INVITATION TO A LIFE OF WORSHIP
Part 1 in series, “LifeSongs*: Lives of Worship”
Rev. Todd G. Leupold Perth Bible Church Sunday January 13, 2008 AM
* Title inspired by the name of the song and album by “Casting Crowns.” Overall series inspired and, to some degree adapted, from the writings of Gary Thomas and Myra Perrine.
INTRODUCTION:
How are you feeling today? Right now? Excited? Full of anticipation? Blissful? Humbled? Full of awe? Special? Or, are you really feeling apathetic? Dry? Distracted? Frustrated? ’Stuck’? Bored? Prohibited from being yourself?
When you think of ’coming to worship’ what does that mean to you? According to a Barna research study conducted in November, 2002 nearly half (47%) of church-going adults “understand worship as activity undertaken for their personal benefit . . . Only 3 out of 10 church-going adults (29%) indicated that they view worship as something that is focused primarily on God. One out of every five attenders admitted that they had no idea what the most important outcome of worship is.”
How do we here today understand (or not) worship? Is it primarily a way for US to get more of God? Or is it about getting more of God IN us? Do we know the difference? Is it something we just do at church or is it more than that? Is it a response to music, a form or style of singing, or is it more than that?
Too often we reduce our discussion, study and even energy toward worship to disputes over what kind of music is ’most worshipful.’ We hear about the old farmer who, while in the city, attended one of ’dem big city churches. After he came home, his wife asked how it was. “Well,” said the farmer, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang these things they called ’praise choruses’ instead of hymns.”
“Praise choruses,” said his wife. “What are those?” “Oh, they’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer. “Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.
The farmer said, “Well, it’s like this: If I were to say to you, ’Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a hymn. But if I were to say to you:
’Martha, Martha, Martha
Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA,
The cows, the big cows, the brown cows,
The black cows, the white cows,
The black and white cows,
The COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn,
Are in the corn, are in the corn,
Are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN
-- then, if I were to repeat the whole thing 2 or 3 times, well that would be a praise chorus.”
OR, we could talk about the new, young Christian from the suburbs who one day attended a small-town church. When he came home, his wife asked him how it was.
“Well,” he said, “it was good. But they sang hymns instead of praise songs.” “Hymns,” said his wife. “What are those?”
The young man replied, “Well, it’s like this: If I were to say to you, “Martha, the cows are in the corn,” well that would be a praise song. But if I were to say to you:
’Oh, Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.
For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.
Yea, those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.’
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night
They all my child Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.
So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn’
-- “Then, if I were to do only verses 1,3, and 4 and do a key change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn.”
Now that we’ve all had a chance to be offended and laugh at one another, it is time we recognize much of our talk and thoughts about worship for what they really are: nonsense turf wars over personal preferences! We need to understand, as Barna writes in his report: “These battles are inappropriate distractions from meaningful ministry and fruitful discipleship. Christians need to be more zealous about, and devoted to worshiping God. The Church needs to move on and focus on the One worthy of worship and the desire of His heart – which is to be worshiped with intensity and passion by His people – rather than to focus on the tools used to facilitate our expressions of love and gratitude.”
Back in July, I preached a message about “The Wonder of Worship,” summarizing worship in one message. For the next approximately 2 months, we will be exploring a series on embracing lives of worship.” We will begin this morning with an “Invitation To A Life Of Worship.”
SCRIPTURE: Luke 14:11-27
PRAYER
I. THE PROBLEM TO OVERCOME: PIOUS ENTITLEMENT v. 15
I don’t think anyone, including the Pharisee who spoke it, knows what this exclamation is really supposed to mean!
It is nothing more than a rote, pious cliché to sound worshipful and righteous.
Behind it, is something even more troubling and dangerous – an assumption of spiritual entitlement!
“I need not worry.” “I need not concern myself with others.” “Because of who I am, of course I’ll be blessed in the Kingdom of God – regardless of anything else.” “When (not if) I get to heaven and am seated at the table of the Lord, then I will worship.”
Jesus then proceeds with a parable which frightfully outlines this man’s folly and obliterates any sense of spiritual entitlement any of us may feel or presume!
To better understand Jesus’ teachings, let us keep in mind the definition of worship He proclaims in Revelation 4:1 “Come up here . . .” Worship is NOT calling God down to the earth. Rather, it is reaching out to Him to lift us up to the heights of His glorious Kingdom! NOT dragging Jesus down to our level, but being lifted by His Holy Spirit to live more on His level!
