Join to Sing!

As we begin the new year, a word about "singing unto the Lord."  I've not said a lot directly about singing and music in this blog up till now.  Since creation, song, both vocal and instrumental, has had a huge part in worship of the God of the universe.  We see it throughout the Old Testament and reaffirmed in the New.  We see in Joshua 6 how music was involved in the walls of the city coming down and God's people claiming victory.  But, did the music bring down the walls?  No, as the people blew their trumpets in obedience to God, He knocked down the walls.  It is God and God alone who accomplishes His work.  Does He move mightily through music?  Yes, at His will and in His timing.  God's business is to bring new and greater glory...music or no music.  All we are responsible for is obedience.
Now, some of you are saying,  "Oh good, I don't have to sing."  Careful now, you hear.  We are COMMANDED to "sing unto the Lord" and leave the glory up to Him.  And, nowhere in scripture does it say, "Sing, unless you don't have a pleasant voice."  Maybe that's why God says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord" -  to accommodate those who think they are not singers.  Just the word "sing" in all it's tenses is used over 300 times in God's Word.  Must be important to Him.  So, as we begin a new year, may we, the people of God, "Join to Sing", as an outpouring of our passionate worship to lift our song to the One who is Author and Finisher, Alpha and Omega, Sin-bearer, Redeemer and Lord!  In doing so, we acknowledge our need for Him to lead us through this coming new year to His new and greater glory!  mjm

And then, . . . Perfect Worship

In the Old Testament books of history we learn much about worship from the kings, judges, and other servants of the Lord.  Then in Psalms and Proverbs we are shown how to build relationship with God through song and righteousness.  We are given expressions of praise that carry into our worship today.  And then, . . . there are four hundred years of silence with no record of how God is moving among men.

But that silence is broken as God reveals Himself to Zechariah and later to Mary.  And then, God put flesh on the spirit of His Son and came into our neighborhood revealing Himself in human form as a babe in the manger.  And what was the response?  Worship in the fields.  Worship by three or more kings and WOW, worship from the multitudes across the heavens.  Coming after that we would see the worship of fishermen,  everyday folks, prostitutes, soldiers and ultimately the worship of the Son of God.  Jesus Christ became the ultimate model for worship.  He worshipped in the temple; He worshipped in song; He worshipped by serving - - and finally, He worshipped by giving of Himself - - submitting to death on a cross.  By submitting to God's ultimate plan and His will, Jesus modeled for us perfect worship.  We won't know perfect worship until we are in heaven, but for now Jesus provided the sacrifice for our sin changing worship for us forever!  Hallelujah! What a Savior.  Have a blessed Christmas as you worship Him!  mjm

More Worship from the Kings!

Solomon shows us what can happen in corporate worship when the people of God are one spiritually and musically.  In 2 Chronicles 5:13, as the Ark of God enters the newly constructed temple, the singers and instruments are as one, in unison, with their hearts in one accord.  And bless God, look what happens.  Fire falls from heaven to the point that the priests can not even minister.  God is in the house.  When we worship God completely, in one accord, with a unified voice of praise looking to the "morning star", God will make His presence known.  Hallelujah, Yahweh! 

The kings of the Old Testament give us insight into worship and the kings of the New Testament bow before Him and worship Him with gifts.  As the song in our musical this year says, "One king held the frankincense, one king held the myrrh, one king held the purest gold, but . . . one King held the hope of the world.  The only hope of the world was born and placed in the manger as hope.  The King of all kings now held the hope of the world for all eternity, making all the difference in the lives of those who receive the King into their lives as Lord!  "Merry Christmas" almost seems inadequate to express all of that.  

Come, and worship the King!  mjm  

Worship Across "His Story"

We find in the books of history in the Old Testament the kings modeling worship which  informs our worship.  David's personal and intimate worship brought God near and God's presence was David's life-long guide as he ruled the kingdom.  David worshipped even as a fugitive during some dark years and penned Psalms, giving us a glimpse of the provision, protection, and power of God.
David not only loved the person of God, but the Word of God.  David proclaimed his total dependence and commitment to the principles and teachings of the Lord.  David lived in the Word and what was his response?  Worship.
Did he sin and disobey?  Yes, but God forgave the worshipping king.  The once adulterous king conquered sin and his foes because of unadulterated worship.  David praised and worshipped as an example in front of the whole kingdom and they followed his lead.  God came near because of David's uninhibited worship.  David only cared what God thought.  So he sang and praised his heart out and danced with no shame before the Lord.  And, God brought power and peace.  Do you want the peace and power of God in your life?  Then no matter your circumstances or your detractors, worship Him with all you are and with all you have, reserving nothing.  mjm

