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Worship IX Day 11 Spirit & Truth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 4:19-26
1 Samuel 15:20-25
Isaiah 1:11-21

Worship IX, Day 11

Worship is a lifestyle.
It is not just a Sunday act, but an everyday practice.
It is not just the status of being in awe for a few moments, but a lifetime habit.

The Bible teaches us to worship God in Spirit and Truth. (John 4:23)
What does it mean to obey this instruction? Let’s study God’s Word together and find out!

First, we can never truly worship a God we do not know.

I love Moses’ first encounter with God in the wilderness. He asked God about Who He is, before following Him and serving as God’s voice and hands in the rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 3:13-18) Moses’ act was reasonable, born of a sincere desire to know the One he would be obeying and surrendering his life for. God answered Moses’ question by explaining, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), referring to His unchanging character. Moses could follow the great I Am with confidence because He had revealed Himself to Moses.

Similarly, as present-day worshippers, it is important for us to know the God we worship. The more deeply we know Him, the more “we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,” (Hebrews 12:28); our everyday lives become offerings of worship that will be pleasing in His sight. Let’s pursue His heart in prayer, learn of His character through studying His Word, and respond by worshipping in spirit and in truth.

. . . in spirit and in truth. What does this phrase mean in real life?

  1. Worship God in spirit
    We can begin by acknowledging that along with our physical bodies, we have been created with spirits longing to connect with God. (Genesis 1:26-27, John 4:24)

More than our physical gestures, God longs for us to worship Him in spirit, because it involves the very core of our identities. Worship from our spirit flows from the bottom of our hearts, sincerely adoring the goodness of God and acknowledging He is enough. Worship in spirit doesn’t follow a prescribed order of service for a few minutes Sunday morning, or move through the motions of all the “religious things”. Rather, true worship offers our spirits to enter into deep communion with Him, transforming every little act of our lives into lavish acts of worship. Even mundane tasks like eating and drinking are now beautiful worship; this is worshipping in spirit every day! 

This worship in spirit is a natural response to His Holy Spirit who lives within every believer as described by Jesus in John 15:26. Through the Holy Spirit, we are better able to know and experience the God we worship.

  1. Worship God in truth.
    As we’ve discussed, it is important to know the God we are worshipping: the one true, authentic God. Our worship will not be sincere if we merely pay lip service to an unknown deity. Remember, we are not pretending when we worship; instead, worshipping in truth means being confident God is THE truth, and His Word is true.

When our worship overflows from revelation of the Lord we receive through His Word, our worship is not only sincere adoration, but also rooted in truth. Based on Scripture, we learn that a lifestyle of worship is found in following Jesus’ example and instruction to live in wholehearted pursuit of God and of the lost. (1 John 2:3-6)

When Jesus came to earth, He removed the condemnation of the law over our
lives. We are no longer slaves to sin and we are freed by His blood which offers us forgiveness! (Romans 6:6-11) Jesus has torn the veil between God and us so we can freely worship God, not just through traditions, but in spirit and truth, just as it says in John 4:23,
“But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him.“

So sisters, let us come to know the fullness of God by reading His Word and being taught by His Spirit. May we lead lives of worship with full confidence He will accept us, and our offerings of worship, because Jesus has made a way to bridge the gap between us and God!

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Ready Day 5 Truth We See

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Thessalonians 2
2 Peter 1:3-11
Romans 15:13-20

Ready, Day 5

“For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit with you was not without result.”
– Pastor Paul

Is my life making a difference?
Does this sacrifice count?

The dishes that perpetually pile up.
The floor that always needs swept.
The times I held my tongue from that cutting remark,
or walked away from the gossip I wanted to hear,
or breathed deeply to respond with gentleness instead of anger.

It’s hard, isn’t it?
This in and out breathing, filled with a million mundane decisions that collect over time constituting a whole life. We want to leave our mark on the world. We’d love for the impact of our everyday to outlive the beating of our hearts.

How do we know that our everyday expenditures matter?

