Honoring God with Our Bodies

October 22, 2023 in Bible - OT - Psalms, Meditations, Worship

Psalm 95:6 (NKJV) 

6Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 

Psalm 134:1–2 (NKJV) 

1Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! 2Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord. 

One of the most frequent questions visitors have about our service of worship, one of the questions that you may also have, is this: What’s with all the different postures? We sit, we stand, we kneel, we bow heads, we lift hands – why all the variety?

The answer to these questions is threefold: first, God did not create us as mere spirits but as bodily creatures. Hence, God expects us to use our bodies for His honor. Paul writes, “…you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:20). Our bodies belong to God and so what we do with them matters. Our actions should reflect our reverence for Him and our knowledge that one day Christ will return in glory and raise these very bodies from the grave. Our bodies matter.

So this leads us to the second answer to our question: why all the variety? The answer is that in worship there are a variety of things we do. We praise and thank the Lord; we confess our sins; we hear the assurance of forgiveness; we listen to the reading of God’s Word; we confess the creeds; we present our tithes and offerings; we pray; we learn from the Scriptures; we feast with God at His Table. This wonderful variety demands a variety of responses – both verbally and bodily. There is no “one size fits all” bodily posture.

And this is why, third, the Scriptures invite us to worship God with a variety of postures – standing, kneeling, sitting, lifting hands, etc. So consider the texts I have read from the psalms – “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” And again, “Behold, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD, Who by night stand in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.” These are just a couple examples of bodily invitations given in the psalter, different bodily actions we are to perform in worship.

As we consider this threefold rationale, however, we must beware lest we merely go through the motions. For the ultimate reason that our posture changes is that we have gathered to worship in God’s very presence. He is here with us and we dare not treat Him lightly. He calls us to worship; we respond by standing to praise Him. He thunders at our sin; we respond by kneeling to confess it. He assures us of pardon; we stand to listen and enter boldly into His presence through the blood of Christ. He instructs us from His Word; we stand to give our attention to its reading. This is the drama of the Divine Service – but it is a drama that is only meaningful when accompanied by hearts that love and fear Him.

So what of you? Why do you stand? Why do you kneel? Why do you sit? Do you do it just because that’s what you’re being told to do? Do you kneel so you won’t appear out of place? Do you sit so you can take a nap? Or do you do all these things because you recognize with awe and wonder that the God we worship this Day has invited you into His very presence to worship? 

So today as we have entered into God’s presence He has thundered at our sin – let us confess that we have often just gone through the motions of worship; and, as you are able, let us kneel as we confess together. 

Beware of Deceptive Appearances

October 8, 2023 in Bible - OT - Proverbs, Meditations

Proverbs 13:7 (NKJV) 

7There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. 

Paul writes in Romans 8:29 that God has predestined His people to be conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Proverbs assist us in that process, directing us in the way of wisdom and teaching us what it is to imitate our Lord’s character. Today we are instructed to beware judging by appearances.

Masterpiece Theatre’s retelling of Charles Dickens’ novel, Our Mutual Friend, opens with a wedding, the wedding of Mr. & Mrs. Lammle. Bride and groom were extolled by onlookers – he is rich, she is a woman of property, both of excellent reputation. But both Mr. & Mrs. Lammle were in for a shock on their wedding day. For while Mr. Lammle had believed the rumors circulating about his bride and though Mrs. Lammle had believed the rumors circulating about her groom, they soon discovered that they had both been deceived and married nameless paupers. They were deceived by appearances.

And it is this folly that our proverb identifies today: beware judging solely by appearances. There are those who pretend to be rich but yet who have nothing. They drive around in fancy cars, they have a large house, they wear expensive clothes – but it is all a façade. Everything is on loan and the payments are behind and soon it’s all going to collapse. Meanwhile, there are others who live simply and yet possess great wealth. They drive modest cars, they watch their budget, they shop at T.J. Maxx, but they’ve invested well and will retire quite comfortably.

Solomon’s observation reminds us to beware lest we judge merely by the seeing of our eyes. Often our eyes deceive us. This is certainly the case with riches – as the Lammle’s tragic marriage illustrates; but it is also the case in other areas. There are those couples who appear to have it all together, but behind closed doors their marriage is a disaster. There are those teens who appear obedient and respectful, but who give their parents grief when no one is watching. There are those who talk much about God and God’s work in their lives, but who haven’t cracked open their Bibles for years.

