Going back to the Word

In details, Jeremiah Burroughs expounds the subject of worship based on Leviticus 10:3: “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” Burroughs notes that in God’s worship, “there must be nothing tendered up to God but what He has commanded. Whatever we meddle with in the worship of God must be what we have a warrant for out of the word of God.” (Sermon 1, y11) If we do not, it’s at our own peril. From the story of Nadab and Abihu, Burroughs indicates that how we approach the Lord in worship is important- if not to us, certainly to God.This is in contrast with what many worship leaders who are practicing pragmatism in their worship, which takes the place of the Word and rather focuses on our wants and needs.

Burroughs also shows us a God who is truly worthy of your worship and adoration  “The reason why we worship God in a slight way is because we do not see God in His glory.” God’s majesty is clearly exalted by the way Burroughs instructs his hearers as to their behavior when worshipping God: “Look upon the Lord lifted up in glory, not only above all creatures, but above all excellencies that all angels and men in heaven and earth are able to imagine.”(Sermon V) Continuing with his exaltation, Burroughs exhorts his hearers, “Look upon the Lord as having all excellencies in Himself, joined in one, and that immutably. Look upon Him as the fountain of all excellency, good, and glory that all creatures in the world have.” (Sermon V) Furthermore, Burroughs yearns, “Look upon the Lord every time you come to worship Him as that God whom angels adore and before whom the devils are forced to tremble.” (Sermon V)

The examples above are some profound and basic thoughts and observations by Burrough, which should be heeded by worship leaders today in their local churches.

Moreover, Give Praise to God notes the importance of the saturation of Scripture in worship. Sound theology should shape everything we do in worship and primarily the Word of God, rather than culture, should influence the worship practices. I am reminded constantly throughout this course that the Word is how we know about God, and therefore it is the foundation of our worship.

Identity Crisis

“How should we worship God?” is a question that has plagued Christians for centuries. The “Worship Wars” have been raging for centuries, and, quite frankly, they don’t appear to be stopping any time soon. 

Hundreds of years ago, the liturgy of Christendom had a reason behind it. Whether the Western Church held to the authority of God’s Word and/or Church tradition, her mind informed her emotions.

However, it has recently become popular to throw away Christian traditions and adopt the newer, “better” styles and forms of our contemporary culture. Of course, discarding traditions that are anti-biblical is fine and definitely should be done. However, getting rid of what is anti-biblical is not the problem the church is facing. By the time of the Pentecostal Vineyard Movement, “ministry was no longer seen as primarily grounded in the objective word of God in Scripture; the focus was shifted to the Spirit’s physical action on people, channeled through prayers, laying on of hands, and various deliverance methods” (GPTG 410). Nowadays, there is “a tendency to construct and evaluate worship in terms of the human subject – human experiences, feelings, and responses – rather than in terms of the divine object, God, the blessed self-revealing Trinity, and his will, word, and activity” (GPTG 407). This shift from God-focused worship to man-focused worship has had huge repercussions on the church. 

Horton is concerned with the same problem when he states, “I cannot help but observe the similarity between the practical denial of the sufficiency of Scripture (the grand narrative proclaimed by the gospel) in our day and in the medieval church” (GPTG 440). “Evangelical churches have thrived on careful exposition of the Scriptures, and lengthy sermons. But we are approaching the place where there is no intellectual content left in the sermon. So we will be driven to the power of liturgy and the communication of the gospel through the arts” (GPTG 440). 

Christianity has changed drastically since the shift from God-centered worship to man-centered worship. How can the church be saved from pleasing man rather than God? The church must come back to the ultimate authority and its ultimate end. Without glorifying God and focusing on scripture, there is no hope for Christianity, and the church will remain in an identity-crisis.

Final Thoughts...

As I've considered what I've learned this semesters Foundations and Issues class the thought that first comes to mind is also what I believe to be the root of many of the problems in our contemporary worship circles. Quite simply, our thoughts of the greatness of God are far too low.

On page 92 of Gospel Worship Burroughs uses the example of the elders in Revelation 4 who "worshipped God to purpose when they saw the Lord in that majesty as he was"and of course Burroughs makes the application for us saying, "We should at all times have high thoughts of God". 

