A Model of Church, part two (Sermon)

The church is a group of believers who gather together in Jesus name for a specific purpose. That purpose is to glorify God in all things. (Eph. 1: 12, 14) How do we glorify God? We saw last week that we glorify Him through worship, through community, and through witness.

Today, we want to focus in on the aspect of worship. Worship is defined as the act of loving God deeply, to show adoration. Worship is more than songs; worship is the reality of our finite world encountering the infinite reality of God. It is everything that moves us upward as we seek to draw closer to God -- to embrace Him. (Ps. 95.6)

What makes up worship? There are three key areas.

1. Instruction: One means of worshipping God is to hear and study the word of God, whether it is the spoken word (i.e., revelation) or the written word (Bible). Deut. 8.3 says “Not by bread alone. . .” Ps. 138. 1-2 tells us God’s word is above even His own name. The word becomes part of our worship when it becomes a living word (rhemma). It like a joke: if you don’t get it, its just a bunch of words, but when you get it . . . When we get God’s word, it produces faith, and that pleases and glorifies Him.

2. Celebration: Joy of the Lord. There were places in the life of Israel where God instituted times of celebration for the people in the forms of the feasts. We could go really deep into the theological and historical background, but we won’t. It would make a good Bible Study. But like the Children of Israel, the church must learn to celebrate what God has done for us, both as individuals and as a congregation. Thus, praise and worship become a vital part of our response towards God in celebration. (Ps. 20.5).

3. Repentance: Repentance is our response to God’s love and grace. (Rom. 2.4b). When one sees him or her self in light of God’s truth and holiness, and understands the transaction that took place upon the cross of Calvary, the reality of our sinfulness will naturally produce repentance. This is seen first in the repentance of salvation; and as we grow in our faith, God will continue to challenge us to go deeper with him, as he continually transforms us into the image of Christ. (2 Cor. 3.18). The reality is that our sin has distorted the reflection, just like a funhouse mirror. God is little by little working out the defects until we can reflect him as we were intended to. Often as the body of Christ, we find that we have failed to live up to the high calling of our Lord. Are we willing to repent, to turn from those things which hold us back. Are we willing to give God our all?

As we seek to glorify God, let us undertake the upward journey; let us draw near to him and he promises that he in turn will draw near to us (James 4.8). Let us allow God’s word to instruct us, his grace and mercy lead us to celebration, and his holiness lead us to repentance. And in all of these, may he be glorified. Amen.