Paul’s words, penned centuries ago, ring fresh across the monotony of our moments.
“You know….our visit was not without result. On the contrary, …you know we were emboldened by our God…” (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

As I’ve read Paul’s letter to the new believers in Thessalonica, I’ve felt a kinship with them.
I’ve felt their fears. Their questions, some unspoken, and some voiced, have found their way across the strings of my own soul. Did they wonder what I’ve found myself wanting to ask, but pressed down the question for fear of being discovered as lacking faith?

Was it worth it, Paul?
Was your visit here, worth it? You were run out of town, plans didn’t go as you hoped, innocent people were punished. Everything felt jilted.

Do our sacrifices matter? Is God watching our everyday? Will this madness end well?
Does He see our fear, our wonderings, our sometimes-lagging faith?

Paul writes of knowing or remembering five times in the second chapter. Every single time, he addresses the Thessalonians by reminding them of a truth they already knew. He wasn’t writing them something new, he was lovingly shoring up their confidence in a truth they’d already anchored into.

Like a warm blanket to a shivering body, it feels as if God Himself tenderly lifts my countenance through Paul’s Spirit-led words, wrapping His truth sweetly around me.

I already know that yes, doing the dishes every day matters, even into eternity.
When I’m slow to anger, when I pick up the toys for the hundredth time, when I sit and listen to my 6-year old’s story about rocks and worms again, and when I call the friend God laid on my heart. Yes, even when I fall into a heap on my closet floor, sobbing for all the ways I’m sad, lonely, tired, afraid, or angry, I still know, the truth.
Even this is not without eternal result.

Knowing doesn’t equal feeling though, does it?
And how can we know? Are we sure?

Paul writes on with evidence to encourage the Thessalonians, and us.
Painting vivid strokes so we can see the brilliant truth we may not always feel.

You know our visit was not without result. (verse 1)
The Evidence?
Yes, the suffering was intense, the circumstances were messy and bleak, but the Lord is a God of all hope (Romans 15:13), so Paul prompts his friends to open their eyes and see the truth and its evidence around them.

You know we were emboldened by God to speak the gospel in spite of great opposition. (verse 2)
The Evidence?
The gospel was preached! God stirred up His power inside believers to hold out His truth in the face of their fear. He turned them away from the world and toward His purposes. This work wasn’t about the missionaries, it was about God IN them.

You know we never used flattering speech, had greedy motives, or chased our glory. (verses 5-6)
The Evidence?
The believers moved among one another, fearless of consequence, with the tender gentleness of a mother. They demonstrated dear care by laying themselves down entirely, being motivated to not only preach Christ, but share their very lives with each other. (verses 7-8)

You remember our labor and hardship among you, brothers and sisters. (verse 9)
The Evidence?
As carriers of the gospel of Jesus, the believers labored to imitate Christ in daily life. Their hard work was not found in mustering up their own righteousness, but in submitting to the Spirit at work in them to bring about a righteousness from God. (verse 10, 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

You know we treated you with the loving affection of a father toward his children. (verse 11)
The Evidence?
Marking their days, their relationships, their mundane moments and their bold ones, their body language and voice tone were beautiful brush strokes of encouragement, comfort, and firm urging to walk worthy the God who called them each to partake of His own glory and kingdom.

What lavish grace!
What unfathomable love!
What rich evidence of solid truth!

And so we constantly praise God… proclaims Paul. (verse 13)
God was at work. The sacrifices were indeed worth it, God was making sure of it.
The evidence was everywhere.

I look around my life again, sobered and encouraged by the Spirit’s words through the apostle from long ago. I see dirty dishes where food and laughter were shared. I see piles of laundry that covered healthy bodies of people who live in my house, people I praise God for the privilege of living alongside. I see a home where, if I choose to surrender again and again to the all-powerful Spirit of God within me, I will continue to see evidence of His truth at work all around me.

What do you see?
Will you surrender?

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Worship VIII Day 4 Everyday Praise: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Everyday Praise!

The Questions

1) Why did Paul interrupt a logical discussion of God’s plan of salvation to break out in praise?