I wholeheartedly agree and would add that from what I have gathered from things that I've read, people I've interacted with in different worship circles, and pure observation I am convinced that our biggest problem today is that people are so occupied with God's immanence to the point where He is simply a friend without being a Lord. To many He is a fellow servant and not the Master, a brother but not The Great High Priest. 

This is clearly a result of our cultures proclivity to raise personal experience over truth or further still it is a direct result of a people who believe that all ideas are valid thereby causing them not have a truly submissive spirit when comes to matters of worship (or hardly anything else at that). When personal thoughts regarding the worship of God are all (or mostly all) that God's people reference when seeking to worship Him their ideas, feelings, and desires ultimately control what they want worship to be as opposed to how God says He is to be worshipped. Furthermore, God has simply become who they think God ought to be and not who He says He is. Burroughs warns us after using the examples of the elders in Revelation chapter four saying that we must "take heed of having low thoughts and apprehensions of the infinite majesty of God at any time, but especially when you are to worship the great God (p.92)". 

What then should be done about the perpetually low thoughts of God that our people hold in their hearts and minds? Burroughs says, "there must be much reverence and much fear when you come into the presence of God to worship Him. You do not glorify God as God unless you come into His presence with much fear and reverence of His great name (p 101)". 

Are the problems in our contemporary worship scenes really that simple? Can they truly all be fixed with the batting of an eye? Well sure, there are much broader issues to be dealt with and yes, one could look very deeply into our churches and see a great number of other problems. However, I fully believe that at the heart of what is going on these days the first solution is for God's people to submit, submit, submit to how He wants to be worshipped not how they prefer to worship. Certainly at the very least if our thoughts were to become higher of God we would cease to fuss with stylistic preference for the most part. 

The end goal in raising our fear and reverence for God would be of course to glorify and enjoy Him forever. Burroughs says that Those who can delight in God's worship, even though they find nothing coming to themselves, aim at God in holy duties (99)". He charges us that in the duties of worship one of the primary ingredients is what he calls "strength of affection". He says, "the affections must work mightily after God, striving with God...If ever you had a heart enflamed with anything, it should be when you are praying or attending upon the Word as the heathens who worshipped the sun (107)". Furthermore, He says that "It is a good sign of a gracious fear when the soul can be struck with more fear from the Word, and from the sight of God in enjoying communion with Him in His worship...(103)". 

It is in fear and reverence and awe of the Lord that we desire to enjoy worship. It is not our goal to "subject the worship of God to our lusts (94)" by starting wars on style, appearance, presentation, etc... as it relates to what man wants. We must wholeheartedly believe that God is wholly other and ought to be enjoyed in His glory and awe, on His terms, with His people. 

Who am I, O gracious God that you would mind my woe? 

Who am I, O mighty King that you would look so low?

To cleanse my heart, my words and thoughts and wash my filthy threads? 

By dying on that gruesome cross and raising from the dead! 

The Truth Wars

The worship battles might be about style, but the war is about truth.

Scripture is clear that we are in the midst of a spiritual war. And contrary to popular culture, the devil is not so undisguised as to prance around with a pitchfork and red suit, nor is he, as the song would put it, “under my feet.” Satan is cunning and a student not only of scripture but also of culture. The Bible shows that one of Satan’s greatest deceptions is that of misdirection. Rather than openly combat the object of our worship, he rearranges our priorities by having us focus on the means elevating our taste and preferences over our purpose. Simply put, it is role reversal just as we see time and time again in scripture: children acting like parents, men acting like women, women wanting to be men, music being more important than worship, etc. This semester has provided a few simple principles to combat this travesty.

First, “How we worship determines whom we worship. That is why both the medium and the message, both the means and the object must be attended in worship” (GPTG pg. 33). If both the means and the message are important than it is vital for those to be done correctly or we risk offering strange fire like Nadab and Abihu.

