Simple Church – putting a number on it…

Ever feel like you are the only one?

Simple Church, Organic Church or House Church is no longer thought of as some fringe, obscure or illegitimate expression of the Church made up of hippies and those too strange to belong to traditional christian churches.  Let me take that back… some of us are strange.  However, there is a longing amongst many believers today for something more than the status quo, more than church attendance.  There is a growing desire to not change the structure of church but rather be changed people.  This is leading to a shift in how believers meet and gather.  It’s less about the building and more about the relationships and Christ being the center of communal life. 

So is this a passing fad?  It doesn’t seem so.  By the growing numbers it’s becoming a movement – a Jesus movement and is gaining acceptance even among mainstream traditional and denominational churches who are not only embracing it as legitimate but who themselves are now planting Simple Churches.

Give it to me. What’s the number?

One of Christianity’s most influential leaders, George Barna, who has both been a part of the movement for many years and has done extensive research share some interesting facts.  This is a recent article written by the Barna Group entitled “How many people really attend a House Church?”.  CLICK HERE

Simple Church video…

This is a great video about the Simple Church movement by House2House featuring a number of leaders and Simple Church practitioners.

 

He who has an ear, let him hear…

Oh the beauty of diversity.  How different we are in every way, including our ability to communicate.  If you haven’t learned by now then you either don’t realize that people misunderstand what you’ve tried to say or you don’t care if you are misunderstood.   But, if we value relationship with the ones we are trying to communicate with then we will take the time to learn.  To assume you are heard simply because you think you are a clear and precise communicator is a self-delusion and maybe in some cases arrogant.  Either way it does not take into account the beautiful diversity of our hearers.  Communication is an ongoing process that may need to be revisited over and over til what we find is not that we have simply been heard and understood but rather we progressively and more intimately know our hearers as well as we are known.  To truly desire to be heard is to truly desire relationship with our hearer and that is a heart issue not just something wrong with the ears.

A Beautiful thing…

As I woke up this morning I felt an incredible sense of gratitude for the journey I am on.   Life is a marathon, not a 50 yard dash and learning to live in the moment is an art, not a science.  Every canvas is the same.  It doesn’t look like much, kind of plain.  But the moment the master artist puts his hand to the canvas, with each brush of color the canvas comes to life.  To the canvas and those who watch the artist at work, each stroke makes no sense till the masterpiece is done.  Learning to live in the moment and enjoying the journey is all about trusting the Master as He adds color to our life.  Each moment is necessary to the vision in the Master’s heart and mind.  

Put your trust in God’s vision for your life.  You don’t have to understand every moment, just look for the Master of the moment.  Our peace and joy in life’s circumstance is in the presence of God and the trust that each moment is necessary for our completion.  You will miss the beauty of each stroke and color if you are more concerned with understanding why He is doing it rather than embracing what He’s doing.

Trust God’s vision, He will complete it.

Don’t worry, He knows what He’s doing.

Enjoy the beauty of each moment, He’s in the moment.

Be patient, it’s a journey.

Risky Buisness…

We have been teaching a series called “Going Deep” over the last few weeks and it has been an awesome experience for me because it has been shaping me as I teach it. 

The thing I have been pondering is how we mostly present Christianity as a belief system instead of a way of life.  Our faith was intended to be a way of life.  God models this for us.  We know 1 John 4:8 says “God is love.”  This is our belief.  But, in Romans 5:8 God Gives us His way of life, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   We know the bible says God is kind and we believe it but Romans 2:4 says “the kindness of God leads you to repentance.”  Our belief system has to always be fleshed out.  It has to become for us a way of life.

In our series about “Going Deep”,we looked at Acts 2:42-47 where the believer (system) devoted themselves (way of life).  They devoted themselvesto fellowship and breaking of bread which requires a great deal of humility and vulnerability.  Let’s just say this is RISKY BUSINESS.  I shared in our series how we will have fellowship to the degree that we are known.  This means the risk of exposing ourselves, being real.  It questions “If I let people know this about me, what will they think, what will they do?”

