Biblical hospitality is sharing our homes, our lives with strangers as well as friends. When one is not sharing material possessions, it is difficult to share spiritual treasures. Hospitality was modeled by the Incarnation as Jesus shared His glorious self with us and we must share ourselves with a lonely, hurting world.
Preached 8.19.2012 in Havre, Montana
DAY 6 – I AM RESOLVED
This upbeat, quick-tempo hymn inspires and challenges me to live for Christ daily. All too often I find myself being charmed by the delights of this world. Like Abram’s nephew Lot, looking at the lush valley towards Sodom, I find myself dazzled by the shiny façade of material things.
Oh, how I long to discipline myself to pursue those things which are higher and nobler, godly things that deserve my single-minded devotion. The author of the song, Palmer Hartsough, makes a great observation that “friends may oppose me, foes may beset me.” Not only will Satan try to distract me from my resolve to follow Jesus but even Christian friends, who have succumbed to worldly temptations, will also oppose me. Radical, fanatic and other appellations will be hurled at the one who pursues hard after God.
Still, even though friends may not understand my desire, I want them to join with me. This hymn urges me to invite them on the journey into complete discipleship. By leaning on and learning from God’s Word, by seeking guidance from His Spirit in prayer, we can journey together in spiritual growth.
How resolved are you to let go of the things of this world and follow after Jesus?
Lord, give me the discipline to instill Christ-like habits in my life. Help me to look beyond the things of this world and pursue hard after those things which will make me be an asset to Your kingdom. Fill my eyes with glimpses of You.
I AM RESOLVED by Palmer Hartsough
I am resolved no longer to linger
Charmed by the world’s delights
Things that are higher, things that are nobler
These have allured my sight
I am resolved to go to the Savior
Leaving my sin and strife
He is the True One, He is the Just One
He hath the words of life
I am resolved to follow the Savior
Faithful and true each day
Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth
He is the living way
I am resolved to enter the Kingdom
Leaving the paths of sin
Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me
Still will I enter in
I am resolved and who will go with me?
Come, friends, without delay
Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit
We’ll walk the heavenly way
REFRAIN
I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to thee
DAY 4 – LORD, LIKE A PUBLICAN I STAND
This hymn is not as widely known as the majority of others in this devotional, but it is very powerful and moving. The words of this hymn are taken straight out of the gospel of Luke, chapter 18. The author, Thomas Raffles, shows us what is necessary to obtain God’s pardoning grace and mercy – confession and repentance.
Throwing himself at the foot of God’s throne, confessing the agony of his sinful soul, the penitent tax-collector pleads for mercy based on Jesus’ atonement. He stands in contrast to the Pharisee who assumed that because he was religious, he was in good standing with God. The tax-collector knew that righteous works were not enough to find pardon before a God who demands perfection. All he can hope for is to confess all of his sins, all of his unrighteousness and throw himself on the mercy of the Heavenly Court. As he does, he finds Jesus’ mercy and saving power.
What a wonderful picture this song gives us of the hope that is found in Jesus. As you go before God’s throne today, like the publican call upon His mercy and confess your sins. You, too, will find the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood washing away your sins and making you justified in the sight of God.
Lord, here I stand, naked before you. You know me, my ways, my thoughts, my deceitful heart. I can offer no excuse. I can offer no works that are pure to atone for my sins. I repent and cast myself on your mercy. Be merciful to me Lord, a sinner.
LORD, LIKE A PUBLICAN I STAND by Thomas Raffles
Lord, like the publican I stand
And lift my heart to Thee
Thy pardoning grace, O God, command
Be merciful to me
I smite upon my anxious breast
O’er whelmed with agony
O save my soul by sin oppressed
Be merciful to me
My guilt, my shame, I all confess
I have no hope nor plea
But Jesus’ blood and righteousness
Be merciful to me
Here at the cross I still would wait
Nor from its shelter flee
But Thou, O God, in mercy great
Art merciful to me
DAY 2 – ROCK OF AGES
One of the greatest hymns of all time, Rock of Ages packs deep spiritual truths in its short stanzas. The Rock of Ages is, of course, Jesus Christ, the One who was cleft for us on the cross. He was pierced for our transgressions and by His stripes we are healed. To Him alone we must go for salvation. The final part of verse one, though, is truly deep:
Be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure
God’s wrath is poured out on the sinner. Even now they are under His condemnation (John 3:17). The precious blood of Jesus, poured out on the penitent crying for mercy and salvation, satisfies the wrath of God the Father. Not only that, but it cleanses us from all unrighteousness, hence “the double cure.” So much truth packed into so few words.
