Advent Conspiracy, Week 1: Worship Fully

Link for FB note:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65At9FOluRI

(Re-written notes from a message given Nov. 14 at Corona International Christian Fellowship.)

What is “advent?”

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition:

Ad•vent \ˈad-ˌvent, chiefly British -vənt\ noun

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin adventus, from Latin, arrival, from advenire]

(12th century)

1 : the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting

2 a : the coming of Christ at the Incarnation

b : second coming ^[1]

So while traditionally we think of Advent as the four weeks of meditation leading up to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, in a practical sense, we are preparing for His second coming, by retelling not only the story of His birth, but the reason for His coming, rejoicing in His finished work of redeeming His creation to Himself, and, most importantly, having that reflect in our very lives daily as we worship Him fully.

What is a conspiracy?

con·spir·a·cy

noun \kən-ˈspir-ə-sē\ plural con·spir·a·cies

1 : the act of conspiring together

2 a : an agreement among conspirators

b : a group of conspirators

con·spire

verb \kən-ˈspī(-ə)r\ con·spiredcon·spir·ing

: plot, contrive

Middle English, from Anglo-French conspirer, from Latinconspirare to be in harmony, conspire, from com- + spirareto breathe

1a : to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement

b : scheme

2 : to act in harmony toward a common end

I think we'll focus on definition No. 2. We're not in this alone. We're joining with other churches across the country to act in harmony toward a common end: to remind the world that Christmas is not about shopping until you drop (and running up ridiculous debt), but about Jesus, His birth, and how the world changed because of it.

Advent Conspiracy series

• Week 1: Worship Fully
• Week 2: Spend Less
• Week 3: Give More
• Week 4: Love All

What is worship, and what does it mean to worship fully?

There continues to be a mistaken notion that worship means singing songs about God to God, and that worship only takes place on a Sunday in a building like this one.

The Bible doesn’t define it that way. I want to continue to shoot down that notion, to teach you to teach yourselves and to teach people you are discipling and will disciple that worship is more than a Sunday thing that makes us “feel” good.

Let’s allow God’s Word sober us up and set our heads and hearts straight:

Amos 5:21-27

²¹ “I hate, I despise your religious feasts;

I cannot stand your assemblies.

²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them.

Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,^a

I will have no regard for them.

²³ Away with the noise of your songs!

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

²⁴ But let justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!” ^[2]

Why was God not pleased with the nation of Israel (the northern kingdom at that point)?

Amos 2:6-7

⁶ This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel,

even for four, I will not turn back my wrath.

They sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals.

⁷ They trample on the heads of the poor

as upon the dust of the ground

and deny justice to the oppressed.” ^[3]

Some of you may remember this from back in the spring: The nation of Israel, by then the northern kingdom (Judah being the southern kingdom) had fallen into serious sin.

They worshiped with the pagans at the high places (hilltop altars of false gods), but yet they ALSO went through the motions of worshiping the one true God. Many of them lived a life of false piety – they followed the law, the ritual sacrifices, yet, outside of religious rituals, they acted as if those laws didn’t exist.

They were prosperous materially, but they were bankrupt morally and spiritually: they took advantage of the poor, keeping them oppressed, and justice was a joke, as one commentator wrote.

What does that sound like?

So, just because people sing “God songs” and do “God things” in a “God building” such as a church, does that mean worship is happening?

Let’s look at what God’s Word also says about worship.

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” ^[4]

Why was Isaiah at the temple? Was it to hangout at the temple Starbucks, sign on to his Facebook and update his status? Was he there to socialize, to make his appearance there to validate that he was a prophet?

Why did any God-fearing Jew go to temple?

· He was there to worship.

· And he had an encounter with the living God.

· And he saw himself for what he was, as well as seeing the people around him for what they were.

· And God cleansed him from his sin when he came to the realization that he was sinful and so far from the glory of God.

· And once cleansed of that sin, God had a mission for him.

Do you see any mention of music? Do you see any mention of an assembly of people? Do you see any mention of a set of rituals to be followed? Do you see any mention of people having their emotions stroked and satisfied?

I don’t.

But what do you see in this passage?

· An encounter with the living God.

· A realization of a man and who he truly is in God’s holy presence.