On the other hand, there are those couples who shun glory but who enjoy meaningful companionship. There are those teens who are rambunctious but who would do anything to bring honor to their parents’ name. There are those who have little of this world’s wealth but who are rich in things pertaining to God.

Thus we must be careful lest we judge by appearances; lest we, as the adage goes, judge a book by its cover. Often there is more to a situation or a person than first meets the eye. So Isaiah describes the character of our Lord Jesus Christ:

3His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth… (Is 11:3-4a)

So what of you? Do you rush to judgment about others? Are you hasty in your assessments of others? Do you jump on the latest social media craze? Join the latest lynch mob? Condemn others just because they are wearing a different jersey than your own or belong to a different political party? Or do you endeavor to look deeper than the surface to see what is below, what is truly the case? To weigh carefully before you judge?

Reminded that we often judge by appearances rather than judging with righteous judgment, let us confess our folly to the Lord. And as we confess, let us kneel as we are able.

A Righteous Man Hates Lying

October 1, 2023 in Bible - OT - Proverbs, Meditations

Proverbs 13:5–6 (NKJV) 

5A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. 6Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner. 

Paul writes in Romans 8:29 that God has predestined His people to be conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Proverbs assist us in that process, directing us in the way of wisdom and teaching us what it is to imitate our Lord’s character. Today we are instructed to hate lying.

We live in a morally confused age in which we are told that we must “reject hate.” But “hate” is not intrinsically evil as we see in our text today. Hate is a transitive verb. Hence, we can only determine if it is virtuous or vicious depending on the direct object. To hate God, to hate virtue, to hate righteousness – all these are vices. But to hate arrogance, to hate cruelty, and to hate wickedness – all these are virtues. As Proverbs 6 reminds us:

16These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. (Prov 6:16-19)

If these are things that our Lord hates, then they are things that we should likewise hate. We should embrace hate – and note that the tongue is mentioned twice in this list. The Lord hates “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who speaks lies.” Thus, He groups liars amid a notorious collection of sinners in Revelation 21:

6… “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (21:6-8)

Liars are grouped among the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, etc. Hence, according to our text, the man who hates lying is righteous – pleasing to God and reflecting the character of our Lord Jesus. Jesus died and rose again because we are a fallen people, “deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim 3:13). We lie to others and are lied to in turn. And this deceitfulness makes us loathsome and shameful, our text declares – a people who lie and deceive one another are a people never at peace. Hence, such wickedness overthrows the sinner – his life falls apart, he has no friends, because there is none upon whom he can rely nor who can rely upon him. Lies beget more lies and destruction comes in their wake. Thus, the one who loves lies hates his neighbor.

But the one who hates lying loves his neighbor. So Paul commands the Ephesians, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Eph 4:25). Why should we put away lying? Because we are members of one another and thus called to love one another. The one who loves his neighbor speaks truth to him. And this truthfulness begets more truthfulness. Such truthfulness proves to be a guard to him who practices it.

So what of you? Do you hate lying? Do you abhor all manner of deceit and treachery? Do you strive to speak truth always, to be careful with your words? Or do you regularly lie and deceive others? Do you boast of your accomplishments or do you assess yourself honestly? Do you say one thing and do another or do you shun hypocrisy of all sorts? Children, teens – do you hate lies and love the truth? When you are caught in sin, do you openly confess it or do you try to lie and deceive to escape the consequences of your actions? 

Though we ought to be a people who hate lying, we often are tempted to lie and deceive. And God is speaking to us today and summoning us to repent – to love honesty and integrity. And the good news is that He is gracious and gives freely to those who thirst, who acknowledge their sin and thirst for righteousness. So today let us not hide our sin but let us confess it freely to the Lord. And as we confess, let us kneel together as we are able.

Diligence & Laziness

September 24, 2023 in Bible - OT - Proverbs, Meditations, Sanctification

Proverbs 13:4 (NKJV) 

4The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. 

Paul writes in Romans 8:29 that God has predestined His people to be conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Proverbs assist us in that process, directing us in the way of wisdom and teaching us what it is to imitate our Lord’s character. Today we are instructed to be diligent not lazy.