The rest of the song hammers home the inability of man to save himself, whether by works, (labor of hands) enthusiasm, (zeal) or by sorrow (tears). Only Jesus, alone, can save. This is the great truth about our Lord. Not only can He save, but He does save.
One early, alternate version of the first stanza ended like this: Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power. While this version is not used as often, it also contains a great truth. Sin is a terrible power that makes all of us stand guilty before God. Truly, we need to fly to the fountain filled with the blood of Jesus to be washed clean.
As you spend time in prayer and contemplation, thank Jesus for His saving grace. Thank Him for substituting Himself for you on the cross, taking the wrath of God in your place and being willing to save.
Thank you Father, for sending Your Son as the means of salvation. Thank you Jesus for atoning for our sins by paying sin’s penalty. Be our Rock, we pray, where we can find shelter for all eternity.
Rock of Ages by Augustus Toplady
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me find myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy laws demands
Could my zeal no languor know
Could my tears forever flow
These for sin could not atone
Thou must save and Thou alone
In my hand no price I bring
Simply to Thy cross I’ll cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress
Helpless, look to Thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly
Wash me Savior, lest I die
While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes shall close in death
When I rise to worlds unknown
And behold Thee on Thy throne
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Day 1
STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS
When I was a child, I did not understand this hymn. Well, to be honest, I understood all but one line of it. In the fourth stanza, at the end, the poem goes, “where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.”
In my young mind I took this phrase to mean “never be wanting to go wherever danger might be.” I knew, though, that while this made sense to my child’s mind, it didn’t make sense in a song about fighting for God, and being willing to put all on the line for the Lord.
Finally, it was explained to me. To be found wanting is to be found missing from where one needs to be. You are wanted, needed somewhere. You need to be somewhere that duty is calling, but you have gone AWOL. You have gone astray. The writer of this song is encouraging us to always be where we are needed, and to never let cowardice keep us from standing up for the Lord.
What a powerful song. Based on Ephesians 6:14 and written as a tribute to the Reverend Dudley Tyng (one of America’s great preachers) this song has inspired many to look to Jesus and not at the world. It is Jesus alone we look to, Jesus alone we are called to serve. Let us, therefore, be found true and faithful to the One who gave His life for us. Let us stand up for Jesus at home, school and play. Let us never be found wanting where we are needed.
Lord, help me be unashamed of You. Help me to witness clearly, speak boldly and oppose evil mightily. Give to me, the strength and protection I need.
Stand Up, Stand for Jesus by George Duffield, Jr.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus Ye soldiers of the cross
Lift high His royal banner It must not suffer loss
From victory, unto victory His army shall He lead
Till every foe is vanquished And Christ is Lord indeed
Stand up, stand up for Jesus The solemn watchword hear
If while ye sleep He suffers Away with shame and fear
Wherever ye meet with evil Within you or without
Charge for the God of battles And put the foe to rout
Stand up, stand up for Jesus The trumpet call obey
Forth to the mighty conflict In this His glorious day
Ye that are brave now serve Him Against unnumbered foes
Let courage rise with danger And strength to strength oppose
Stand up, stand up for Jesus Stand in His strength alone
The arm of flesh will fail you Ye dare not trust your own
Put on the Gospel armor Each piece put on with prayer
Where duty calls or danger Be never wanting there
Stand up, stand up for Jesus Each soldier to his post
Close up the broken column And shout through all the host
Make good the loss so heavy In those that shall remain
And praise to all around you That death itself is gain
Stand up, stand up for Jesus The strife will not be long
This day the noise of battle The next the victor’s song
To him who overcometh A crown of life shall be
They with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally
Worship is not about us and how we feel; it is about giving God the honor due His name. His Word, not our feelings, define that “honor”, which is due Him.[1]
In Spirit and in Truth
At the end of the second chapter, a question was raised: “What does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth?” Subsequent chapters have helped to lay the foundation for the answer to that question, which we will now consider. We will look at each of the terms Jesus used: worship, spirit, and truth, in order.
