This was the sermon I delivered last week in manuscript form. We began a series on spiritual discipline and this is the opening sermon in that series.
God Bless
So, about a week ago, I was sitting on a beach next to my wife and my parents. Beaches are wonderful, aren’t they? To sit there and feel the air, the sound of the waves and the sun beating down on you is almost surreal. You know what I’m talking about, that feeling that almost takes your breath away with its grandeur. By far, though, the most impressive thing is to look out on the horizon. It feels like the ocean is never ending, that this could wholly consume you, yet at the same time it is terrifying in all of its attributes.
I wrote this devotional for our service at North Hills this sunday. I thought I would share. It is far from perfect and far from being theologically thorough, but sometimes, that may be just what we need.
What is worship, what does it mean to worship, and what is the purpose of our worship? Does it mean coming to church and singing songs?
The word most commonly translated as “worship” in the New Testament means, quite literally, to bow down. The word itself is used of Kings, Jesus, God, and some angels. There is a word that seems to be only applied to God that means a sort of liturgical worship. So, if we put these ideas together we find that worship is more than just singing songs and praying and even coming to church. Our act of worship is to bow down and give to God what is His in the first place.
I get devotional thoughts from a pastor-friend of mine named Steve Taylor, many on this board may know him as well and this particular one really struck me. The link to his blog is http://www.kingdomdreamer.blogspot.com/ this particular blog was posted on May 29.
The urgent need is to simplify. In this fast-paced, high-tech age simple priorities have been buried under mountains of complexities.
“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Mark 10:15)
In a complex age it’s much too easy to mistake the simple for the superficial. But the simple kingdom requirement that Jesus outlines in this verse is anything but superficial. There is beauty in the simplicity of what is required but the implications are deep enough to merit a lifetime of discovery and application.
We were discussing the beattitudes on Wednesday night bible study and as I was reading a commentary as a study before the actual class, I read something about righteousness that really changed my view on my own righteousness.
We often hear people talk about being a good person and doing what’s right and sometimes we have this feeling that what’s right to them isn’t entirely right at all. Other times (and a little more often than I would like to admit) I think I’m doing the “right” thing and feel a little weird about it.
In James 4:8 it tells us that if we draw near to God He will draw near to us.
I recently had an experience in which I felt that God was reminding me of this fact. As an intern, I find that sometimes I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day and forget to give God the place that He deserves in my life. Sometimes I find that I do not spend enough time in the scriptures and in prayer and many of the other spiritual disciplines that God has provided us all.
Often times, men like Moses, Elijah, and Daniel end up falling into the shadow cast by Jesus the Messiah. In one sense this is appropriate because Jesus is the preeminent, forerunner of the new creation of God, the savior of the world, the lord of our lives, the sacrifice for sin, and the coming victor. Even so, this should not in any way diminish our understanding of the great figures of the Hebrew Bible. In particular, I would like to focus on the greatest man in Judaism–Moses–and the special relationship he enjoyed with God. To start, remember with me what it was like when God first came down on Mt. Sinai.