LIFESONGS OF NATURALISTS & SENSATES
Part 6 in series, “LifeSongs*: Lives of Worship”
Rev. Todd Leupold Perth Bible Church Sunday February 17, 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:
God created the mule and told him: "You will be mule, working constantly from dusk to dawn, carrying heavy loads on your back. You will eat grass and you will lack intelligence. You will live for 50 years." The mule answered: "To live like this for 50 years is too much. Please, give me no more than 20." And it was so.
Then God created the dog and told him: "You will hold vigilance over the dwellings of Man, to whom you will be his greatest companion. You will eat his table scraps and live for 25 years." And the dog responded: "Lord, to live 25 years as a dog is too much. Please, no more than 10 years."
And it was so.
God then created the monkey and told him: "You are the monkey. You will swing from tree to tree, acting like an idiot. You will be funny, and you shall live for 20 years." And the monkey responded: Lord, to live 20 years as the clown of the world is too much. Please, Lord, give me no more than 10 years." And it was so.
Finally, God created Man and told him: "You are Man, the only rational being that walks the earth. You will use your intelligence to have mastery over the creatures of the world. You will dominate the earth and live for 20 years." And the man responded: "Lord, to be Man for only 20 years is too little. Please, Lord, give me the 30 years the mule refused, the 15 years the dog refused, and the 10 years the monkey rejected." And it was so.
And God made Man to live 20 years as a man, then marry and live 30 years like a mule working and carrying heavy loads on his back. Then , he is to have children and live 15 years as a dog, guarding his house and eating leftovers after they empty the pantry, then, in his old age, to live 10 years as a monkey, acting like a fool to amuse his grandchildren. And it was so.
(Jonathan Busch, sermoncentral.com)
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 2:8-15; Romans 1:20
From the very beginning, and continuing after Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection on our behalf, God has taken great intention, pleasure and glory in our relating to and connecting with Him through the beauty, experiences, and lessons of Creation itself. As we continue our series on “Lifesongs: Lives of Worship,” we will focus this morning on two worship lifestyles that glorify God in such ways!
I. THE NATURALIST LIFESONG
A. INVENTORY
How would you answer the following statements?1
4 = very true, 3 = Often true, 2 = Sometimes true, 1 = Rarely true, 0 = Never True
1.I usually feel closer to God when I am out in nature than when I spend time indoors in church.
2.I derive great joy from praying or communing with God as I sit beside a brook, walk outdoors, or see His handiwork in nature.
3.I would be thrilled if our church held a service on the beach on in a wooded glen – somewhere outside in God’s creation.
4.If I could go to a garden or a lake to be with God, I would be very happy.
5.When I am in the beauty of God’s creation, i find myself spiritually refreshed because being with the Lord in the outdoors is so inspiring.
6.I would be delighted to see a picturesque movie in church entitled Worshiping God through Creation.
B. PROFILE
The naturalist worshiper most sees & feels God & His Truth in nature.
They tend to be poetic and creative. They worship God through emulating (on a much smaller scale) His wonderfully poetic and creative Being.
Further, they tend to worship through physical action. Using their bodies or even created tools in ways that illustrate and maximize their creative purpose is a meaningful way for the naturalist to worship the Lord. Example: whereas for most people, landscaping or working in the garden is a chore, for the Christian naturalist it is a wonderful exercise of worship and drawing closer to our Lord. Carpentry, husbandry, building, boating and hiking are but some of the many other examples.
For the Christian naturalist, these activities don’t just make convenient ’excuses’ for worship. Rather, engaging in such activities almost always results in the spirit and mind being drawn to our awesome God and Savior.!
C. VALUES
1.The World is God’s Classroom
There is sooo much about God, His character, the realities of His natural laws, and His communication with us that can be experienced through His Creation. And, yet, far too often it is seen by us as nothing more than a familiar and insignificant background.
When we allow that to happen, we not only miss great beauty, but also miss out on the blessings of many great lessons and truths!
This is not just true of nature’s appearance either. Even it’s rhythms, flow, interactions, symbiosis, ecological balance, and seasons teach us a multitude of great and important truths!
2.Beauty of God & ALL His Creation
In regions of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side, and because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women often bring their laundry, boil their clothes in the hot springs, and then rinse them in the cold springs.
A tourist watching this procedure commented to his Mexican guide: "They must think Mother nature is generous to freely supply such ample, clean hot and cold water."
The guide replied, "No senor, there is much grumbling because she supplies no soap."