Second, to find the correct means and message we must “Read the Bible, preach the Bible, pray the Bible, sing the Bible, and see the Bible” (GPTG pg. 65). The Bible is key. If we truly desire to serve God then we must do it on his terms. “Violation of God’s commands on worship is viewed as breaking the covenant and is cataclysmic in its consequences.” (GPTG pg. 39)

Third, the focus should be on truth. The bible does not come with hymnal notation it comes with words. This is the vehicle in which God has chosen to reveal Himself. Therefore, if the words are ever subjected to human will and taste, it is a corruption of what God has ordained. Also, if the main focus is truth then Christians should disdain chronological snobbery. This legalism can be seen on both extremes, either only using what was written two hundred years ago or only using what was written five days ago. “If there has ever been an age so myopically transfixed by its own importance and significance and a people so quick to dismiss its spiritual heritage, the age is ours and the people are evangelical.” (GPTG pg. 256) We are part of a universal body. Let us rejoice whenever truth is proclaimed regardless of the style.

In conclusion, the worship we present is not a matter of style but a matter of spirit and truth. When we gather together let us not fall prey to the enemies trap and commence fighting amongst us. Let us prepare. Let us know the word and let the word prescribe out methods. Let our worship be saturated in truth. “The God whom we come to worship is a great and glorious God and, having to deal with such an infinite, glorious, dreadful Majesty, it is fitting that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto Him.”(GW pg. 56)

Last few thoughts

This semester has been an awesome semester and there are many things that this course has caused to me to think differently about, for instance prayer, communion, and how Bible saturated our church services ought to be! I hope that from this class I will be able to not just become critical with how church is done but also not to be satisfied when the preaching of the Word is not found. I hope that through this class it will help me in the future to be able to discern what is good and profitable  for growth. I have learned that you don't need all the "stuff" or "equipment" in churches to make them great. But it should always be Bible centered and about giving the glory back to God and making much of Christ and very little of yourself. Thank-you everyone for your blogs I have been very privileged to gleam from what you all know and I love how you all are very serious about worshiping our God. I hope and pray that that will never end. Have a wonderful break and for all of you who are graduating congratulations and I will miss you all!

Reverence in Worship.

     Over this past semester, the idea of improperly worshiping the Lord had never rightly occurred to me before because I have rarely heard it spoken upon. Simply put, some of what I started to realize far outweighed what I was prepared to hear/be reminded of. That being said, I slowly started to realize how God is not interested in my sharing of brokenness when I come to worship Him as much as He is interested in my ability to radiate Himself by simply taking confidence in that which scripture clearly outlines how I am to revere Him. Sure, it may sound obvious to some, but to me, it was a scary yet refreshing notion to have in realizing that I have been more superstitious within my private worship than i've realized. But why stop there? This class not only educated me in how to identify the sin, but also how to properly readjust ones mindset in worshiping the Lord. Instead of bringing my brokenness with me to an assembly of believers, I should, as Burroughs puts it, "Tender up that homage that is due from the creature to the infinite Creator, so that I must so pray as I must manifest that high respect that I owe to God as my Creator" (Burroughs Pg. 38), or in other words, take seriously the responsibility of in that which it means to prepare ones heart before hearing the Word, receiving the sacrament, and praising Him through song. Thus, this class has largely brought me back to the heart of worship via what it means to joyfully bare the responsibility of revering Him privately before praising Him publicly and therein reminding me of my limited/superstitious nature.

"When any creature is raised in a religious way above what it has in it by nature, if I do not have Scripture to warrant me, I am therein superstitious. It is a very usual rule to help you. If any creature that you make use of in a way of religious beyond what it has in its own nature, if you do not have some warrant from the Word of God (whatever specious show there may be in it), it is superstition" (Gospel Worship. Pg. 12). 

Ps. Thank you, Doc. 

Christ's Death... My Life. Some final thoughts from a foodie.

Walking into the auditorium on a particular Sunday, I see that there are covered silver platters on the wooden table in front of the pulpit. I know one of the covered plates holds some form of bread or crackers, and that the other is filled with several little plastic cups containing--usually--grapejuice. These elements serve as a reminder to me: a reminder that it's time to flip to the next page on the calendar. 

Sadly, this has often been the case for me, and possibly for my brothers and sisters. My first thoughts upon seeing the communion table at the front of the sanctuary are "Oh, it's the first Sunday of the month already? How quickly time flies!" instead of thoughts of Christ's atoning death and resurrection. Eventually, of course, I remember what its real purpose is. But my first reaction is to classify it mentally as a ritual. I believe this is something many of us struggle with, at least from time to time... or maybe I'm the only sinner in my church.

