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Monday, October 22, 2007
Bruce's Blog
Hey everybody,
Bruce has posted the text from yesterday's sermon on his personal blog.
Bruce, your sermon series on Dangerous Worship has impacted me very much. It seems to me that I'd better be very aware of the condition of my heart at all times! (Yes, I already knew this, but allowing God to remind me over and over -- like every day -- is what I'm needing.) Thank you!
I am a great one for getting distracted by the slightest little thing, so being able to focus on "remembering Jesus" is subject to remembering to surrender my good intentions to God and ASKING Him to focus my attention on His Son.
In my study of Matthew, chapter 26, the commentator Michael Wilkins suggests there are six views that The Lord's Supper can be viewed from: Backward, Forward, Inward, Upward, Around and Outward.
Backward: Salvation accomplished. Forward: Communion with Jesus anew in Heaven. Inward: Personal accountability. Upward: Jesus lives; we serve a risen AND living God! Around: Jesus served, and we likewise serve one another. Outward: The invitation and sacrifice are for all, that none may perish.
So we have nothing to boast of, God himself will bring us to appreciate what He has done through His Son, and once appreciated, we then will recieve power (through the Spirit) to live it.
Focus does seem to be the subtle danger we always face. Tiny shifts in our focal point result in significant changes in our direction, which is why I think "remembering Jesus" is such a vital part of our worship in assembling. And I think Wilkins point is not bad at all, since the 6 perspectives he suggests will basically orient you tolooking at this world from a God centered perspective. And most important is finding the balance between our accountability for our actions and choices and the reality that only God at work in us can make all this possible. If it is all me, I can brag, if it is ll God, I am off the hook--but it is God at work, through me and in me which is a most amazing choice for God to make isn't it? thanks for the comments!
Dangerous Worship:“Everything for Building Up” 1 Cor. 14:20-26
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21In the Law it is written, “BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,” says the Lord. 22So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 23Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? I. How would a Stranger Understand Our Worship of God when we assemble? A. When the church assembled to celebrate themselves (1 Cor. 11-14) The Corinthian calamity—Playing the weakest link with the Holy Spirit B. What happens when we misuse or misunderstand Scripture? Misusing Isaiah to pursue your passion for gifts- The ungifted and unbelieving think you are crazy-
24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. II. What happens when everyone shares the message of God? \ (Definition of prophecy: speaking the message of God) A. The Unbeliever is convicted by the message of God Convicted and called to account— The secrets of the heart are disclosed— B. The unbeliever will fall down and worship God “God is certainly among you”
26What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. III. The Purpose behind every activity in our assembly- A. Each one contributes what God has enabled them to contribute A psalm, a teaching, a revelation, an interpretation— B. Everything is done for building up
5 comments:
Bruce, your sermon series on Dangerous Worship has impacted me very much. It seems to me that I'd better be very aware of the condition of my heart at all times! (Yes, I already knew this, but allowing God to remind me over and over -- like every day -- is what I'm needing.) Thank you!
I am a great one for getting distracted by the slightest little thing, so being able to focus on "remembering Jesus" is subject to remembering to surrender my good intentions to God and ASKING Him to focus my attention on His Son.
In my study of Matthew, chapter 26, the commentator Michael Wilkins suggests there are six views that The Lord's Supper can be viewed from: Backward, Forward, Inward, Upward, Around and Outward.
Backward: Salvation accomplished.
Forward: Communion with Jesus anew in Heaven.
Inward: Personal accountability.
Upward: Jesus lives; we serve a risen AND living God!
Around: Jesus served, and we likewise serve one another.
Outward: The invitation and sacrifice are for all, that none may perish.
So we have nothing to boast of, God himself will bring us to appreciate what He has done through His Son, and once appreciated, we then will recieve power (through the Spirit) to live it.
Focus does seem to be the subtle danger we always face. Tiny shifts in our focal point result in significant changes in our direction, which is why I think "remembering Jesus" is such a vital part of our worship in assembling. And I think Wilkins point is not bad at all, since the 6 perspectives he suggests will basically orient you tolooking at this world from a God centered perspective. And most important is finding the balance between our accountability for our actions and choices and the reality that only God at work in us can make all this possible. If it is all me, I can brag, if it is ll God, I am off the hook--but it is God at work, through me and in me which is a most amazing choice for God to make isn't it?
thanks for the comments!
By the way folks, you can try this hyperlink to my personal blog site:
www.bt-graceandpeace.blogspot.com
or I can post my notes and things in here if they are not too long to paste in...guess I should try it and see right?
Here is the outline from yesterday's lesson.
Dangerous Worship:“Everything for Building Up”
1 Cor. 14:20-26
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21In the Law it is written, “BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,” says the Lord. 22So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 23Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?
I. How would a Stranger Understand Our Worship of God when we assemble?
A. When the church assembled to celebrate themselves (1 Cor. 11-14)
The Corinthian calamity—Playing the weakest link with the Holy Spirit
B. What happens when we misuse or misunderstand Scripture?
Misusing Isaiah to pursue your passion for gifts-
The ungifted and unbelieving think you are crazy-
24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
II. What happens when everyone shares the message of God? \
(Definition of prophecy: speaking the message of God)
A. The Unbeliever is convicted by the message of God
Convicted and called to account—
The secrets of the heart are disclosed—
B. The unbeliever will fall down and worship God
“God is certainly among you”
26What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
III. The Purpose behind every activity in our assembly-
A. Each one contributes what God has enabled them to contribute
A psalm, a teaching, a revelation, an interpretation—
B. Everything is done for building up
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