How Does One Worship? - Part 1

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This is the third sermon in a series of messages on the topic of worship. This message begins to discuss some of the key descriptions of authentic worship.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 29:1-2 ^(NKJV) Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

John 4:23-24 ^(NKJV) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Introduction:

A few weeks ago I started a mini series of sermons on the topic of worship. I want to continue that theme today as we consider the important elements for how we should worship God.

I think I mentioned previously that I have subscribed to a daily email devotional which consists of the writings of A.W. Tozer (a former pastor and theologian in the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination). The quotations that were printed in today’s bulletin were taken from some of those emails. Here is another one that I received:

(A.W.Tozer) – … worship of the loving God is man's whole reason for existence. That is why we are born and that is why we are born again from above. That is why we were created and that is why we have been recreated. That is why there was a genesis at the beginning, and that is why there is a re-genesis, called regeneration.

That is also why there is a church. The Christian church exists to worship God first of all. Everything else must come second or third or fourth or fifth....

Some of you might be familiar with a very popular book that came out about 15 years ago written by Pastor Rick Warren. It was titled, The Purpose-Driven Life. In that book he states that our #1 purpose in life is to give God pleasure. (Rev. 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.) This is another way of saying that our #1 purpose is to worship God.

With the Lord’s help let us consider for a little while the question, “How should anyone worship God?” I think that there are numerous specific ways that we can worship God but there are a few general descriptions that I would like to focus on today.

There are at least four descriptions we must consider to worship God properly. We’re only going to discuss two of them today because of time constraints.

I.      In spirit (Jn. 4:24)

Three ways we can understand the use of the word, “spirit.”

My spirit

Rom. 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

That part of me that is capable of communicating with spiritual beings or the “spirit world.”

In contrast to the mountain, the temple, or any other object that this Samaritan woman might be fixated upon, worshiping in spirit emphasizes spiritual worship rather than material.

Worship in the OT did involve objects (sacrifices, tabernacle, incense, etc.) but the most important part of worship has always been communicating spiritually with God. 

The Holy Spirit

Rom. 8:13-16 ^(NKJV) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

God’s spirit provides divine assistance for all we do, so He would especially motivate us and assist us to worship.

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would guide us into all truth. He would be our helper, our comforter, etc. We cannot do anything without the strength and direction the Spirit gives us, let alone worship the Lord!

Spirit (life)

Jn. 6:63 ^(NKJV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

In this verse there is a close connection made between spirit and life. The word “spirit” literally means “breath” and it is the spirit of a person that gives life to the person.

If we want to describe a lively animal we sometimes say it is a “spirited horse,” or a “spirited dog”… So, I think that there is a sense in which worship in spirit means we worship with real life; not ritualistic, half-hearted, or merely formal.

We need to put our whole heart and soul into worshiping the sovereign Creator. He is worthy of our best.

II.    In truth (Jn. 4:24)

The second description we have concerning the way in which we need to worship God is provided by the word, “truth.”

One writer (Colin Kruse, Tyndale Commentary), indicates that this is speaking about the truth of God as made known by through the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus said God’s Word was truth. (Jn. 17:17) To worship God in spirit and in truth means our worship must be aligned with the Word of God in a manner that is worthy of God as He is revealed in Scripture.

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) Omit the spirit, and though you have the truth, the worship becomes formalism, mere ritual observance. Omit the truth, and though the whole soul is thrown into the worship, it becomes an abomination. Thus "spirit and truth" form a unit, two halves that belong together in every act of worship.

Finally, I can’t help but believe that the word truth here also includes the idea of authenticity and integrity. In other words, my motives, my life and conduct must match my words, otherwise I’m not only living a lie, but my whole pretense of worship is a lie since I offer empty and meaningless words and phrases that do not reflect who I really am.

Quite a long time ago I read a list of hymn titles that had been altered to reflect the true way many people feel and the way they live.

I could not find a copy of it, but I made up some that are very similar.

I Surrender Some (some to Jesus I surrender, I surrender some)

We’re Limping to Zion (typical, typical Zion)

My Jesus, I Like Thee (I think thou art mine)

Our God Is an Average God (He frets from heaven above)

Fit In, Fit In for Jesus (ye admirers of the cross)

Jesus, I My Chair Have Taken (all to stay and cheer for thee)

Living for Me with a life that is smooth

These sound very silly to us, but they might more accurately reflect the true heart sentiments of some worshipers.

To worship in truth includes bringing our conduct and attitudes into agreement with our words.

How should we worship God?

By lively and spiritual communication aided by God’s Holy Spirit in agreement with God’s revelation of Himself and with integrity of our own conduct.

Let’s stand together and sing our closing song: Fairest Lord Jesus

Communion with Christ

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This sermon was given for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. It emphasizes the importance of Christians living in such a way to communicate to others that we are in communion with Christ rather than communion with devils.