As we discussed in class, a big part of why many of us would tend to think of the Lord's Supper more as a ritual is that it is often tacked on to the end of a service on the first Sunday of the month. It's almost never spoken of any other Sunday of the month, let alone any other day. 

I don't think regularity itself is the problem. We are instructed to partake in communion regularly, to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The problem is when we let it become purely a ritual, and it loses its impact. Allowing communion to become only a ritual isn't only about it losing meaning. It can become a ritual when it causes you to go into "quick fix" mode with God, ponder its meaning for 10 minutes, and don't give it a thought the rest of the month. It is intended to remind us of Christ's sacrifice on the cross in our place, which allows us to have abundant life, and if we allow it to lose its freshness and impact in our souls, we aren't truly allowing the gospel to penetrate every aspect of our lives. 

The Lord's Supper reminds us that our lives are not our own to live; we belong to God because we have life through Him. He is the one that sustains and strengthens us. In God's tenderness, compassion, and understanding, He, being a spirit in nature, gives us, being partly physical creatures, a physical reminder of His work in us. We must not lose the spiritual meaning in the physical means. Phillips remarks about the efficacy of the sacrament, "the spiritual benefits we receive in the sacrament are analogous to those benefits received by the body through eating and drinking. In the Lord's Supper, then, the believer is strengthened and fed, receiving sustenance and life" (Give Praise to God, 205). As a reminder of our source and purpose as believers, communion serves as a source of vitality. How sad it is to lose this humbling, revitalizing act to monotony! 

We are to proclaim the Lord's death until He comes, because through His death we have true Life. How sweet it is to celebrate this alongside our brothers and sisters.

Breaking Things Down

This class has been a wonderful stretching experience for me. I’ve benefited greatly from all of our discussions in class, and have really grown in my understanding of Biblical worship. While I was reflecting on all we learned this semester, I was struck with just how much ground we actually covered in such a short time. We discussed prayer, communion, and the content and form of congregational singing, just to name a few.  However, I think the highlight of the class for me was when we sat down and analyzed specific songs and texts for their value in corporate worship. I think some of our best discussions took place in this context.

            
   When we analyze songs, or any aspect of a worship service, we must break it down into its individual pieces. Then we can analyze it much more objectively. With that in mind, I think that one of the most helpful things from this semester has been the regulative principle. I still haven’t decided whether I like the principle or not, but it has been incredibly helpful in guiding my thinking. Ligon Duncan comments, “The basic acts of worship we perform because they are clearly commanded in Scripture. The ways and means of doing them we try to order according to scriptural principles.” (GPTG, 22)
    The regulative principle puts every aspect of a worship service into one of 4 categories: substance, elements, forms and circumstances. The first 2 categories are non-negotiable, they are commanded by God. The second 2 categories are open for change and modification under the watchful eye of common sense and discernment.  (GPTG, 23)
     While I can’t accept the regulative principle as the “be all and end all” of corporate worship, I do think that it is very helpful in analyzing specifics to test their validity and helpfulness. The principle breaks everything up (as artificially as it may be) into pieces, which allows us to much more objectively analyze it for appropriateness and helpfulness.

Final: Expository Preaching

         This semester I was reminded and re-grounded in the truth of singing, reading, praying, and preaching the Word as worship. The central object of the Church's worship is the Word of God. As James Boice puts it, "To worship God we must know who God is, but we cannot know who God is unless God first chooses to reveal Himself to us. God has done this in the bible, which is why the bible and the teaching of the bible need to be central in our worship" (Give Praise to God, vii). Al Mohler writes on the necessity of the centrality of the word if God in the preaching of it. Namely, the expository preaching of the Word.
         We live in a culture that is entertainment saturated and humanitarian and too often the church adjusts their bible to the age rather than adjusting the age to the bible (C.H. Spurgeon). many churches are aiming their sites at the heathen to fill their churches. Too often the Church is amusing goats while it should be feeding the sheep. Churches are often tailoring their gatherings and messages to man's felt needs, rather than exposing man's true need: a mighty savior.
         This downfall of Christian worship begins with the expository preaching of God's Word not being central in it. "The heart of Christian worship is the authentic preaching of the Word of God" (GPTG, 109). This is what a true sheep of God desires anyways. Ministers today are not giving what the sheep truly want and need: The preaching of the Word. If the Word is preached as it should be, then it will attract those who desire it and weed out those that do not.
         