· God reaching out to cleanse that man of sin and make him right in His sight.

· God saving that man from sin so that he would be able to serve the Lord.

So, let me ask you:

· Has any of your times of worship been an encounter with the living God?

· At those times, have you seen yourself for what you really are in His holy presence?

· At those times, did He remind you that He sent His Son, Jesus, to atone for your sins, and that through His blood you are made right in His eyes?

· At those times, did you hear the Lord saying, “OK, we have work to do. Who’s in?”

· Is that happening now? If not, why not?

If it is happening, great, let’s be about our Father’s business – letting justice roll like a river and righteousness like a never ending stream by doing the things He is calling us to do – by loving Him and loving people

But, if you fall in the “if not, why not” column, you may not be alone.

· Maybe you’re allowing the cares of the world to distract you from His presence.

· Maybe you’re being anxious about the upcoming Christmas season, that the finances are not what you want them to be, and that some people you want to please or make a good impression on will not get either.

· Maybe you’re bearing a grudge against someone.

· Maybe you’re dealing with some sin that you still need to actually confess to God and actively repent from it.

· Maybe you’re thinking too much about yourself and your needs and wants or your shortcomings or your problems to think about God and the things of God.

The Bible, in Philippians 2, instructs us to look beyond ourselves and, as we take care of our own interests, to look and take care of the interests of others, to consider their needs ahead of our own. It says, in Philippians 2:5-8, that our attitude has to be like the attitude of Jesus, who put His own interests aside to redeem us from sin, being obedient to the Father to the point of dying in the most humiliating way know to man at that time – to be nailed to a cross for sins He didn’t commit.

That’s what we need to remind ourselves in our daily times of worship – yes, I said that, our daily times of worship – and maybe even more so during this time leading up to Christmas, when the world is singing our songs, and Jesus is being talked about. That talk may not be accurate, and that talk may be a worldly perspective of Him, but He’s being talked about. And we’re in the position to not only talk about Him in spirit and in truth, but also to have His attitude as we encounter people who don’t yet know him.

That’s worship.

It's full, it's all encompassing, it's multi-dimensional and it holds the Lord in the highest place because we put His perfect desires ahead of our own small, imperfect desires. People will see Him in the right light. And it changes us, and it changes those around us.

But don’t take my word for it. Let’s see what God says:

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual^a act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ^[5]

Offer yourself as a living sacrifice, doing the things of God, doing the things that please Him. That’s worship.

And what does it look like in a practical sense?

Philippians 2:3-4

3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

And here’s how Jesus – God Himself – said our worship should look like:

Matthew 25:31-41

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” ^[6]

That’s the God-honoring thing to do, the way to worship the Lord fully: Heed His call to help the least of these, whether they be materially poor or spiritually poor. God has blessed you – He’s atoned for your sin and cleansed you with the blood of His Son, Jesus.

And now, He’s calling you, He’s calling me, “We have work to do. Who’s in?”

One more …

Compare Isaiah 6:1-8 with Matthew 28:16-20:

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inathe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The 11 had an encounter with the risen Christ, and they worshiped Him. This is the risen Christ who atoned for their sins, and by His blood they were forgiven and made right in God's eyes. What does that sound like from Isaiah 6? And then, Jesus gave them the command: "You have work to do in my Name. Now, go and get it done."

In other words, the harvest if plentiful, but the workers are few. Are you in?

The application is pretty clear, I hope: Whatever we do for the least of these, we do to the Lord.

Your homework, beginning now, then with your families, your friends, your coworkers, the strangers you come across, is how will you make worshiping fully Jesus real in your life and in the lives of those around you? Be specific. If you have to, write it down in a journal to keep you focused on the Father’s business.

Then go ... and get it done.

And when you get with your discipleship groups later in the week, be accountable to each other: What did you do? What didn’t you do? And if you didn’t do anything, why not and what can your discipleship group help you with?

As we prepare for the Christmas season to tell the story of Jesus and why He came to dwell among us for at time, let’s make sure we heed the words of James 2:14-17.