2) Why does Paul refer to both God and the Lord in this passage?

3) What is the significance of the phrase “To Him be the glory forever?” (verse 36)

Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches

and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! 

How unsearchable his judgments

and untraceable his ways!

34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? 

Or who has been his counselor?

35 And who has ever given to God,

that he should be repaid? 

36 For from him and through him

and to him are all things. 

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Original Intent

1) Why did Paul interrupt a logical discussion of God’s plan of salvation to break out in praise?
These three verses at the end of Romans 11 stand as unabashed praise. In contrast, most of Romans is a logical explanation of salvation that includes questions and answers intentionally designed to explain God’s grace and Jesus’ fulfillment of Scripture through His death and resurrection. Chapter 11 begins with the question, “Has God rejected His people?” Paul quickly answers his question with a resounding “Absolutely not.” Paul explains that God used the transgressions of the Jews, his chosen people, to bring salvation to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) so that the Jews would want to experience God’s grace in mercy in Jesus. In verse 11 Paul asks, “I (Paul) ask, then, have they (the Jews, God’s chosen people) stumbled so as to fall (to be forever separate from God)?” (parentheses mine) Continuing into verse 12, Paul answers with certainty, “Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!” He explains that Gentiles have been grafted into the family of God just as a wild olive branch is grafted into a cultivated olive tree, but Jews are the native branches designed to bear fruit when connected to the root. God’s gifts and calling for the Jews are irrevocable. (verses 16-29) As Paul ponders God’s mercy and plan of salvation for both Jew and Gentile, he can’t help but celebrate “the depths of God’s wisdom and knowledge.” This chapter’s tone changes from logical explanation to unrestrained joy at the realization of God’s mercy and wisdom as He lavishes His love on all people.

2) Why does Paul refer to both God and the Lord in this passage?
Scholars believe that Romans 11:33-34 draws from passages in Isaiah and Job, which are quite similar. Isaiah 41:13-14 says, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave Him counsel? Who did He consult? Who gave Him understanding and taught Him the paths of justice? Who taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?” Job 11:7 asks, “Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
In the Bible, the name “Lord” is used to denote the sovereignty and reign of God as king or master. The general term “lord” means someone who has control and authority based on their position. Isaiah’s words highlight the sovereignty, authority, and understanding of the Lord. Paul restates Isaiah’s phrasing in verse 34, to underscore the reality that only the One True God is all-knowing and all-powerful. “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” The Hebrew word for God is Elohim, meaning “Creator.” It is first used in Genesis 1, “God created the heavens and the earth.” As Paul marvels at the Creator’s plan, he can’t help but praise “the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God.” We can see God’s creative ability in His generosity and provision for all humanity. Even though He alone holds all power and authority, He still shows mercy and kindness to all people and pursues them with love. What love!

3) What is the significance of the phrase “To Him be the glory forever?” (verse 36)
This phrase is often used in the New Testament at the end of letters. (See 1 Timothy 1:17 and 2 Peter 3:18) Paul’s words are not random, rather they are a clear reminder that all glory belongs to God for ever. The initial proclamation of God’s glory in the New Testament is in Luke 2:13-14, “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Glory is a word of magnificent depth that reflects God’s presence, grandeur, and splendor in infinite ways. The angels broke out in song as they rejoiced at God’s plan of salvation coming to fruition in the birth of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the glory of God is obvious, often accompanying tangible signs as evidence of the unseen God. For instance, the arrival of manna in Exodus 16:7 was evidence of the glory of the Lord. At Mt. Sinai, God’s glory was apparent to everyone thick clouds covered the mountain and the earth shook with His presence. (Exodus 24:16) As the Lord rested His glorious presence on the Tabernacle, Israel stood in awe of the Lord’s magnificent glory! (Exodus 40:34)

Everyday Application

1) Why did Paul interrupt a logical discussion of God’s plan of salvation to break out in praise?

