April 21, 2006

[Rev. Doc]

Our Worship

"Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth."
Psalm 96:9

James Vilgos observes:
Church is a Hospital for sinners:

A. Some are content with placebos, fake medicines that you think are healing you so you feel good. Things that get you excited like music, a joke in the sermon, an emotional speaker things that they receive as entertainment and you think that is the Holy Spirit.

B. Some just seek plastic surgery, make an appearance, walking around with a big (unused) Bible in their arms, they look good but are the same inside.

C. Some are satisfied with pain killers. Messages of hope are important but like pain killers are addictive and don’t address the actual disease.

The first three are just a few tidbits on a plate but others seek the banquet table and the greater and more lasting delights.

D. They come for healing from the cause of their illness, sin.
E. They get inoculations from viruses, heresy, by learning sound doctrine.
F. They come for a transplant – a new heart.

Prayer: Ask God to help you in worship to draw closer to Him.

"I want neither a blood'n'guts religion that would make Clint Eastwood, not Jesus, our hero, nor a speculative religion that would imprison the Gospel in the halls of academia, nor a noisy, feel-good religion that is a naked appeal to emotion. I long for passion, intelligence, and compassion in a Church without ostentation, gently beckoning to the world to come and enjoy the peace and unity we possess because of the Spirit in our midst."
~Brennan Manning