And to drive the point home even further, let me use again The Message paraphrase:

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

James 2:14-17, The Message paraphrase Bible by Eugene Patterson

One way to help the least of these:

http://mycharitywater.org/alan_llavore

Another way to worship Jesus fully ... and it just may save a life:

http://www.christianfreedom.org/news/petion-to-free-asia-bibi/
Please sign the online petition at that link ... and spread the link around ...

Still stuck on finding practical ways to worship Jesus fully everyday? Go to:

http://www.buildingchurchleaders.com/articles/2010/tenideaseverydayoutreach.html

For more on Advent Conspiracy, visit:

http://www.adventconspiracy.org

On Facebook, join the conversation:

http://www.facebook.com/AdventConspiracy?ref=ts

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^[1]Merriam-Webster, Inc: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. Springfield, Mass., U.S.A. : Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993

^a Traditionally peace offerings

^[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Am 5:21-6:1

^[3] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Am 2:6-7

^[4] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Is 6:1-8

^a Or reasonable

^[5] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ro 12:1-2

^[6] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Mt 25:31-26:1

'Because God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense.'

"Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"

James 2:14-17, The Message paraphrase Bible by Eugene Patterson

More at http://mycharitywater.org/alan_llavore

Finish the Race

(Re-written notes from a message shared on Oct. 31, 2010, at Corona International Christian Fellowship. Also, when you have a moment, please visit http://mycharitywater.org/alan_llavore. Read the blog there, pray about it, then, as you are led, please give. Thanks!)

Acts 20:17-24

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. ²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. …”^[1]

Context

This at the end of Paul’s third and final missionary journey, and he makes a stop in Miletus to meet with church elders from Ephesus. He’s on his way back to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, he says, but he also wanted to encourage the church leaders AND remind of their charge, their course, their race. And he reminds them of his own race.

Though he was opposed – especially physically (stoned, beaten, flogged, arrested, mobbed, just all out abused) by Jewish religious leaders and their followers, that didn’t stop him. It didn’t stop him from preaching the Gospel, nor did he try to hide that he preached the Gospel, doing so publically and meticulously (house-to-house). Nor did he water down the truth of the Gospel – that it all must turn to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus.

And he reveals his heart to his brothers: Yes, wherever he goes, he knows, by the Holy Spirit, that the Gospel he brings will be opposed, even to the point of throwing him in prison to keep him quiet. Still, he knows he has a task handed to him – to testify, to be a witness for, to share, to live the good news of life in Christ Jesus, “and this not by works so no one can boast, but by faith in Jesus.” To fall short of that, to not complete the race, mean that his life counted for nothing.

Teaching point No.1

We who say we follow Jesus have to run the race.

In the original Greek, the word Paul used that is translated as “race” in the NIV is δρόμος (dromos). It’s transliterated two ways: as race, that is, a foot race run along a pre-set course (some translations use the word course); and also as mission, that is, a career or calling from God. In the context of today’s passage, both seem to be correct interpretations.

Paul, as he does throughout his letters, uses the Greek athletic contests as metaphors or analogies, to get his point across. And when he refers to a race, it seems to descriptive of his calling, and the calling of all believers in Christ.

In Harper’s Bible Dictionary, it says:

From one perspective, Paul viewed the Christian’s life as an intense striving, a combat requiring self-discipline and strenuous training. In running this race, one must exert one’s energies to the full, throwing off clinging sin, contending for the faith, and persisting in the race to the finish line.

The Christian’s life is not a passive one. It is about constantly striving for the things of the Lord, about loving Him and following Him and His ways because of that love. It is about loving Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our power, all our strength, AND loving others as we love ourselves.

And that love is most shown, most demonstrated, most lived, most apparent to others by our fulfilling of the Great Commission, of going out and making disciples and teaching them everything about the things Jesus teaches us in the Word, from Genesis to Revelation.

Paul said that life is worth nothing unless he finishes the race – the task – of testifying, of living of sharing, of telling people of the good news of God’s grace.

That’s our race. That’s the course set out for us. And yes, like any race, it will have some challenges – some that can be easily overcome, and others that will make us want to give up. The Bible is quite clear on that.

Application: When was the last time you went out and actually made a disciple? If it hasn’t happened in the past year, why not? What do you have to do to run the race?

Teaching point No. 2

Some of us got “injured” in our race, and haven’t gotten back in it, for whatever reason, be it fear of getting “injured again or maybe we got to comfortable and got lazy.