As I read this passage, I identified with Paul’s desire to worship in response to God’s grace and His plan of salvation for all people. His mercy and kindness to all of humanity is amazing. His ability to work all things (even rejection by His chosen people) together for good is evident when I ponder that Gentiles, like me, are now able to experience the abundant blessings of being grafted into His family.  I am amazed by the depths of God’s wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. As a writer, when I study a topic deeply, I sit and marvel at God’s design and His plan, as it is all so far beyond my imaginings. I marvel at the intricacies of nature from the tiniest atom to the vastness of space. A beautiful day leads me to focus on God’s goodness to all of creation. Even my inability to understand God’s inscrutable and untraceable ways contrasts His glory to my finite understanding. Worship fills my heart in response to understanding even a little bit about God. Challenge yourself to view your everyday life through the lens of worship. Where is the Lord giving you opportunities to understand and worship Him more clearly because of ordinary life happenings?

 

2) Why does Paul refer to both God and the Lord in this passage? 

Paul was a well-learned Hebrew scholar, so his choice to use both “God” and “Lord” is a clue to help his readers understand this passage. He wasn’t merely trying to throw in extra words to make himself sound better; these were both intentionally chosen to communicate the vastness of God better. As I read Paul’s words, I thought about God, the Creator, and the exceedingly abundant wisdom and knowledge He used when creating the universe­­; every element, cell, plant, and animal all have a divine purpose to declare His glory and point us to knowing Him. When we come face to face with God’s unexpected and extraordinary wisdom, it is astounding! Understanding Jesus as our Lord keeps us from elevating our knowledge and experience above Him, as He holds all rule and reign. Paul asked, “Who could know the mind or the Lord or be his counselor?” This Greek word for “counselor” has a similar meaning to “consultant.” The Lord doesn’t need our advice. Everything we have, our resources, wisdom, and breath has been given to us by His grace. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” When I remind myself of the Lord’s resources, I start praising and stop worrying. 

 

3) What is the significance of the phrase “To Him be the glory forever?” (verse 36)

The word doxology comes from the Greek doxa, which means “glory, splendor, grandeur” and logos, which is translated “word” or “speaking.” When we write, sing, or speak of the glory and splendor of God, we are sharing His glory with others. Just as the angels burst forth in celebration at the birth of Jesus Christ by proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest,” we have this same opportunity to praise God before others. Our days are rich with chances to offer our own doxology whether privately between us and God, or publicly for others to hear as well. We can bring glory to God by acknowledging His vast riches, wisdom, and knowledge as we see evidence of them in our everyday life. Even in difficulty, our struggles to understand God’s plan for our lives, or when we are amazed at the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom and judgement, we can reflect His unchanging glory and goodness to those around us.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Worship VIII Day 3 Everyday Praise

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 11:33-36
Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 3:1-8

Worship VIII, Day 3

The fall colors were stunning, adorning the towering trees in red and gold finery. The autumn sunshine warmed my skin as I laced up my shoes and prepared to run the leaf-covered path stretching before me.

I had been praying over this run, asking the Lord to reveal Himself. I wanted to meet with Him. I wanted to know Him. I wanted to be held and comforted and loved. Today was supposed to be my son’s 6th birthday; instead little Elijah James has spent every September 30th running the fields of Heaven with Jesus. When I was pregnant with him, running kept my nausea at bay, so I ran often. As I ran, I prayed for him, for his life, for his future, and I thanked God for giving me the gift of being his mama.

Then, one day, his heart stopped beating and Jesus called my little boy home before I ever saw his face on this side of my womb. The last day of September will always find me running outside, enjoying the gift of fall sunlight and remembering an incredible truth, my little boy knows more about Jesus than I do, for he sees Him face-to-face.

Elijah worships the King in His very presence, while I ache earthside for eternity.
EJ’s everyday praise looks magnificently more brilliant than my own, but even so,
I’m invited into the same sacred space as I offer up my praise because we worship the same Lord and Savior.