(A. Todd Coget, sermoncentral.com)
In the abundance, beauty and grace of God’s Creation is His gift to us! Even in a world that has been so ravaged and distorted by sin, there remains such great beauty all around us. In this, we may remember that God still reigns and not even all the world’s sin can tarnish His beauty!
3.Focus on Purity
Similarly, though it may be increasingly more difficult, it is in God’s nature that one can still find examples of purity.
It is in the Garden of Eden that we have our example of a “perfect world.”
4.Appreciative of Detail
As Dr. Myra Perrine explains: “For the Naturalist, seeing detail in what God has made is like receiving little love notes from Him.”
D. CAUTIONS:
1.Neglecting Specific Revelation (Bible) for General (Nature)
While it is true that God desires to show us much through His creation, such revelation is only of a general or broad truth. It is also important to remember that even nature itself has been affected and changed by sin. Not all – even in nature – is as it should be.
It is essential that, even in learning and worshiping through nature, we process and digest that through the specific, inerrant revelation of God’s Word – the Bible!
2.Confusing ’Church’ as a Place OF Worship as opposed to a Community of People IN Worship.
Because Christian Naturalists often feel closest to God when within His nature (and often alone), there can be a tendency to fall into the error of believing that this communion with God can replace or even supersede that of the community of faith.
But God’s Word is clear and unmistakable that the one is to complement, but never replace the other!
Hebrews 10:24-25
3.Isolation.
- ditto.
E. EXAMPLES
1.David Ps. 19:1-2; 121:1; 20:1-2
2.Isaiah 42:5
3.John the Baptist Mark 1:3-6
4.Jesus
I. THE SENSATE LIFESONG
A. INVENTORY
How would you answer the following statements?2
4 = very true, 3 = Often true, 2 = Sometimes true, 1 = Rarely true, 0 = Never True
1.I find pleasure in worshiping God as I gaze at a beautifully translucent stained-glass window in a church where some aspect of my Lord is depicted.
2.When I enter a stunningly beautiful church, just the loveliness around me lifts my heart to God, increasing my passion for Him.
3.A High Church service with formal Communion or the Eucharist is something I would enjoy.
4.How I wish I could have experienced the wonderfully sensuous Old Testament style of worship, with its poignant smells and colorful regalia.
5.I love being in a church where all my senses come alive so that I can almost see, smell, hear, taste, and touch the majesty of God.
6.I like the thought of using art or drawing in my worship of God or when I journal or pray.
B. PROFILE
Sensate worshipers use ALL their senses to focus on Jesus.
Easily distracted & ’lost’ when drawn to God through the senses.
Artistic – whereas naturalists experience God in His Creation, sensates experience God through how humans artistically express Him and His Truth.
Don’t like to sit still (kinesthetic)
C.VALUES
1.Experiential Worship
Sensate worshipers are very intentional about not just knowing Jesus, but tangibly experiencing Him!
In the same way, they prefer to worship Him not just through the intangible connections of their minds and spirits, but through tangible reminders and expressions of what is occurring in their minds and spirits. Examples: body posturing, incense, movement, visual symbolism, texutures, etc.
2.Experience & Worship God in Variety of Ways
As God has created us with five senses and these can be used in many different combinations to senses to explore and interact with endless stimuli, so there are virtually endless ways in which a true seeker (in spirit and in truth) may experience and worship Jesus!
Sensates lead the way for the rest of us in this. They’re the ones that present God’s glory in such a way that leaves others proclaiming: “Wow, I never imagined I could know or worship God like that!”
D. CAUTIONS:
1.Senses Overwhelming the Mind.
Illustration: 3-D rides and shows that have become so popular today. Our senses can be overwhelmed and even manipulated to feel or believe that something more is occurring than really is at that moment.
2.Senses Overwhelming the Word.
3.Senses Overwhelming the Spirit.
E. EXAMPLES
1.God Himself Numbers 13 (’milk & honey’), Lev. 3:5; Ex. 35:31-35; Ps. 150; Ezek. 1:4, 26-27; 3:1-3; 12-15
2.Jesus
Sight: Rev. 1:10-16
Sound: “Word”
Touch: Jn. 9:6; Mt. 8:1-4; 9:29
Smell: Mal. 1:11
Taste: Ezk. 3:1-2; Ps. 34:8; 119:103; Mt. 5:13; 26:26-28
Kinesthetic (motion): always moving from place to place
SING OUT! (summary & concluding challenge):
