Worship…Consistent or Convenient?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 11: Worship”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“When I have time…”
How many things in life…even important things get that response?
Life presents many opportunities for us with which to fill our minutes and our days. Work…hobbies…family…vacations. And more.
Worship can be done in all those things, but we have to be honest that sometimes our worship – personal and with other – gets put on hold while we get other things done in life.
Why is that?
I wonder if it’s because sometimes in those settings we fear the ridicule or the recourse that might come our way if our family, coworkers, or friends catch us “worshipping” during our everyday activities?
A sermon I listened to yesterday morning encouraged the listener to “pre-make decisions.” To avoid the question when it comes up, you simply decide and then follow through.
What would happen if you decided today to worship God consistently…regardless of what others’ reaction might be? Regardless of what else in life comes up? Regardless the consequence if someone found out you were a believer? Regardless your schedule? What would happen if worship was the big rock you always put in your day personally and always put in your week corporately?
It might get some resistance. It might be hard. But I guarantee it will be blessed.
The prophet Daniel is one such example.
He was taken captive to a foreign land. He was nearly forced to eat unclean foods. He had opposition attack him and get him to stop worshipping the Lord and worship the supreme leader. Yet because he decided that honoring the LORD was THE most important thing in life, he didn’t cave.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” (Daniel 6:10-12)
What would you have done?
Would you continue honoring God, even at the threat of your life?
It’s easy to worship when there is no threat.
It is challenging…at least I think it would be…to be consistent in worship when your life is on the line.
But I pray for a heart of Daniel to love who God is and what he has done so much that the decision is made to always worship, consistently, even when it’s not convenient.
How did God honor that?
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
God just gave Daniel another reason to worship! He shut the mouths of the lion and put to death those that not just opposed Daniel but opposed him and his name.
When we worship, God opens our hearts and lives to more reasons to worship!
Apply: Make a Spirit-enabled decision today to always worship the Lord, consistently, even when it is not convenient.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all you are and all you do. Give me always the consistency in my worship so there is never a question “if I should” because it’s just the rhythm of “what I do.” Amen.
Worship…More than a song…
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 11: Worship”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Happy Monday Devotion readers!
Let me start with an apology for not alerting you to what ended up be a two week break of writing devotions! They just didn’t happen before our family left for vacation – so I pray the Christmas season and transition into 2022 have been blessed for you and your family…but now let’s get back to a little Word of God and reflection each day!
Yesterday we began again our “Believe” series. So again I invite you as a devotion reader to spend time with each week’s chapter…this week Chapter 11 on Worship.
I don’t know about you, but we have spent A LOT of time as pastors in our church body talking about worship. Even other Christian denominations have used the term “Worship Wars” to describe basically what music style and format should be used on Sunday morning when we gather together.
Is worship really just about a music style and setting on Sunday morning?
We probably all know the answer is “No,” but sometimes that’s what it becomes. It is easy in the visible church to look for the “prescription” for worship. It can easily become a set of “rules” that if not followed we begin to question whether we really have worship (Yes, I’ve been in conversations that debated this issue.).
What I have found in the Bible is ALL KINDS of ways and ALL KINDS of settings people worshipped. Here’s just a couple:
- Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, bowed down and worshipped (Genesis 24:26)
- 2 Samuel 6:5 &14 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals…. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
- Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
The list could go on. People worshipped in silence or praise. People worshipped at the beginning of life or the end of life. People worshipped in the temple, on the hillside, or in a prison cell.
Here’s what we notice about worship. Worship is always a RESPONSE of people to WHO God is and WHAT God has done for them.
Eliezer worshipped when God gave him success to finding Isaac a wife, Rebekah. David rejoiced when the Ark of God was brought to Jerusalem for the first time. Paul and Silas were praying and singing, responding to the work of God…even though they were thrown into prison for it.
When we understand that worship is my response to WHO God is or WHAT he has done for me, it can take various forms, multiple settings, and occupy every minute of every day. Our life is a response to the reality of God’s goodness and mercy being shown to me!
Romans 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Worship is more than a song, more than a morning, more than a ritual, more than a single prayer, it is a heart touched by the love and mercy of God responding to the love and mercy of God.
Enjoy your day of worship!
Apply: What happens today when you view everything you are doing as an act of worship – responding to WHO God is and WHAT he has done for you? Could driving to work be an act of worship? Washing the dishes? Presenting at a meeting? Tucking your kids into bed? Yep!
Prayer – Lyrics to “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless your heart
I’ll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about you
It’s all about you, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about you
It’s all about you, Jesus
AMEN.
The birth of Jesus: Luke Part 2
The detail of Luke’s account continues…
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke’s purpose for his whole Gospel is a detailed account to bring to his reader accurate information and detail so they may “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Something that brings certainty is when someone says something and then what happens matches what was said. At the end of these verses is the phrase, “which were just as they had been told.” I’ve wondered at times if part of Luke’s investigation put him in touch with one of the shepherds that was there that night of Jesus’ birth. With the detail Luke provides, it leads me to wonder.
The shepherds went to find Jesus based on the words of the angel. If they couldn’t find Jesus, I would guess this account would never have made it in the pages of the Bible. But they did! Just as they had been told…not just in general, but in all the detail.
They were given the sign, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
They went to “…see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They found “the baby, who was lying in the manger.”
They spread the word “concerning what had been TOLD them about this child.”
They returned “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been TOLD.”
When God speaks, we can trust his Word. Christmas and Luke’s account are just one small example of the power, precision, and promise of God’s Word and the blessing, joy, and certainty it brings to our life of faith as we hear it, believe it, and live it!