As my feet rustled the fallen leaves that afternoon, I knew my heart was ready to hear from the Lord. I had slowed down, preparing to listen and know Him. The Lord asked questions, and my heart wrestled with them, seeing areas of sin and patterns of rebellion and distrust. Weeds were cut back as my Father sang over me and once again, I was made new from the inside out. My heart responded to His melodies of love by praising Him, speaking with Him, and delighting in Him.

Spiritual retreats, special church services, and times set aside specifically for prayer are rich and powerful in our lives and marked with deep heart worship. While these milestones are significant, such experiences are not intended to be sequestered to “holy retreat days.” Yes, the Lord met me on that beautiful fall day and I was drawn into deep worship, but this access to the Holy One is available every day, in all of my ordinary moments.

Cultivating a heart of everyday praise begins with realizing the fullness of His Holy Presence is as close and available as our skin and bones for those who have made Jesus their Savior.

Paul was an apostle full of passionate zeal, and his love for God overflowed into everyday praise simply because he practiced rehearsing the truths of God’s character on repeat. In his letter to the church in Rome, he writes of God’s radical grace in making eternal salvation available to all people. His pen practically shouts praises inspired by God’s love, which bestows spiritual gifts and calling and divine purpose upon all who call on His name. (Romans 11:29) Paul’s emotion catches up to him as he proclaims to his audience, “You were disobedient, but God took your wretchedness and showed you unfathomable riches!” (Romans 11:30-32, my paraphrase)

The more Paul speaks of the glories He knows to be true about God, the more his intensity grows until finally he can’t help but sing,
“Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?
For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.”
(Romans 11:33-36)

This morning, I was hurt by a loved one’s words. I was frustrated by my children. I was angered by the mess. I felt unseen and unknown. I hadn’t spent hours praying over my day, asking the Lord to meet me and prepare my heart to know Him. I wasn’t reflective and open to the Spirit’s work; I was a mess.

But my reality didn’t equate to God becoming distant.
His nearness isn’t dictated by my feelings or circumstance, only by His choice.
And His choice is faithful love for those who have been clothed in His own righteousness through Jesus, every single time.

My heart status this morning was nothing like the afternoon of September 30th, but the Lord was unchanging. As I sat in the Target parking lot and cried (….and shouted), the Spirit reminded me of Who He Is. As I breathed in His grace, His Spirit flooded me with peace I absolutely cannot describe. My clenched jaw instantly relaxed, my breathing slowed, my head rested back against the seat. As anger seeped away, peace invaded, and I was once again graciously reminded that I live out my everyday messiness in the very presence of the God of holiness who has declared me righteous.

His love for me will never abandon and will always pursue my heart that I might know Him more, inviting me into everyday praise.

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Relentless Day 15 Everyday Idols

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-17
Deuteronomy 4:15-24
Judges 17:5-12
Hosea 2:14-23
Matthew 22:34-40

Relentless, Day 15

“Do not have other gods besides me.
Do not make an idol for yourself,
whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above
or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.”
(Exodus 20:3-4)

Consider this your “real talk” alert, Loves.
We’re diving deep, and quick.

Scripture shows us the Lord created mankind for the express purpose of relationship with Him. We were designed to have fellowship with our Maker and to worship Him only. When Adam and Eve sinned by placing their desire for knowledge over their trust in God (as He knew they would), the Lord was forced to banish them from the garden of Eden. He is incapable of contradicting Himself, and when sin separated Adam and Eve from Him, the next phase of His plan was set into motion.

When God raised up Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, the Lord used him to deliver His Law in the form of the ten commandments. These laws were important, but not for the reason you might think. Here’s where many of us (both historically and currently) miss the mark, right along with the Israelites: The ten commandments were the original outline of the Lord’s laws, but the intent behind them was to illustrate that no mere man or woman could ever uphold them. These commandments were not designed to give God’s people a list of rules to follow so they could make themselves holy before Him. They were created to show the Israelites they could not possibly save themselves…
and to highlight their overwhelming, inescapable need for a Savior.  

