1. Firstly I'd like to apologise. I did promise to blog this at the end of last week. I had final assignments and dissertation in uni so I didn't have any time to post...Better late than ever.
2. Secondly in a recent blog entitled Worship - Being accurate in what we sing where I said I didn't like the phrase of Gods heart breaking. However it has been pointed out to me that God does reference to his heart breaking in the old testament. For this I am sorry. I suppose it just shows that we have to constantly look at our opinions and reform them as our biblical knowledge increases.
3. So down to the blog. Basically here are some common comments or questions that I've come across regarding singing old songs. I hope you find them useful. Obviously they are just my opinion and you are free to disagree.
As a preface, let me make clear that I am not against new and modern songs. Some of the people I look up to most in worship are still alive today. I go to a church where we sing modern and older songs and I love that we have both.
Won't people just get confused by some of the big words in the songs, especially if their new christians?
Firstly, it is definitely true that for new christians, some biblical terms are new and confusing. But I don't believe that the way around this is just not to sing the songs. Instead, perhaps explain some of the difficult terms before you sing the song. It doesn't have to be long and it only needs to take a minute. That way you are tackling people's confusion and not just avoiding it. Also it is worth pointing out that there are versions that use different words which are designed to be more contemporary and easier to understand. These have their place and can be really useful. Personally I feel that sometimes, these versions lose some of their meaning.
The older hymns have a really old style of music that doesn't fit in with the style that my congregation sings.
Again it is true that some of the tunes and styles of writing of hymns are old and sometimes even complicated. There are three great ways around this. One is to contemporise the original tune. For ideas on this why not listen to some of the Enfield Hymn Sessions by resolved music. They have modernised the tunes of songs such as And Can It Be and O The Deep Deep Love Of Jesus. Alternatively you could find a new tune already written. There are plenty of these around, some good some not so great. My favourite is Phatfish and their new tune to To God Be The Glory. The third option is to try your hand at writing your own tune. I think its really important for people who lead worship or are involved in worship to be writing their own songs. Firstly you will always write for your congregation and secondly I think it can be massively beneficial for you personally, I know that is my experience.
Older hymns aren't relevant in todays society. We've moved on!
In response to this, I'd say that any song that is based around the truth of God's word and glorifies him is relevant today. The need for people to find and trust in Jesus is no less today than it was a hundred years ago. People who feel trapped by sin still need to be re-assured that
"The vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives"
And all christians in anticipation for heaven can belt out
"When He comes our glorious King,
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing
HALLELUJAH what a Saviour!"
Older Hymns are always too long and people tend to get bogged down by them.
Again there are definitely those hymns that seem to go on forever. Some even have 12 verses each eight lines long. True these can make even the most enthusiastic worshipper weary but why not try singing those verses which are more relevant to the topic or series you are covering. There are also those verses which can always be left out. For example in our church, when we sing the song How Great Thou Art, we leave out the verse which talks about the birds in the trees. It just seems to make more sense going from God in creation to Jesus sacrifice on the cross to His return as ruler of all. The other verse just doesn't seem to fit there.
I don't like hymns so I wont sing them when I lead worship.
This is the type of comment that saddens me most. To people who say this firstly I would encourage you to remember that worship isn't about the date the song was written but about its content. If a song glorifies God and magnifies Christ as our only saviour then it is worth singing. If the song speaks the truths of the bible describing how sinners sick with sin can be healed and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb then it is worth shouting from the rooftops.
Above all we should remember that God is to be glorified in our worship. He is to be the centre because...well, He is. He is the one who gives me the ability to type on this computer. He is the one who has given me breath, clothes, food, family and friends.
How good is the God we adore,
Our faithful unchangeable Friend!
His love is as great as His power,
And knows neither measure nor end!
Showing posts with label Corporate Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corporate Worship. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Worship - Can a Song be Too Old For Us To Sing?
Ok so this is a question and an issue that has been around for a long time. The two ends of the spectrum look something like this.
"I believe we should only sing older songs. These are songs written by Godly men who really knew what it was to seek God. They are theologically accurate and the tunes which are written for these songs are reverent and fitting for the worship of a Holy God. Modern day songs focus on the driving beat and align themselves to closely to the world in the style of music and often present weak theology"
on the other hand we have views such as
"I believe we should only sing modern, bang up to date songs. These songs are up to date culturally and are presented in a familiar style to the non-christian meaning that church isn't a scary or unusual place to enter. The words are also easy to understand and make sense whilst still presenting biblical truths. Older songs present out of date English which is hard to understand and often clumsy to sing. The tunes sung also come across as depressing and lifeless."