Written Excerpts:

1 Cor. 10:16 ^(NKJV) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Introduction:

Today we are planning to share the sacrament of communion at the close of this message, so I wanted to speak about a topic that relates to this theme.

I have spoken in the past on this passage in 1 Cor. 10. I think we emphasized the word “communion” itself and tried to explain the meaning of the word. In today’s message I’d like to pick up on that same theme but go on to explore some of the implications that we find in the context of these verses.

As I was trying to decide on a title for the message, I actually had thought about using a more catchy title, “Communing with Christ or Dancing with Devils?”

While we notice that the Apostle is stressing the participation or communion we have with Christ as we partake of the bread and the wine/juice, yet it is clear to see that the issue of idolatry is on his mind. This whole discussion on idolatry actually began at the beginning of chapter 8, where Paul talks about Christian liberty and freedom, but the importance to personally restrict one’s liberty to avoid causing a weaker believer to sin. The specific problem concerns the eating of meat that was offered to an idol.

Paul is instructing the Christians to do everything in their power to avoid the wrong influences upon younger / weaker Christians by eating food that was offered to idols. At the beginning of the paragraph we are specifically considering today (v. 14), Paul emphatically warns, “Flee idolatry.”

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries – He had [earlier] urged them to ‘flee fornication’ (6:18), and he now says flee from idolatry. Here, as there, the present imperative signifies the habitual practice. There is to be no leisurely contemplation of the sin, thinking that one can go so far, and be safe from going further. The only wise course is to have nothing to do with it. ‘They must not try how near they can go, but how far they can [flee].’

What is idolatry?

(Camden Cobern, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) – Idolatry originally meant the worship of idols, or the worship of false gods by means of idols, but came to mean among the Old Testament Hebrews any worship of false gods, whether by images or otherwise, and finally the worship of [the LORD] through visible symbols. In the New Testament idolatry came to mean, not only the giving to any creature or human creation the honor or devotion which belonged to God alone, but the giving to any human desire a precedence over God's will.

Cobern and others (e.g. Oswalt, The Bible Among the Myths) emphasize the use of idols to manipulate the forces of nature, because the deities (gods) were considered to be part of the creation, rather than separate from it. Originally this was how the Hebrews were distinct from the pagans – they understood that the Sovereign Creator was completely separate and apart from the creation/ creature. But the differences became blurred as the Hebrews repeatedly fell into the shameful practices of idolatry along with their pagan neighbors. In many cases, even their prayers were offered as an attempt to manipulate God rather than worship God and work in cooperation with God.

The Jews and some Gentiles had at times determined that the idols were nothing, and there was no other god except Jehovah, but as indicated in verse 20, Paul indicates that demon spirits connect themselves to idols. So, the conclusion is – anyone who “sacrifices to an idol” is really “sacrificing to a demon.” Furthermore, one who eats food that has been sacrificed to an idol is also communing or participating with demons.

Verse 22 implies that there is a real issue of allegiance that is being addressed here.

We either are completely loyal to Christ and avoiding any connection, communion or participation with demons, or we are compromising our loyalty and joining in with demonic influences, which arouses the holy jealousy of God. If we look at v. 16 we see Paul describing the close connection we have with Christ through the emblems of communion. When we drink the cup and eat the bread we are communing / participating / fellowshipping with Christ.

(Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) – Holy Communion there is a participation in the blood of Christ …. Those who receive the cup rightly receive Christ. They are bound together in fellowship with Christ….  Such reception is, of course, a spiritual process, and therefore takes place by faith.

The sacrament of Communion is a reminder that we are participating in the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are sharing in the benefits of His sacrifice as we are washed and cleansed from our sins. So, Paul is reminding us that the last thing we want to do is compromise our faith and loyalty to Christ by doing the things that would communicate that we are “tied” to an idol.

He seems to be alerting His readers and us that it is entirely possible to distort our witness and testimony by doing things that identify us with the Devil’s work and activity in our world. We distort our witness and compromise our devotion to Christ by getting involved in activities and affections that connect us with worldly and demonic forces.

Jesus had said in His teaching ministry that it is impossible for us to serve God and mammon (riches and things associated with it). We cannot have a divided loyalty or conflicting affections. In a similar way, Paul is saying we cannot truly commune with Christ and devils at the same time. We must make serious choices to separate ourselves from the things that would indicate we are communing / devoted to / participating with the god(s) of this world.

As we prepare to share the emblems of communion this morning, I ask each of us to look within our hearts and determine if our allegiance is 100% with Christ. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to search us and reveal anything that is turning us away from Christ or dividing our affection and causing us to become idolatrous in our hearts toward anything other than Him.

Let’s sing the song indicated in the bulletin: O the Blood of Jesus

Why Worship?

