Why Is Science Important?

Yesterday I kinda threw “science” under the bus.  Let me be clear … my goal isn’t to pit faith vs science.  They are not two mutually exclusive camps.  There are many faith-filled Christians who are scientists, and a million faithless, unscientific folk.

Faith and Science mix.

Belief in God and a commitment to a purely materialistic world don’t mix.

Science is not the same as materialism.  Technically, “science” is an approach to analysis and observation.  The word “science” comes from Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge” and describes an organized, systematic way of observing the world and organizing knowledge to produce testable explanations and predictions about the universe.

When a faithful follower of Jesus enters into the study of the sciences, they have a chance to see God.  As the Belgic Confession says in Article 2:

We know God by two means: first, by the creation, preservation and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of God, namely, his power and divinity, as the apostle Paul saith, Romans 1:20. All which things are sufficient to convince men, and leave them without excuse. Secondly, he makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine Word, that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to his glory and our salvation.

A theologian studies God through the Scriptures.

A scientist can study God through nature.

Both are opportunities for worship.

A Prayer for God’s Transforming Presence in Our Worship

I ran across this prayer by Scotty Smith today, and realized how desperately I needed this reminder of grace as I prepared for worship.  I was finding myself afraid of secrets laid bare, remembering my sin far more vividly than I remembered God’s grace.

As you read this, whether before, during or after a time of corporate worship, remember that grace is greater than all your sins, that Jesus already knows about your many betrayals, and that if you were in the upper room He would stoop to wash your feet.  He did it for Peter the bold coward and for Judas the Satan inspired betrayer.  Your sin fits somewhere on that continuum and is both completely horrible and completely covered by Christ’s blood.

Rejoice!

     The secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 1 Cor. 14:25

Gracious Father, it’s the Lord’s Day, and as we prepare to gather as your sons and daughters, we’re not afraid for the secrets in our hearts to be laid bare—to be openly exposed and revealed. For we’re confident that you won’t deal with us according to our sin but according to the unsearchable riches of the gospel. For you’ve dealt with Jesus according to our sins and have rewarded him according to our iniquities, to which we respond with several loud “hallelujahs”!

Otherwise, we’d surely fear and despair of such exposure. For in the gospel we find the generosity and kindness of your heart “laid bare” and poured out—your welcome and provision for rebels, fools, and idolaters just like us. O, the greatness and grace of it all…

Indeed, the gospel is the sanctuary where ours heart cry the loudest, “God is really among you!” Only the gospel of your grace frees us to fall down and worship you in humility, not humiliation; in gratitude, not groveling; in repentant faith, not uncertain penance; in the assurance of Christ’s righteousness, not the condemnation of our unrighteousness.

Father, we pray our whole church family will enjoy this same freedom, whenever we gather to worship you. In a day when we seem to need more gadgets and gimmicks to create “worship experiences,” free us from needing anything more than the gospel to worship you the way you deserve and delight to be worshiped. Indeed, convict us quickly when we slip into worshiping worship more than we worship you.

Teach us how to be stewards of technology, not slaves to technology. Teach us how to be creative, not cute; faithful, not manipulative; simple, not spectacular. Reel us back in anytime we move away from “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). Don’t let us ever forget that you’re not seeking “great worship” but true worshipers—those who worship you “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). Don’t let us be consumers of worship, but those who are consumed with you, as we give you the adoration and adulation of which you alone are worthy…

May our worship be so saturated with the truth and grace of the gospel that nonbelievers (as well as believers!) will be overwhelmed with your presence and captured by your love. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ most wonderful and worthy name.

What is Jesus Worth?

Today at Refuge Church I preached on John 12 and two acts of worship.  Mary worships Jesus and expresses her love by pouring expensive perfume on his feet and wiping it with her hair.  Judas worships himself (via money) and expresses his love by trying to line his pocket with ill-gotten gain.

In a sermon on this, John Piper makes a powerful statement.