Two very contrasting views both with elements of truth but both misguided in areas. Before dealing with these two views, it's probably a good idea to think about what we should look for in a song.
Firstly, all the songs we sing in church should be God centred and God directed. Basically if your song doesn't talk about God or Christ, there are probably better songs worth singing. God should be the centre of our lives and the centre of our affections. Philippians 1:21 says "To live is Christ". If Christ is the centre of our lives so should he be the centre of our worship including singing!
Secondly, our songs should be filled with the truth and word of God. This should be the case for two reasons. One, as christians, we constantly need reminding of who God is and the truth that he has given us in his word. For the christian, being reminded of the truth should refresh and revitalise us like the rain quenches the thirst of the dry ground. Secondly, when non-christians come into our church, we want them to have an encounter with God and ultimately come to have a living relationship with him. The only way that this can happen is if the truth of Gods word is proclaimed to them whether in song, prayer or preaching. Jesus said "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" - John 8:32
Thirdly, we should make sure that we sing a variety of songs that talk about all aspects of God. When you look at Psalms (the Bible's songbook) we see that it covers topics like confession, meditation, seeking God, Gods holiness, Gods justice, Gods mercy, Gods Kingship and God as creator as well as many more. It is important that we sing about all aspects of God otherwise we end up only conveying a God of Love or a God of mercy. Of course God is all these things but he is also a God of Justice who we need to confess our sins to. When we sing about every aspect of God, we remind ourselves and present to others a FULL GOD!
In my opinion, if a song has these three elements in them then they are fit and useful for sung worship whether written by Charles Wesley or Tim Hughes. Its not about when the song was written or who wrote it. The important point is that the content is sufficient in aiding people to worship God. Too often we get tied up with who wrote a song or when it was written and fail to analyse whether or not it glorifies God. I believe it is important that we sing both old and new songs. Singing old songs means that we relate with the church universal reminding us that we are part of a massive family not only worldwide but from various ages. By singing older songs we remind ourselves of the gifts that God gave to our forefathers and recognise the blessing he poured out on them in their time. We realise that God has been faithful through all ages and by singing these older songs we stand uniting with those who have run the race before us. In singing newer songs, we recognise that God is still blessing people in being able to write new songs which still describe and glorify him. We realise that God is still moving and active in the world and still pours out his Holy Spirit to provide people with the gift of writing music to his praise.
In my discussions with various worship leaders in various churches, I've come across various questions from both camps about how they cope with new and old songs or why they don't sing them. In my next post I hope to deal with some of these questions and how I would respond to them. What are your views? Do you have any issues with singing old/new songs?
"I believe we should only sing older songs. These are songs written by Godly men who really knew what it was to seek God. They are theologically accurate and the tunes which are written for these songs are reverent and fitting for the worship of a Holy God. Modern day songs focus on the driving beat and align themselves to closely to the world in the style of music and often present weak theology"
on the other hand we have views such as
"I believe we should only sing modern, bang up to date songs. These songs are up to date culturally and are presented in a familiar style to the non-christian meaning that church isn't a scary or unusual place to enter. The words are also easy to understand and make sense whilst still presenting biblical truths. Older songs present out of date English which is hard to understand and often clumsy to sing. The tunes sung also come across as depressing and lifeless."
Two very contrasting views both with elements of truth but both misguided in areas. Before dealing with these two views, it's probably a good idea to think about what we should look for in a song.
Firstly, all the songs we sing in church should be God centred and God directed. Basically if your song doesn't talk about God or Christ, there are probably better songs worth singing. God should be the centre of our lives and the centre of our affections. Philippians 1:21 says "To live is Christ". If Christ is the centre of our lives so should he be the centre of our worship including singing!
