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The Preparation of Worship!

As I drive down the road from time to time it is interesting to notice the signs on church properties. One I keep seeing is an additional service being added often times called a “Contemporary Service.” I am assuming it is an effort to make the church service more profitable to a younger audience. Now I don’t want to go into the dangers I see in our effects at a better church service as we fragment our churches but I simply want to address the effort for better church services.

We all want better church services. We all want to leave a service at church and say, “Wow!” We all want church services that leave us with a desire to return. So when I read Nehemiah 8, I could not help but be drawn in to this fantastic church service they had. And I want to, over the next few days, make some comments about this great church service that might be integrated into our services to make them great.

As I read about this church service, I could not help but notice before worship began, there were preparations that were put in motion so that this great service could happen. We have many today who are hostile toward worship preparations instead wanting things to be spontaneous. But clearly here in Nehemiah 8 preparations were made.

There was a Prepared Preacher. Ezra brought the law to the people. No doubt he was well versed in the law. Certainly, this was not the first time he had read the law. But when he stood before the people and read the law, he had prepared himself for the task. The great need of our day is for men of God to submerge themselves in prayer and the study of God’s Word. The preacher should labor for the correct understanding of God’s Word so that he may properly expound it and apply it to the audience. We have far too many preachers who depend on books like, “52 Snappy Sermon Starters” and the like instead of doing the hard work of exegesis and exposition. Worship fails to happen many times simply because the preacher has failed to prepare himself and the word he will bring.

There was a Prepared People. The people gathered themselves as one to hear the Word. There must be the gathering of the people who are motivated to come and hear the Word. So many people come to church out of habit or out of guilt. We need people to want to come so that they may hear the Word of the Lord. Their desire was centered upon God. They were not coming to be seen or coming to see their friends or to hear their favorite music style but coming to hear from God. Their hearts were prepared for His Word!

There was a Prepared Place. Nehemiah says that Ezra stood on a wooden platform that was made for that purpose. This pulpit was made for the prepared preacher to read the word to a prepared people. That was its only purpose. It was not to be used for political purposes. It was not to be used for entertainment purposes. It was not to be used to deliver philosophical ideas. It was for the reading and expounding of the Word of God. If it is His house should we not talk about Him? Who cares who is playing football or what is on television? What God says is of vital importance.

This service was a great service because there were preparations made for it greatness.

"Bad Christians"

As John Calvin was re-called to the pastorate in Geneva, he was greatly concerned about the lives of the church members there. Here is a quote from his address to them as he considered once again assuming the position of pastor:

“I consider the principal enemies of the Gospel to be, not the pontiff of Rome, nor heretics, nor seducers, nor tyrants, but bad Christians.”

What was Calvin’s problem in the mid 1500’s is still the problem today. We think that the threat to the Gospel and to Christianity comes from the Roman Catholic church or maybe the Jehovah Witnesses or the Mormons or maybe Islam. But they are not the primary enemies of the Gospel. The enemy is not outside the church but firmly fixed inside it. It is those who profess to be Christ-like and then evidence by their life anything but Christ-likeness that are real enemies. It is those who are “Christian” in word only and not in deed.

More people will be dissuaded and disillusioned about Christianity by those who profess a relationship with Christ and then that relationship involves no commitment or change on their part. Yes, they claim Christ as their Savior but then this Savior gets only a small portion of their attention. Usually, when there is nothing else going on or nothing else to do.

Yes, I agree! I shout a loud, Amen! The biggest problem the church faces today, in sharing the Gospel to the unconverted, is “bad Christians.” They are those who profess knowledge but are void of a true relationship with Christ. These “bad Christians” deceive themselves and discourage others. The unconverted have for far too long seen professing Christians who have the same appetites as they do, go to the same places they do, speak the same language as they do, dress the same way they do, and are wrapped up in materialism and pleasure to the same extent as they are. There is no difference between the professor and the unconverted.

May God give us the boldness to deal with this mortal enemy to the Gospel. And may He help us, who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, live lives worthy of our high calling.

The Dangers of Facebook!