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This sermon is the second one in a series of messages on worship. This message focuses on the motivations and reasons for worshiping God.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 86:9 ^(NKJV) All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.

Job 1:9 ^(NKJV) So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

Introduction:

I want to continue today to explore the subject of worship from a slightly different perspective or angle. We’re going to talk about worship today by attempting to answer the question, “Why worship?”

Even though there may be many reasons to worship God, today I will attempt to explain that worship is offered for at least three reasons. We worship God to reveal the motives for our faith. We worship to reveal and exalt the true character of God. And we worship in order to refocus on eternal realities rather than temporal ones.

I.                    We worship to reveal our true motives.

I’ve been recently reading from a book titled, Where Real Worship Begins: Lessons from the Life of Job, written by James Draper, Jr. I want to share some of the observations that I picked up in his book.

James T. Draper, Jr. – And so Satan asks, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (Job 1:9) That is the real question of the book of Job. We are accustomed to think that the question the book of Job answers is, Why do righteous people suffer? But the reasons for pain, suffering, injustice, and tragedy are dealt with only indirectly. The real question is the one posed in Job 1:9.

Draper is explaining that Satan’s question to God is a question that every one of us must also answer for ourselves. Why does Job worship God? Why do I worship God?

Draper continues: Why does man worship God? Why do prayers of faith come from both the shacks of the poor and the mansions of the rich? Why do songs of praise rise from every segment of the population? Do we worship God because we think we can get from Him what we cannot get from someone else? Do we worship Him because we think He will do for us what no one else will do for us? Do we love God because of what He gives us, or do we love God because He is God? These are questions we must consider. (Where Real Worship Begins: Lessons from the Life of Job.)

Is worship really about us? Is it about what we think we will gain if we honor God? Is it about what we think God will do for us because we acknowledge Him?

Douglas J. Brouwer – [Public] Worship is not, and never has been, something people attend in order to be entertained or fed. Worship can be entertaining. Worship can be richly nourishing. I have pleasant memories of worship being both of those things to me. But those are not the reasons God calls us to worship. (Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 10. Quoted in Today's Best Illustrations)

Essentially Brouwer is reminding us that worship isn’t about us. It is not intended to make us feel better, it is all about God and giving adoration to Him because He deserves it and it is right to do so.

So, it appears that God’s willingness to allow Job to be tested the way he is tested lies in the fact that God has full confidence in Job. God knows that Job loves God and worships God just because it is right and because God deserves it; not because of what Job stands to benefit from it.

Why do we worship Him? Why do we come to church? Why do we give our tithes and offerings? Why do we obey any of the commands of God? Is it only so that God will be nice to us and bless us and grant us a long, healthy, and comfortable life? No.

We worship Him because we know in the very depths of our soul that God is perfect and full of love and mercy. God is righteous and just, and God is absolutely worthy to be adored and worshiped by every creature in the entire universe. We worship because we understand that God has provided the perfect plan of salvation for fallen human beings to be rescued, ransomed and transformed into His children who imitate His nature. And, it doesn’t matter how life is going for us, we still know that God deserves all honor, glory, praise and adoration, and we intend to see that He receives it from our hearts, from our lips and from our lives!

II.              We worship to showcase God’s true character.

James T. Draper, Jr. – Satan's accusation was not only directed toward mankind. The arrow the adversary fired did not stop until it struck God Himself. Satan was insinuating that God could no longer inspire anything but mercenary love [i.e. greedy, covetous love]. If Satan's premise were correct, no one would serve God because He is God and no one would adore and worship Him simply for who He is. If Satan were correct, God would be robbed of His high and noble attributes and Heaven would be robbed of its glory. Satan's accusation was against God. (Where Real Worship Begins: Lessons from the Life of Job.)

The author is explaining that Job’s worship to God for who He is rather than for what He gives, proves to a skeptical devil that, at least in Job’s heart, God is still worshiped just like He was before the creation of man and the entrance of sin in the Garden of Eden.

Job 38:4-7 ^(NKJV) "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Psalm 19:1 ^(NKJV) The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Here is an indication of the worship God continually gets apart from the creation of man, and most certainly apart from the entrance of sin into the world. God was being praised for His very being; because of who He was. God was worshiped by angels simply because He deserved it, not because He was blessing them with riches, health and prosperity.

When the devil accuses Job for worshiping only because of what he’s getting out of it, he’s slamming God as not being worthy of honor and adoration unless He “bribes” people into giving it. Thankfully, Job proves the devil wrong.

I was thinking how I wish the end of Job’s story would have not only included God’s reprimand of Job’s comforters, but also included a stinging rebuke to Satan, reminding the devil that Job proved him wrong.

How about you? How about me? Do our words and our lives prove to a watching world that we believe God deserves honor and glory in spite of what’s happening to us?

