Youth Inspiration Night

Words of Encouragement

MONDAY
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34



IN THE NAME. He is good. I’ve been ready lately about praising God. One thing that is so important to our worship is in our understanding of who God is. Now this isn’t to say we can understand fully all there is to know about God, but we can understand the traits and characteristic he has revealed to us in his word. So we will be taking a look at some of the names and/or attributes of God.


Today’s verse starts us off with telling us God is good. One meaning of the word good that I believe captures what the scripture writer was trying to get is this – Having the qualities that are desirable or distinguishing in a particular thing, Superior to the average.

To call God good is in reality saying that he is superior to anything we can say about ourselves. He has the qualities that we should desire and he is distinguished in there is no other God. In our understanding of this great God as good, we then should give thanks unto him.

God only is good. I’m not good when I compare myself to the original. I am striving for perfection, but God has and is perfection. So in my time of worship and praise, I must first begin to understand that God is good. He only is and I must humble myself before him. I then must give him honor and respect as I thank him for his goodness and for his mercy. For out of his goodness comes his desire to show us mercy. This is one of the qualities that are to be desired a merciful spirit.

Today let us praise him for his goodness and for his mercy that never ends and is in full supply. Today seek to exhibit the Godly “good” in you. Seek to allow his goodness to show through you to others in need of a glimpse of what it looks like. Praying for us today as we worship him.


TUESDAY
“But we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” 1 Corinthians 1:23-25


IN THE NAME. He is powerful. What does having power embody? With power comes strength. It is having the ability or official capacity to exercise control or authority. God has authority over everything. He is all-powerful. He has the official capacity because he created the heavens and the earth. His say is final!


The name of Christ carries that power. To those that do not accept God’s authority Christ then becomes a stumbling block for them. It’s a stumbling block because it is what will “trip” them up in the end, their refusal to accept Christ. It will be there downfall. But to those that are children of God, the name of Christ carries the power of God.


There is no situation that I can face that even with all my strength, that God’s strength and power isn’t greater. So knowing this, why do we always try to work things out ourselves? Why do we think we can handle things as if we have any power at all? See I have to begin to acknowledge that I am powerless against the things of this world, its trials and temptations. The power and strength that I have comes only from the Lord. So everyday that I am able to stand I should worship the Lord. I should give my thanks to him for keeping me in spite of myself.


Today let’s us worship him for being the power that saves, the power that sanctifies and the power that will keep us until the end. Praying for us today as we worship him for being the authority of our lives.


WEDNESDAY
For thou art great and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.” Psalm 86:10

IN THE NAME. He is great. When you think of the word great, other words come to mind. Remarkable, Outstanding, Superior, Powerful, Grand, of noble character, and influential, just to name a few. These all fit God. He is a remarkable God with no one that can compare, for he is God alone. He is outstanding and he does outstanding things; that we cannot completely understand. He is superior. His works are grand to behold. He is a great God!

I rejoice in knowing that the God I worship and serve is a great God. He is not dead but alive. You cannot contain him in some small figure and set him upon your table. God is not a god that man made to worship. Instead we are the created, created to worship the creator.

We should worship and praise him because of who he is. He is the great I am! Because of who he is we should give him glory. This is a time of praising him. Yes we all have needs before the Lord, yet let’s take more time to just remind ourselves of who he is and just mediate on that. See if we understand that this great and powerful God cares about us, we would be less worried about what tomorrow will bring.

So today as we pray for ourselves let’s also pray for God to show his greatness to all that are in need of seeing him. God’s greatness can be revealed in any situation and in circumstances; we just have to have “eyes” to see.


THURSDAY
“O LORD our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1

IN THE NAME. He is excellent. Excellent – of the highest or finest quality; exceptionally good superior. Yes God’s name is superior! To be able to call on the name of the Lord and have his attributes available to me is awesome! God is the highest, for his ways and his thoughts are higher than mine. He is of the finest qualities. He is goodness; holiness, joy, love, peace and the qualities are endless.