That said, I was privileged this week to be invited to lunch by a new friend.  When we settled down to eat he said the reason he wanted to have lunch with me was to expose himself.  He said he wanted to tell me about his life so we could know each other deeper.  WOW!!!  The courage it takes to let it all hang out.  My experience has been, you never know how people will react when you open up to be known.  I am so blessed, both as this persons friend and as a pastor.  I am blessed to go deeper as a friend and like most pastors, we are blessed when people “get it.”  It takes a great deal of faith to live the kind of life, but is is our reward, our inheritance in the saints.

Hang in there with me, I need to catch up the last two weeks of this series here on the blog. (Breaking Bread & Prayer)

Here are the links for the first 3 parts of this series “GOING DEEP.”

Pt. 1 GOING DEEP

Pt. 2 GOING DEEP

Pt.3 GOING DEEP

Hope Shines…

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”        Romans 8:24

Though you may not see, the Son is always behind the clouds.  Just wait.

I got up this early morning from a sleepless night.  I had to be at the Endodontist first thing.  I have a tooth that was crowned a few years ago and it seemed to be giving me trouble.  My dentist said I might need a root canal.  For a week I’ve been thinking something was not right with the crown, but what do I know, I’m not the dentist.  I hate going to the dentist. 

When I walked out of the house it was a gloomy overcast day.  The sun was nowhere to be found.  But, I know it’s still there.  It’s amazing how the look of the weather can affect your outlook of the day.  Depressing looking days have a tendency to depress.  We can forget the sun is always there behind the clouds.

As I sit here writing this the sun is breaking through the clouds.  It was there all the time.  We cannot always see it when we want, but with patience it always comes.

Don’t worry so much when you see the clouds in your life.  Even if it tarries, wait in hope.  Though all we may see is clouds, the Son is always there.  Our hope is in someone greater than what our eyes can see.  Jesus is always there.  Wait on Him, His timing is perfect.

When I was at the Endodontist, he said he believed I needed an adjustment on my crown and a little antibiotic would take care of it instead of a root canal.  It seens to feel much better.  And, it cost me $95 instead of $1000.  What a blessing.

I want something Relevant…

 

 I saw this cartoon at mentalreflection, thanks Philippa.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”   2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

Going Deep – Pt.2 The Word

In our second week of this series we looked at Going Deep in God’s Word.

“And they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching…”   Acts2:42

In Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, he says “One evidence of conversion is a desire to be instructed in the doctrines and duties of religion, and a willingness to attend on the preaching of the gospel.”  When we come to Jesus there is a desire stirred to know Him and our new life in a deeper way, both in knowledge and experience. 

God, from before time has been a God who reveals Himself and wants to be known, not out of His need but ours.  In this He has not left us without a way to know Him.  He has done so in His Word, both written and incarnate.

“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness of me…”  John 5:39

In the scriptures we find the revelation of Jesus.  As we behold Him we are transformed. (2 Corinthians 3:18)  For God’s plan has always been to conform us to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29)  

The new believers in Acts 2 were responding to this desire by devoting themselves to the Apostle to be taught.  And as a result they were experiencing the change of this new life in Christ.  They were going deeper in the Word through the Apostles’ teaching.  The word for teaching here is also the word doctrine, which is not meant to be a systematic order if information.  It is deeper than just knowledge.  Referring again to Albert Barnes Notes, Barnes says it was not to just hold or believe the doctrine of the Apostles, but to adhere to or attend on those teachings.  This was a new and deepening life in God’s Word.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”   2 Timothy 3:16-17

To understand why and how going deeper in the Word and devoting ourselves to it’s teaching changes us, we can look at 2nd Timothy.  It says “All scripture is breathed out by God…”  In the Greek it literally means by the breath of God the Scriptures were formed.  Peter says it this way:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”   2 Peter 1:16-21

The Greek “carried along” actually means “borne” from the root “to bear.”  Benjamine Warfield says:

“What is “borne” is taken up by the “bearer,” and conveyed by the “bearer’s” power, not its own, to the “bearer’s” goal, not its own.  The men who spoke from God are here declared, therefore, to have been taken up by the Holy Spirit and brought by His power to the goal of His choosing.  The things which they spoke under this operation of the Holy Spirit were, therefore, His things, not theirs.”  Benjamine Warfield

This is why our human words only have power to the degree of our own limited ability and authority, but when we are borne of the Holy Spirit, we are taken up by Him andwhat we then do in Him is by Him through us.  This kindof power is supernatural.  This is the power of the Word given by these men borne of the Spirit.  This makes the Word of God powerful and as we go deeper into it, it works in us powerfully to the end and goal of the Spirit to which the Word belongs.