III.        We worship to refocus on eternal realities.

Psalm 73:3-17 ^{(NKJV) 3} For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked…. ¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.

The Psalmist admits being envious/jealous of the wicked, and then the next several verses describe why – all the benefits they enjoy even though they show no regard for God.

The thing that changed his perspective and attitude was going into the sanctuary. The passage seems to be specifically talking about the place of public worship, but any place can become a sanctuary if our heart is right. If our life only consists of what we see and understand of the world around us; and if our mind is filled only with the knowledge of earthly wisdom; then we have a one-sided and warped view of reality.

Worship of the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity gives us a vision and an understanding of eternal realities that this world knows nothing about. When we worship God, our own thinking is elevated and changed, as well as our behavior. We become enlightened to a whole new spiritual reality that enables us to re-interpret the earthly reality we’re so accustomed to.

We must worship in order to gain a perspective that raises our thoughts above mere human and earthly wisdom that is so limited, and in many cases, perverted.

Conclusion:

Brothers and sisters, we have a wonderful privilege each and every day – to bow our hearts and even our knees to humbly ascribe glory, honor and majesty to the Sovereign Authority and glorious Ruler of the universe.

We have the wonderful privilege of proclaiming His worth and His awesome character so those around us are reminded that He deserves their worship, reverence and adoration as well.

We have the privilege of rehearsing for the main activity of heaven – glorifying the King of kings and Lord of lords!

A.W. Tozer ― “I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.”

Let us close by singing Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know

What Is Worship?

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This is a sermon that attempts to define what worship is and how it applies to us and our relationship with God.


Psalm 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

Introduction:

What is worship?

I suppose that if we would ask this question to a number of different people we might receive a variety of answers. We all probably think that we have a pretty good understanding of worship, we might change our opinion once we start really studying into the subject.

Today I’d like to speak to you about the subject of divine worship with the understanding that we won’t have time to thoroughly examine the topic in just one sermon, so we may return to it again in order to gain a more thorough grasp of it.

With the Lord’s help I would like to start off by reviewing some of the words that are used for “worship” in Scripture and then talk about the kinds of things that constitute worship.

I.  Some Terms Used for Worship

(ISBE) The principal Old Testament word is ‏שָׁחָה‎, ṣhāḥāh, "depress," "bow down," "prostrate" (Hithpael), as in Exodus 4:31 ^(KJV) And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

The context determines more or less clearly whether the physical act or the volitional and emotional idea is intended.

[Some other terms in OT are translated “fall down,” “serve,” etc.]

The Old Testament idea is therefore the reverential attitude of mind or body or both, combined with the more generic notions of religions adoration, obedience, and service. Whatever its origin, worship as developed in the Old Testament is the expression of the religious instinct in penitence, prostration, adoration, and the uplift of holy joy before the Creator.

The principal New Testament word (59 times) is προσκυνέω, proskunéō, "kiss (the hand or the ground) toward," hence, often in the oriental fashion bowing prostrate upon the ground; accordingly, Septuagint uses it [as] "prostrate oneself." It is to render homage to men, angels, demons, the Devil, the "beast," idols, or to God.... The root idea of bodily prostration is much less prominent than in the Old Testament. It is always translated "worship."

[Other words commonly used in the NT carry the idea of reverence/fear/awe; and service.] [See Rom. 12:1 – “… reasonable service;” or “reasonable act of worship.”]

The New Testament idea of worship is a combination of the reverential attitude of mind and body, the general ceremonial and religious service of God, the feeling of awe, veneration, [and] adoration….

With all of the things worship includes we might summarize it all by saying that it is a recognition of the worth/worthiness of the one being worshiped, and the acknowledgment of the worshiper’s unworthiness. It is using culturally accepted means to express subordination of self along with reverence and honor to the object of worship.

Tim Keller — Worship is seeing what God is worth and giving him what he's worth. (Today's Best Illustrations)

(Ed Young) When we see God as He truly is, we see ourselves as we truly are. That is where real worship begins. (Forward in book, Where Real Worship Begins, by James Draper)

II.                    What Worship Is

A. Worship is an attitude.

There are probably a number of attitudes that we could associate with the whole idea of worship. The list would obviously include these:

1. Attitude of humility

All of the references we made earlier to the concepts of bowing down, prostrating one’s self, etc. indicate the outward display of an inward attitude of humility and unworthiness to approach the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the sovereign power figure / authority figure of the whole universe.

Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

When any person comes into the presence of the Holy One it will be immediate recognition of our unworthiness to be in His presence. Every thought of self-importance and every idea of self-assertion will absolutely melt away in the presence of Divine Majesty.