Secondly, our songs should be filled with the truth and word of God. This should be the case for two reasons. One, as christians, we constantly need reminding of who God is and the truth that he has given us in his word. For the christian, being reminded of the truth should refresh and revitalise us like the rain quenches the thirst of the dry ground. Secondly, when non-christians come into our church, we want them to have an encounter with God and ultimately come to have a living relationship with him. The only way that this can happen is if the truth of Gods word is proclaimed to them whether in song, prayer or preaching. Jesus said "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" - John 8:32
Thirdly, we should make sure that we sing a variety of songs that talk about all aspects of God. When you look at Psalms (the Bible's songbook) we see that it covers topics like confession, meditation, seeking God, Gods holiness, Gods justice, Gods mercy, Gods Kingship and God as creator as well as many more. It is important that we sing about all aspects of God otherwise we end up only conveying a God of Love or a God of mercy. Of course God is all these things but he is also a God of Justice who we need to confess our sins to. When we sing about every aspect of God, we remind ourselves and present to others a FULL GOD!
In my opinion, if a song has these three elements in them then they are fit and useful for sung worship whether written by Charles Wesley or Tim Hughes. Its not about when the song was written or who wrote it. The important point is that the content is sufficient in aiding people to worship God. Too often we get tied up with who wrote a song or when it was written and fail to analyse whether or not it glorifies God. I believe it is important that we sing both old and new songs. Singing old songs means that we relate with the church universal reminding us that we are part of a massive family not only worldwide but from various ages. By singing older songs we remind ourselves of the gifts that God gave to our forefathers and recognise the blessing he poured out on them in their time. We realise that God has been faithful through all ages and by singing these older songs we stand uniting with those who have run the race before us. In singing newer songs, we recognise that God is still blessing people in being able to write new songs which still describe and glorify him. We realise that God is still moving and active in the world and still pours out his Holy Spirit to provide people with the gift of writing music to his praise.
In my discussions with various worship leaders in various churches, I've come across various questions from both camps about how they cope with new and old songs or why they don't sing them. In my next post I hope to deal with some of these questions and how I would respond to them. What are your views? Do you have any issues with singing old/new songs?
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Worship - Being accurate in what we sing.
"Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever" - Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.1
As Christians, our lives should be lived out to glorify God above all things. Part of the way we do this is in our worship whether personal or corporate. This means the content of what we sing is of vital importance. There is some amazing way that the majority of humans can recall the lyrics of songs very easily. These words stick with us and so part of our theology is formed by the songs that we sing. There are loads and loads of great christian songs available to us both old and new. However, we should make sure that we think about the songs we sing, checking the words to make sure that they are accurate and helpful. So many times I've sung songs not thinking about the words and then someone will point out a line in the song that isn't theologically correct. The question is what do we do with these songs?
My suggestion is that if there is just one line or word that is unhelpful or inaccurate that you attempt to replace it with something better. Here are some examples...
My Song Is Love Unknown
I love this song. The tune really fits the words and the majority of the words are beautiful. However there is one line which is unbiblical. The line, referring to Jesus going to the cross, reads...
"Yet cheerful he to suffering goes"
This is not a phrase found in the bible. Jesus did not go to the cross cheerfully. It was not a joyful experience for him. It was agony and tortue. Hebrews 12 v 2 tells us that because of the joy that was before Him, Jesus "endured the cross". Perhaps a better line would be...
"Yet willing he to suffering goes"
Hillsong - This is Our God
I love this song, especially the chorus as it explains the gospel quickly, simply and accurately. The only problem I have with it is the first line which says...
"Your grace is enough, more than I need"
Here, I can understand what the songwriter was trying to get at. She was trying to explain and describe the abundance of grace that we receive from God. The bible tells us that God's has given us "surpassing grace" - 2 Corinthians 9 v 14 and that he has given us "sufficient grace" - 2 Corinthians 12 v 9. The problem is that the words "more than I need" suggests that there is grace left over which would mean that there is a waste of grace. God is not a God of waste, he gives us a huge amount of grace but exactly the amount of grace we need. A better line could be...
"Your grace is enough, it's all I need"
Hillsong - Hosanna
Again this is a song I really like. I think the lyrics (mostly) are great with a good tune as well. There is just one which I think is inaccurate. It's the line that goes.
"Break my heart for what breaks yours"
Again I can understand what the songwriter was trying to describe here. It's right that we should desire to have the heart of God, that we should live and long to do his will. The only problem is the description of God's heart breaking, this sort of line is also used in the song Filled With Compassion. The breaking of the heart has connotations with hopelessness. When a family member dies, people's hearts break because there is nothing they can do. This is not the case with God, with him all things are possible and therefore there is never a hopeless situation. I've struggled coming up with an alternative line for this song, the best I can think of is "fill my heart with what fills yours" but I'm not sure this sounds right when sung.