Michael Green says, "This is the age of the sermonette and sermonettes make Christanettes" (GPTG 110). One of the issues plaguing the church is the lack of authority that comes from the pulpit. In a postmodern age that believes in no absolute truth basically says that there is no authority. When a preacher takes even the slightest bit of this worldview, he has lost his whole reason for preaching. If the preaching is not authoritative then why even try, it would be a waste of time. You might as well read up on the latest and greatest self help strategy to cure your therapeutic needs. The preacher must be clothed with the very authority of God, speaking as His herald. And the only way to be authoritative is to preach with an authoritative source: the Word of God. The preacher should be a prophet forcing the attendee to a decision whether one will obey God's Word or not. Expository preaching is the means of authority for Christians worship. The only thing that will save a heathen's soul is an authoritative message. The only thing that will save the heathen it the gospel.

Final: His Alone

God's worship is His own.

So-called "worship wars" have beset the Church like scarlet fever. They are both highly-contagious and deadly. In light of this widespread tension and the various branches of response, churches have developed a new rule of thumb: "Each to his own." Thus, churches harp on what they offer that is distinct from other services. However, Scripture does not call for visible dissension to be the defining feature of a corporate worship gathering. Instead, something higher than human perspective unites believers in worship.

Worship is not just what seems right. Many churches encourage believers to attend a church that portrays God, man, and the Bible in a way which is accurate to their own expectations of Christianity. In the end, the manner in which ministers or parishioners would prefer to view God or His worship is insignificant. Lewis writes, "Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us" (Weight of Glory 6). Human standards are not the true standards for corporate worship.

Worship is not just what feels good. Often, churches encourage believers to shop for a service that most appeals to their taste. The astounding flaw in such thinking is obvious: by encouraging a believer to find a church that meets his needs, one is assuming that the believer is already fully aware of the extent and nature of his own needs! This is not only incredibly short-sighted, but defeats the very nature (in a didactic sense) of church itself. On this topic, Lewis writes, "By ceasing for a moment to consider my own wants I have begun to learn better what I really wanted (Weight of Glory 6-7).

However, if no human standards will suffice to determine the nature of worship, what will? Some may argue that, until God Himself speaks on this matter, churches should continue to do worship in a way which seems right and feels good. But, God has already spoken! The Bible contains divine revelation, full of principles intended to govern corporate worship. Those who exalt the Bible as the only authority and the primary source on worship comprehend this truth: 

"The key benefit of the regulative principle is that it helps to assure that God–not man–is the supreme authority for how corporate worship is to be conducted, by assuring that the Bible, God's own special revelation (and not our own opinions, tastes, likes, and theories), is the prime factor in our conduct of and approach to corporate worship" (GPTG 24).

The very requirement of Scripture, that Scripture must dictate how worship is to proceed, if met, can be viewed as part and parcel of the spirit of worship. Meeting Scripture's requirements necessitates great humility, reverence, and response. It requires believers to debase their own, immediate interests in favor of God's. Ironically, through this response, their needs will ultimately be revealed and met.

God deserves more than the church has to offer. He stands upon the little things in worship, and often requires things for no perceptible reason other than "that they are revealed in His Word" (GW 17). In the end, God will be sanctified. For those who seek His face, it is only a matter of giving God's worship back to God. It is His own.

Pray in Anticipation

As I have sat in this class, especially the last few sessions, I have been convicted of what my prayer life looks like both privately and publicly.  Since this is a class on corporate worship I shall develop the public prayers.

