging. There is an entire world out there who may potentially post their answer to the this question. When is it time to leave my local church? Now, I am not speaking of this issue in relationship to preachers. When is it time for a layperson to pick up and move on to a different congregation?
I believe that this is a vitally important question for us to answer for the health of the local church. We all know that church hopping is a problem, but when is it time for someone to evacuate the church they have called home for years? I have seen people struggle with this question over the years in various settings and the answers do not come easy.
There are various reasons why a person or family may desire to leave a local church:
1) Conflict – this is a big one. But, all churches are going to have conflict. It matters what the conflict is about. If the conflict is about matters of integrity and doctrine it still doesn’t mean it is always time to go. On these issues it may actually be time to fight. But, most church conflict is over trivial matters.
2)Needs: I have heard this one many times, “The churh just is not meeting my needs. I just don’t feel it anymore.” Usually not a valid reason to leave the flock.
3) Preacher: Some may say, “We just don’t connect with that preacher.” Now, if the preacher is a heretic, he needs to be confronted. But this is usually a weak reason to leave a church.
4) Doctrine: Now this is probably the most valid reason to leave a church, but its not often the cause.
Now – I have not provided many answers here, because I want us to work together to provide some sort of framework to help a layperson answer this question. I know it is never black and white, but where should a person begin?
- Tad Thompson
Filed under: Theology | 18 Comments
The Heart of Worship
I had driven by the local theater previous to the release of C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” so I would be prepared to take my family and I noticed that several showings were already sold out. It hadn’t even come out yet and they were sold out. At the opening of the new Star Wars movies, people camped out on the sidewalk in order to get a ticket to the debut. It was the same with the J.R. Tolkien series from the “Lord of the Rings” and with the release of each new Harry Potter film. Around the country, people wait in line literally for hours, some with children in tow, some dressed as their favorite character from that particular film, to get a ticket to see a movie. The anticipation is all around – and yet it is to see a movie on a screen.
Sunday mornings are a somewhat different scene. People drag themselves and their families out of bed with just enough time to get to where they are going – that is, if they decide to go; if they are not too tired, if the weather is right, and if other qualifications are met. There is no waiting in line and in fact, you’ve timed it just right if you get there right when it starts. For some there is anticipation – but for most, it’s just what they do. And yet, this is not to see a movie – this is to meet with God.
During a movie, every person is focused on what is taking place – riveted to what they are watching. After the movie, people discuss the ins and outs and how close the movie was to the original book. Many even wax philosophically with their friends or on the internet applying the principles of the particular movie to life or discuss how it related to life today.
On Sunday morning, wives are elbowing husbands to stay awake. People fight to keep their mind from wandering to other more pressing matters. And after the service, people return to their normal conversations and only some discuss how the sermon was the exposition of the original book.
Why is it that Sunday morning worship is not one of the most exciting times in our week? Why is it that we do not find the same anticipation and motivation to enter God’s presence in a service of worship as we do to see a movie or watch a ballgame? Many blame the preacher, or the style of worship, or the kind of music – it’s just not….entertaining. Yet, I believe the fundamental reason why many do not anticipate, look forward to, and are excited about worship is an issue of the heart. How many times have I heard the question, “How was worship this morning?” What is really meant is, “How was the music?” The question that should be asked and answered is, “Did you worship this morning?” Many view “worship” as what they see someone else doing rather than as something in which they participate. So many today do not understand what corporate worship is. We do not grasp the weight of that in which we are engaged. As we look in Scripture, we find that corporate worship is where God reveals His glory and we respond by giving glory to Him. That word glory is from the OT word, “kabod”. It literally means “to be heavy”. This word corresponds to the NT Greek word, “doxa”, as we read in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” Indeed, we do not understand the weight, the glory, the heaviness, of that in which we are engaged. We do not properly understand the glory of God.
In our culture, Sunday services have become more centers of evangelism than the corporate worship of God. The focus has been taken off of God and directed toward man but when we do that we lose the very thing that is best for man. If we focus on man we lose sight of our great and precious God and Savior. But if we focus on our Lord Christ we find the best for man. You see, if we focus on man, we get neither. But if we focus on the Lord, we get both. The Lord Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. He presently sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty ruling and reigning. He deserves our worship. He doesn’t “need” our worship like, as C.S. Lewis says, “a vain woman in need of a complement”; He deserves our worship. We do not come to worship God to question His wisdom but to hear and receive His Word. We do not come to worship to counsel God, but to be counseled by the Word of God. We do not worship Him as if He is one of many from which to choose. He is not a product from a shelf from which to be chosen – He is the One and Only Creator God who deserves worship from His creatures. When we understand this, it changes how we view worship. When we come to worship the Almighty God we never cease to be refreshed and encouraged. God, indeed, is so good. Not because He does good things for us, but because He is good by nature. He defines what is good, so whatever He does, whether it is seemingly for our benefit, or if it is difficult for us, it is still good. God is good. But He’s God.
In the book, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” Lucy asks about Aslan and Mrs. Beaver responds, “Who said anything about safe? Safe, no, but he’s good.” We serve a great, awesome, and sovereign God who “works all things for the good of those who love Him.” We serve a gracious God who has given His Son as a propitiation for our sin. We serve a loving God who cares for His own. We serve a holy, just, and righteous God who deserves our worship. Our Lord is the Great Shepherd; He is also the Lion of Judah. “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29). Dear brothers and sisters, it is only when our focus is on God and His glory revealed in His Son Jesus Christ that worship, declaring His worth and giving Him glory, is exciting, passionate, and motivating.
Chris Miller
www.trinitygrace.org
Filed under: Theology | 3 Comments
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