The other kind of songs are those songs which generally are unhelpful songs with more than just one line which isn't useful. I think that these songs should probably be avoided altogether because there are so many great songs out there for us to sing. For example...
Draw me close to you
This song doesn't mention Christ, God or the gospel. This is the kind of song I like to describe as "the boyfriend song". Basically, someone could be singing this to their boyfriend without having to change any of the words. If we want to sing a song based on drawing close to God then perhaps it would be better to sing This is my desire or I surrender All
I really don't want this post to come across as if we shouldn't sing anything or that we should only sing songs from a particular period. God has blessed us with fantastic songs old and new and we should sing songs from all ages. My point is that what we sing is important and we should read and think through songs before we sing them. I think it's beneficial because it makes us more accurate and improves our theology. Please feel free to disagree and leave any comments. Thanks for reading :-)
As Christians, our lives should be lived out to glorify God above all things. Part of the way we do this is in our worship whether personal or corporate. This means the content of what we sing is of vital importance. There is some amazing way that the majority of humans can recall the lyrics of songs very easily. These words stick with us and so part of our theology is formed by the songs that we sing. There are loads and loads of great christian songs available to us both old and new. However, we should make sure that we think about the songs we sing, checking the words to make sure that they are accurate and helpful. So many times I've sung songs not thinking about the words and then someone will point out a line in the song that isn't theologically correct. The question is what do we do with these songs?
My suggestion is that if there is just one line or word that is unhelpful or inaccurate that you attempt to replace it with something better. Here are some examples...
My Song Is Love Unknown
I love this song. The tune really fits the words and the majority of the words are beautiful. However there is one line which is unbiblical. The line, referring to Jesus going to the cross, reads...
"Yet cheerful he to suffering goes"
This is not a phrase found in the bible. Jesus did not go to the cross cheerfully. It was not a joyful experience for him. It was agony and tortue. Hebrews 12 v 2 tells us that because of the joy that was before Him, Jesus "endured the cross". Perhaps a better line would be...
"Yet willing he to suffering goes"
Hillsong - This is Our God
I love this song, especially the chorus as it explains the gospel quickly, simply and accurately. The only problem I have with it is the first line which says...
"Your grace is enough, more than I need"
Here, I can understand what the songwriter was trying to get at. She was trying to explain and describe the abundance of grace that we receive from God. The bible tells us that God's has given us "surpassing grace" - 2 Corinthians 9 v 14 and that he has given us "sufficient grace" - 2 Corinthians 12 v 9. The problem is that the words "more than I need" suggests that there is grace left over which would mean that there is a waste of grace. God is not a God of waste, he gives us a huge amount of grace but exactly the amount of grace we need. A better line could be...
"Your grace is enough, it's all I need"
Hillsong - Hosanna
Again this is a song I really like. I think the lyrics (mostly) are great with a good tune as well. There is just one which I think is inaccurate. It's the line that goes.
"Break my heart for what breaks yours"
Again I can understand what the songwriter was trying to describe here. It's right that we should desire to have the heart of God, that we should live and long to do his will. The only problem is the description of God's heart breaking, this sort of line is also used in the song Filled With Compassion. The breaking of the heart has connotations with hopelessness. When a family member dies, people's hearts break because there is nothing they can do. This is not the case with God, with him all things are possible and therefore there is never a hopeless situation. I've struggled coming up with an alternative line for this song, the best I can think of is "fill my heart with what fills yours" but I'm not sure this sounds right when sung.
The other kind of songs are those songs which generally are unhelpful songs with more than just one line which isn't useful. I think that these songs should probably be avoided altogether because there are so many great songs out there for us to sing. For example...
Draw me close to you
This song doesn't mention Christ, God or the gospel. This is the kind of song I like to describe as "the boyfriend song". Basically, someone could be singing this to their boyfriend without having to change any of the words. If we want to sing a song based on drawing close to God then perhaps it would be better to sing This is my desire or I surrender All
I really don't want this post to come across as if we shouldn't sing anything or that we should only sing songs from a particular period. God has blessed us with fantastic songs old and new and we should sing songs from all ages. My point is that what we sing is important and we should read and think through songs before we sing them. I think it's beneficial because it makes us more accurate and improves our theology. Please feel free to disagree and leave any comments. Thanks for reading :-)
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
10 Reasons Why You Should Go To Church - Part 2
Ok well the last post I put up has had the highest number of hits of any posts I've done so far so here is Part 2. Hope you guys enjoy!
