"8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained."What does that last part imply? What does it mean that God's word is not chained? Paul mentions his own enchainment (a word I apparently made up, according to spell check) as suffering but maybe also as humiliating. His being chained up also means that he is restricted. Does the phrase just mean, then, that God's word is free, unrestricted? It seems the "therefore" in verse 10 applies to the fact that God's word is not chained. Maybe Paul means that God's word is free to be shared so that many can hear and "that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (10). God's word is not meant to be kept up but shared. Yes, it is to be harbored deep inside us, written on our hearts, but we are also called to share it.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
God's word is not chained
In 2 Timothy 2:8-9, Paul writes:
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Curse of Careless Worship
I listened to a sermon recently by John Piper, the title from which I borrowed for this post. Piper discusses Malachi chapter 1 which God lays it down on the Israelite priests for their cheap worship. Piper claims that the priests attitudes were also representative of those of the people of Israel as a whole. God tells the priests that their blind, diseased animals for sacrifice and blemished offerings show their contempt for the Lord, and that he would "accept no offering from [their] hands" (1:11). Piper's sermon discussed the cause for this worship that he calls "careless," its essence, and finally the opposite of careless worship (which is excellence in worship). He concluded with four images of worship, three of which were dead-ends and one which is the proper way to go about worship.
When I say that there is a proper image, I don't mean that there is one specific way to worship God. There are clearly many ways to worship him, not just through song but through art, dance, attitude, service... The list goes on. Your entire body, your entire life, should be offered in reverence as a sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). Piper also did not mean to imply that there is only one way to worship God. He said not to make the mistake of thinking "in the whole world of cultures and languages and forms" that this (meaning the form they use at his church) is the only form in which to worship God. By forms, he means mode of service, the structure of the service, not beliefs and overall practices of the people. He does not imply things such as worshiping other gods or idols being considered to be worship of God.
This whole idea of careless worship intrigued me. I find it scary how easily I can and do fall into the mindset that these priests probably had. They were offering what was convenient for them to offer. Rather than offering good animals to God, they kept them, probably earn more money or at least to feel more secure in their possessions, and offered shabby ones instead. Piper makes an interesting point on this:
Piper extracts from this passage in Malachi that the essence of careless worship is a lack of vision or perception of the greatness of God. From this we get bored with worship and turn to earthly things. Personally, and speaking more towards musical worship, I get used to it: it becomes sort of a routine, and if I'm not careful I stop really engaging with it. I lose focus and I get distracted by various things (something Piper addresses in his sermon which I'll talk about later). I lose sight of the greatness of God in the midst of worship, and my worship becomes careless. God knows my heart though. He knows I'm weak, but that I love Him, that I desire Him. He knows I need Him, and He's glad to bring my heart back to a place where I can truly worship Him. On the essence of true worship, Piper says:
Although this is his driving point, what I found most remarkable is the other emphasis he puts on the idea that true worship desires to inspire true worship in others. This is, indirectly I think, but most certainly, a Biblical concept. Jesus' calling on His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) is clearly of this nature, showing that we are to be concerned about, desire, and work for the salvation of others. From this I think it's proper to say that we should also be concerned about the lives of worship of fellow believers.
I feel like I've rambled on too long for one post, and though I have more to say (especially on the images of worship Piper discusses at the end of his sermon), I'll wait for another post (soon probably). I'll leave you with this though: the lives of people who properly worship God are blessed. I've been reading through 1 Kings recently, and the kings of Israel and Judah who bowed to gods other than the God of their fathers tended to have short reigns, full of war and death, and sometimes their entire families were destroyed. The kings who worshiped God, however, had long reigns, generally peaceful years, and brought the people together to devote themselves to God. God curses those who curse Him, but blesses those who bless Him more than they can ask for.
When I say that there is a proper image, I don't mean that there is one specific way to worship God. There are clearly many ways to worship him, not just through song but through art, dance, attitude, service... The list goes on. Your entire body, your entire life, should be offered in reverence as a sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). Piper also did not mean to imply that there is only one way to worship God. He said not to make the mistake of thinking "in the whole world of cultures and languages and forms" that this (meaning the form they use at his church) is the only form in which to worship God. By forms, he means mode of service, the structure of the service, not beliefs and overall practices of the people. He does not imply things such as worshiping other gods or idols being considered to be worship of God.
This whole idea of careless worship intrigued me. I find it scary how easily I can and do fall into the mindset that these priests probably had. They were offering what was convenient for them to offer. Rather than offering good animals to God, they kept them, probably earn more money or at least to feel more secure in their possessions, and offered shabby ones instead. Piper makes an interesting point on this:
"Now the point here is not that you buy God off in your offering, and therefore it has to be expensive. That's not the point. God doesn't need a good sheep or a bad sheep. He is not hungry. The point is [that] the worship of God should reflect the value we put upon Him in the way it is done."The worth they put in God had diminished. Later on, he says:
"Careless worship illustrates how little we value God."
Piper extracts from this passage in Malachi that the essence of careless worship is a lack of vision or perception of the greatness of God. From this we get bored with worship and turn to earthly things. Personally, and speaking more towards musical worship, I get used to it: it becomes sort of a routine, and if I'm not careful I stop really engaging with it. I lose focus and I get distracted by various things (something Piper addresses in his sermon which I'll talk about later). I lose sight of the greatness of God in the midst of worship, and my worship becomes careless. God knows my heart though. He knows I'm weak, but that I love Him, that I desire Him. He knows I need Him, and He's glad to bring my heart back to a place where I can truly worship Him. On the essence of true worship, Piper says:
"The nature of [true] worship has two parts... First true worship expresses the feeling of God's greatness and value. And secondly, it seeks to sustain in other people in the congregation that same spiritual sense of His immense worth."and
"Genuine worship comes from a heart that treasures God above all human treasures (praise of man, money, whatever...) and it aims to inspire a God centered passion in people."These definitions of worship are ones I haven't really considered before. The emphasis is mainly on recognizing and acknowledging the greatness of God; His value; His worth. I wish I could keep this in the forefront of my heart at every moment! Jesus' offering of himself on the cross for my sins is such an incredible act that I should think about daily!
Although this is his driving point, what I found most remarkable is the other emphasis he puts on the idea that true worship desires to inspire true worship in others. This is, indirectly I think, but most certainly, a Biblical concept. Jesus' calling on His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) is clearly of this nature, showing that we are to be concerned about, desire, and work for the salvation of others. From this I think it's proper to say that we should also be concerned about the lives of worship of fellow believers.
I feel like I've rambled on too long for one post, and though I have more to say (especially on the images of worship Piper discusses at the end of his sermon), I'll wait for another post (soon probably). I'll leave you with this though: the lives of people who properly worship God are blessed. I've been reading through 1 Kings recently, and the kings of Israel and Judah who bowed to gods other than the God of their fathers tended to have short reigns, full of war and death, and sometimes their entire families were destroyed. The kings who worshiped God, however, had long reigns, generally peaceful years, and brought the people together to devote themselves to God. God curses those who curse Him, but blesses those who bless Him more than they can ask for.
But be very careful to follow the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
-Joshua 22:5
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