However, when they embraced the ten commandments God dictated to Moses, God’s chosen people missed the mark. Rather than recognizing they would never be able to fulfill the Law, they became so focused on the doing, they failed to focus on the Doer. Instead, they placed their trust in themselves, elevating their own self-righteousness over the Righteous One. In doing so, they effectively broke God’s Law by elevating the Law above the Lord, and by placing their ability to uphold His commands above relationship with Him…
which created an idol in their hearts.

The account of Micah and the Levite in the book of Judges shows the danger of what can happen when we allow other things to take God’s rightful place in our lives.
Both of them fell short by doing what felt right to them.

Micah adopted a custom of idol worship; it is clear his heart did not belong to the Lord. The Levite was passing through when Micah stopped him, and regardless of what he knew to be right, he accepted Micah’s offer for money, shelter and food in exchange for effectively endorsing and joining Micah in sin by being his household “priest.” Each man exhibited idolatrous behavior. Micah’s was evidenced by his worship of graven images, while the Levite’s was exhibited by placing provisions and shelter above obeying the Lord.

Sometimes it’s hard to relate to Scriptural accounts like the one we just worked through. You may not find yourself around many graven images or physical idols.

I know I don’t.

But friend, if we are stuck on the physical representation of an idol,
we are missing the message here.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, every one of us can think of a time when we have placed something, someone, or some desire above our personal relationship with the Lord.

We talk about our struggle to squeeze in quiet time with the Lord.
We are so busy we can’t carve out time to read and study His Word, pray, or worship Him.

But we seem to have no problem finding time to do other things that matter to us.

Can we be real here?
Can we ask ourselves a few questions, and can we answer honestly?

What matters to me so much that I make sure it happens or takes precedence over everything else, no matter what?
What am I placing above the Lord?
What am I failing to yield to Him?

Whatever that thing is, whether it is:
our spouse,
our children,
our relationship status,
our financial security,
our career,
our self,
our image,
our future,
our comfort,
our entertainment,
or any other thing,
if we elevate it above our relationship with God by giving it more time, attention, thought, pursuit, or desire than we give to the Lord,
we
have
made
it
our
idol.

Woo. My heart. Conviction.
But the truth is the conviction that stirs us in this moment means nothing if we do not respond in obedience to what the Lord is revealing.
We must also obey Him.
We must turn toward God, and away from our everyday idols. 

When we do this, and ask for His holy help,
we can rest assured that He Who is faithful will forgive us! (1 John 1:9)

Lord, I come to You today, convicted of my sin.
I repent of making ________________ an idol in my life.
Jesus, You are my only King forever.

Take Your rightful place as the ruler of my soul, spirit and body, and help me to walk in step with Your commands. Forgive me for worshiping anything but You with my time, attention, heart, money, body, or any part of my life.
You are the only One worthy of my worship.
Thank You for the new work You are doing in me starting now!
I yield every part of my life to You today.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.


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Worship III, Day 7 Despised, Rejected, Cherished: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Despised, Rejected, Cherished!

The Questions

1) Who is the “we” and the “him” throughout this passage?

2) How are we “united with Him in the likeness of death”?

3) I know that Christians still sin, so how is “sin rendered powerless”?

Romans 6:5-11

For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Original Intent

1) Who is the “we” and the “him” throughout this passage?
Paul is the author of the theologically rich book of Romans, and his audience is announced in chapter 1:7 “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” The church in Rome was made up of primarily Gentile believers, who are Paul’s primary audience, but he also addresses the Jewish believers. Romans was written for those “who are loved by God and called to be His saints.” Paul is very intentionally writing to believers as he notes in verse 8, “because your faith is proclaimed in all the world”. The “we” throughout Romans refers to believers as seen in 4:24, “us, who believe in Him”. Going back to 6:3, the “Him” is clarified as being “Christ”.

2) How are we “united with Him in the likeness of death”?
Verse 3 speaks of being “baptized into His (Christ’s) death”. In verse 4, Paul says, “we were buried with by baptism into death”. Again, in verse 5 we hear, “we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death”. Clearly, this a point Paul wants us to sink our teeth into and understand well. Ironically, death is the very crux of our life with Christ! Christ’s physical death on the cross that paid the penalty for sin, but also the spiritual death of every believer. Through Christ’s death, believers are called to also be crucified spiritually; we are called to associate with Jesus’ death so much so, that it is as if our sin nature was on the cross with Him, dying.