To take the time and lift my voice in praise to this excellent God is pure joy to my soul. I reap the rewards of the worship that I give to God. Have you ever thought about that? We say we are giving worship to God (as if he really needs it) as if we are doing him a favor. We give him worship because he is worthy of it. We give him worship and honor because in us doing so, we are reminded of the magnifices of God and then we are the richer for it. We worship him because we were made to give him worship.

To be able to call upon the excellent name of the Lord is something we have much to rejoice about. Yes we have situations and circumstances that face us, but he is far superior to what my problems are. Even if you have lost everything of importance to you, you are not completely destroyed if you have the love of the father. If you have your hand in his excellent hand, you are in capable hands. God hasn’t allowed our situations to destroy us. He is perfecting us. He is allowing the winds and the storms of this life to day by day bring you closer to him. He is preparing us for himself. He even wants us to know that if the sound of the storm gets to loud and we can’t “hear him”, he wants us to know that he is there. The storm has not drowned out his Excellency. He is the Lord and he hasn’t forgotten about us. Everything is working in his plan.


This week when you go to worship, praise him, praise him and then praise him so more! Let us as his children become more concerned with praising him and less about what things look like around us. Things are in the hand of an excellent and capable God. Praying for us as we grow in our understanding of this wonderful God we serve.


FRIDAY
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

IN THE NAME. He is love. We are continuing our look at the name and/or attributes of God. We are looking at these attributes to remind us why we should worship and praise God. We look today at the attribute, love.

I’ve heard it before from people as they say that God is love, but what they really mean is God is “loving”. He is that but he is so much more. One of the attributes of God is he is love. His nature is love. It is from that nature that everything flows. It was from his love that he created us. It was from that love that he loved us first and made previsions for us. It is from that love, his very nature that all that he gives to us comes from.

So when you or I say we belong to God then we have to take on this attribute, because it flows to us and it should flow through us as children of the king. If I belong to God then I should be dwelling in his love. When I am “living” in love then God is indeed living in me.

If I don’t love my neighbor that I see every day, how can I truly say I love God? If I don’t love the things he loves who am I truly following? See as I live God’s love then it should become real in me. I should be willing to make sacrifices for the things that God loves. God loves the lost and wants them to come to him. I should have a love for the lost and am willing to be used for that purpose. God loves the brokenhearted and the mistreated. I should be willing to comfort with the comfort that I have received. And the list is endless.

So today let us make a mental list of the ways that God shows us his love. Then let us in turn begin to be love in the lives of those around us. Praying for us today to be ambassadors of God’s love to those seeking. Let us help them see true love and what it looks like.

The Week in Review

A Growing Church - Building People

Church Growth and Health

Written January 10, 2007

The church growth movement defines the mission as proclaiming Christ so as to persuade men and women to become his diciples and members of his church. Many view the mission as simply proclamation. In other words, when the church has proclaimed Christ, it has fulfilled its mission regardless of the results. The church growth movement maintains that seeing results, that is, proclaiming so as the persuade is crucial. How much responsiblity should the church take for the results of its proclamation?

The author, Donald A. McGavran in his book, Understanding Chruch Growth, states, "When existing Christians, marching obediently under the Lord's command and filled with his compassion, fold in the wanderers and feed the flock, then churches mutiply; but when they indolently permit men and women who have made costly decisions for Christ to drift back into the world, then indeed churches do not grow. Faithfulness in proclamation and finding is not enough. There must be faithful aftercare. Among the found, there must be fidelity in feeding on the word. quality goes hand in hand with quantity." (p. 6) This statement sums up the entire purpose of the body of Christ. There has to be a balance. While some may see "only" numbers, it does no good if the individuals only line a marginal Christian life and/or return back into the world. In a chart enclosed in t his book, it shows an outline of the world. It sates that 30% of the world is Christians. In that 30%, only 200 million are commited Christians, but 979 million are nominal Christians needing to be evangelized and renewed (Mc Gavran, p. 49). This statistic gives evidence that while the numbers were gathered, there also needs to be teaching and equipping for the mission, which was set by God.