Webster defines “diligent” as “steady in application to business; constant in effort or exertion to accomplish what is undertaken; assiduous; attentive; industrious; not idle or negligent…” The man of diligence is not afraid of hard work and exertion. He remembers that God created man to work. We were designed to fill the earth and subdue it and to exercise dominion over it (Gen 1:28). God did not put mankind in the garden so that he would sit back and eat grapes all week; God put mankind in the garden to work. Adam was to take the order of the garden and extend it to the rest of creation. And though the Fall introduced toil into the world, often causing our work to be frustrating or foiled, work itself is good and noble and right, a holy calling. Consequently, the righteous man is diligent. And God’s promise to the diligent man is that “his soul shall be made rich” – he often enjoys material prosperity but, even in the lack of material prosperity, the character that the diligent develops makes him a rich man. This is not a health and wealth Gospel; this is God’s promise to those who work hard – it is diligence not daydreaming that leads to prosperity and it is diligence not daydreaming that enables us to reflect the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. The soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

The lazy man, on the other hand, desires, and has nothing. So who is the lazy man? Let us reverse engineer Webster’s definition of diligence. Lazy means “unsteady in application to business; inconstant in effort or exertion to accomplish what is undertaken; inattentive; idle or negligent…” The lazy man is full of excuses. Solomon writes, “The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway” (Pr 15:19). In other words, whereas the diligent man clears away excuses and accomplishes the tasks given to him, the lazy man is full of excuses. There is always a reason the work can’t get done, the project can’t get finished, the job can’t be accomplished.

So what of you? Are you diligent or lazy? When you are given a task, does your parent or your boss or your spouse have to remind you to complete it? Children – is your room a pig stie or do you pick it up? Do you do your homework willingly or do you need constant reminders? Are your chores routinely accomplished or just as routinely neglected? Teens – are you wasting an inordinate amount of time on video games or on your phone or on entertainment rather than gaining skills that you can use to start a family and contribute to the well-being of your community? Adults – are you redeeming the time because the days are evil? Are you growing in faithfulness? Diligent in your vocation? Devoted to reading the Word of God and deepening your knowledge of God? Or is there always an excuse?

Reminded that we are to be diligent men and women and children who are attentive and industrious, let us acknowledge that we are often lazy, that we often make excuses when we should take responsibility. And as we confess our sin to the Lord and seek His forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us kneel as we are able.

Taming the Tongue

September 17, 2023 in Bible - OT - Proverbs, Meditations, Tongue

Proverbs 13:2–3 (NKJV) 

2A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. 3He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. 

Paul writes in Romans 8:29 that God has predestined His people to be conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Proverbs assist us in that process, directing us in the way of wisdom and teaching us what it is to imitate our Lord’s character. Today we are instructed to guard our tongues.

There is an old Arab proverb, “Take heed that your tongue does not cut your throat.” It is that sentiment that is expressed in our proverbs today. Verse 2 contrasts a fruitful versus a mischievous tongue while verse 3 contrasts a cautious versus an ungoverned tongue. So let us consider the difference between a fruitful, cautious tongue and a mischievous, ungoverned tongue. On the one hand, a fruitful and cautious tongue is one that speaks good, that strives for peace, that exalts God, and that treasures truth. This man weighs his words carefully and speaks only that which is good for necessary edification (Eph 4:29). He knows that “in a multitude of words sin is not lacking” and so he “restrains his lips” (Pr 10:19). The one who speaks thus, who speaks his fruitful thoughts and restrains his foolish and sinful thoughts, will both preserve his life and eat well. He will enjoy a clear conscience in God’s sight as well as, in general, good relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. 

On the other hand, a mischievous and ungoverned tongue is one that spreads gossip, that deceives others, that exalts self, and that treasures personal gain. The one who speaks thus “feeds on violence.” He finds himself at war with his conscience as well as with family, friends, and neighbors. He opens wide his lips – he defines authenticity as the need to speak whatever he thinks, whatever she feels, whatever his passing fancy dictates. So he reveals the secrets of others, betrays friendships, and flatters others for personal gain. Such a person shall have destruction. She will discover that no one trusts her or wants to be her friend.