5. To Encourage and Be Encouraged
One of the things I always take away from being in church is the encouragement it brings! Being surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters worshipping and praying out to God as well as Gods word being explained. Its such a great time. It's also a time when, whether we realise it or not, we encourage others just by being there and also more specifically when we pray or discuss things with them.
encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. - 1 Thessalonians 5 v11
6. Unity in the Gospel
In one single church you will have different people with different views on various topics. There will be a difference of opinion on areas such as gifts of the spirit, prophecy, music and bible versions but as each member stands and sings or prays, we show a unity in the Gospel which saved us! Paul encourage us to keep this unity
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called - Ephesians 4 v 2-4.
7. Preparation For Heaven
It is true that God called us and saved us as individuals, but we are also called us (plural) to be His people. We are citizens of Heaven and children of the King and when we worship in Heaven, it will be a corporate event as much as an individual event. Even though church is the faintest of shadows to what Heaven will be like, it is still a glimpse into the glory that awaits us.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.” - Revelation 7 v 9 & 10
8. Correction and Conviction
I know that personally, I am rubbish at rebuking and correcting myself. If I know there's a particular ongoing sin in my life, I make sure it doesn't come up in my daily reading. So often when I go to church or home group, I feel convicted of something that I need to change in my life. God uses other people in our lives to help us along the path to righteousness. This includes correction.
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. - Proverbs 12 v 1
9. Servanthood
To be a servant is to have the mind of Christ. The best place we can serve is in church. There are so many different areas like meet and greet, setting up, setting down, audio-visual, worship, kids church, tea and coffee, leading a discussion group, offering lifts to those without transport along with many others. Church is a great place to serve.
He (Christ Jesus) made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant - Philippians 2 v 7
10. To Glorify God
As much as this is the last point, it is definitely the biggest priority for us to do not only in church, but in the whole of our lives. God is a jealous God, jealous for His own glory. This does not make God wrong or sinful. He is our creator and our sustainer and he alone is worthy of all glory and all honour. No glory should go to anyone or anything else and we should reflect this when we go to church. To glorify God should be the one desire on our heart.
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. - Exodus 34 v 14
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. - Psalm 27 v 4
I really missed my church this week, but God obviously wanted to give me a wake-up call in learning to appreciate my church family more. I hope you've found these two posts useful in your own life. Perhaps you've been wavering in your church attendance. Maybe you've been hopping from church to church. Can I encourage you to find and settle into a good bible based, God centered, Christ focussed church quickly and, commit yourself to them as part of your life dedicated to God.
God Bless You
5. To Encourage and Be Encouraged
One of the things I always take away from being in church is the encouragement it brings! Being surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters worshipping and praying out to God as well as Gods word being explained. Its such a great time. It's also a time when, whether we realise it or not, we encourage others just by being there and also more specifically when we pray or discuss things with them.
encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. - 1 Thessalonians 5 v11
6. Unity in the Gospel
In one single church you will have different people with different views on various topics. There will be a difference of opinion on areas such as gifts of the spirit, prophecy, music and bible versions but as each member stands and sings or prays, we show a unity in the Gospel which saved us! Paul encourage us to keep this unity
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called - Ephesians 4 v 2-4.
7. Preparation For Heaven
It is true that God called us and saved us as individuals, but we are also called us (plural) to be His people. We are citizens of Heaven and children of the King and when we worship in Heaven, it will be a corporate event as much as an individual event. Even though church is the faintest of shadows to what Heaven will be like, it is still a glimpse into the glory that awaits us.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.” - Revelation 7 v 9 & 10
8. Correction and Conviction
I know that personally, I am rubbish at rebuking and correcting myself. If I know there's a particular ongoing sin in my life, I make sure it doesn't come up in my daily reading. So often when I go to church or home group, I feel convicted of something that I need to change in my life. God uses other people in our lives to help us along the path to righteousness. This includes correction.