Jim Henry, in his book Dangerous Intersections, cautions:
“Since worship is the priority of God for us, it must become the center of our attention. Attitudes toward worship can bring unity, or they can bring division. That’s why Satan has set his sights on worship. We can do everything else right within the church, but if we don’t get worship right, we will fail to change the world. It should come as no surprise that since worship is God’s prescribed priority for his children, Satan would throw every non-worship dart at the church and the church’s leaders.”
II. THE OPPORTUNITY: AN ENDLESS SPIRITUAL FEAST vv.16-17
In the same way, Jesus is telling us, the Lord God Almighty has prepared a large banquet feast for us!
Only His feast, not only quenches our physical thirst, fills our stomachs and excites our taste buds but it does the same and such much more for our spirits! And, unlike the joy and filling of a physical feast that is short-lived, Jesus invites us to a spiritual feast of eternal joy and fulfillment!
The Almighty King has already spared no expense to prepare this greatest of feasts, and to ensure that none need to miss out. Even more, He has gone to great lengths to make sure we know we are invited.
The only question that remains, is not whether or not we are invited, but how will we respond to this over-generous invitation?
In Christ, it is an invitation to receive the salvation He bought and prepared for us on the cross. To feast on the grace secured through His sacrifice. But it is also more than that. It is an invitation to come and fill ourselves through lives of worship!
III. THE OPPOSITION: EXCUSES vv. 18-20
“without exception they all”
Notice nobody ever actually says they “will not.” Instead, they essentially say, “Gee whiz, I’m sorry but you must excuse me this time, because . . . “
Other priorities. Other, more important “responsibilities.” Other, greater, ’needs.’ Other, more attractive interests. Other . . . BALONEY!
Before we rough up these characters too much, how different are we? Especially when it comes to living lives of worship? Rarely, if ever, have I heard a professing Christian or church-goer say with their lips that worship isn’t important to them, or that they don’t want to worship. But we sure do communicate it in other ways, don’t we?
A. Possessions v. 18
“I have other things I need to take care of first.”
B. Business v. 19
- “Sure, I’d love to, but I have to make a living . . . pay the bills . . . support my family . . .”
C. Human Relationships v. 20
There was a law in Israel that a man can not go to war in the first year of marriage. This man is trying to apply that expectation on his coming to a banquet. Ridiculous you say? Every tell someone . . .
“I don’t come to church Sunday AM/PM/Wed. PM, etc. because that’s when I need to spend time with my family.”
“I don’t feel right coming without my spouse/child/parent/friend.”
“I can be a better witness if I stay home with my spouse/child/parent/friend. Maybe I can even get him/her to talk about church or watch a service on TV with me.”
These people were not rejecting the invitation because they wanted to do anything inherently wrong or sinful. Taken at face value, they were all legitimate needs, concerns and activities. The problem, is that they unnecessarily but voluntarily gave up an opportunity for the Very Best and instead settled for something much less and temporal.
IV. THE MASTER’S OPTIONS vv. 21-24
A. Anger vv. 21A-b,24
In this time and culture, to turn down an invitation was considered a very serious affront. It was considered a public statement of disrespect for the host.
Similarly, to reject God’s invitation – whether for salvation, or to live out and celebrate our the gift of our salvation through our daily lives – is to greatly disrespect and dishonor God.
It is to publicly demonstrate that you do not consider His preparations, thoughts, gifts and personal invitation to have much value – certainly less than that which occupies your time instead.
Should it be any surprise, then, that our rejection would not only disappoint, but anger God?
Or that He, in turn, would reject those who have rejected Him?
B. Replacement vv. 21c-24
What, does the King do when his guests have declined? Does He beg them to change their minds? Offer them special accommodations? Re-schedule? Leave their place empty?
NO!!! He wastes no time in seeking replacements wherever they may be found, and no matter their pedigree or social standing.
V. OPENING THE DOOR: THE CROSS vv. 25-27
Without a willingness, courage and strength to sacrifice there is no banquet, no salvation, and no life of worship.
J. Vernon McGee, responding to these verses, explained: “. . . We should put God first. A believer’s devotedness to Jesus Christ should be such that, by comparison, it looks as if everything else is hated.”
Richard Foster writes, “As worship begins in holy expectance, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life.”
YOUR INVITATION!
What might happen, what might be different if we each made maintaining lives of worship – loving God absolutely and loving others sacrificially - our number 1 priority?
What if the other areas of our lives were accommodated to our worshipful living, rather than the other way around?
