Micah 6 v 8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Recently, I went to London for the weekend (I know my FaceBook friends became sick and tired of me checking into places). During my stay I visited the Imperial War Museum (I'm a student and it's free, enough said!). In the museum was a replica of the bomb "Little Boy" (pictured above). A small information stand said that "Little Boy" was the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II that killed 66,000 and injured a further 69,000 as well as turning buildings to wasteland. On top of this was the effect of radiation which killed thousands more in the following year.
Whilst reading this, another visitor stated "It's amazing how something so small can cause so much devastation". Immediately this sparked in my mind something we had spoken about in our house groups in church a few weeks ago. We were looking at the words that we speak and taming the tongue. Its amazing how such a small muscle in our body can cause utter devastation for those around us. With one sentence we can start a rumour about another brother or sister in christ that can eventually, utterly destroy them. With our tongues we have the power to cut someone down, upset them and hurt them. The book of James is full of warnings about the tongue calling it "a world of evil among the parts of the body" (3:6) and saying that it is "full of deadly poison" (3:8). I can often think of situations when I've said something negative or spiteful about someone else and the hurt that it has caused them. With the tongue we can say things in ten seconds that haunt and hurt the recipient for months, or maybe even years. I find myself so often saying something to put someone down and yet sometimes I am so slow to encourage or to build up that person.
How much more beneficial if, as Christians, we were quick to "encourage and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11)? Not that we should be fake and plastic in the way we are but that we would desire to love one another, build each other up and instruct and correct each other in love. How much more would God be glorified if, through Gods strength, we learnt to wield the wild weapon which is our tongue for good? If we were to include someone instead of gossiping about them, If we would encourage instead of strike down and if we would love instead of spit verbal poison, God would be more pleased. After all, if they are a child of the king, they are heaven bound, like you so why not help along the way. For God and for the Gospel.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen". (Ephesians 4:29)
In my experience, I've found that the best times of corporate worship I've ever had has rested on what the leader says as a "call to worship". A call to worship should draw the heart to focus on God and, to instill a truth into our heart which causes us to enter into praise of our creator.
I wonder have you ever heard this as a call to worship....
"I wonder how you would describe your week this week. Maybe you've had a bad week. Perhaps you have financial worries, relationship worries, family problems or a real burden of sin. Well we've come today to worship God so forget about your problems and just worship Him. Praise like you mean it"
There is a massive problem with this phrase. Telling people to forget about their problems of the week defeats the object of worship. It gives the impression that we cannot worship God whilst thinking of our problems. In fact, making ourselves temporarily forget about our problems means that we detach ourselves from reality whilst publicly worshipping God. Surely this doesn't add up?
Hebrews 4:15 says "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" If we draw this to its proper conclusion it means that Jesus, Our High Priest, knows exactly what we are going through. There is no problem which He cannot sympathise with. Having problems does not decrease our act of worship but rather enhances it all the more. When we realise that God loves to hear the prayers, petitions and problems of His people, we should be lost in awe and wonder that the God who holds the whole universe in its place is bothered and concerned for us.
Don't hear what I'm not saying. This doesn't mean worship should be all about us and our problems. It does however mean that we can come to God through our problems knowing that He meets us right where we are. There is no need to put on a face or pretend because God knows and He cares. So perhaps that opening call to worship should read something like this....
"I wonder how you would describe your week this week. Maybe you've had a bad week. Perhaps you have financial worries, relationship worries, family problems or a real burden of your own sin. Perhaps you're coming in from a week full of joy and an overwhelming sense of Gods love and mercy. Well we've come today to worship God, together. This means that even through our problems, we can worship God. Depend on Him and press into Him today. Lay your Joys and your sorrows at His feet because He cares for you. Even though you may have problems praise Him because He is always worthy and if you are found in Him then you can rejoice because your problems are temporary, but your status as a child of the Risen King is permanent."
The next verse in Hebrews says "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We can always come confidently to our King because of His great, never ending, never failing love. Praise Him.