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. - Proverbs 12 v 1
9. Servanthood
To be a servant is to have the mind of Christ. The best place we can serve is in church. There are so many different areas like meet and greet, setting up, setting down, audio-visual, worship, kids church, tea and coffee, leading a discussion group, offering lifts to those without transport along with many others. Church is a great place to serve.
He (Christ Jesus) made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant - Philippians 2 v 7
10. To Glorify God
As much as this is the last point, it is definitely the biggest priority for us to do not only in church, but in the whole of our lives. God is a jealous God, jealous for His own glory. This does not make God wrong or sinful. He is our creator and our sustainer and he alone is worthy of all glory and all honour. No glory should go to anyone or anything else and we should reflect this when we go to church. To glorify God should be the one desire on our heart.
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. - Exodus 34 v 14
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. - Psalm 27 v 4
I really missed my church this week, but God obviously wanted to give me a wake-up call in learning to appreciate my church family more. I hope you've found these two posts useful in your own life. Perhaps you've been wavering in your church attendance. Maybe you've been hopping from church to church. Can I encourage you to find and settle into a good bible based, God centered, Christ focussed church quickly and, commit yourself to them as part of your life dedicated to God.
God Bless You
Monday, 4 April 2011
10 Reasons Why You Should Go To Church - Part 1
So this week, due to a car breaking down, I didn't make it to church...Gutted. It's got me thinking about the biblical reasons why we should go to church and the benefits that come from doing so. As a pre-requisite I would like to stress that obviously going to church alone does not make you a christian.
The only way to become a christian is by accepting that you have sinned and are destined to an eternity facing the righteous judgement of God and there's nothing you can do about it in your own strength. Following this you need to realise that God sent his one son Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life on this earth, never thinking a wrong thought or doing a wrong action. Jesus was crucified like a criminal, like the lowest of the low being whipped beaten spat on and humiliated. On top of this he faced the punishment of his own Father turning away from him. Why? all because he died and took our sin on the cross. Then Jesus conquered death, defeated satan and now if you say sorry (truly) for your sin and ask for forgiveness (which results in you desiring to please God on this earth and follow his commands and instructions for life) then you will be accepted as a child of God and will have a citizenship in Heaven.
Thats a big pre-requisite but, its important. So I suppose the next 10 points are aimed at those who are already christians but even if you aren't a christian feel free to keep on reading :). Here are the first 4. The next 6 will appear in a couple of days.
1. Corporate Public Worship.
The Bible talks so much about people worshipping together. I believe that there is something special about worshipping together as many Christians gather with one sole purpose, to glorify God. The Psalms back this up.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker - Psalm 95 v 6
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. - Psalm 99 v 9
Let us go to His dwelling place, let us worship at His footstool - Psalm 132 v 7
It talks so much about us (plural) coming to worship God. So this is what God desires on top of our daily personal worship.
2. A Reminder of The Gospel.
When we come to worship, it is such a visual description of the gospel at work. For we are all sinners, unworthy to approach the throne of God in worship but, because of the blood of Jesus we are cleansed and granted access to glorify and magnify our Maker!
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. - Romans 5 v 1 & 2
3. Deeper Biblical Knowledge.
One of the best reasons to come to church is that you get to hear the bible opened and explained by those who are blessed with better biblical insight than you. God has given wisdom to your pastors, elders and christians further on in their walk with God so that you can learn from them. The bible tells us that being instructed builds up the church which can never be a bad thing!
When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. - 1 Corinthians 14 v 26
4. Deeper Relationships
As christians we should love each other. The only way we increase our love for each other is getting to know each other more. Jesus said...
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15 v 9 -12
Notice how when we love others, it doesn't just benefit them but it also benefits us. Jesus tells us when we love our "Joy may be complete". When we give we also receive, thats how good God is.
Well I hope that's useful for you. I've definitely enjoyed thinking about it. Next 6 points will be up within the next two days. God bless you all.
The only way to become a christian is by accepting that you have sinned and are destined to an eternity facing the righteous judgement of God and there's nothing you can do about it in your own strength. Following this you need to realise that God sent his one son Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life on this earth, never thinking a wrong thought or doing a wrong action. Jesus was crucified like a criminal, like the lowest of the low being whipped beaten spat on and humiliated. On top of this he faced the punishment of his own Father turning away from him. Why? all because he died and took our sin on the cross. Then Jesus conquered death, defeated satan and now if you say sorry (truly) for your sin and ask for forgiveness (which results in you desiring to please God on this earth and follow his commands and instructions for life) then you will be accepted as a child of God and will have a citizenship in Heaven.