Paul Stromberg Rees – If you can leave your church on Sunday morning with no feeling of discomfort, of conviction, of brokenness, of challenge, then for you the hour of worship has not been as dangerous as it should have been. The ease with which we go on being Christian sentimentalists is one of our worst faults. (Draper's Book of Quotations)

Richard J. Foster – If worship does not change us, it has not been worship. To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change. Worship begins in holy expectancy; it ends in holy obedience. (Draper's Book of Quotations)

This thought leads us to mention two other attitudes that always accompany worship.

2. Attitude of surrender

3. Attitude of service

Any acknowledgement of God that does not lead one to surrender and service is a mere pretense. It cannot be a true understanding.

B. Worship is a lifestyle.

Some people have reduced the idea of worship to the designated time for singing songs that usually occurs at the beginning of a church meeting. This concept is such a narrow view of true worship.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

When we come together for corporate worship, we sing to worship and ascribe worth and glory to God. We pray to acknowledge His supremacy and our dependency. We pray for His will to be accomplished in our lives and in our world so He will be exalted. We don’t pray just so we can have an easier life. We do it as a way of engaging in spiritual warfare so that God’s will is done and God’s name is honored and exalted among the righteous and among the heathen. We give our tithes and offerings generously and cheerfully, not out of obligation or to be noticed, but out of a sincere desire to honor Him; a sincere desire to promote what God is doing locally and globally. We hear the Word because it’s His Word. We need and want to hear what God has to say to us. It’s a way of worshiping Him and acknowledging the worth and value of His message.

Whatever we do – we should be doing it all to exalt and glorify and honor the Lord!

Abraham J. Heschel – Worship is a way of living, a way of seeing the world in the light of God... to rise to a higher level of existence, to see the world from the point of view of God. (Draper's Book of Quotations)

(Illustrations Unlimited) A budget is a theological document. It indicates who or what we worship.

We can say the same thing about our work, our recreation, our relationships, etc. etc. Do we conduct all of these areas of our lives as if we are doing it for God? Do we conduct all of these tasks in a way that causes people around us to honor and exalt God?

Conclusion:

John Henry Jowett — We leave our places of worship, and no deep and inexpressible wonder sits upon our faces. We can sing these lilting melodies, and when we go out into the streets our faces are one with the faces of those who have left the theaters and the music halls. There is nothing about us to suggest that we have been looking at anything stupendous and overwhelming... And what is the explanation of the loss? Preeminently our impoverished conception of God. (Today's Best Illustrations)

What Jowett is saying is this: it’s not a necessary part of my job as your pastor to make you feel comfortable and jubilant when you leave here every Sunday. There are times, when we’ve truly acquired a glimpse of God’s majesty and glory, that we will feel uneasy about the status quo of our devotion and service to Him.

This assessment not only applies to our meetings for corporate worship, but it also applies to our personal, private worship. Far too often we start off our day and end our day without a genuine encounter with the Holy One of eternity.

For some professing Christians, it has been weeks or months, perhaps even years since they have had an encounter with God that profoundly changed their perception of God as well as their perception of time and eternity.

May God help us to recapture the true concept and act of worship in our lives and in our churches!

Our closing song today is: I Give All to You 

What Is a Mom?

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This is a sermon that was given on Mother's Day and it attempts to describe some of the roles or tasks that moms perform as illustrated in various passages of Scripture.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

What is a Mom? Boy, we could probably spend the rest of the service just going around the room and getting answers to that question.

A pastor from OK wrote this question with the following answer: What are mothers? Well, mothers are teachers. Mothers are disciplinarians. Mothers are cleaning ladies. Some mothers are gardeners & mowers of lawns. Mothers are nurses & doctors & psychologists & counselors & chauffeurs & coaches. Mothers are developers of personalities, molders of vocabularies, & shapers of attitudes. Mothers are soft voices saying, "I love you." And mothers are a link to God, a child's first impression of God's love. Mothers are all these things & much, much more.

His list pretty well covers it all, especially when he ended it by saying, “and much, much more!”

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?" When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word Mother. (sermonillustrations.com)

That is actually one of the things a mother does, but that probably isn’t the best answer to the question, “What is a mom?”

I want to take a little while today to use various Scripture texts to describe what a mother really is.

I.      A mom is the giver of life.

Genesis 3:20   And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

We know from plenty of texts in Scripture that God is the ultimate source of life.

A mom is the person God uses to carry that unborn baby and let her body provide the safety and nourishment he needs until he is developed enough to survive on his own.

Moms provide life.

II.    A mom is a teacher

Proverbs 1:7-9 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

This text in Prov. 1 is one of many references in the Bible that indicate the gift of teaching that moms possess. Word “instruction” appears in verses 7 & 8.

True that the word is associated with the role of the father as well, but the indication is that this is what a mother does as well – teach her children things they need to know in life.