Solomon writes earlier in Proverbs, “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked” (10:11). So what of you? Are you characterized by a fruitful, cautious tongue or by a mischievous, ungoverned tongue? Have you set a guard on your mouth? Do you weigh your words carefully? When you speak, are your words like the violent thrusts of a sword or the gentle swabbing of a wound? How do you speak to your spouse and your kids? Do you scream and rage and wonder why your family cringes in your presence? Do you multiply words to no purpose? Or do you carefully consider the words you speak and their impact on others?

Teens, you will be particularly tempted by the mischievous, ungoverned tongue. When speaking with your parents, are you careful to show them honor and respect? When you are angry or upset or hurt, do you restrain your lips until you can speak with care? Or do you just vomit out your disrespect and wonder why you keep getting disciplined? When speaking with your friends, do you use foul language to prove how cool you are? Do you make crude, sexual jokes? Do you speak ill of others to try to make yourself look better? Do you spread rumors and gossip? Do you speak one thing to someone’s face and then another behind their back? Do you open wide your lips or do you guard your mouth?

James the Just, the brother of our Lord Jesus, reminds us in his epistle, that

the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell… no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so (Jam. 3:6-10)

But they often are so, aren’t they? We are often tempted by the mischievous, ungoverned tongue. So reminded that we often sin with our tongues, but that God calls us to have a fruitful, cautious tongue, let us confess our sin to the Lord and our need for Him, by the righteousness of Christ and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, to tame our tongues and teach us to use them well. And as we confess, let us kneel before the Lord as we are able.

The Fate of Zedekiah

September 10, 2023 in Bible - OT - 2 Chronicles, Confession, Meditations

2 Chronicles 36:12–13 (NKJV) 

12[King Zedekiah] did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. 

The text before us today speaks of the sad legacy of King Zedekiah, the last of the kings of Judah. Heir to a broken kingdom, Zedekiah hastened its slide into oblivion. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, had conquered Judah in fulfillment of God’s just judgment. Rather than submit to God’s hand of judgment, however, Zedekiah sought escape by soliciting the help of Egypt. The result was disastrous. Zedekiah watched his own sons slain before his eyes before being blinded and forced to end his days in chains and slavery. The transgressions of Zedekiah stand as warnings to all of us. So let us consider three admonitions which we can gather from this text.

First, Zedekiah failed to humble himself before the Word of God. Our text tells us that “he did evil in the sight of Yahweh his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of Yahweh.” When challenged by Jeremiah, when confronted with the Word of God, Zedekiah chose to follow his own path instead. Like our first father Adam, Zedekiah believed that he knew better than God how to live life. So what of you? How do you respond to the Word of God preached and applied? Do you listen and give heed? Or do you ignore his word in favor of your own opinions? Beware the fate of Zedekiah.

Second, Zedekiah violated his oath. He “rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God.” Zedekiah vowed to remain loyal to King Nebuchadnezzar. However, when Egypt made an offer of help, when a more attractive deal came along, he forsook his oath. So what of you? Are you faithful to your oaths? Do you keep your word even when you swear to your own hurt? Or do you look for paths of escape when the going gets tough? We all make vows and promises – marriage vows, business contracts, military service, membership oaths. In each, we promise faithfulness and loyalty, but we are routinely tempted to act unfaithfully. Beware the fate of Zedekiah.

Third, Zedekiah refused to turn to Yahweh. He “stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh the God of Israel.” When he entered upon the great responsibility of kingship, even when he reached the end of his own resources, he refused to turn to God and seek wisdom from Him. Instead, he turned to foreign gods and relied upon his own wisdom and strength. So what of you? To whom are you turning in your difficulties? Perhaps there are new pressures at work or at home; the children are not behaving as you had hoped; a friendship is under strain; you are facing a hard providence – sickness, betrayal, loss. To whom are you turning? Have you turned to God, prayed to Him, asked Him to intercede on Your behalf? Or have you hardened your heart? Beware the fate of Zedekiah.

These warnings serve as a reminder that as we come before the Lord to worship, we must confess our sins and transgressions to Him, beseeching Him to forgive us for the sake of Christ. We must not stiffen our necks but humble ourselves in His sight. So as we humble ourselves before Him, and as you are able, let us kneel before the Lord.