“It is a beautiful thing when the worth of Jesus and the love of his followers match – when the value of his perfections and the intensity of our affections correspond.  And it’s not beautiful, but suicidal, when they don’t.” – John Piper

My Security, Refuge and Strength

I needed this today …

My Security by Casey Corum

You are my refuge and my strength
A tower to run to when I'm afraid
And I will lean on Your everlasting arms today
When everything's falling down
You are my solid ground

What is “Worship”?

Worship is a big, churchy, mis-understood word.

Worship is not praise.  Worship is not singing.  Worship is more about going (Isaiah 6) and sacrifice (Abraham and Isaac) than about music.

In this video, Douglas Wilson gives a 5 minute definition of biblical worship.

(HT Desiring God)

Unity is Not Based on Tastes or Style

Recently I re-read an old quote from a sermon John Ortberg gave in a sermon as he was transitioning his church into more of a culturally engaging worship attitude, including (but not limited to) changing their worship style …

Our unity is not in style; our unity is in Jesus Christ. So I just want to ask us, as a congregation, to put this stake in the ground this weekend: We will never demean the motives or spirituality of fellow Christ-followers who have different tastes than ours. We may like different instruments or different tempos or different fashions, but we all follow the same Lord, and we all kneel before the same Cross. Therefore, we will never let our differences and taste threaten our unity in Jesus Christ. – John Ortberg

The Heart of Worship is Being Satisfied with God

The essential, vital, indispensable, defining heart of worship is the experience of being satisfied with God. This satisfaction in God magnifies God in the heart. This explains why the apostle Paul makes so little distinction between worship as a congregational service and worship as a pattern of daily life. They have the same root – a passion for treasuring God as infinitely valuable. The impulse for singing a hymn and the impulse for visiting a prisoner is the same: a thirst for God – a desire to experience as much satisfaction in God as we can.

Excerpted from Gravity and Gladness on Sunday Morning, Part 1.

You Know You Met God When …

How do you know that you’ve actually encountered God?

My goal, as a leader of a church, is to help people encounter God in a real, life changing way.  People far from Jesus and people who have followed Jesus for years need equally need to encounter the Gospel.

My goal, as stated by Paul in Galatians 4:19, could be said like this: “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” The Message Bible puts it this way, “Until Christ’s life becomes visible in your lives.”

A recent article found at JesusCulture.com helps us see three marks that show that a “God Encounter” is real …