Teach: (reading, manners, responsibility, Scriptures, etc.)

Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

Mom is a person that teaches.

III.   A mom is the provider of unconditional love and comfort.

Isaiah 49:15 ^(NKJV) "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.”

The implication of this verse is this: It MAY happen that a mother could forget her child and refuse to show love or compassion, but the wording of the text makes it very clear that it is not normal, nor is it something we would expect.

Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

1 Thessalonians 2:7 ^(NKJV) But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

These are just a few of the passages that emphasize the kind of love that a mother has for her children. Even mothers of convicted and condemned murderers will speak of their love for their sons/daughters.

A mom is a person that carries a love for her children that no one else can quite understand.

IV.   A mom is a molder of faith.

2 Timothy 1:5 ^(NKJV) when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

Paul had just mentioned his constant prayers for Timothy and his great desire to see him and he adds that he remembers the genuine/sincere faith Timothy has. He then explains how that rock-solid faith was developed in him – it came from his grandmother and his mother. Both of these women had successfully transmitted a sincere faith in God to this son who had proven his faith by serving the Lord in a tremendous ministry.

A Mom is a person that transfers faith in the Lord to the next generation.

Conclusion:

As I indicated at the beginning of the message, there are many more things we could include in the “definition” of a mom.

Let me just finish by saying a mom is a person worthy of respect and honor. She may have many faults and may have made many mistakes (who among us hasn’t?). But, with all of the love, tenderness, nurture and work she puts into the lives of her children, mom deserves recognition, respect and our heart-felt gratitude.

Sam Ewing (author) ―  “When you feel neglected, think of the female salmon, who lays 3,000,000 eggs but no one remembers her on Mother's Day” (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/mother?)

For our closing song today I chose a chorus that probably could be the testimony of every Christian mother everywhere.

Learning to Lean

Heaven on Earth

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon that explores the need for God's holy presence to fill us so that we don't have to wait until we get to heaven in order to sense His nearness. It also speaks about the need for God's people to live out His presence so that the darkness around us is overcome by heaven's influence through God's people.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 6:10 ^(NKJV) Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Introduction:

It seems as though there has been a fascination among people of all times with the idea of “heaven on earth” or what we might call utopian societies. People have repeatedly experimented with the idea of forming communities where everyone lives in harmony, no greed, no vices, no one takes advantage of anyone else, and everyone contributes equally to the overall benefit of the community.

For example: (http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/5-19th-century-utopian-communities-in-the-united-states)

Utopian communities in 19th-century [1800’s] America were considered by many to herald a new age in human civilization. Often led by charismatic leaders with high religious or secular moral ideals, these settlements experimented wildly with different models of government, marriage, labor and wealth. Hundreds of such societies littered the U.S. landscape during the 1800s, most disappearing without a trace….

The philosophical movement known as Transcendentalist was in full swing when Unitarian minister George Ripley founded Brook Farm in the rural Boston suburb of West Roxbury in 1841. The community wasn’t particularly unique for its time—after all, more than 80 utopian communities were launched in the 1840s alone—but it was notable as the first purely secular one. Members farmed the land together and held the fruits of their labor in common. The idea was that this would give settlers more time to pursue their own literary and scientific interests, which would then benefit the rest of humankind. Money troubles and internal squabbling eventually eroded the community, which disbanded after only a few years in existence. Founding member Nathaniel Hawthorne ended up having a pretty miserable time there, which he would later document in his fictionalized account of Brook Farm, “Blithedale Romance.”

The history seems to show that human attempts at creating an earthly utopia have dramatically failed. No matter how noble or even how “spiritual” the founders and their motives might have been, experiments have proven that human nature tainted by original sin generally stifles such efforts. My message today is not a call to form another utopian community of peace and harmony! Having said that, I do want to share with you some of the thoughts that have been on my mind and in my heart lately as a result of some articles I have read.

With the help of the Lord, I want to explore the message implied in the words that Christ taught us in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

(Some scholars say the phrase, “On earth as it is in heaven” is a qualifier that should apply to all three of the preceding clauses – hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; and thy will be done.) This is a petition which Jesus Himself instructs us to pray. In some real and genuine form, we are to pray for and expect these things to come on earth as in heaven.

I want to first of all share some quotes from an author by the name of Peter Cheyne, because I can’t make this point any better than he does. These comments come from an article he wrote about 7 years ago and was titled, “Make up There Come down Here.”

Human beings have always had this sense that there is another world. …we have this persistent belief that there is something beyond death. Some people may say they don’t believe that, but different civilizations down through the centuries have consistently believed that there is another world beyond death.

Eccl 3:11 God has set eternity in the hearts of men….

The only way to really know what heaven is like and to really know what it is like to be in the presence of God seems to be to die….

Is the gospel about what happens to you when you’re dead? Is it all about “getting into heaven”?