Apply: What promises has God given to you that when you have acted on them you have experienced the very blessing God promised?
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the certainty of your Word. Let this Christmas account of Luke help us to be like the shepherds to hear your word, believe your word, and live your word. AMEN.
The birth of Jesus: Luke Part 1
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree…”
I would guess at some point we have heard the opening line to Luke’s Christmas account in Luke 2.
But before we get to the details of Luke 2, consider the opening words of Luke’s Gospel:
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)
I love these opening words of Luke because it seems like Luke was a bit of skeptic. He was a missionary who traveled with the Apostle Paul and no doubt an avid follower of Jesus. Here’s the interesting thing about the opening line. There were MANY who tried or did write an account of Jesus’ life based on the information that was handed down from the Apostles. But Luke did his own investigation. Perhaps his background in detail as a doctor is why God chose him to take previous accounts, investigate their authenticity, and then write an orderly account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Why?
“So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Luke wants to affirm and reaffirm the truth of Jesus, the events of his life, the content of his teaching, and the saving mission he was on.
Luke is written to all the skeptics who wish they could investigate everything for themselves. Luke does and God’s Spirit provides it to us for our certainty as well.
So what does that say of Luke’s record of the birth of Jesus? Accurate, detailed, and written so we may have certainty in our faith as well.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
Luke sets the birth of Jesus in the context of the Roman empire. Perhaps we wish there was a little more detail like “Jesus was born on December 25” (Which he most likely wasn’t.) But the names Luke mentioned are verifiable people of history. Their mention sets the birth of Jesus in a historical context. It is real. It happened. It is not a fantasy story fabricated by Luke.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. (Luke 2:1-5)
Joseph was a faithful follower of the Lord. Certainly the dream which clarified who the child was Mary would be giving birth to helped. However, to take your pregnant fiancée on a 90 mile journey over rugged terrain to some might seem like an act of craziness, but to us we see a heart of faith that God was working…even through a government mandate which made them leave Nazareth for Bethlehem…and maybe not return for more than a year. Remember they had to flee to Egypt after his birth due to the evil heart of King Herod.
Luke’s detail give certainty that this baby born in Bethlehem was the one God spoke of. He was to be a descendent of David…just like Mary and Joseph were.
Details are important. Imagine if all we had was, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John’s Gospel…for Friday!) While we trust this is the Word of God, it is a bit vague and a lacks concreteness. In all his detail, Luke gives the historical setting, the specific actions and the reasons why Joseph and Mary did what they did.
Everything a curious mind would want to know…God provides through the inspired pen of Luke!
Apply: What details stand out to you about Luke’s account? (Read Luke 2:1-20 for tomorrow’s devotion.)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for using Luke’s inquiring and detailed mind to record accurately the birth of your Son. Through his detail we too can have certainty that Jesus was born to be OUR Savior too! AMEN.
The birth of Jesus: Mark
If you missed part 4 of “Believe Christmas” CLICK HERE to listen to Sunday’s Message, “Believe the HOPE of Christmas”
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)
You would expect Mark to go on with some account of the birth of Jesus…but he doesn’t. There are no details of the census. No insight to the “Word becoming flesh.” No relating of the dreams that calmed Joseph’s fears or any mention of shepherds.
The next verse gets into the work of John the Baptist, then Jesus’ baptism and temptation and Mark’s moving forward with the narrative, teaching and miracles of Jesus’ public ministry.
So why doesn’t Mark begin the “gospel about Jesus” with his birth? Really why doesn’t Peter begin with the birth of Jesus? (Strong evidence points to the source of Mark’s gospel as the account of the Apostle Peter.)
Perhaps the best explanation is he was focused on the life and ministry of Jesus. As one blog post wrote in defense of its absence (read it in its entirety here: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-doesnt-mark-say-anything-about-jesus-birth/):
- Silence doesn’t mean denial
- Brevity doesn’t mean ignorance
- Absence doesn’t mean it’s not assumed
These are all good points, but what about this opening verse assumes the reality of his birth as Matthew and Luke relate it?
- The message of Mark is the gospel…the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ.
Mark uses the same word the angels did in Luke 2:10-11 “10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you GOOD NEWS of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
What the angels announced the shepherds was fully going to play out in the Gospel of Mark. He wanted his readers to know that over everything he was going to recount and share about the life of Jesus had one purpose: Share the Good News about Jesus!
- The person about whom Mark is writing is JESUS CHRIST
Names stick. Mark doesn’t start another account about another person, but identifies the focus of his message as Jesus Christ. This was the very name given to the baby born in the manger by Joseph:
Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” …
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
The Christ was the “anointed one.” The whole of the Old Testament narrative and prophecy was to bring “the Christ” into the world. God hadn’t forgotten. Mark recognizes God’s faithfulness in the title for Jesus, “the Christ.” Mary knew that God was using her to fulfill his promises to his people as she sang, “
Luke 1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
- Mark identifies Jesus as the SON OF GOD.
The angel said to Joseph:
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
The angel speaking to Mary said:
Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
While Mark adds no new details to the birth of Jesus, he affirms all that was revealed at the birth of Jesus in his opening words. He assumes the reality, affirms the truth, and then advances the GOOD NEWS God’s Spirit gave to him regarding the events and teaching of Jesus, the one whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
Mark doesn’t say much, but he packs a ton of truth about Christmas in his opening verse!
Apply: What insight of Mark’s opening verse stands out to you in light of the truth of Christmas?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the continuity between all the authors of the Bible. While some you gave details and others you allowed authors to omit, through them all you communicated clearly your plan of love to save all of us from the consequence of our sins!