"HIS STORY" CONTINUES IN WORSHIP

We have learned that anything in life that is worthwhile takes preparation.  It therefore should not surprise us that we must also prepare to worship. The longer and better we prepare, the more potential for God to move among us!  That principle is seen in the lives of Abraham,  Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.  We see the Lord using everything in their lives - circumstances, experiences, life lessons through relationships - preparing them for the momentous things to be fulfilled through worship.  All of these men grappled with distractions and trials, but God used it all to show His faithfulness through it all.  Their obedience and commitment to Him became an example of true worship for all future generations.

When Moses came to the end of his days, he needed to pass on the worship leadership to a God-chosen vessel, Joshua.  Joshua had learned much about worship in the presence of the Lord and from his teacher, Moses.  The most important thing He learned was that obedience was the foundation of true, authentic, worship.  Because he obeyed without hesitation, he would lead well.  He had prepared to lead a nation of worshippers.  May we prepare to worship by laying the foundation of obedience.  Only then will we see the promised glory of God!  mjm

God's Story . . . and Worship

When we go back to the beginning of time as we know it . . . "In the beginning . . .", we begin to see the wonderful story of God unfold.  In that story we see the unveiling of God's plan for redemption - - and God's plan to come to dwell with man.  In the first two chapters of God's Word, God reveals His first revelation to us: His desire for relationship with man.  That relationship, we will learn, is to be realized through worship.  
Even after we see in chapter three the first worship wars and comprehend the results of those conflicts on all of us, God is still seeking to dwell with man, even after sin, disgrace, and death.  In fact following in chapters 4-6, God again makes His desire known by His revelation of Himself to Abraham and Moses.  What is the response of these two servants to God's revelation...every time?  WORSHIP!
We grew up singing hymns and songs that tell us that we love Him because He first loved us.  God takes the initiative constantly to have relationship with us.  All we need do is to be faithful to respond in worship!  More of the unfolding of "His story" next time.  mjm

Joy to the World!!!

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King."  Anticipation of the moving of God is extremely important to corporate worship.  There was anticipation by Israel of the coming Savior.  There was anticipation and joy today as our church came together to give more than $500,000.00 in one day for world missions.  We came together in worship, knowing that we were joining the Lord on mission to a world who needs to hear about the one we worship.

When we come to worship every week there should be joy . . . the anticipation that God is moving among us to accomplish His will in our individual lives, and our lives together as His body.  Chuck Swindoll  says, "When His joy invades our lives, it spills over into everything we do and on to everyone we touch."  It spilled into our worship as a church and who knows how many thousands of people we touched today with the offering we gave sacrificially for His glory and the world's joy!  Celebration and joy with all passion within us should always be characteristic of our worship as we gather together week after week and remember and "repeat the sounding joy" of His coming into our lives to give us life in a way we could have never known apart from the Word, come to dwell with us!  mjm

Advent Worship and Missions

Every year as the season of Advent and World Missions Emphasis collide in our church, I am reminded of how they are very much alike.
Every time we gather for corporate worship we remember and rehearse "His-story" of God's invading history in His Son, Jesus Christ - incarnate, crucified, dead, risen, ascended, and coming again.  Our worship is always centered around Jesus.  Our worship constantly remembers and rehearses what He did because He came into our world, He comes into our lives at our invitation, and He will come again.  Hallelujah!  The light for which we wait in Advent is the light that dispels the darkness at Easter.  Our lives are shaped by Advent hope.  Christ has come and His coming prepares us for His coming again.  Our redemption draweth nigh!  This feeds the sense of celebration in our worship year round as we proclaim - He came! He comes! He will come again!  Advent means "coming."
And, when we give more than $500,000.00 to World Missions this coming Sunday we will, in a very real sense, be proclaiming to hundreds of thousands of people around the world, "We are sending the good news to you...an advent...a coming.  Hear ye!  Hear ye!  The Savior is coming to you!" mjm