Living Sacrifices

Recently GBC had a congregational "Special Time of Praise & Worship" last Wednesday night. The structure of the prayers, scripture readings, and songs centered around the three-fold mission of the church: To Promote the Worship of God, To edify the Saints; To Evangelize Non-Believers. This focused hour was especially helpful to soak in the truths that we know cognitively, but constantly need to refresh in our experience of them. As Tim Keller says to have "a sense on the heart." We need to "taste and see" as the psalmist says, "that Yahweh is good (Psalm 34:8)."

Singing music helps this process. For a description of how this occurs physically and spiritually, I recommend the chapter in The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis called "Transposition". Also, John Frame's Worship in Spirit and Truth has some helpful language and biblical texts to guide out thoughts on the use of music in chapter 10 appropriately titled, "Music in Worship".

Nevertheless, I'd like to just make a note about what Frame has called- worship in the "broad sense." That is to say, bringing to God the "sacrifices" that Paul notes as "spiritual" and are described as prayer, praise, conformity to the life of Jesus, obedience to his laws, and supernatural motivations in the heart that beats- for Him. Some of these scriptures include Rom. 12:1; Phil.2:17; 4:18; Heb. 13:15-16 and many more. It's the action part of worship as contrasted to the adoration part using the language of D.A. Carson from Worship: Adoration and Action, that I'd like to highlight.

The daily devotional times we have and congregational meetings are those meetings where in conversation, preaching, singing, and prayer we adore the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We receive nourishment from Him and respond to Him. However, these are not complete ends in themselves, but serve an ongoing function. They show us the beauty of Christ and propel us out into holy living. The adoration spreads into adoration through actions. The delight and vision of God does not cease with the "worship service" it continues through presenting our bodies, minds, spiritual gifts, and personalities to God in a thousand different actions and employments.

Romans 12 describes action after action expounding what this "spiritual service of worship" includes: mind renewal (v.2), humility (v.3), service (v.&), teaching (v.7), giving (v.8), abhorrence of evil (v.9), prayer (v.12), hospitality (v.13) respecting others, honoring others, blessing others, weeping with the sad, rejoicing with the happy, submission to authority and on and on. A life of worship to God includes the most mundane and what is thought of as the "most holy." So because of the infinite and multiple mercies of God to us in Jesus Christ (12:1), let's soak in that love and mercy daily. And let's see that the zeal stirred in us because of that love- moves us towards actions of service, self-sacrifice, and love for real people and real needs around us.