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”  1 Thessalonians 2:13

In the life of the “borne” again believer, the Word performs powerful and life changing things for those who go deeper into it and put it to practice – obey it.  This is why it says in Ephesians:

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”   Ephesians 4:11-16

No one is going to do it for us.  Our new life is a journey and the change we must experience is a process.  It is a process that is hindered if we do not go deeper in God’s Word.  It is amazing that as much as  we (believers) hold the Apostle Paul up on a pedestal, that we would fine this in his writings:

“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:10-11

Let me invite you to GO DEEPinto God’s Word.  Take advantage of the opportunities you have to devote yourself to Apostolic teaching.  Your pastors and spiritual leaders humbly labor to lead you into a deep and rich encounter the the Word of the Word, Jesus.  God is faithful to bring favor in your life from devotion to the teaching of His Word.

“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who bear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”  Mark 4:20

Going Deep Pt. 1

Last week I started a new teaching series at The Dwelling Place entitled “Going Deep.”  It was prompted by something I posted a few days back where I said “Going Deep is our part, going Big is God’s part.”  As I was reflecting on Acts 2 I noticed something that jerked me back like a dog on a leash.

We have a tendency as church pastors and church planter to give in to the pressure to produce.  Much of our insecurities can be manipulated by the pressure of perceived expectation, that we must make it grow.  Since we are the experts, we must do something to make that thing get bigger.  After all it is the consumers measure for success.  If it’s not succeeding then we are not succeeding.  Let me say to all of you in ministry, “What a load of CRAP!”  Success?  I remember what my Father said to His firstborn, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.”  This is it.  I am my Daddy’s son and He loves me.

Moving on.  After finishing a previous series where we looked at what our mission was, I was tempted to work up a mission statement, package it well, capture it in a clever statement and then….jerrrrrk.  I saw it.  

“And they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers……praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”   Acts 2:42,47

The new believers devoted themselves……it produced favor and the Lord added to their number.

Devoted in the Greek means “to be earnest towards.”  It is a compound word for “forward” indicating a direction and movement towards; and to be strong, steadfast or endure.   In the context of verse 42 it means these new believers were moving forward in a stronger and more earnest relationship with Jesus, their leaders (Apostles) and each other.  In other word they were GOING DEEPER in Scripture and teaching of the Apostles, deeper in fellowship, deeper in the practice of faith and deeper in prayer together.

When we enter into this deeper devotion and a missional, incarnational focus on those around us, it will produce favor.  Going deeper in relationship and love with God and people is an attractive thing.  When you find something you really love, don’t you want to tell someone or share it with someone.  “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  If you don’t want to share the experience of what you have, you might want to check and see if you had it in the first place. 

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”      1 John 4:8

God cannot be contained.  When we try to put God in a box and contain Him, it becomes something other than God.  It just becomes religion and not good religion at that.  Life has to have room to grow or you kill it.    “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”  1 John 4:7

Missional, Incarnational Community…

In the movie Superman Returns, Superman comes to see Lois and explains why he left and came back.  He takes Lois for a flight through the night sky high above the earth.  As they hover, Superman says:

S: What do you hear?

L: Nothing.

S: I hear everything….

S: You wrote “The world does not need a Savior, but every day I hear people crying out for one.”

Isn’t that so true.  If you have the ears and eyes to discern the cry of humanity all around us;  they cry out for a Savior.  From atheist to agnostic to right out vile pagan - While even in the midst of outright denying the existence of God, their lives, their pain, their dreams and life longings cry out for a Savior. 

Instead of self-righteous disdain for the behavior and religious beliefs of others, we should be moved to compassion for a crying humanity in need of a Savior. 

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”   Micah 6:8

Who is going to show them the way?

ReThink Church: Pt 4 – What is our mission?

This has been an incredible journey for me to this point.  We have finished our last week in this series at The Dwelling Place, but have only begun to scratch the surface of how this all applies to us practically as the church.  Our goal was to lay a firm foundation for our ecclesiology.  I believe the first layer has been laid well.  It’s now up to all of us to act as wise builders on a good foundation. 