I have to remind myself from time to time that when praying publicly that it is not about me.  I have found, sometimes, that as I prepare to pray I will script my prayers so much that I have to have it sound perfect.  That, in essence, is making the prayer about me and focusing on God and praising Him and leading people to praise Him through prayer.  Burroughs talks much about sanctifying God's name in prayer.  In some ways I feel that this is beginning to be lost in corporate prayer.  I often find that as a body we pray asking rather that pray worshiping.  We will go to God and ask Him to "be with us" as we worship together but should we rather be seeking to go to Him as we worship?  Of course!  It seems that to often even when we pray as a body that our prays are more focused on us and what we want than on God and what He desires for us.  As Burroughs closes out his last sermon in the book he says, "There is a time coming when all the saints must be in the presence of God always praising Him, and they shall then sanctify God’s name forever.  Let us now learn this art of sanctifying God’s name and praying that we may eternally sanctify His name in praising Him" (GW 389).  What a challenge that I think must be taken to heart if the church today has a desire to comune with God in prayer.  I know that I am looking forward to the day when I will stand before my maker and worship Him forever.  If oanly I prayed with that in mind, if only the church prayed with that in mind, we would see much spiritual growth take place.  Let's pray in anticipation for how we will worship our God and King forevermore.

Looking Ahead

Everyone:

Sorry I could not be in class today.


For my final post, next Wednesday I will blog about the paramountcy of God's desires.


In worship, our expectations, preferences, and needs matter little. God's demands are of utmost importance.



Thank you for creating a wonderful environment for learning more about God and His glory!



Andrew Dawes

"I Will Be Sanctified"

"I will be sanctified. I will have My name appear to be holy. I will be made known unto My people, and to all the world, that I am a holy God."

Before any of the text of Jeremiah Burroughs can be enjoyed or gleaned from, there must be an agreement with and an adherence to this: I will demean and carry myself so as to hold forth my acknowledgment of God's holiness, so that by my carriage He may appear to be a holy God. If we do not actively sanctify the name of God, we will still be agents in the sanctifying if His name, but it will be through His judgment upon us.

The introduction gives us a heavy grasp on the circumstances of Nadab and Abihu. It is a swift and glorious reminder of God's resolve to be obeyed and respected above any human idea or good intention. Although a similar mode of execution has since not been witnessed, the point God makes is still every bit as pressing. This introduction to Gospel Worship has followed in my heart and mind throughout the course of the semester, impacting and influencing my reading of the text and my understanding of worship. The arguments and methods which Burroughs lays before us are worth nothing if we do not desire to actively (versus passively) sanctify the name of God. I desire to actively sanctify His name, so I have decided to work toward that end in all the particulars of my life.

The Purposes of the Lord's Supper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRp5uS4-ljs

Mixing our own inventions in the ordinances of Jesus Christ

"Keep to the institution in the sacrament. Though you may think it a more mean way, yet you will find a greater beauty in this ordinance than you ever found in all your lives; for the more we keep to Christ's institution and mingle nothing of our own, the more glory and beauty and excellency appears in the ordinances of Jesus Christ. But when any man shall mix any if his own inventions, though he may do it to a good end and think to add to and put a greater luster upon the sacrament, the truth is that what he thinks to be a greater luster, reverence, or honor upon it rather takes off the luster and glory of the sacrament. Then are the institutions of Christ glorious when there is no mixture among them." GW pp. 261-262

Gospel Worship Pagination for December 9th and 11th

Monday, December 9

Blue
p. 258 "2. The bread being taken by the minister is to be blessed, broken, and then to be given." through p. 268 (end of sermon XIII).

Yellow
p. 276 "2. The bread, being taken by the minister, is to be blessed, broken, and then to be given." through p. 287 (end of sermon 13).

Wednesday, December 11

Blue
p. 269 (beginning of sermon XIV) through p. 278 up to "THE MANNER OF PRAYER."

Yellow
p. 288 (beginning of Sermon 14) through p. 298 up to "The Manner of Prayer." 

We'll also work with Asa and Andrew's blogs posted last Wednesday. Blessings "in Christ."

Communion

Sadly, I would have to say that for a long period of my life I did not have a full understanding of communion. And I know I probably took it without too much thought as to what the purpose of communion was. Even now I know it can be difficult to focus in on what communion means. Instead of going into the service having my  heart prepared and examined I all too often will only prepare myself just minutes before we receive communion. I think for a long time it was just a thing that we did in church, although I would think about Christ death and resurrection, I would stop thinking about it just minutes after the service ended. Burroughs writes, "We abuse God when we come to take the seal to a blank. It is to make this ordinance a ridiculous thing. Therefore, there must be some transaction between God and your souls before you come to the seal.  Although he was referring to believers taking communion instead of unbelievers I think this can still apply to believers communing with God before they actually take communion themselves.