3) I know that Christians still sin, so how is “sin rendered powerless”?
Paul says here, “We know that our old self was crucified with Him (see above Q&A) so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless…” Paul’s picture is similar to the imagery of a puppet ruled and chained down by the Master of Sin and Death. This puppet has no choice except to be stuck in sin. Despite all its attempts at breaking free from the chains of sin, the puppet will forever be locked down, controlled by the Master of Sin. This is the “body of sin” Paul refers to. To be rendered powerless to Sin is the idea that the puppet strings have been cut. The puppet is free from the Slave Master of Sin and Death! Yet, without new power and a new life, it falls into a motionless heap on the floor. Christ does not simply “cut the strings of Death”, He fills us with new life and new power to walk in that newness. He fuels us for a life we could never imagine, a hope we never dreamed of, and a depth of relationship previously impossible under the Slave Master.

Everyday Application

1) Who is the “we” and the “him” throughout this passage?
Just because we hold the Bible in our hands and, blessedly, in our own language, does it mean that it was written to us. The Bible was recorded for us that we might know God, understand the gift of the gospel, and be continuously transformed by the truth of Scripture, but it was never intended as our personal letter where everything applies to us however we might want to take it or “feel” about it. However, there are many places in Scripture, especially the New Testament, where “you” or “we” can definitely include you and I living today in our own time because the Church as a global Body, that transcends time, is made up of Christ-followers from every culture and generation since time began.

2) How are we “united with Him in the likeness of death”?
Being united with Christ in the likeness of His death has a million applications to the believer’s everyday life. The act of remembering that our sin nature is indeed utterly, entirely dead is a challenge to embrace in every moment of each day that we have life on earth. The more earnestly we focus on recalling that we are in fact “dead to sin” is what reminds us that Yes, we have been given power to “walk in the newness of life”! (verse 4) We no longer must give in to temptation to lust, be angry, be rude, gossip, be arrogant, or flip people off while driving, Sin is dead to us! Instead, we have been given new life, with a new purpose, and a new heart that longs to love others as Jesus has loved us. When temptation to fall into sin nature flies in the face of our freedom, remember Christian, your sin nature was crucified with your Jesus!

3) I know that Christians still sin, so how is “sin rendered powerless”?
Picking up with the idea of the puppet whose chains have been forever severed from the Slave Master, the Christ follower has been given “everything required for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), but the choosing is ours. Though believers have been set free, sometimes we forget Who our true Lord is. When this happens, we sin. The allure to “take the easy path” and just get angry, or take a quick look at pornography, or tell a few lies pounces on us and, without being armed and ready for this attack, believers fall prey to the Enemy Sin and act like they are still prisoners of their former Master. But Believers, we aren’t tied to those chains! For this reason, Peter warns, “Be sober-minded! Be alert! Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, be firm in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:8-9) We not only have the power to live a new life through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to remember Whose we are and RUN from temptation! Take truth into battle with you against the temptation to sin and shout victoriously as Paul did, “Death no longer rules over me!” (verse 9)

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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This is Worship III Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Remade Day 8
The Everyday Gospel

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ezekiel 36:22-38
John 3:1-21
Hosea 2:16-23  

“There’s no peace without conflict.”
The bold statement sank into the deep places of my heart and wiggled its way around inside as I processed the words my pastor had just spoken.
I despise conflict.
As I sat there, still allowing the truth of his statement to sink in, I recalled a similar moment of clarity years earlier as my husband and I had sat on opposite ends of a small couch in a counselor’s office.
“There will always be conflict in your marriage. The goal isn’t to eliminate the conflict, rather it’s to learn how to handle it.”
Again, I despise conflict.
But I’ve learned the truth of both statements.