Many people do have that understanding. The gospel – the good news – is about being forgiven and reconciled to God so that when we die we go to heaven.

Of course, the gospel is about being forgiven and going to heaven but if that is all then Christianity boils down to waiting to go to heaven and it is good news only when you die. I think tens of thousands of Christians take that view: I’m OK. Jesus has saved me. Now I am simply waiting to go to heaven….

Is the gospel [only] about obtaining your ticket to heaven and is it [only] good news after we die? Or, is the gospel about experiencing God now? Is the gospel [only] about us going to heaven, or [is it also] about heaven coming to us – now, in this life?

Listen to [author] John Ortberg: Sometimes people pray a version of the Star Trek prayer to Scottie: “Beam me up.” Many people think our job is to get my afterlife destination taken care of, then tread water till we all get ejected and God comes back and torches this place. But Jesus never told anybody – neither his disciples nor us – to pray “Get me out of here so I can go up there.” His prayer was, “Make up there come down here.” Make things down here run the way they do up there. (p.176)

For the rest of our time today, I want to speak about three ingredients that I believe are essential in order for what is “Up there to come down here.”

I.      Desire God more than anything

Psalm 42:1-2 ^(NKJV) As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 63:1-2 ^(NKJV) O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

Psalm 73:25 ^(NKJV) Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

These verses I’ve read from the Psalms describe the yearning heart of the Psalmist who longs for the intimate and distinct presence of the Lord. We’re so accustomed to this world, and most of us are so “wrapped up” in this world that we don’t really desire God like we should or like He desires us to want Him. We are far too contented to live life with the benefits and pleasures we currently have rather than to desire more of God’s presence among us and with us.

I find that for most people, the only time we really long for heaven (i.e. God’s presence) is when things are not going well at all – suffering; heartaches; sorrow; etc. But, as long as life is going well and we can enjoy the pleasures of this world, we wouldn’t care if it never ends.

I’ve talked to many people who are so involved in worldly pleasures that it really doesn’t seem to occur to them that they are missing the greatest part of life – experiencing the presence of God; knowing Him; and worshiping Him.

Our concept of "heaven on earth" is a world where we get everything we want, we live in comfort, we enjoy most if not all of the material blessings we dream about, etc. But, in reality it means having the supernatural presence of God, with God's will being accomplished as evil is being overcome. It is the surpassing confidence that in spite of whatever seems to be going wrong, God is still in control and is going to bring good out of it all.

One of the ingredients for experiencing “heaven on earth” is to have a passionate desire for God.

II.    Experience God’s presence

When we talk about the presence of God, there is a sense in which it is hard to distinguish whether the desire must precede the experience, or if the experience must create the desire. It may be a little of both. It makes sense to say that one really can’t desire God until he/she has at least had some limited experience of God’s presence that stimulates the passionate desire for more.

(Kirk Dearman, Worship Leader & Song Writer) Many years ago, my wife and I were extremely blessed to be a part of a genuine and sovereign visitation of God that was taking place in two particular churches in our area. We realize now that what we experienced in those days was the exception and not the norm for most local congregations.

As we gathered to worship the Lord during those exciting days, there was such a sense of expectation and a tangible awareness of God's presence. Many times we would be so overwhelmed by His presence that we could only respond by falling to our knees, or lying completely prostrate in an attitude of deep reverence. Often the pastor would be compelled to set aside his sermon and we would worship... sometimes for as long as two hour! The goal of our worship was to touch God's heart; to connect with Him in such a way that He would, in turn, respond to us, individually and corporately. We understood that we were coming together to meet with God, to "commune" with Him. It wasn't at all about us, it wasn't about the songs or the band. It was all about Him. The prevailing attitude of the congregation during those unforgettable times of corporate worship was one of profound reverence, wonder and awe. I have often said over the years that once you have experienced such times of corporate worship, you can never be satisfied with anything less.

What did I learn during those times of glorious worship?

I think the main thing I learned is to treasure God's presence. A healthy reverence for Him and for His presence was deeply ingrained into my spirit. I also learned that, far from being my "buddy", God is absolutely and wholly "Other", transcendent, and far beyond my comprehension. The early church fathers knew that much about God is shrouded in mystery. They called this mystery the mysterium tremendum, or "awesome mystery."

What makes heaven, heaven? It is the presence of divinity. It is the presence of Jesus.

(Jonathan Parnell, “Where Is Heaven on Earth?”) (http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/where-is-heaven-on-earth) Wherever the risen Christ is, that is heaven. That is why John’s vision in Revelation has heaven coming here, heralded as, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (Rev. 21:1–3).

When we seek for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are essentially seeking for the presence of God to be just as real here as it is there. We are seeking for Jesus to be just as close to us “here” as He is “up there.”