It is also important that the church not be satisfied with the giving of the message "only". A better understanding of the mission is need to ensure that men and women are effective at what we are to do. A good illustration of that is given in the book, Biblical Foundations & Contemporary Strategies, by Gailyn Van Rheenen, which states, "God orginated the mission - reconciliation between himself and his fallen creation, Jesus enacted the mission - (my input - he did more than give the mesage, he became the message when he died for sinful man), Holy Spirit gives power to the mission, the church carries the mission and the world hears (receives) the mission" (14-18). This important reminder is that God calls for the church to carry his mission and it cannot be aborted or ignored. This also reminds us that God's mission is more than the world hearing, but the mission, "therefore, is the work of God in reconciling sinful humankind to himself...missions is the plans of committed believers to accomplish the mission of God." (Van Rheenen, 20).

Then, how much responsiblity should the church take in terms of her proclamation? There is great responsiblity. In one of the online readings, there was a short statement, but it carries a great truth, "healthy churches grow." There should be growing both in number and in spiritual character and maturity. Jesus as our example showed us how we as individuals withing the body should look. Jesus did not call everyone, but he called a few to come and walk with him (the twelve). His purpose was to train them, teach them by his example, and allow a close one-on-one relationship to grow. He also hada result in mind. That result was to equip these twelve to go and od the same, reach others. Yet, there is another part of this message, and that is that we should continue the process. When we have taught the few who are close to us, we are to repeat the process again and again. If everyone is doing this, what growth we would see both in number and in the maturity level of equipped believers ready to go into the white fields ready for harvesting (this also shows us that the responsiblity is not just the pastor's, but the responsiblity of every believer). The scripture uses an example of how important the individual is with the story of the shepherd that was ready to leave the ninety-nine sheep to gather the one. This shows how important it is to God that we mentor those in our care. He places great importance on our service, indeed.

I end with this quote written by Robert E. Coleman, from his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, "Everything should be leading these chosen men and women to the day when they will assume by themselves a ministry to their own sphere of influence. As that time approaches each one should be well along in a training program with those won to Christ by his or her witness or who have been assigned to him or her for follow-up...We are not living primarily for the present. Our satisfaction is in knowing that in generations to come our witness for Christ will still be bearing fruit through them in an ever-widening cycle of reproduction to the ends of the earth and unto the end of time" (114-116). The body of believers (the church) must have a great desire to see men and women saved and equipped for service. We must "reach" and "teach" so that these new believers are able to do the same. When we do this, we have a futuristic outlook and not on the here and now. We look to see the fulfillment of the great commission that men and women would be saved.

The Week in Review

Assignment #5 Book Reflections of "Death of the Church"

Church Growth and Health

The book, Death of the Church by Mike Regele was a hard read. However, the information contained within the pages was such that it makes you think. One of the first quotes of interest is "Simply, we can die because of our hidebound resistance to change, or we can die in order to live." (19). Regele was making this statement to stay that the churchmust decide if it is going to die to it's traditions so that it can live to give the message in today's society or if the local churches refuse to die, they will suffer death eventually anyway because they will lose their importance to the people.

Regele also states, "And where is the church in all of this? It is simply one more of the many alternatives reality constructions available in the marketplace of beliefs, which is why it resorts increasingly to marketing techinques. It has no premier position...The church's message is simply one more voice in the cacaphony of created realities competing to attract a following. This will not change. It is in engaging what this means that the church again comes face-to-face with its own death. However, it is also in this place of death that its greatest opportunity dwells, and nowhere else" (80).

Regele states that the church has lost its place of honor and now has become one of many voices in a choice of alternatives for individuals. Because of this, many churches result to looking for marketing plans, without realizing those things are only band-aids to something greater.

Regele uses the wording that the church must die to live several times, and it also brings you to the thought of the individuals within the church. You and I must be willing to die to what our expectations are for "our churches" and allow what God wants to live to be birth into our hearts. The church, the Bride of Christ will forever be it is the local congregations that must look to see how they can be vital in today's world. One last point I would like to make is this, no matter how much we change in our world the message of God is still fresh and needed for the people. We cannot change the church in such a way that it is not giving "TRUTH". If truth is changed for the sake of change, we are no longer the church, but a gathering of people as the author says, our stories becomes just another story in the sea of stories. When in fact our story, or better yet, God's story is unique through all times.