Let All the People Say, “Amen!”

September 3, 2023 in Bible - OT - Psalms, Liturgy, Meditations, Worship

Psalm 106:48 (NKJV) 

48Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord! 

One of our liturgical practices is shouting, “Amen!”, after singing our psalms and hymns. This morning I’d like to remind us why we do this and how we ought to do it. The declaration, “Amen!”, is a means of affirming what has been said. It is shorthand for, “So be it! That’s right! That’s true! I agree with that!” or even, “May that come to pass!” So, in our text today, the people are to say, “Amen!” upon hearing the declaration, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting!”

The declaration, “Amen!”, permeates the Scriptures and was foundational to the worship of our fathers. So, after the Israelites entered the promised land, Joshua divided the congregation in two. Half stood on Mount Gerizim and half on Mount Ebal. Then the Levites spoke with a “loud voice and [said] to all the men of Israel:”

15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ 

“And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’ 

16 ‘Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 

17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 

18 ‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 

19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 

20 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s bed.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

21 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

22 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

23 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

24 ‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

26 ‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law.’ 

“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ ” 

The verbal affirmation, “Amen!” is a way of confirming the truth of what has been said or sung. So when we pray or sing and close with, “Amen!”, or when we shout, “Amen!” during the sermon, we are saying, “So be it! I agree with that! May these things truly come to pass!”

So how ought we to speak this “Amen!”? First, make sure you agree with what has been said or sung. Don’t say, “Amen!” if you don’t mean it. Part of our rationale for singing the psalms and other substantive hymns is to protect us from saying, “Amen!”, to things that we ought not affirm. If the preacher were to declare, “Good is evil, and evil is good!” the last thing that you should say is, “Amen!” Say, “God forbid!” or “May it never be!” but don’t say, “Amen!” Why not? Because to say, “Amen!” is to declare that you agree with what was said.

Second, issue your “Amen!” heartily. Either you agree with what has been said or you don’t. If you do, then do it. You’ll note that the “Amens!” in your Bible are typically printed with an exclamation mark. That’s because they are exclamations. And the word “exclamation” comes from two Latin words: ex, which means “out,” and clamare, which means “to shout.” So you’re supposed to “shout it out”! Say it like you mean it. “Amen!”

Reminded that we often approve of things that we should condemn and that we are often tepid rather than hearty in our approval of what God has said, let us confess our sin to the Lord. And as you are able, let us kneel as we confess our sins.

You & Your Household

August 13, 2023 in Baptism, Bible - NT - Acts, Meditations

Acts 16:31–34 (NKJV) 

31So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. 

Later in the service I have the privilege of baptizing several children. Believing that God welcomes not only them but their children into His church, they are bringing their children forward for baptism today. So why do we embrace this conviction?

As we consider this question, it is helpful to remember that throughout redemptive history God has dealt with His people both as individuals and as families or households. His covenants, His relationships with His people, are almost always generational. So, in the beginning of creation, God made a covenant with Adam and all those in him (Rom 5:18). At the flood, God covenanted with Noah and his descendants, rescuing his entire household from destruction (Gen 6:18). Similarly, God called Abram and his household out of Ur of the Chaldees and covenanted to bless all the families of the earth through his Seed (Gen 12:3). God made a covenant with David and his seed, promising that one of David’s sons would always sit upon his throne (2 Sam 7:12). Characteristically, God works not just with individuals but with families, with households. Hence, the final promise of the OT is that God will “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers” (Mal 4:6). 

It is no surprise, therefore, that this same feature characterizes the new covenant. Jeremiah prophesied that, in the new covenant, God would give His people “one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them” (Jer 32:39). Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones that come to life closes with the glorious promise, “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes and do them…. and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children forever…” (Ezek 37:24-25a). Similarly, Isaiah promises those who turn in faith to the Messiah: “Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed” (Is 61:9).

When we turn to the pages of the New Testament, therefore, we find our Lord Jesus at work not only among adults but among children and infants. He raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead; he cures a father’s son who suffered from epileptic seizures; He listens to the woman of Tyre who pleads on behalf of her demon-possessed daughter; he raises the only son of the widow of Nain; he blesses the little children and even nursing infants who are brought to Him; He welcomes the praise of children in the Temple as they cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Jesus ministers not just to individuals but to families.