In verse 23, Paul says:

“I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.”

Even Jesus told His disciples that following Him was not going to be a cakewalk. Look at John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble.”

It is a rough race. Any race is rough. Expect it. It’s going to happen.

Application:

The point is, we need to get up again. God gives us the opportunities – we just have to get up and go.

Isaiah 43: 18-19

¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland. …”

In James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

And Peter says, just get up. 1 Peter 4: 19

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Teaching point No. 3

Even so, some of us are still sitting on the curb watching everyone else run the race. The message is clear: Get off the curb and into the race.

It comes down to this: If we really love the Lord like many of us say we do – with all our heart, all our strength, all our soul – then loving people by telling them of the good news of eternal life through Jesus naturally follows.

It should be our way of life. And if it’s our way of life, well, CICF should be having a healthy conflict with Living Truth because this property is not big enough for the both of us.

But, as a church, it seems to me that we’ve been watching others run the race while we have collectively sat on the curb. While we pastors do bear some of the responsibility, you, too also share in that responsibility. I mean, we all have had opportunities in the past year to get in the race, whether it’s been through the Unity Nights, the spring retreat and summer camp, the bridging event with CCF-LA, Run for God, tonight’s Harvest Night with Living Truth, our upcoming Christmas celebration – your own discipleship groups.

We are NOT lacking in opportunities, church. What it seems we are lacking is getting into the race.

I’ve heard a lot of talk of getting into the race, of going out and making disciples. And we should be talking about it. Because we can’t be taking all this Biblical knowledge, gorging ourselves on it, and becoming spiritually obese because we’re not getting out and exercising what we’ve been taught in church or in group Bible studies or in our own private time with God.

A paraphrase of James 2:14-17 says it best:

"Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"

James 2:14-17, The Message paraphrase Bible by Eugene Patterson

Application:

But you know what? Now is the time to quit talking, to quit trying to find ways and methods and tracts and events, and just go out and do it. Just get up, get out and run the race the Lord has set before us.

We have to get into the race.

Some of you may get mad at me for saying this. And that’s OK, because I can take you guys being mad at me – I can’t take the Lord being mad at me. But as I say this, I pray you are or will take an honest assessment of yourself before the Lord.

My question is, are you even in it? Are even in the race? Are you going out among your family and friends, maybe the random stranger on the street, and sharing the Gospel? Or have you become spiritually obese?

If you are not in the race, why? What do you need to get in there and start running?

Here’s one way: We ALL have personal trainers in this church. Look at your discipleship groups that way. If you don’t attend, if you don’t “work out” your salvation with the help of your d-groups, you will get spiritually obese … and that’s not a healthy way to live.

You need to get involved with your D-groups. And you need to just throw yourself on the Lord and let Him lead you on the course He has set out for you.

In the general scheme of things, I’ve come to the realization that my time on this earth is a little more than half over. And in the last couple months, I’ve taken some pretty serious looks on what I’ve done – but more importantly, what I have NOT done. And I’m not talking about some silly “bucket list” that people talk about these days.

When I first created Facebook profile a couple years ago, I had put down that I just want to make a positive difference somewhere, somehow … well, that way of making that positive difference has been here all along.

I’m talking about fulfilling the Great Commission. OK I’ve done some, but I haven’t kept at it. I’ve stumbled in my race, got distracted, got injured even, and getting back into the race is taking a lot longer than it should.

Then I come to a passage in Acts, and Paul says: “ … I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. …”^[2]

I want to be THAT. I want to be able to say – I want all of us who follow Jesus – to say at the end of our days here that our lives were worth something because we FINISHED the race, and we completed the job of telling people about God’s SAVING grace through Jesus.

And little while ago, we sang with Allona:

“Spirit now living and dwelling within me

Keep my eyes fixed ever on Jesus’ face

Let not the things of this world ever sway me

I’ll run until I finish the race.”

"Lord of Lords" by Brooke Fraser

I pray that we all are filled with the Spirit, that our eyes are fixed on our Lord and Savior through His written Word, that we are not distracted by the world – and that we finish the race.

"Lord of Lords" by Brooke Fraser

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^[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ac 20:17-24

^[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ac 20:17-24