Words of Encouragement

The Purpose of the Door

MONDAY
Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth is own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers…Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man entered in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. – John 10:1-5, 7-9


The Purpose of the door. Entrance through the door. When we think about a door, we think of several things. The first purpose of a door is to keep things inside. The door shut and locked keeps those on the inside protected, yet they always have the opportunity to go in and out, they have the key. The second purpose of a door is to keep things on the outside. Those that would try to break into the house or to take what is not theirs is kept on the outside.


Jesus is addressing that which was spoken about him. The Pharisees’ stand was that Jesus was some how one that did not have a right, but here Jesus corrects them. He explains that he is not the one entering into the sheepfold as a thief, but as one that has a right.

Jesus correctly says that he is both the door of the sheep and one that enters through the door. Jesus does not enter into the sheepfold as a thief, but one that has the key to enter in. He enters into the fold because he is the owner of the sheep. He comes into the fold to feed them and to care for them. He is also the door by which the sheep enter and exit. The sheep cannot become part of the fold until they have gone through the passageway into the fold. For you and I, that passageway is through the blood of Christ. We become part of the fold when we pass through the doorway of hope and salvation.

We are kept safe behind the door (Jesus). He locks out the enemy that would want to try to take from us that which belongs to us. We are safe and provided for behind the door. We are not locked in the house like prisoners, but one that has freedom in the house. That freedom comes because we have the key, which locks the doors. When we accepted Christ as our savior we were given the keys to the kingdom, to the door.


We also can go in and out as Jesus states. We are not leaving our place with God, but have the freedom to go out and reach others in this world of sin, without it being able to overtake us. I pray for us today that we remember our entrance into the family of God is not by our own power and strength, but by the gift of God. You or I have nothing to boast in other than the power of God. For it was God that first had to help us recognize we were even lost. Then when he, through his Spirit showed us our sinfulness, he then offered us the entrance, the door to salvation. And when we accepted that entrance through the open door, we became part of the sheep, protected and cared for. It all points to the Jesus as the door, the entrance in.


TUESDAY
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. – Exodus 12:23


The Purpose of the door. The protected door. Moses has tried to talk to pharaoh to convenience him to let the people of God go, but he refuses. The plagues that fall upon Egypt are because of pharaoh’s refusal to let the people go. This plague is the killing of the first born of all in Egypt. However, God gives instruction for the children of Israel on how to protect themselves.

The instruction is to place blood upon the beams and the two sides of the door. When the destroyer (death) comes past the house that has been cover on the top, bottom and the sides will be passed over.

In this instance that the door is used, it is important to see the significance of this instruction. Those on the inside of the house and behind the door would be protected. This protection does not come simply because they are behind the closed door, but because of the sacrifice of the blood that covers the door. Closing a door is something possible in humans to do, even locking or securing the door is possible. This however is something that is impossible in mankind to do; this is an act that only God can do, salvation of those behind the doors.


There is something I also think we need to see is that even though the act was only something that God could do, it is important for us to see where the Israelites played a part. There was instruction given for the people to follow. The first part of the instruction called for a hearing of the words. The second part of the instruction called for an acknowledging and receiving of the word. The third thing was the obedience to the word. If these three steps were not taken, then those behind the door would not be protected.

What that signifies for us today is that we are given instructions and if we are to be saved from destruction, we must follow them. We must first hear the words of God. They are given to us in many ways and we are to heed them all. The word is spoken to us across the pulpits, studied in our Bible classes, taught in Sunday school and read in our own times of devotion. We are instructed to hear the words. Then when we hear the instruction we must acknowledge the truth and receive the instruction of the word. And finally we must obey the word. This is the action then that places the blood of Christ on our doorposts securing us in on all sides, covering our heads and directing our footsteps.


It also reminds us of our hearts. Our hearts our the doorway to who we are and if we are not covered by the blood of Christ because of lack of obedience to God’s instruction, we stand waiting for the destroyer to come and smite us.