Emotions…blegh

Many of the principles in our reading of Give Praise to God could easily be given as advice to couples. Given the fact that the Christian faith is indeed a relationship this can perhaps be an easy way for us to digest our reading. 

It is not a difficult task for us to recall different couples that for lack of a better term were rather repulsive. Whether it be flirtatious freshman that met and started courting during freshman weekend or junior-highers who were passionately in-love and just started dating; these relationships cause many to just roll their eyes. If we're honest though, the age and timing of these relationships is not what bothers us. It's the utter lack of content. So much emotional attachment is created on so little substance. How different it is to see a relationship that begins with the intellectual understanding of the other person, and leads to willfully choosing to love the other, resulting in a strong emotional connection. This sort of relationship does not happen in a day. It takes time. I believe the same to be true of our relationship with God. Worship should include our affections but it comes through knowledge and choosing to do the right thing tirelessly. “But when emotions are the center of concern and the object of the worshiping experience, only impure and fleeting emotions will result (GPTG – pg. 367).” We must spend time investing in our relationship so that emotions are the natural response not the substance. A couple that shows no emotion to one another is a dry relationship but a relationship that is built solely on emotion is an empty one.

Knowing the danger or blessing that emotions are to worship and the way they have been abused or used, do you find yourself running in fear from them or running in love towards them?

Christ in the Womb

If the word of the gospel prevails in our souls, we have within our hearts something that reminds us of our standing in regards to heaven and what will become of us for all eternity. Many times, other things beside the word of the gospel prevail in our souls, and our thoughts and feelings regarding our eternal state are easily shaken and effected. We may be filled with adequate knowledge and accurate understanding of Scriptural truths, but if we do not meditate on them or reminds ourselves constantly, it is like bearing Christ in our wombs. This is a good thing, but not as blessed as sanctifying God's name in hearing the word. We should be thoughtful concerning ways in which we simply "bear Christ in our wombs."

Broken for Guilt

In years past, I was ashamed to take Communion.

When the crackers and juice were offered, I struggled to arouse intense feelings of remorse. I sincerely believed that if I were unable to feel guilty enough for Christ's sake (He died because of me), I would be heaping further shame on my expensively-redeemed head. Ironically, I cannot recall ever feeling completely satisfied with my manufactured regret, in either extent or degree.

A vicious cycle was born: If I did not create enough inner guilt, I would naturally earn further condemnation. Either way, I got the short end of the stick.

Burrows acknowledges the profound influences that Communion exerts on the redeemed soul. Comparing Communion with the possibility of experiencing a physical presence at the foot of the cross, he writes, "I say there is more in this Sacrament to break the heart for sin than such a sight as that" (317-318). Indeed, the heart must be broken over Communion. Burrows maintains that the "suitable disposition…is brokenness of heart, a sense of our sin, of that dreadful breach that sin has made between God and the soul" (316).

Was I justified, then, in my ill-fated attempts to dwell in my sin? Is Communion the bleak, yet necessary, reminder of "the great God that you have sinned against, and the curse of the Law that's due to you, the wrath of God that is incensed against you for your sin, and those eternal flames that are prepared for sinners?" (316).

Fortunately, Burrows adds this: "Our sin should be upon our hearts so as to break them, but this brokenness must be evangelical. It must be through the applying of the blood of Christ unto my soul. I must come sensible of my sin, but especially I must be sensible of it by what I see in the holy Sacrament" (316). In a way, Communion can be turned into an obscenity of self-gratification. Certainly, the nature of this Sacrament gives me pause to reflect on my sins and failures, but only in light of Christ's accomplishment. God is my Judge and Redeemer. How simple, how profane it is for a believer to turn Communion into an exercise for self-condemnation and self-expiation!

I strove to feel guilt that I might gain relief from it. Ineffective? Yes. Arrogant? Yes. Blasphemous? You decide.

If our hearts must be broken, how can we better ensure that they are broken "in an evangelical way, in a gracious way"? (316). What must be done to ensure that a congregation perceives Communion "only in the red glass of the blood of Jesus Christ, beholding Him broken"? (316).

Bloggers for Wednesday, December 4

AB

SM

RT

AD

Don't forget to lead us to a question for discussion. Looking forward to these!