Thats a big pre-requisite but, its important. So I suppose the next 10 points are aimed at those who are already christians but even if you aren't a christian feel free to keep on reading :). Here are the first 4. The next 6 will appear in a couple of days.
1. Corporate Public Worship.
The Bible talks so much about people worshipping together. I believe that there is something special about worshipping together as many Christians gather with one sole purpose, to glorify God. The Psalms back this up.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker - Psalm 95 v 6
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. - Psalm 99 v 9
Let us go to His dwelling place, let us worship at His footstool - Psalm 132 v 7
It talks so much about us (plural) coming to worship God. So this is what God desires on top of our daily personal worship.
2. A Reminder of The Gospel.
When we come to worship, it is such a visual description of the gospel at work. For we are all sinners, unworthy to approach the throne of God in worship but, because of the blood of Jesus we are cleansed and granted access to glorify and magnify our Maker!
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. - Romans 5 v 1 & 2
3. Deeper Biblical Knowledge.
One of the best reasons to come to church is that you get to hear the bible opened and explained by those who are blessed with better biblical insight than you. God has given wisdom to your pastors, elders and christians further on in their walk with God so that you can learn from them. The bible tells us that being instructed builds up the church which can never be a bad thing!
When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. - 1 Corinthians 14 v 26
4. Deeper Relationships
As christians we should love each other. The only way we increase our love for each other is getting to know each other more. Jesus said...
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15 v 9 -12
Notice how when we love others, it doesn't just benefit them but it also benefits us. Jesus tells us when we love our "Joy may be complete". When we give we also receive, thats how good God is.
Well I hope that's useful for you. I've definitely enjoyed thinking about it. Next 6 points will be up within the next two days. God bless you all.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
God In Our Sundays
I think we've probably all had that occasion where we've been in a church meeting and God has clearly been present and dealing with people. Times when the overflow of people's thankful hearts break the usual pattern of our service, and a time of praise and gratitude to an amazing, gracious, and loving God bursts out like a Geyser erupts water.
We we're blessed enough last Sunday to have a time like this. After the preaching had finished and the last song had been sung, a true reverence and stillness filled the room. At the sound of silence my heart felt that people were pressing into God, they weren't ready for this time to stop. Following this, people started to pray out to God, thanking and praising Him for His forgiveness and for His love and mercy. Whilst some people were doing this, others quietly wept, convicted by sin yet overwhelmed by grace. It visually demonstrated Romans 5 v 20 "But where sin increased, grace increased all the more"
My experience from last Sunday has stuck with me throughout the whole week. God is phenomenally gracious when He visits us like that. However, it got me to thinking about how we prepare for corporate worship.
Let me make it clear right now that I don't believe there's this magic formula or some sort of special sequence of events that you have to go through to experience a particular time of blessing and closeness to God. I believe God is just adding goodness to His goodness when He allows this to happen. But it does beg the question, am I preparing as well as I can to meet with God on a Sunday? Usually, if I'm honest, the answer is a gigantic NO!
8:00 - Alarm goes off
8:30 - I actually get out of bed
9:00 - Washed and dressed
9:30 - Breakfast and Coffee finished
9:45 - Teeth brushed hair....well presentable(ish)
10:00 - Load car up for Church
10:15 - Arrive at Church
I have had such little regard for God in my preparation on a Sunday. I haven't talked with Him I haven't studied The Word, I haven't even prayed that He would visit us in a special way in church. So how can I expect Him to? I am truly convicted this week that if we, if I spent more time on a Sunday praying expectant prayers for God to make His presence felt in our service, that the only effects would be positive ones. At the very least I would have talked with my Dad, my King and my God and would have a closer relationship with Him. But it is conceivable that experiences and blessings like last Sunday could become more frequent if I turned to God and pleaded with Him for it.
Please, join with me in this. Whatever church you're in, get up 20 minutes earlier, or have breakfast and coffee whilst praying, and pray for God to truly bless and reveal Himself in an amazing way in our services. Challenge me on a Sunday and ask me if I've done this.
Wouldn't it be great if people looked into our churches and said "that's the church where God is. I want what they have"?
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
My LEAST Favourite Phrase In Corporate Worship.
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.
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.
"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.
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