Experiencing the presence of God like Kirk Dearman and others have described is not a simple task or process. As I indicated in a message I gave about a month ago (The Still Small Voice), it requires intentional effort to get quiet enough before God and to approach Him with the right spirit and attitude.

So, the second necessary ingredient for having “heaven on earth” is to experience the real, genuine presence of God Himself.

III.   Engage in God’s enterprise

Finally, let’s consider the third ingredient that is necessary to have heaven on earth. What does it look like when “What is up there comes down here?”

(Jonathan Parnell) Until the [final] reality of God’s new creation overwhelms this old one, the way that heaven touches this world now is through his people — by his Spirit, through his people . . . people like you and me.

(Peter Cheyne) Jesus called His first disciples saying, “I will make you fishers of men”; not “I will make you comfortable” but “I will make you fishers of men.” He left them saying, “Go into all the world and make disciples.” On another occasion he said, “I chose you to go and bear much fruit – fruit that will last.” (Jn 15:16) The Biblical picture is not of us receiving salvation and waiting to be beamed up to heaven. The Biblical picture is of us being called to be agents bringing the Kingdom of God into this world.”

He continues… John 17:15-18 ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Jesus’ prayer is not that we be plucked out of this nasty world but that we are sent into this sad world. Sent into the world, just like Jesus was sent into the world, to be an agent of the Kingdom of God.

…the misunderstanding that we are simply waiting to be plucked out of this world [along with] the [idea that the] good news is only really good news after we die, is keeping many people from seeking to experience God’s presence and power in their lives here and now. It is by becoming agents of the Kingdom and working for God’s will to be done in our own lives and our homes and workplaces and our society, that we do experience God.

When Jesus prayed, “As You have sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world,” He is defining our mission and purpose. We are the ones that are to help bring “what’s up there down here.”

Our lives are not to be all wrapped up in making our world as comfortable as it can be for ourselves, but it is to be wrapped up in making others around us feel as though a little bit of heaven has broken through into their chaotic world by bringing light to their darkness, healing to their pain, and robust life to their spiritual corpses.

When we connect with God in a way that was described at the beginning of the message, then we are in the best condition spiritually to go out and spread the “heaven on earth” experience with whomever we find that is in need of “good news.”

Let’s “Take Time to be Holy” then go spread it around!

Take Time to Be Holy 

Because He Lives

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player above.)

This is an Easter sermon that explores the various benefits that we enjoy because of Christ's resurrection from the dead.

Written excerpts:

1 Corinthians 15:13-14 ^(NKJV) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Introduction:

Dr. George Sweeting (former president and chancellor of the Moody Bible Institute), tells of an incident in the early 1920s when Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address an anti-God rally. For an hour he abused and ridiculed the Christian faith until it seemed as if the whole structure of belief was in ruins. Then questions were invited. An Orthodox Church priest rose and asked to speak. He turned, faced the people, and gave the Easter greeting, "He is risen!" Instantly the assembly rose to its feet and the reply came back loud and clear, "He is risen indeed!"  Today in the Word, September, 1989, (sermonillustrations.com)

We’ve been celebrating today as we rehearse the details of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. No matter how you look at it – it was and is a great victory over Satan, over sin, and over death! All of our hymns and special music have reviewed the events of the resurrection.

Before we conclude our service, I want to take a little time to remind us again about some of the benefits we have because of the resurrection.

This is more of a topical message and it certainly isn’t exhaustive because we’ve talked about various benefits of the resurrection in the past and there are other benefits that we still haven’t explored.

Here are some of the benefits I am happy about this Easter:

I.      Because He lives, our preaching and faith is confirmed.

1 Corinthians 15:13-14 ^(NKJV) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

If there’s no resurrection, then we might as well close the doors of every church. We have no message of salvation and no message of hope. If there’s no resurrection, we have nothing to trust in. We have no basis for faith or for living according to the principles of the Bible.

II.    Because He lives, we have an intercessor in heaven.

Hebrews 7:25 ^(NKJV) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives (KJV, ever liveth) to make intercession for them.

III.   Because He lives, we have power for victorious living.

Romans 8:11 ^(NKJV) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

In my own power and strength I can only expect failure as I try to live pleasing to the Lord. But with the resurrection power of the Spirit I can have victory over sin and I can live in fellowship with Christ and experience the abundant life that Jesus promised to give.

IV.   Because He lives, we can expect His return.

John 14:2-3 ^(NKJV) In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Acts 1:11 … Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

If you ask me any questions about when Jesus is coming back, I have to admit that I don’t know. But if you ask me IF Jesus is coming back, I’ll answer without the slightest hesitation, “YES!”

Conclusion:

All four of these things I’ve mentioned this morning are only possible and only true because the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true!

If He hadn’t risen from the dead, we would be miserably lost and hopeless.