Thus, the Apostles did the same. As Paul and Silas proclaim to the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, you and your household” (16:31). The message they preached to him was the same they preached to Lydia the day before. So, having believed, “she and her household were baptized” (Acts 16:15) just as in our text the jailer “and all his family were baptized” (16:33). God deals with families and welcomes us and our children into His church through baptism.

So what does this mean for us? Parents, it means that your children are not your own. Your children belong to the Lord of heaven and earth and have been entrusted by Him to your care. So you are called, in Paul’s words, “to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4), a vow that these parents will be affirming later this morning. Children, it means that you are not your own but that you belong, body and soul, to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who has claimed you His own in your baptism. So you are called, in the words of the 5th commandment, to “honor your father and mother that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth” (Ex 20:12).

And so reminded that God deals not just with individuals but also with families, let us confess that we have often neglected our responsibilities as parents and children alike – we parents have neglected to train our children as we ought, and we children have neglected to honor our parents as we ought. And as you are able, let us kneel together before the Lord as we confess our sins.

Six Principles of Worship

August 6, 2023 in Meditations, Worship

Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV) 

15Therefore by Him [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 

As we enter into worship today, I want to direct our attention to six principles for worship that Paul provides in this short verse. Paul writes, “Therefore by [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” 

Paul teaches us, first, that our worship must be Christological. “By Jesus” he writes, we are to praise God. The only way that human worship can be accepted by God is if it is offered through Christ. No one comes to the Father except through His Son (Jn 14:6), for there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5). God is too holy to look upon sin – and all our worship is tainted by sin. Hence, it must be cleansed by the sacrificial blood of Jesus; only He can make our worship acceptable to God. Our worship must be Christological.

Second, our worship must be communal. “By Jesus, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God…” Worship is not a solitary activity. We join angels and archangels and all the host of heaven and the saints on earth to praise God. So David longed to be in the tabernacle, the place where God’s people gathered together for worship (Ps 84). And Paul commands us to share this longing, to long to join God’s people as we worship in Jesus’ Name for there is God’s tabernacle, God’s temple, God’s dwelling place. Our worship must be communal.  

Third, our worship must be continual. “By Jesus, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God…” Paul wants worship to saturate our lives, he wants us to be in the habit of worship. We are to gather week by week on the Lord’s Day with God’s people – “not forsaking the assembly, as is the habit of some” (Heb 10:25), but exhorting one another daily. For the worship that we enjoy weekly with the people of God is to seep into our homes, our personal lives, and our friendships. Our worship must be continual.

Fourth, our worship must be sacrificial. “By Jesus, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God…” Properly, worship is not a cathartic experience for our own amusement; nor is it a performance for others’ entertainment; it is primarily a sacrificial offering to God. Worship is offered up to God as a pleasing aroma, an offering that brings Him joy and delight. Our worship must be sacrificial.

Fifth, our worship must be vocal. “By Jesus, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips…” As the fruit of our lips, the sacrifice of praise requires our lips to move. We are to sing praises to the Lord. Paul wants us to enter into the presence of the Lord with joyful shouts, celebrating the goodness of the Lord. Our worship must be vocal.

Finally, our worship must be thankful. “By Jesus, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.” Thankfulness is the heartbeat of worship. A man or woman who is not thankful is a man or woman who cannot worship. He might move his lips but his praise just bounces off the ceiling. The resentful, bitter, angry person may grudgingly bow the head and speak the words, but his heart will not utter joyous shouts and so he does not truly worship. Our worship must be thankful.

So hear Paul’s exhortation, “Therefore, by Jesus let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Our worship is to be Christological, communal, continual, sacrificial, vocal, and thankful. So what  of you? Have you come here trusting in Jesus that you might join His people in sacrificial praise, expressing thanksgiving to God with your lips? Or have you come self-righteously, treating God with complacency, believing that you’re not really in need of His forgiving grace and not really required to speak His praise in company with His people? If the latter, then let me urge you to repent and to join us all as we confess our sin to God. As you are able, let us kneel together as we confess our sin to God.