Some brief thoughts on our Sunday worship.
The question is this: How should we view our Sunday gathering?
Teaching Hebrews 12v18-29 I was struck again that when we gather for worship, we are joining with the worship of heaven!! Have you ever seen it like that?
And so, according to Hebews 12, Christian worship is marked by:
1/ Awe - more so than if we were witnessing the earthquake, storm and fire on Mt Sinai (v18-22)
2/ Joy - the angels are in joyful assembly (lit. celebration)
3/ The presence of innumerable angels, presumably singing as in Revelation
3/ The presence of dead believers - the "church" (lit. assembly) comprising the spirits of those who had died now perfected
4/ The presence of God as judge, which induces right reverance
5/ The presence of Jesus and his blood, which induces assurance of forgiveness
Recognizing this, really does transform our mindset when we gather as we do each week. And according to Hebrews 12, what this awareness should bring about is:
1/ Attentive, God-fearing acceptance of God's word, as the means by which God speaks from heaven: "See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven." v25
2/ Thankfulness, reverance and awe: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’" v28-29
That we really do join with heaven when we worship (and that Hebrews 12 is not just talking figuratively) is born out by:
1/ The sense that we conduct life surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses" Heb 12v1 who are the ones who have been perfected 11v40 (we are not told if they see everything or anything, but they are there)
2/ The assumption Paul has that angels see what goes on in worship, which is why men and women need to be differentiated 1 Cor 11v10
3/ David understood his thanksgiving to be "before the gods" (ie. angels) Ps 138v1
What this means for those of us who lead worship is that we need to:
1/ Have this in mind and so lead in a way that suits this awesome reality
2/ Help everyone engage their "sanctified imagination" to have some sense of this themselves
3/ Ensure that early in our time, we conciously draw near to God via the blood of Christ, ie. through confession of sin
4/ Ensure that God speaking through his word and our response to it is the high-point of our gathering
5/ Seek to foster a sense of reveverence, joy and thanksgiving in our worship, even if there may be some sense of lament to it
What this means for us all as we come to worship is:
1/ To remind ourselves this is the most awesome event we can engage in
2/ To see with the sanctified imagination of the eyes of faith, that we really are in the presence of God, Christ, the angels and all believers in heaven
3/ To express revent awe in heatfelt confession of sin, seriousness and attentiveness in all that's done
4/ To pray for and seek a particular mindset during the readings and sermon that is fitting for God speaking to us from heaven
5/ To rejoice with thanksgiving at the assurance of sins forgiven, the wonder of worship, and all God is and does!
Here's a brief article on this from Sinclair Ferguson: https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/worship-with-the-angels
There's so much more going on when we worship than we realise! It is quite literally "awesome."
Teaching Hebrews 12v18-29 I was struck again that when we gather for worship, we are joining with the worship of heaven!! Have you ever seen it like that?
And so, according to Hebews 12, Christian worship is marked by:
1/ Awe - more so than if we were witnessing the earthquake, storm and fire on Mt Sinai (v18-22)
2/ Joy - the angels are in joyful assembly (lit. celebration)
3/ The presence of innumerable angels, presumably singing as in Revelation
3/ The presence of dead believers - the "church" (lit. assembly) comprising the spirits of those who had died now perfected
4/ The presence of God as judge, which induces right reverance
5/ The presence of Jesus and his blood, which induces assurance of forgiveness
Recognizing this, really does transform our mindset when we gather as we do each week. And according to Hebrews 12, what this awareness should bring about is:
1/ Attentive, God-fearing acceptance of God's word, as the means by which God speaks from heaven: "See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven." v25
2/ Thankfulness, reverance and awe: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’" v28-29
That we really do join with heaven when we worship (and that Hebrews 12 is not just talking figuratively) is born out by:
1/ The sense that we conduct life surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses" Heb 12v1 who are the ones who have been perfected 11v40 (we are not told if they see everything or anything, but they are there)
2/ The assumption Paul has that angels see what goes on in worship, which is why men and women need to be differentiated 1 Cor 11v10
3/ David understood his thanksgiving to be "before the gods" (ie. angels) Ps 138v1
What this means for those of us who lead worship is that we need to:
1/ Have this in mind and so lead in a way that suits this awesome reality
2/ Help everyone engage their "sanctified imagination" to have some sense of this themselves
3/ Ensure that early in our time, we conciously draw near to God via the blood of Christ, ie. through confession of sin
4/ Ensure that God speaking through his word and our response to it is the high-point of our gathering
5/ Seek to foster a sense of reveverence, joy and thanksgiving in our worship, even if there may be some sense of lament to it
What this means for us all as we come to worship is:
1/ To remind ourselves this is the most awesome event we can engage in
2/ To see with the sanctified imagination of the eyes of faith, that we really are in the presence of God, Christ, the angels and all believers in heaven
3/ To express revent awe in heatfelt confession of sin, seriousness and attentiveness in all that's done
4/ To pray for and seek a particular mindset during the readings and sermon that is fitting for God speaking to us from heaven
5/ To rejoice with thanksgiving at the assurance of sins forgiven, the wonder of worship, and all God is and does!
Here's a brief article on this from Sinclair Ferguson: https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/worship-with-the-angels
There's so much more going on when we worship than we realise! It is quite literally "awesome."