Today, I have been contemplating a somewhat odd question: what if all of this Jesus stuff really matters?
*Spoiler Alert* It does!
So often, we approach “church” stuff with a religious bent. Worship ends up feeling like work. Praise is treated like penance to balance the scales of our wrongs and rights. Like so much of the activity in our lives, we can kind of go on autopilot and just go through the motions. But if Jesus is real, and He absolutely is, the religious use of His name to kind of stamp it on is a sad lifeless form or idolatry at best, and at worst, it is a stinging dart of the evil one distracting us from the God who saves.
This past week, I have had the privilege to see God move. I am blessed to see Him move often as He saves people — bringing them from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-5) — and changes their lives by working in them through His Spirit and producing fruit in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:22-24). This week has shown me the power of what genuine faith in Jesus produces in people’s lives. I saw a group of high school students volunteer their time to pray for God to move in the lives of students, teachers, administrators, and parents. I saw them study and prepare to share their faith and God’s Word, willingly standing in front of their peers. I saw kids and adults hand-in-hand and heart-in-heart praying and crying out to God together asking Him to move in our community. I saw adults volunteer their time and money without any desire for recognition. I saw the difference between religion and relationship, real and artificial, and it is beautiful.
The Scriptures and songs we will, Lord willing, read and sing tomorrow point toward real moments in heaven around the throne. They show the worthiness of God. Creatures we cannot imagine are crying out in song, reveling in the righteousness and holiness of the Living God. Elders are casting their crowns down before the King, recognizing He is more worthy than they are. Recognition and honor and worship are poured out toward the Lamb, celebrating and rejoicing in His finished work on the cross, His empty tomb, and all He is still doing and will do.
How will what we offer tomorrow morning stack up? What if all of this Jesus stuff really matters?
First, it affects our hearts today! I remember a friend of mine preaching at a BSU gathering many years ago say that too many of us treat Jesus like a fuzzy bearded guy whose lap we sit on Sunday to ask for things and act good while we live like hell the rest of the week. If you are saved, you have been brought from death to life. Dead people and living people carry themselves quite differently! If you are saved — alive in Christ, prepare your hearts for gathering to worship Him tomorrow. We often cite Hebrews 10:23-25 to nudge people not to neglect attending worship, but there is more to it. We need to “hold fast the confession of our hope” (Hebrews 10:23) today. We need to trust in God’s promises today. We need to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24) today. And we need to prepare and plan to “meet together” (Hebrews 10:25) today.
Second, it anticipates His working now and in the worship gathering tomorrow! In my years serving in churches, I have heard many joke that preachers only work on Sundays and Wednesdays. God is never off — never on vacation or sabbatical or taking a sick day. Are you praying to ask Him to save people today? That might disrupt your Saturday plans because He might give you opportunities to share His gospel. Are you praying for Him to save people in our worship gathering tomorrow? That might disrupt your status quo, too. Good. May we see Him work and change us and grow us and build up His church — on Saturdays as well as Sundays!
Lastly, it means that attending the worship gathering tomorrow will be different than the norm for you and yours. I urge you to truly consider this. Pray for God to prepare your heart. Ask Him to show you things in His Word — and read it! Ask Him to help you approach the Lord’s day like it truly matters. Ask Him to grant you repentance for all the times it hasn’t mattered to you. Then, come and gather. Sing the songs. Read the Scripture. Actively listen. Ask God to move on your heart and bring lasting change.
I warn you, though: He might grant what you ask! Your status quo will be turned upside down, but you will be in communion with the King of kings! Your life will be changed — for the better, with eternal ramifications!
My prayer for you — and for me and mine — is that God will move on our hearts and show us He is real, for Him to impress on us just how holy and worthy He is.
I hope to gather with you tomorrow!
Here are our Scriptures & songs:
- Scripture | Revelation 4:8-11 —
8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
- Song | King of Kings —
Scripture Inspiration: Proverbs 4:19, John 3:19-21, Ephesians 2:1, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 5:17, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:31, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 2:7, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 8:1, John 1:14, Psalm 136:3, Matthew 28:18, Revelation 19:16, Matthew 13:24-52, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Isaiah 53, John 3:16, Romans 5:6-10, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 2:14, Titus 2:14, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Matthew 27:52-53, Luke 15:7, Acts 2:1-4, Matthew 24:35, Ephesians 1:7, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11
- Scripture | Revelation 5:6-10 —
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
- Song | Worthy of It All —
Scripture Inspiration: Revelation 4:10-11, Revelation 7:9-17, Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, Revelation 5:6-13, Romans 11:36, Malachi 1:11
- Song | Holy, Holy, Holy (Jesus Reigns) —
Scripture Inspiration: Isaiah 6:1-7, Revelation 4:5-11, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Genesis 17:1, Revelation 1:8, Psalm 59:16, Psalm 86:5, Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 John 4:19-20, Job 36:26, Psalm 48:14, Psalm 90:2-4, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 22:13, John 3:20, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 92:15, Philippians 2:10-11 (Help/guidance from Scripture with the doctrine of the Trinity: Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Baptist Faith and Message (2000), Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 2), Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry)
- Scripture | Revelation 5:11-14 —
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
- Song | Revelation Song —
Scripture Inspiration: Revelation 5:6-12, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 4:8, Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:5, Revelation 5:13, Revelation 17:14, John 15:5, Psalm 33:8-9, Revelation 4:2-3, Revelation 4:5, Luke 5:17-26
- Invitation | Forever Reign —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 73:1, Nahum 1:7, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, 1 John 4:8, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16, John 1:4-5, John 8:12, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 2:24, Deuteronomy 33:27, Luke 15:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, Proverbs 3:15, Philippians 4:6-7, John 14:6, Philippians 4:4, Habakkuk 3:18, Psalm 13:6, Job 23:11-12, Psalm 16:2, Romans 1:19-20, Colossians 2:9-10, Matthew 28:20, Psalm 138:1, Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:9-11
- Offertory | That’s My King (S. M. Lockridge) —
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Just Keith Harris 