I pray for us today that we take the steps and allow the blood of the Lamb to cover our doors and protect us from destruction. Lord help us to follow your instructions completely as you give them. Help us to hear your, obey you and live.


WEDNESDAY
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon they gates; That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. Deuteronomy – 11:18-20


The Purpose of the door. Doorway to understanding. The instruction is regarding the word of God. The instruction is to lay the words in your heart and then bind them for a sign upon your hand and as a frontlet between your eyes. Can you image something on your hand so whenever your hand reaches out to sin, the word of God is there to remind you of the right way to go. When you are walking you cannot help but see the words of God dangling in front of you, so that as you would want to walk into a path of disobedience, the word would remind you otherwise.

Then you shall teach the words to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. When you would want to put other things before God, his word would be mentioned so often that it would serve as a reminder of what is right. And then the instruction is write the words upon the doorposts and upon your gates so that your days may be multiplied.

Here we have another example of a doorpost. The words of God are written upon the post and the gate so that as you go in you see them and when you go out you are reminded of their wisdom. This too calls for instructions to be followed. First, the word must be read and then the time is spent writing them down. In other words, they had to have spent time with the word so that it could be placed on their doorposts.

After we have placed the blood of Christ upon our doorpost (hearts) we then must cover it with the word of God so that we can take possession of the promises in it and to prosper in the fullness of God’s glory. This is how we are afforded life, through the life giving word. Otherwise, the things we do will continue to lead us to death and separation from a loving Father.

I pray for us today that we allow the word to become not simply something we pick up from time to time to read, but that it becomes like the very air we breath, for without it we die from lack. Lord help us to read, understand and live your word. Help us to post your word on our heart so that as we go in and out (as the sheep did in the sheepfold) we will have your word to guide us. This is what will keep us safe, being under the protection of the almighty.


THURSDAY
Lord, I cry unto thee: make hast unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. – Psalm 141:1-3


The Purpose of the door. Control of the door. The psalmist seeks God for his control over his life. The psalmist cries out that God would quickly come and see about him, to hear his cry for help. The request is receive my prayers as sweet smelling incense unto you. He asks God to accept his up lifted hands. Then the psalmist says something important. He asks God to watch his mouth and to keep the door of his lips.

What do you think it means to keep the door of his lips? The psalmist understands the weakness in himself that his mouth that should bring forth living waters, can also (if unchecked) bring forth bitter waters. So his request is that God would be the watchman over his lips. He is yielding himself to the control of God.

It is important that we grasp the necessity of giving control of the door to the best doorkeeper. You and I cannot keep ourselves, as we should without the power of God to equip us to do so. Doors allow things in and things out. In this instance the psalmist is asking for control to keep those things in that should not be let out. As believers this tends to be an area that many of us struggle in, keeping our lips shut. We should think as the psalmist did. He wanted God to quickly come to see about his needs, to accept his lifting of holy hands and to hear his prayers. He also seems to understand that he needs God to do something first so that his request is not hindered and that is to guard his mouth.


If we began to think about this matter more closely, might we be slower to speak some of the things we do? What if God said to us, I will not hear your prayers or accept your raised hand because you have consistently brought bitter waters from your mouth, what would we do? Oh to think my unbridled tongue could be such a destructive devices, even though it is so small.


Lord, today help us to be mindful of our lips. You have protected us from the destroyer because of the blood on our doorpost. You have instructed us to write your word on our doorpost so that we can live long, but if we do not give you the control of the doors in our lives, we set ourselves up for missing your provisions. Keep the doorway of our lips so that the words that come forth are only those that are acceptable to you. Help us to hear you speaking to us when you either tell us to be quiet, or to speak. We want our words to always be like rivers of living water, leaving life in their path and not destruction.


FRIDAY
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him. The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. – Proverb 26:10-14


The Purpose of the door. Don’t be a swinging door! What a proverb, this proverb of wisdom. The writer tells us that God will reward to everyone, what is do him or her. To the foolish man or woman, to them their rewards is from that foolishness. To the transgressor, their reward is from that sinful state. We would not call these rewards, but in the sense it means payment. Each one will stand to receive payment for their lives (based on how you spent your life).