We live in a conflict driven world. From marriages, to family relationships, warring countries, and lines of hostility between races and gender, evidence of deep conflict is everywhere. All the brokenness points to a root conflict, which began in the Garden of Eden when humanity held onto arrogance instead of resting in the sufficiency of God’s providence. We chose to clothe ourselves in shame instead of dance freely in the abundance of pure, unadulterated love.
And conflict has grown stronger and more evident ever since.

Oh, how we groan for peace, don’t we?
We need a conflict to end all conflict.
And the message of the gospel brings exactly that.

Tied up in the cruel death of a sinless man is the healing balm for every broken heart. But first, before that wholeness can be unleashed in our hearts and lives to bring about redemption, we have to allow His sword to cut out our own pride.
There’s no peace without conflict.
No new life without death of the old.

What wars inside of you?
What fight needs to be laid to rest?
What is that ache that throbs inside your heart desperately needing the sword and salve of the gospel?
For the majority of my life, I believed the gospel to be the single hope we have through the death of Jesus as He paid for sin, and then rose to life to conquer death. Acceptance of this truth was a one time “must” for becoming a Christian.
But I was wrong.

I had the truth of the gospel right, but the frequency of its application wrong.
I need this gospel everyday.
Because I have conflict against sin everyday.
There is no “remade” without this gospel.

My relationships will stay the same.
My hope is doomed.
My faith will not grow.
I won’t share Jesus with others.
I will stop seeing His mercies each day.
I will become stuck without His Gospel. Every. Single. Day.

It doesn’t get easier than John 3:16.

“For God” leaves no room to doubt the very existence of God in the first place. Every high, every low, and all the in-betweens, He’s there. Tomorrow when your little ones spill the cereal, when your best friend hurts you, when conflict arises, when the familiar ache of depression hits, when you feel tempted. “For God.”

“So Loved” declares how deeply God longs for a personal relationship with us. He wasn’t motivated by self-promotion or looking to condemn us, He was fueled by love. When you hear condemning voices, when you feel overwhelming guilt, when you feel unloved, forgotten, or abandoned, remember you are “So Loved.”

“The World” displays God’s all-inclusive love for humanity. That neighbor or coworker that drives you insane? They’re loved by God. You, when you act arrogantly. Your spouse, when they’re rude. Your child, when they’re prideful. None are excluded from this love, and He calls us to love those in our “World” .

“That He Gave” paints a beautiful picture of God’s sacrificial heart that triumphs over selfishness. He’s there when we act selfishly, gives us the power to love others who are being selfish, and reminds us that, no matter our circumstances, He is a God who gives.

“His Only Begotten Son” compassionately sings over us that nothing could stand in the way of redeeming His children. You are valuable, you are treasured, you are priceless, despite all the lies that run through your head telling you otherwise. He gave up His only son for your redemption!

“That Whoever Believes” adamantly insists that salvation isn’t available for only a select few. This truth prods us not only to extend grace to all regardless of what we think of them, but also reminds us that, we too are separated from God without Jesus. It levels the playing field in how we view others in our everyday, from the mama with the screaming kid, to the grumpy lady barking rudely across the street or on the other end of the phone. This gospel is for everyone.

“In Him” unequivocally states that there is only one way to salvation. Our salvation isn’t found in keeping up appearances, striving for the perfect wardrobe, body, or friends…our only hope is rooted deeply In Him!

“Will Not Perish” speaks of God’s righteous justice and that there exists an eternal separation from Him. Hell is real, justice is coming, but hope exists. Though trust in Jesus, our eternity is secure. We can know for sure that we will not perish, if we trust Him completely.

“But Have Eternal Life” mightily grants salvation with no strings attached. There are no conditions to keeping our salvation. We cannot lose the Almighty’s favor, make Him love us less, or earn a rank to make Him love us more. Eternal life is simply ours to own and rest in through faith.

Yes, we have conflict everyday, but the gospel brings us peace by convicting us, cutting out our sin, and applying the balm of Jesus’ victorious life to our hearts!
Let the gospel remake you.
Everyday.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Remade Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies in Remade!