Facebook, the social networking tool, has exploded in the lives of Americans and the church. While I think that things like Facebook and Twitter have the potential to be useful tools of connecting with people for the purpose of sharing the gospel, what normally seems to be the case is that it becomes a self-centered path to vanity. It just seems to feed an already "me" society. While I know there are those who are sharing Biblical truths through this medium, still others are just sharing what they feel or what they are doing at any given time. Like most things, it can be used for good and it has its own dangers. Here is an excellent article that reminds us to take care in our age of technology.

Facebook Faceoff
by Tim Sweetman

I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking as he pulled out his iPhone and took advantage of a new Facebook application — right in the middle of the sermon.

It was then that I realized the narcissistic machine that is Facebook.

Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I found myself desiring to do the same. I shuddered. Have I really come to this place where I'm more concerned about what's taking place on Facebook than what's going on in this church service? More concerned about a self-serving social networking site than this Bible on my lap?

Later on that evening, I thought more about my internal battle between Facebook and my Bible. I understand that one of my desires as a Christian should be to know God more deeply; the reality is that I spend very little time actually getting to know Him. Too often, my hours are spent pursuing other human beings through convenient electronic means like Facebook. My life can quickly become all about striving to know my buddies better than my Lord.

I struggled with this very battle just yesterday. I woke up early to prepare for an 8:30 a.m. class. The two weeks prior I had spent each morning reading and studying my Bible. But on this day, the first places I went were my blog, Facebook and my e-mail. As the day progressed, I found myself talking to people more through technology than face-to-face. After a few weeks I was losing focus on my goals in life, and focusing on things like my status updates and friends online.

I sit down to finish my paper for class. But instead of opening Word, I open up Firefox, type in the Web address, and check Facebook. Then refresh the page. Then open Word. Then switch back to Gmail. Honestly, my technology can be exhausting.

The signs are everywhere. And I'm growing utterly disgusted with myself. What is wrong with me?

It's not my intention to write a 1,200-word article encouraging others to give up Facebook, social networking, or the Internet. I plan to continue updating my status with random trivialities such as "Tim is attempting to write ... Tim just ate bread with mold ... Tim is heading to the basketball game" and the like. I'm still going to post notes, write on walls, and chat with friends.

But if all of this continues at the expense of getting to know God better, I want to throw it all out. All of it. Drastic, yes, but I've got to be willing to do whatever it takes.
Control and Human Interest

I see two issues at play in the realm of social networking and technology. One is lack of self-control. I should be writing a paper, but I'm online; I should be reading God's Word, but I'm online. The other is a little harder to perceive. It's a notion that holds the words of mere humans as much more interesting to follow than God's Word; the lives of mere humans as much more fun to get to know than God Himself.

Essentially Facebook is just one more thing that has shown me how easily I can lose interest in God's Word, the Bible. The words of J.I Packer come to mind:

How long is it since you read right through the Bible? Do you spend as much time with the Bible each day as you do even with the newspaper? What fools some of us are! — and we remain fools all our lives, simply because we will not take the trouble to do what has to be done to receive the wisdom which is God's free gift. (Knowing God, pp. 101-102)

If I take the newspaper out and insert Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, e-mail and IM ... I likewise "remain a fool." Perhaps even a bigger fool who wastes not just 30 minutes, but hours upon hours a day pouring himself into an often self-serving and ultimately temporary tool.

What puts this whole issue into perspective for me is something I read by Donald Whitney:
Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptations, and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God's face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 33)

I check things like Facebook every day. But do I read my Bible every day? I have to respond with embarrassment and a sinking heart that too often I do not.

Do you realize that tape-recorded readings of the Bible have proven that you can read through the entire Book in seventy-one hours? The average person in the United States watches that much television in less than two weeks. In no more than fifteen minutes a day you can read through the Bible in less than a year's time. (Knowing God, p. 33)

Honestly, I don't think I understand the gravity of my distain of daily time with God. It's not an issue of salvation, of course, but I do think that it's essential to my spiritual health and growth. The thing is, I can spend hours upon hours on the internet browsing Facebook or messing with my electronic devices; I find it absolutely disgusting when this takes the place of God.
What is my true priority in life? I need a serious wake-up call.

How Essential Is It?

I've wondered how important reading the Bible daily really is. Is it just some capricious rule that the Church made up? Or does Scripture convey that we need to cherish God's Word by reading it daily?