The writer compares the foolishness of a dog to that of a fool. Just as a dog returns to its vomit, so does a fool return to his/her foolishness. In this instance the writer wants us to see how disgusting and repulsive it is for a dog to go back and put his nose in his vomit. It is sickening for a fool to go back and put his/her nose into the sin they are regurgitating from the depths of their soul.


The writer also talks about the slothful man or woman. The slothful are like the hinges on a door that swing back and forth. The inactive or slothful (spiritual lazy) easily turn back and forth as it suits them. Have you ever held a door hinge and watched how quickly it swings back and forth without anything controlling it? The warning then to each of us is this, we need something holding us securely so that we won’t swing back and forth, opening and closing at the whim of every wind that blows. Instead, we need God to take control of our doors; the doors to our mouths, to our heart and to our minds.

When we go to service this weekend, let us go understanding that God is able to sustain us against the destroyer because of the blood of Christ on the doorpost of our hearts. We also can have abundant life in Christ when we post the word on our doors so that we see them as we go in and out. The word will become that which keeps us safe from the evil one that wants to take away that which belongs to us through Jesus. We then can run this race because we have yielded ourselves to God and he has the control of our lives. And finally we are warned not be swing back and forth with ever wind of doctrine. We are told don’t be tossed to and fro, but be grounded in the truth of God, and not a door swinging on its hinges in the wind. So Lord help us be what you have called us to be.

The Week in Review

God’s Truth in Song

There is much debate today regarding singing hymns or not. Some feel that hymns are too old and need to be retired. Others believe hymns are the only way we should go regarding worship and that contemporary songs are wrong. I contend that we need not an either or, but a both. There are contemporary songs that express how we feel and they help us to be drawn into worship. I also believe the hymns are good because they continue to teach us the truth we stand on.

If you read the words of some of the songs from the hymnbooks, you will realize these are words that were penned to tell the truth of the Bible. The Hymnal of the Church of God supports the theological concepts of “sin”, “salvation”, “sanctification” and the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit” in the early years of the movement. Look at the songs listed below and what the verses mean–

Sin - “Sin Can Never Enter There” –
VS. 1 - Heaven is a holy place filled with glory and with grace; Sin can never enter there: All within its gates are pure, from defilement kept secure; Sin can never enter there.

VS 2 – If you hope to dwell at last, When your life on earth is past, in that home so bright and fair, You must here be cleansed from sin, Have the life of Christ within.

These verses explain that with out the saving grace of Christ, no one can enter into heaven and one can only expect hell. The song says in verse 4 “to the regions of the lost. This song also explains that sin is what keeps us from a right relationship with God and from receiving any “good thing” from him, until we are cleansed. This is a scriptural truth. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Salvation – “Calvary Covers It All” –

VS 1 – Far dearer than all that the world can impart Was the message that came to my heart; How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone. And Calvary covered it all.

VS 2 – The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He wore Told His mercy and love ever more; And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His name.

VS 4 – How blessed the thought, that my soul by Him bought, Shall be His in the glory on high, Where with gladness and song I’ll be one of the throng.

These verses explain that first God’s spirit through prevenient grace brings one to the place of acceptance or rejection in Christ and when one has the understanding of what Jesus did for them at Calvary, that one “bows in shame (repentance) as they call on His name. And the promise is that once you are his, you will have an eternal home with him among others that have also confessed and believed. “but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” – Isaiah 53:5

Sanctification – “Let the Fire Fall on Me” –
VS 2 – I would have sufficient grace Ev’ry foe to bravely face, And an overcomer ever more to be; That I well may fill my place, And that I may win the race, Let the holy fire from heaven fall on me. The fire of Pentecost, consuming sin and dross.

VS 3 – Holy Spirit from above, Fill my longing soul with love, till the Master’s image all in me may see; Make me gentle, true and kind, Meek of heart and humble mind.

VS 4 – In the Kingdom I would stay, There to labor night and day, Any way and anywhere Thy will may be; But that I may do my best, And that others may be blest.