Worship
The word Jesus uses for worship in John 4:24 is proskuneo in Greek (or shachah in Hebrew). It means to “bow down” or “prostrate” oneself. The connotation is to engage in an act of humility, submission and reverence toward God.
In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus pointed out to her that the Samaritan’s idea of worshipping God was wrong. “You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”[2] The Samaritans worshipped God through ritual. For them, God was not personal. He was viewed as the Creator but not as their Father. Jesus was very deliberate in addressing God as Father (3 times in a row) emphasizing the personal nature of the relationship. He was trying to show her what was missing in her worship – a personal touch.
The only way true worship of God can take place is for a person to enter into a personal relationship with Him. God has to become their Father and they His children. The Samaritans knew God’s name, but not His character, personality or purposes. This is true of many people today. They know of God, but they do not know God personally for they have never experienced His salvation.
Unless a person accepts God’s salvation, he or she cannot enter into a filial (family) relationship with Him. Without this personal relationship, one cannot worship Him correctly. “In other words, one can know and worship God by experiencing His salvation which is in Jesus and which enables the worshipper to call God “abba”, Father.”[3]
This is one reason why Jesus Christ came to Earth. He came to personalize God and to model the type of relationship with Him that God desires.
In Spirit
Christ, in the statement He made to the Samaritan woman, makes worship a matter of the heart, not ritual or tradition. Worship has sincerity at its core. It is the response of one’s spirit to the Spirit of God, a communing of one to the other. While worship can be planned, most often it is spontaneous, a response to proximity with God.
The New Testament uses different phrases to illustrate what it means when a person submits their life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Phrases such as “born again”, “born from above,” or “becoming a new creation” serve to convey the idea of what it means to become a child of God. The language of adoption is also used, with God the Father shown as adopting sons and daughters into His Kingdom, out of the kingdom of this world.
Those who have experienced this adoption, this being “born again”, are the only ones who can worship God in spirit because the spirit now in them is the Spirit of God. You see, at the moment of salvation a wonderful event occurs. God recreates us spiritually (we are born anew) which allows us to interact with Him intimately. This is what Jesus was telling the Samaritan woman. She did not need to worry about where to worship. She needed to understand how to be able to worship. She needed to experience a rebirth, spiritually. Jesus had a very similar conversation with a man called Nicodemus in John, chapter 3.
Intellectual, erudite, skilled in rhetoric and theology, Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking answers. Nicodemus was “the” teacher of Israel, their premier religious instructor. He had heard Jesus speak, he had seen the miracles Jesus had performed, and he accepted the truth that Jesus was a man sent by God, yet he was not a Christian. He did not accept that Jesus was more than a man sent from God, that Jesus was God in the flesh.
When Nicodemus approached Jesus, he gave him a very sincere compliment. He was met by a very confrontational reply, “Unless you are born again, you will not see the kingdom of God.” Jesus tells the premier religious teacher in Israel that he is not going to be in God’s Kingdom unless he experiences a spiritual rebirth. The word Jesus uses for rebirth means a transformation so complete that it will allow a person to enter another world and adapt to its conditions. He is telling Nicodemus that he needs to undergo a complete metamorphosis in order to enter the Kingdom of God. He is saying to Nicodemus, “Unless you allow me to spiritually transform you, you will not be able to survive in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus is insisting that Nicodemus undergoes a spiritual change from who he is currently, to what he needs to be. To Nicodemus, this statement is staggering. He understands what Jesus is implying, that his religion was futile. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees tended to be hyper-legalists who externalized religion. They pursued a form of godliness that had no basis in reality. They were fanatically religious, striving to obey over 600 laws. For a Pharisee, salvation was obtained by works, doing things that they believed were pleasing to God. Being born again is something Nicodemus cannot do. Being born is something that happens to you, not something you do for yourself.