The essence of impiety is the proud willfulness of "these wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words" (Jer 13:10). The mark of true humility and godliness, on the other hand, is that a person "trembles at my word" (Is 66:2). (Knowing God, p. 113)

Many times I'll fall into a rut of not taking the Word of God seriously. What does it take to pound it into my thick skull that, if I want to get to know God better (which I claim), I need to head straight to the words He's given me (which I often don't do).

Paul instructs Timothy:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through Christ Jesus. 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)

Scripture is not only profitable for me, but it's absolutely essential in order to be competent and to live my life well. Within those sacred pages I find everything that God has deemed necessary to tell me. There is so much depth and wisdom within those pages. Yet I somehow buy into the lie that the Bible is just boring and not worth my time. How would my life look if I poured myself into the pages of my Bible instead of pouring myself into the pages of Facebook? Radically different, I think.

I struggle with what to write for my status update; how often do I struggle with the great depths of God?

And I'm reminded of my friend checking up on Facebook during the sermon. I don't want to just single him out. I know I've been in the place where I've allowed the things of this world — and online community is too often a mere "thing of this world" — to form habits in my life that push all other things aside, including the attention that should be focused on God and His Word.

You know what? I think I'm finally ready to change that. Today. I think I'm finally ready to take some time away from the ultimately unsatisfying sterility of the Web, to examine the real needs of my heart, and to dive into the invigorating depths of the Word of God.

Revival?

The question is complex. Is a series of meetings, where certain results are reported and certain crowds attend, a REVIVAL? Is it real or is it religious, emotional and psychological? How can we discern what is truly the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not easy! And it is sure not a present discernment. We have heard of revivals in Brownsville, Lakeland and other places only to see what was believed to be the working of God at the time turned out to be something less.

I know this! Revival, if it is real, will come from the exaltation of the truth of the Word of God. It is difficult for me to believe that people can be spiritually overwhelmed without the exposition of scripture. Not just reading a text and departing from it to say what you want to say but a solid teaching of the doctrines of the whole council of the Word of God. I can find no historical account of true revival that happened without the Scriptures clearly being taught.

The only way to say if a series of meetings and the claims of certain results was a true revival is to wait. What happens three months after the revival is over. Where are those who made professions a year after they walked the isle? What is the spiritual temperature of those who crowded in the church six months later?

Charles Finney was considered the “Great Revivalist.” He manipulated the wills of men and he dealt in the realm of emotionalism. Under Finney’s tactics thousands upon thousands were said to come to Christ. Everywhere he went, there were crowds and there was “the stirring of the Holy Spirit in revival.” But when the “revival was over” what were the true results?

When people went behind the scenes to check into what was left after Finney did his work, his fellow workers couldn't help realize the small number of converts who ever remained faithful. In a letter to Finney dated December 25, 1834, James Boyle asked these questions:"Let us look over the fields where you and others and myself have labored as revival ministers and what is now their moral state? What was their state within three months after we left them? I have visited and revisited many of these fields and groaned in spirit to see the sad frigid carnal contentious state into which the churches had fallen and fallen very soon after we first departed from among them."

In fact, many who evaluated the ministry of Finney were convinced that sinners emotionally but not spiritually awakened became hardened and skeptical. The sinner, for example, who made an objective commitment to Christ in some emotional experience but soon, found out that contrary to the revivalists' or the evangelists` promise, nothing changed, and his heart was the same. And the wave of emotional release that he experienced made no change. That discovery that didn't solve anything in his life made the sinner more hardened in his sin, more skeptical of the gospel, more skeptical of other people's Christian profession, believing that he who had been deceived was a member of groups of others who had been and were being likewise deceived.

Here is Finney’s own evaluation: “"I was often instrumental in bringing Christians under great conviction, and into a state of temporary repentance and faith…[But] falling short of urging them up to a point, where they would become so acquainted with Christ as to abide in Him, they would of course soon relapse into their former state”

B. B. Warfield, one of Finney's contemporaries made a similar assessment: "During ten years, hundreds, and perhaps thousands, were annually reported to be converted on all hands; but now it is admitted, that real converts are comparatively few. It is declared, even by [Finney] himself, that "the great body of them are a disgrace to religion"

Pragmatic results do not signal the work of God. They could very well signal the work of emotional manipulation. Time will tell. Time will tell.