This song explains the working of the Holy Spirit within the life of a believer. He matures us in the things of God, doing his “perfecting” work within our lives. Helping us to be gentle, true, kind and humble. He equips us to do the work of the Lord and to hold fast to our faith in God so that we can stay within the safety of God’s presence. “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” – 2 Timothy 1:12

Indwelling of the Holy Spirit – “Are you Adorning the Doctrine?” –
VS 1 – …walking so holy before Him, following where he has trod, So when the world looks up-on you, Nothing but Christ s in view?

VS 2 – Are you adorning the doctrine, and making attractive the way, honoring Christ by your actions and by the words that you say? Are you, my brother and sister, proving the Bible is true?

VS 4 – If you’re adorning the doctrine, Its beauties your soul will array; shower of grace will be given Strength from the Lord as your day; light from on high will be streaming, Over the pathway you tread.

I’m not sure if others see this song as one expressing the indwelling of the Sprit, but this song explains to me what it looks like not just to be “doing right or doing doctrinal things”, but it shows me that when one is living for God, his spirit is what will enable you to do what is biblical. It is not by our own power, for we cannot resist the fleshly things without the power of God. When we are living by the Spirit of God then and only then, will we show the world Jesus in us. As we release ourselves to God’s Spirit we begin to reflect more the image of Jesus and less of “self”.

So why do I present these songs? Let’s not try to eliminate the heritage of the songs from our past. We can revisit them and make them new and fresh again for a new generation to understand the greatness of the word of God. So should we sing hymns only? Should we sing contemporary music only? I say not an either or, but both.

The Week in Review

Assignment #5 – Theology of Worship
February 9, 2007

The including of artistic elements in worship has met with some acceptance and also with some concern. The problem has been whether artistic elements are biblical and necessary in the worship service. If one looks at the Bible, elements of artistic elements can be seen in worship.
The first example is when the children of Israel had safely crossed the Red Sea and began to sing a song of praise to God. In Exodus 15:20 it states, “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing”. Some have argued that this was not the same as today’s praise dance because it was a spontaneous dancing before the Lord, while today’s dancing is planned. However, we cannot overlook this important fact, while we do not see this as a planned dance, we can see they were comfortable expressing themselves in the dance and felt it was not dishonoring to God. Dancing was also done to musical accompaniment and was done as a celebration of a joyous occasion (examples Psalm 30:11, Eccl. 3:4, Luke 15:25, Psalm 249:3, 150:4). Dancing was also done to celebrate military victories (1 Samuel 18:26). Women were the ones mostly listed in scripture as dancing, but we also have David as he danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14).

I believe one of the greatest artistic elements was the work of the tabernacle itself. In 1 Kings the 6 chapter, it gives the details of the building of the tabernacle. In order for this to be accomplished, those skilled in the use metal and woods for example were allowed to come and work on the tabernacle. The tabernacle had to be a visual reminder of the splendor of God. So each time the people saw it, they could be reminded of the beauty and wonder of God. How can we view this today? It let’s us know that we should allow all people to come and use their talents for the building of the kingdom. The artisan should be allowed to create in paint, wood or metal so they help the people visually connect with some of the attributes of the Lord.

Lastly, drama within the worship services, does it have a place as well? I can only go to one person to answer this questions, Jesus. Jesus when he taught to the people he could have given straight answers to the questions asked him, but he chose to paint a picture with a story. He used parables to teach his lessons. In Matthew 21:23, for example, the priests ask a question of Jesus about what authority he has to do these things. Jesus turns their question around, and then he begins to teach in parables. Some would say that is different from drama. It does, however show that Jesus would use other means of bringing home truth about a subject. It is the same with drama. A storyteller will tell a story that relates to the everyday, yet in the process can reveal deep truth about biblical matters, which can make individuals think.

It is important for the church today to look at the possibilities of using artistic elements within the worship service so that individuals utilize all there senses in the worship of the Lord and allowed to have the freedom to respond to his presence. That is what is most important in reading and understanding the word of God. The people had freedom to praise and yet they were aware of the importance of worshipping God’s way. Today we can worship using artistic elements in the service and still be worshipping God, as he requires.