Nicodemus and Jesus did have something in common. Both were Jewish teachers. Jewish teachers taught spiritual truths in symbols. Nicodemus understands Jesus’ symbolism and answers back in kind. “How can a man, whose habits and ways of thinking have been fixed for so long, really be expected to change radically? Physical rebirth is impossible so is spiritual rebirth any more feasible? I can’t start over again. It’s too late. I’ve gone too far in my religious system to change now. I’d have to start all over again. My case is hopeless.”
Many people feel that way. Unlike Dinah, from chapter 3, they are too steeped in their religious tradition to be willing to change. They feel trapped and hopeless by beliefs that they have held all their lives and yet they are unwilling to change. It is not that they cannot change; it is that they will not change unless they allow God’s Spirit to convert them.
In order to satisfy the hunger of their hearts, in order to worship God correctly, they must allow God to transform their life spiritually. The new birth must come from the Holy Spirit of God. A person needs to be spiritually purified and spiritually reborn, and only the Spirit of God can only accomplish this.
We aren’t told how Nicodemus reacts to what he is told. He understands that Jesus is telling him that the new birth must be experienced in order to be understood. None of his scholarly wisdom will explain it. Only by immersing himself in Jesus will he be able to understand salvation.
Nicodemus knew about Jesus, had listened to Jesus, admired Jesus and complimented Jesus, but he did not know Jesus. He needed Jesus to transform his life through being born again.
Those whose hearts hunger to worship God must allow God to transform their life first. Then, they will be able to worship Him spirit to spirit. They will be able to hear Him and understand Him when He speaks. They will experience closeness, a sense of belonging, a kindred-ness with God that surpasses anything they could have imagined. This is what Jesus means when He tells us we have to worship in spirit.
In Truth
The second criteria Jesus says is necessary to be able to worship God is found in the phrase, “and in truth.” Knowing whom to worship, Jesus, is of supreme importance. To worship in ignorance makes a sham of religion.
Truth, in biblical terms, is whatever is in harmony with the nature and will of God. The essence of true worship must be on God’s terms and He has revealed that the only worship He will accept is that which is based through Jesus Christ. The revelation of God in Christ is absolute truth.
The issue is not where a person worships, but how they worship and whom they worship. The how is in spirit. The who is Jesus. Worship is more than just emotion. Too many people confuse the terms praise and worship. Praise is rooted in emotion. Worship is grounded in knowledge – the knowledge of God’s Word and the knowledge of God’s Son.
By gaining a proper understanding of what Jesus said to the woman at the well, a person can come to worship God properly. A person can no longer sustain the argument that the format or form of worship does not matter. Jesus clearly states that it does. It must come from the spirit and it has to be rooted in God’s revealed truth. Not truth as a person feels it should be (subjective), but as it actually is, measured by divine revelation via the Bible (objective). When knowledge of God is deficient, worship of Him will also be deficient.
Since God has decreed that He will only accept worship that is grounded in and which flows through Jesus, this makes Christianity the only religion accepted by God. No other form of worship is accepted. A person cannot decide to worship God in whatever way he or she wants to. They did not make the standard. No religion can develop rules that make worship to God possible, because worship is rooted in and through the person of Jesus. Truth cannot be found in the Koran, Baghivad Gita, Pearl of Great Price or other religious works, because they do not contain the historical record of Jesus Christ and the truth of His life. Truth is not perception. Truth is an absolute.
To worship God in spirit and in truth requires a person to come to God on His terms, surrendering their life to His Son Jesus, accepting His forgiveness and cleansing from sin. At that moment, the heart is renewed, God’s Spirit comes in, and fellowship begins with God that will last for an eternity.