Avoiding Meaningless Worship!

As we continue moving through the book of Ecclesiastes on Wednesday evenings, I am constantly amazed at the wisdom contained on the pages of that book. Not just wisdom but relevant wisdom. For example, this past Wednesday night we engaged the subject of worship. Worship is hard for us to define because it means different things to different people. To some it’s the singing that makes it worship and to others it is the emotional outbursts that make it worship. But if worship happens, and it rarely does, it must be on God’s terms and not ours. And the writer of Ecclesiastes deals with the idea of avoiding worthless worship in chapter five.

He begins by teaching that worship begins long before the worship service starts. He says we need to guard our steps on the way to the house of the Lord. Before we arrive at the house of the Lord we need to have prepared our hearts to worship. Most of us show up at church and we have not spent one minute of preparatory time to see that worship happens. We must begin worship before we get the event itself. Also, worship needs to a priority in our lives. Solomon, who I think wrote Ecclesiastes, said WHEN we go to the house of the Lord. So, all of life should be moving toward these opportunities of corporate worship. Nothing else gains the priority in my life over me worshipping the Lord. Nothing!

He continues his thoughts on worship by reminding us that worship behaves in a certain way. He says be more ready to listen than to offer. Worship is primarily an act of receiving or hearing. Most times we are attentive without attention. Sometimes that is the service’s fault. We sing about ourselves and then the preacher preaches on “Six Ways to Deal with Stress.” When everything focuses on us, worship is not going to happen. There must be talk about Christ. There must be songs that tell of his work, his attributes, his grace, his mercy, his compassion, his blood, his sacrifice, his glory, and so on. We must hear of Him if we are going to be able to worship. Plus, worship needs a response. We must do something with what we hear about him instead of ignoring it and just going on. There must be some commitment on our part toward what we hear about him. The Word requires a response on the part of the hearer.

Finally, he deals with the burden of worship. In other words, if worship has taken place then there is something for us to carry outside of the worship experience itself. Firstly, I must be faithful to the commitment I make to God in worship. Whatever response I make to God’s Word must be carried out in the world in which we live. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. Secondly, now having worshiped God I must live in the fear of God. I must live in the sphere of being in awe of this magnificent God in which I have just worshipped. It is impossible not to be changed by a real and genuine worship experience. May we desire to experience real worship and not meaningless worship.

God's Care For Us!

John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, is a good friend of mine. We talk almost daily and I value his advice and his friendship so very much.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. John Piper is unaware of our friendship. Yes, we have met and I have talked with him and shaken his hand but he would not know me from Adam. But that does not change the friendship we have. It is through his sermons, blog writings, and books in which he skillfully advises me. I can’t tell you how many times that I have needed a good word and God has used John to encourage me. I love John and thank God for him and his friendship.

This morning John offered some much needed and edifying thoughts. He spoke to me about how God cares for his children. Or “The Two Stages of God’s Care for Us” is how John put it. How he both fetters and frees. This is what John wrote to me:

In this age, God rescues his people from some harm. Not all harm. That’s comforting to know, because otherwise we might conclude from our harm that he has forgotten us or rejected us.
So be encouraged by the simple reminder that in Acts 16:19-24 Paul and Silas were not delivered, but in verses 25-26 they were.

First, no deliverance:

“They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace.” (v. 19)
“The magistrates tore the garments off them.” (v. 22)
They “inflicted many blows upon them.” (v. 23)
The jailer “fastened their feet in the stocks.” (v. 24)

But then deliverance:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. (v. 25-26)

God could have stepped in sooner. He didn’t. He has his reasons. He loves Paul and Silas.

Question for you: If you plot your life along this continuum, where are you? Are you in the stripped and beaten stage, or the unshackled, door-flung-open stage?

Both are God’s stages of care for you.

If you are in the fettered stage, don’t despair. Sing. Freedom is on the way. It is only a matter of time. Even if it comes through death.

Thanks John, I needed those words today and I can’t wait till we talk again!