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

The premise for reconstructing our thoughts on our mission is the fact that throughout history God has been the “Missio Dei” – the sending God.  From the beginning God sent His Word and His Spirit and created all things.  He sent man in the garden.  He sent men throughout OT history.  He sent Jesus into the world.  He sent the Holy Spirit.  And, as we will see, He sends us.

So what is our mission?

First, our mission is to be new people.  Romans 6 is clear that God redeemed us and has in Christ brought us from death to life. 

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

We are to live our lives consistently with the new identity we have in Jesus, walking in newness of life.  We should live different lives that reflect the life of Jesus in us.  There should be a marked difference in us as compared to the world we live in.  We are now light in darkness.

Second, our mission is to be God’s message.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is our life speaking.  As Christ followers, we worry so much about sharing or not sharing Christ.  You might not think so, but I believe every person who has genuinely chosen to belong to Jesus has had to deal with the fear of sharing Christ, or not.  Some may think it’s not their job.  Though our word are important, we shouldn’t worry about our words as much as our life.  Paul says we are a letter that is being read by all that see us.

“And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:3

Paul continues this thought here in chapter 5 saying we are new creations in Christ, all things are new.  What things?  All things pertaining to who we are versus who we were. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (18) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

He also makes it clear that by reconciling us to Christ he also gave us a ministry and message of reconciliation.  We are God’s message of reconciliation lived out every day.  We are to live in such a way that God’s appeal is evident to all we come in contact with.

“For the love of Christ controls us..” 2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul reveals the evidence of this new creation and the motivation of our shared life message.  It is love.  There is such an incredible love deposited in us that it cannot be contained.  It constrains or controls us.

Third, our mission is to be sent ones.  We are to be missional people just like our Father.  In John 20:21 Jesus tell us that just as the Father sent Him, He sends us.  Jesus is our model for sent life.  In the Gospel we see a Jesus who did not come to build a religion or religious building or systems.  We see a Jesus who showed us how to live as the church. 

Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28 to go and reproduce this life in others.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”    Matthew 28:18-20

The words “Go therefore” actually mean “as you go.”  The church is so diverse, made up of unique and gifted members with different functions.  God’s plan to redeem all things is evident in the diversity of the body of Christ.  God plans to infiltrate all aspects of life to redeem all.  We have been sent by Him.  Where ever we go and whatever He calls us to do in life, we are to be His message of reconciliation lived out in love.  We must be intentional in relationship with those in the world.  We are His message.

Are you living consistently with your new life?

How are you being missional?

ReThink Church: Pt 3 – What is Community?

In this 3rd week of rethinking church we are looking at The church as a community.  The word community itself tells us something about the church.  It is a common unity.

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common…”     Acts 2:44

Throughout the scriptures we find the community of God’s people who together share their faith and lives in common.  The description God most often gives to this community of believer and followers is family.

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,”    Exodus 4:22
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”     Matthew 6:26

Israel was to God as a son and He to them as their Father. The Father provides for His children. From Genesis to Revelation God is a Father to those who receive His Fatherhood through a relationship with His Son, Jesus.

The New Testament uses family as well as a host of familial terms to describe the church. Paul’s use of brother (brethren) is found 130 times in his writings to the church. In Ephesians 2:19 Pail says we are “members of God’s household.” Where else do we find a more common union than in family.

Now let me say 2 things about family because living as family is not always easy, in fact, it is often messy. First, the family is to love one another.In John 13:34-35, Jesus tells us we are to love one another and that this love is what distinguishes us as His. Additionally He tells us that abiding in relationship with Him, His joy would be in us and our joy would be full and complete. (John 15:11-13) Paul tells us this love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8)  This is not to say we won’t have moments when the flesh gets the best of us or we don’t blow it, but it means with God’s help we work it out through love. Love prevails. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

How often do believers, members of God’s household bail out on relationship with each other. How often do we give in to self and not work things out according to the way the Father has loved us. The church community should be a model of love.

Secondly, the church community spends time with one another. Acts 2:42-46 is a picture of people loving each other and spending time with each other. The knew each other because they invested in each other beyond the surface religious rituals of the day. The life of Christ stirred a deep desire for community and a willingness to be vulnerable with each other.

