Corporate Praise and Worship

I believe many Christians have a lack of power and joy that is due in large part to their lack of participation in corporate singing. The God who crushed his Son in our place to save us from eternal hell is being praised...and we can sit or stand with no sign of emotion, no shout of 'Hallelujah,' refusing to join in the song of the redeemed? What?! God is worthy of our thanks and praise, and he commands (not suggests) that we praise him.

We are strengthened and blessed when we sing praises to God with the assembled saints. Our focus on God's greatness is renewed. Others are encouraged and edified. God touches our hearts afresh. Singing together is also a sign of being filled with the Spirit of God and the word of God:

• And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph 5:18-20


• And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:15-17

You don’t have to be a great singer; you just need a great Savior! Here are some thoughts on praise and worship from the Scriptures:

1) Each local church a part of the song, with the ultimate goal of Rev 4:9. God wants local churches unified, adding their part to the great song of praise. One day EVERY language ever spoken will come together in a glorious song of praise to JESUS CHRIST! No king has ever received that glory.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation Rev 4:9

2) Paul’s missionary ministry was birthed in corporate worship. As we worship God together, he speaks to our hearts! What ministry will be birthed in our own congregations as we minister to the Lord?
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:2-3

3) Neglecting to thank and praise God is exceedingly sinful. Just think of all that God has done for humanity. His common grace: feeding the hungry, sending rain and sunshine, air to breathe and every good gift. How ungrateful it is for people to abstain from thanking God! And how much more for God's people, who have received every spiritual blessing in Christ?

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:21-23

4) Praise and Worship is the beginning of approach to God, through faith in Jesus Christ. We are taught to never just run into the presence of God popping our bubble gum, as it were. He is our Father and friend, but he is also GOD! We can approach him only by the blood of Jesus, through faith in his sacrifice. And God has instructed us to come before him first with thanksgiving and praise!
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matt 6:9
Come into his presence with singing! …Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:2b, 4

5) God "beats up" his enemies as we praise him. Satan was defeated at the cross, but his defeat can be manifested in our lives as we glorify Jesus, open up our mouths and sing, shout, and faithfully declare his word!
when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. 2 Chron 20:21-23

And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the Lord, when he strikes with his rod. And every stroke of the appointed staff that the Lord lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight with them. Isaiah 30:30-32

6) Jesus’ example. Jesus thanked God "in the Holy Spirit!"
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. Luke 10:21

Are you weak and defeated? Look to the glorious crucified and risen Christ, believe his gospel, and then open up your MOUTH and praise God!

That Glorious Day is Coming!

I found this hymn in Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology.
It's about the day we receive our glorified bodies.
That glorious day is coming, brothers and sisters!
Are you ready?!!!
Run the race to win, by faith in Christ. Hallelujah!!

Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand

Ten thousand times ten thousand in sparkling raiment bright
the armies of the ransomed saints throng up the steeps of light
'tis finished, all is finished, their fight with death and sin
fling open wide the golden gates, and let the victors in.

what rush of alleluias fills all the earth and sky!
what ringing of a thousand harps bespeaks the triumph nigh!
o day, for which creation and all its tribes were made
o joy, for all its former woes a thousand-fold repaid!

o then what raptured greetings on Canaan's happy shore
what knitting severed friendships up where partings are no more
then eyes with joy shall sparkle, that brimmed with tears of late
orphans no longer fatherless, nor widows desolate.

bring near thy great salvation, thou Lamb for sinners slain
fill up the role of thine elect, then take thy pow'r and reign
appear, desire of nations, thine exiles long for home
show in the heav'n thy promised sign; thou Prince and Savior,
Come!

By Henry Alford, 1867 (New Testament professor at Cambridge University, England, and one of the greatest Greek scholars of the 19th century). Grudem's, page 839.

The Gospel is the Power to be a Homemaker!

Titus 2 has some awesome practical instructions for Christian living. These instructions are broken down to older men and women, younger men and women, and slaves. It's easy for us to see practical commands for daily living and then run along and try to obey them. When will we learn that we are not able to obey any of God's commands? That is, unless he supplies power.

Sure, we understand this when dealing with what we call "big" things. Walking on water, for example. We get it that we simply cannot do that unless Christ says "Come," as he did to Peter (Mt 14:29). I guess we apply this to miracles and such. But this is also true for EVERY command God gives us! The 10 commandments? He gave those commands, but if anyone could keep them, Jesus would not have had to die. Repent and believe the gospel? Only by a miraculous work of God in regeneration can anyone do that. Daily living for Jesus? It applies here, too.

So in Titus 2 when we read the practical things, like taking care of our children, being self-controlled, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, we think we can do it. But we cannot! Every part of us is tainted with sin.
Then how are Sctiptures' teachings to be carried out? The same gospel that saves a sinner sanctifies a saint. The gospel is the POWER for us to daily obey God's instructions.

We see this in the current text. Notice what Paul says just after the practical instructions:
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14, ESV

What glorious truth is taught in these verses! The grace of God has come, and God's grace TEACHES! It trains us to renounce sin and live in holiness. Anyone who claims to be saved by grace, must also be taught by grace to walk in holiness. Whoever claims to be under God's grace, but does not walk in holiness, does not have God's grace. God's grace trains us how to live.

But the text continues. God's grace trains us, while we wait for Jesus' appearing. If our minds and hearts are thinking about Jesus' return for us, it will affect the way we live. We want to be found serving Christ when he returns.

Then Paul reminds us that Christ "gave himself for us." That's the gospel! He gave himself for us to redeem us from sin (lawlessness) and to "purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Through the gospel we have a double blessing. Our sins are removed (both the penalty of our sins, and the day-by-day power of our sins through sanctification). But God goes father. He gives us the righteousness of Christ! This is a declared righteousness in our standing before God in heaven; but it is also a practical righteousness that flows through us day by day. In other words, Because of Jesus we can obey God!

So with our minds set on Jesus' return and his giving of himself for us, we can be holy old men, victorious homemakers & self-controlled young men. We can obey these practical instructions, and all the teachings of Scripture, through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don't try to obey God on your own. If you seem to succeed, you will be filled with self-righteousness. If you fail, you may give up in despair. What is the answer? Believe the gospel. We are crucified with Christ, and we no longer live! Christ lives through us! Count it to be so (Romans 6). Yield to God, believing the gospel. And Christ will live through us in victory.
Praise the Lord!