1. LOVE: A life of passionate love for Jesus is unlocked
   Our life was never meant to be a life of disciplines; it was always meant to be a life of passionate love, this is what we were created for! The disciplines of the Christian life should always result in a heart on fire for God. But how does one sustain a life of passion? Better yet, how does one increase in love for Jesus year after year? John 3:16, the most quoted Scripture ever, makes it very clear that “God so loved the world.” Then in John 15:9 Jesus instructs us to “abide in (His) love.” It is absolutely critical that we, as leaders, encounter the radical love of Jesus and learn to abide in that love, because it is in that encounter that our love for Jesus comes alive. John makes a profound statement in his first letter when he says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” Our love for God is directly related to His love for us. As we encounter Jesus and His passionate love for us, our lives become rich with love for Him. And as we lead others into encounters with the Presence of God their hearts become alive to God too. Anytime our love for God is dim it is only because we have distanced ourselves from His love for us.
2. HOLINESS: A life that is set apart to Jesus for His glory
   As we survey the landscape of this generation it is easy to recognize the struggle to fully give everything to God. This generation has more options then any generation in history: 900 TV channels, the ability to connect with people around the world instantly, access to the internet at anytime of day in any place, travel, finance, and more. I believe we are going to see the greatest generation arise in the church because they will choose Jesus in the midst of options. When I asked my wife to marry me I did not do it because I had no other options. I asked her to marry me because I had fallen in love with her and I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. There is a major difference between choosing someone when you have no other choice and choosing someone in the midst of options. That is what makes marriage so powerful. In the midst of options we choose that one person who has awakened our hearts. This generation, in the midst of immense options, is choosing Jesus. What a powerful statement. As we lead them into encounters with Jesus they will encounter His radical love for them. The response to coming face to face with the love of Jesus is to commit yourself to a life of holiness. Holiness is being set apart. It’s a life that says, “My life is yours completely -my dreams, my desires, my time, my energy, my finances, my strengths, my talents, my hobbies – all of it is Yours.” Holiness is not a result of discipline but it is a result of encounters. It’s a cry in our heart that says, “I long to look like my Father who is Holy.” It’s a burning in our heart that longs to be set apart so that Jesus can be glorified in the earth. Anytime I am struggling with sin or struggling with being set apart for Jesus, I must get into His Presence to encounter again His love for me. When that happens I easily give up those things that have been hindering my relationship with Him.
3. EVANGELISM: A life that loves to share with others the love of Jesus
   II Kings 7 tells the story of four lepers in Samaria, which was in famine because the Syrians had cut off their food supplies. The lepers realized they could either die from starvation or they could go to the camp of the Syrians and perhaps they would have mercy on them and feed them. When they approached the camp of the Syrians it was empty. The Lord had caused the Syrians to hear an approaching army and they fled. Immediately, the lepers began to feast on the food and drink that was left behind and grabbed silver, gold, and clothing. As they were feasting they stopped and said, “We are not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we remain silent.” They city of Samaria was still in famine while they were feasting. Conviction came on them that they must not only feast on what God had done but they must share that feast with those who were hungry. I believe with all of my heart that when we lead people into an encounter with the love of Jesus not only will their response be a life of holiness, but it will also be a life of evangelism. How easy is it to tell people the good news of Jesus when we ourselves have been feasting on love that has changed our lives!

(read the full thing here: http://www.jesusculture.com/articles/the-fruit-of-an-encounter)

Worship Styles

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended a big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the farmer, “it was good. They did some things differently though. They sang praise and worship choruses instead of hymns.”

“Praise and worship choruses?” said his wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.

The farmer said, “Well, it’s like this. If I were to say to you:
‘Martha, the cows are in the corn’
well, that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

Martha, Martha, Martha,
Oh, MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA,
the cows, the big cows,
the brown cows,
the black cows,
the white cows,
the black and white cows,
the COWS, COWS, COWS,
are in the corn,
are in the corn,
are in the corn,
are in the corn,
the CORN, CORN, CORN.’

“Then if I were to repeat the whole thing 4 or 5 times and include guitar and drum solos, well that would be a praise chorus.”

…

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday, a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small country church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man, “it was good. They did some things differently though. They sang hymns instead of regular songs..”

“Hymns?” said the wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different.” said the young man.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.

The young man said, “Well, it’s like this. If I were to say to you:
‘Martha, the cows are in the corn.’
well, that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you:

‘Oh Martha, Dear Martha, hear thou my cry.
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
to the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.
For the way of the animals – who can explain?
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
hearkenst they in God’s sun or his rain
unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.
Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight
have broken free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night,
they all my mild sweet corn have chewed.
So look to that bright shining day by and by.
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn,
where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
and I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.

“Then, if I were to do only verses one, three, and four, well, that would be a hymn.”

Happy People Sing

“Nothing is more characteristic of Reformation theology and few parts of Reformation Church activity have been so neglected as the congregational singing.  It was far from being a pleasant element introduced rather inconsistently into a service otherwise ruled by a sombre view of life.  We have already seen that in 1537 one of the four foundations for the reform of the Church was congregational singing. . . . We have seen in effect that Calvin placed singing at the heart of his theology of the Church.  The reason is not far to seek.  To put it with the utmost simplicity: The Church is the place where the Gospel is preached; Gospel is good news; good news makes people happy; happy people sing.  But then, too, unhappy people may sing to cheer themselves up.” – T. H. L. Parker, John Calvin (London, 1975), page 87.

If someone watched you sing during a worship service … what would they think about the status of your heart in relationship to the Gospel?