How many of you are experiencing this with your church family? Don’t blame it on your church or spiritual leadership, the onus is on you to risk being intimately known in order to be loved. How can this happen when the extent of our risk is when the minister says to turn around and shake the hands of 3 people around you on Sunday? Do you spend time with your church family outside scheduled meetings? It takes more than 1 to 2 hours in our safe non-participatory Sunday Services. You cannot program relationships. It takes personal initiative and vulnerability. It takes time.

Here is a list that describes the Church Community, Does yours look like this?  What are you doing about it?

Loving one another (John 13:34)
Forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Accepting one another (Romans 15:7)
Bearing with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
Being devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
Honoring one another above ourselves (Romans 12:10)
Greeting one another (2 Corinthians 13:12)
Being hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Being kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Sharing with one another (Hebrews 13:16)
Serving one another (Galatians 5:13)
Carrying one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Building up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Encouraging one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
Comforting one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
Instructing one another (Romans 15:14)
Admonishingone another (Colossians 3:16)
Praying for one another (James 5:16)
Confessing your sins to one another (James 5:16)
Being of the same mind toward one another (Romans 12:16)
Submitting to one another (Ephesians5:21)

Is there anything we need to change about how we are living in community as the church family?
What do you need to change?
What keeps our church from modeling this kind of community?
What do you think?

ReThink Church: Pt 2.4 Worship from the heart…

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

Paul says there is holy and acceptable worship, which means there is unholy and unacceptable worship.  What makes worship unacceptable?

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, (2) “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” (3) He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (4) For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ (5) But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” (6) he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. (7) You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: (8) “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; (9) in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”   Matthew 15:1-9

We can be so casual and limited in the scope of our worship. 

Jesus informs these religious men that keeping spiritual man made traditions at the expense of His commands is unacceptable worship.  He accuses them of being hypocrites because they say they are honoring God with what they do when their hearts are far from Him.  You can do religious things for God and it not be worship.  Jesus was saying the acceptable worship would have been to love and honor their parent instead of the religious acts they performed to appear spiritual.

How many times have we gone through the religious motions.  Any offering not from the heart is not acceptable.  From styles of singing to liturgy (the work of the people), if any of  it was taken away and we only complain about missing is the tradition, then it ain’t worship – yes I said “ain’t!”  Anything we do to worship that is not all about God’s presence to us and through us is not acceptable worship.  It must come from the heart.  A heart for Him, not the tradition.

Jesus did not rebuke the traditions.  He rebuked men who would not follow their heart in worship.  Truth – they worshipped the tradition, though they said they worshipped God.

What if you showed up at your next church gathering and the minister said we are not going to sing or we’re going to change Sunday School, or meet in home groups, or what ever you are used to.  Would you object?  Why?  Would it be because you were going to miss God’s presence or because you would miss the man made tradition?  Get honest.

Worship must be from the heart!

ReThink Church: Pt 2.3 Worship is “Giving All”…

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”   Romans 12:1

In our relationship with Jesus, He gave us all and it cost God everything.  To Him, relationship with us was worth it.  In His presence I become aware of my need for His grace and He holds nothing back.  He lavishes His love and grace on me.  I can’t help but respond with worship.  It causes me to fall before Him.  What else can I do but give my all to the One who gave all for me.  It reminds me of a Rita Springer song ” Worth it all”.  Click and listen.

Paul says our only response to God is giving the thing that houses all we are, our body.  It’s worth it to worship Him with all we are and have.

Are you holding out on God?

The only acceptable thing is “ALL !”

ReThink Church: Pt 2.2 Grace and Worship…

“And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (6)  Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (8) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”    Isaiah 6:5-8

When we encounter the presence of God, certain thing become very clear.  We are aware of God’s Righteousness and our unrighteousness.  However, God shows us His incredible love, mercy, and grace.  His acceptance and forgiveness is overwhelming and leaves us with only one acceptable response – WORSHIP.  When we are enveloped by God’s grace, it causes a wellspring of gratitude and joy.  “Yes Lord”, becomes our only reasonable service of worship. (Romans 12:1-2)

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (2) Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”    Romans 5:1-2

Through faith we should enjoy living in a constant state and awareness of God’s grace.  Living in God’s grace produces a life of worship.

Are you aware of His Grace?