It is a wonderful thing to experience the transforming person of Jesus Christ. Just ask the Samaritan woman and her neighbors.
A Heart Hungry to Worship is available in print or Kindle editions from Amazon or from the author at http://discernmentministries.webs.com
Sermon preached at the church I pastor, challenging them to relaunch the church so that we refocus on reaching all peoples. Theme combines the Great Commission with James 4:17, he who knows what is good to do and does not do it – sins
So many times I hear people telling me that they are waiting on the Lord, and what they mean by that is, they are sitting still, waiting for some move on God’s part to give them a clear direction. I would argue that the better understanding of waiting on the Lord is that of a waitress or waiter at a fancy restaurant. A good waitress or waiter is very attentive to the customer. They are there, asking is everything is okay, seeking to be there when the customer is ready to order and seeking to be there when they are ready to leave, seeking to be there when the customer has a need.
I would say that we are to wait on the Lord this way. Hovering, anticipating, ready at a moments notice to spring to His side when summoned. Willing to serve, knowing that there are things we are to do that is common to all His children: serving the poor, ministering to others, edifying the body, witnessing to the lost, discipling the brethren. Just as a waiter has jobs that he does for each customer – filling drinks, taking orders, etc. There is never a time when they are not busy working, even if a particular customer hasn’t summoned them yet.
Instead of sitting and doing nothing until we hear a specific call or direction, maybe we should be actively waiting – doing those things already commanded for us to do by our boss, the Lord Jesus.
You see, the two definitions of the word wait that show two completely different ideas. The first is to be in a state of repose or to remain inactive until something expected happens. That is how most Christians define waiting on the Lord. The second is considered archaic, to attend upon or escort, especially as a sign of respect. I would argue that it is this archaic definition that is the more biblical one.
How are you waiting on the Lord?
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Being a pastor in Montana means many different things to me. Since arriving in 1995, I have served churches in Red Lodge, Columbus and Havre. Being a pastor in Montana means unloading trucks outside at work at 4:30 in the morning in -40°F weather so that the church can still afford to have a pastor. It means reaching out to people who have never heard basic Bible stories such as Noah and the Ark, David and Goliath or the real Christmas story.
Pastoring in Montana means enduring weeks of loneliness, isolated by geography and finances from family, friends and even other pastors. It means driving hours to conferences for the fellowship with friends and the opportunity to sharpen ones skills. It means penetrating reclusive lives and investing time into communities. It means sharing your home with people from all walks of life and all kinds of backgrounds. It means being vulnerable and authentic and living a transformed life in front of a watching world.
Pastoring in Montana means that you start laying the foundation for future works to take place. Very quickly you learn that there is no prestige, no glory, no “bigger” church to aspire to. What there is, is plenty of is hard work, years of discipleship, mentoring, teaching and engaging. There is the joy of seeing a second generation come to know and serve the Lord. There is the joy of seeing families and marriages being put back together. There is the satisfaction of establishing stability and credibility in a community that is constantly watching to see if your Christianity is real. There is the awesome exhilaration that comes from seeing new believers mature and go out in service for the kingdom, taking the gospel to yet another place that needs to hear it.
Being a pastor in Montana is a tale of two extremes. It is a tale of hardships and frustration and of rapture and joy. It will cause you to grow closer to God than you thought possible because there is no one else around for you to turn to. It will drive you to your knees over and over seeking strength, guidance and wisdom. It will also lead you to give God all the credit because only He could possibly penetrate the darkness and hardened hearts of those who do not know Him.
Jeff Iorg, President of Golden Gate Seminary, sums up what I think being a pastor in Montana is all about when he says in his book, The Painful Side of Leadership, “Most leaders easily forget their primary reason for being placed in their leadership role. The primary reason isn’t for you to do things for God. It’s so God can use your leadership setting as a laboratory for shaping the image of Jesus in you.[1]
I pray that the image that is being shaped in me, as I pastor in Montana, is that of Jesus Christ.
[1] Iorg, Jeff. The Painful Side of Leadership. P12. B&H Publishing Group 2009
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