IT’S NOT JUST FOR US
Psalm 96:10
S: Worship
C: Relationship between worship and mission
Th: God – Most Worthy of Praise
Pr: WORSHIP OF GOD IS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE FOR ALL THE WORLD.
Type: Inductive
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Worship correctly, so the world will listen.
• Keep to the mission of making disciples so the world will be able to fulfill its purpose of worship
Version: ESV
RMBC 18 September 05 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Through the years, I think many of us have learned that…
1. We need to be careful with what we communicate.
Take for example this incident reported by Russ Tompkins…
ILL Communicate: A Little Pot (revised)
Finishing up their work at a trade show in San Diego, Russ and his co-worker Maureen decided to go sightseeing across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. While there, they went shopping and bought a few decorative pieces for the kitchen.
As they crossed back into the United States, a customs official asked if they had anything of value to report. "Not really,” Maureen replied, digging in her bag for the bean crock she had purchased. Everyone froze as she continued, "I only bought a little pot."
If you are not clear, it can get you in trouble.
Take for example how something can get lost in translation…
ILL Communicate: Translating "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (revised)
Perhaps you have tried this on the Internet – there are language programs that will translate English into whatever language you want. Type in a phrase and push a button, and it will translate it into French or Spanish or German or whatever. But how do you know the translation is good?
A man had a similar question and did something fun. He took the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," typed it into the computer, and translated it into German. Then he translated it back into English to see if anything got lost in the translation. You know the song (you can sing it with me if you like):
Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out to the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjack. I don’t care if I ever get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team. If they don’t win, it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ballgame.
He translated it into German and then back into English. Well, something got lost in the translation. It sounds a little militant, like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Execute me to the ball play. Execute me with the masses. Buy me certain groundnuts and crackerstackfusig. I’m not interested if I never receive back.
Let me root, root, root for the main team. If they do not win, it is dishonor. For there are one, two, three impacts on you at the old ball play.
Something got lost in the translation.
Citation: Lee Strobel, Meet the Jesus I Know,
(Preaching Today Audio No. 211)
The same is true about God.
The way people perceive God is so often a caricature of who he really is.
“…the man upstairs,” etc.
This is why…
2. We need to be clear about the truth about God
OUR STUDY:
Well, September is Discipleship Month here at Randall.
And…
1. Our theme is “God – Most Worthy of Praise”
We have been working through this theme of worship based on Psalm 96.
And as we have made our way through the last two weeks, we have observed that…
2. We have a responsibility to declare His worthiness.
It is both our privilege and responsibility.
God is worthy of our praise.
He is deserving of every good word that we say about Him and put next to His name.
Last week, we considered this fact, that…
3. We are to participate in shared worship.
God has called us into community.
He asks us to enter into His courts with thanksgiving.
Together, we are to recognize God for who He is.
Together, we are to bring offerings to God, the most important being our bodies as living sacrifices.
Together, we are to respect His purity, worshiping Him in the splendor of His holiness.
This brings us now to the climax of this psalm, verse 10, where it says…
Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity."
You see…
4. We have more to tell!
According to the psalmist, we are not to be satisfied with what has been communicated so far.
There is more to say.
The good news about who God is is worth talking about.
So, we have to get out the message.
And the message is…
5. God reigns!
God rules!
He is King.
He is the King above all the other kings and rulers of the world.
The nations and their leaders may rage in opposition.
But their efforts are futile.
For…
6. God is firmly in control.
He is a firm foundation.
He cannot be shaken.
His power can never be overthrown.
Contrary to those who wield power here on earth, we do not need to fear God’s use of it.
His power is always executed with fairness.
For…
7. God does it right.
God is righteous.
He judges perfectly.
He is absolutely fair.
And God never makes a mistake.
As a result, we have perfect freedom to live the way of joy.
We have much to say when it comes to our Lord.
And…
8. We have more to tell to!
We are to tell the nations.
You see…
God is drawing true worshipers from every tribe and people to worship Him before the throne.
We know, according to the testimony of the Revelation of John, that it is at the throne that God desires to accept glory from all the peoples of the earth.
APPLICATION:
We often speak of purpose of the importance of mission and missions around here.
And it is greatly important.
It is important because there is an even more important purpose of the church.
Note how John Piper states it:
1. “Missions is not the ultimate purpose of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”
John Piper in Let the Nations Be Glad
Worship is a world-sized affair.
Worship is not just for a certain type of people or race.
It is not for a certain nation or culture.
Worship bridges language and cultural barriers.
It goes above and beyond the American culture of capitalism, democracy, and materialism.
We are all brought to the same level floor of the throne room of God with the same needs and the same purpose.
You see, the…
2. WORSHIP OF GOD IS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE FOR ALL THE WORLD.
Jesus has ransomed men for God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation.
This means for us that we are not to rest until the mission is accomplished.
ILL God: Wizard of Oz
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man arrive at the legendary Emerald City to meet with the Wizard. The Wizard is reputed to hold the power to solve each of the travelers’ problems. But to enter his presence, they must first traverse a long, dimly lit, gothic hallway. The Lion is not alone in his cowardice as they enter the large inner sanctum. They are greeted with an explosion and billows of green smoke.
When the smoke finally clears, a giant, menacing, bodiless head shouts, "I am Oz, the great and terrible! Who are you?"
Dorothy attempts a response, but the Wizard booms, "Silence! The great and powerful Oz knows why you are here! Step forward, Tin Man."
The Tin Man approaches this ominous-looking figure with great trepidation, only to hear the Wizard say, "You dare come to me for a heart, you clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk?"
The other travelers are met with similar greetings. To the Scarecrow, he shouts, "You have the effrontery to ask for a brain, you billowing bale of bovine fodder?"
To the Cowardly Lion, Oz shouts, "And you, Lion?" The poor Lion is overcome with fear and faints.
This, unfortunately, is similar to the unflattering caricature summoned up by many when they think about God. The Wizard puts on a false show of majesty, but there is no love, no grace, no mercy.
In several places, Scripture gives an awesome picture of the holiness of God and the reverence he rightly inspires.
At Mount Sinai as well as in visions given to Isaiah and Ezekiel, God manifests himself with fire and smoke and authority.
That is who God is.
But God is also loving and compassionate and gentle.
We must communicate both views of God in balance.
We are to tell the nations about the God of justice.
He is the God of power.
And He is the God of grace.
So we must worship Him as He is, not as we might want Him to be.
As Edmund Clowney states:
“When we worship God as we ought, that’s when the nations listen.”
Our responsibility is to make God known.
Because…
3. God does not want anyone missing out on the greatest life.
God is on a mission and its goal is worship.
You see…
God is so good that He doesn’t want anyone to miss the best love, the deepest joy, and the greatest life.
These are all found in Him.
He is a God of power.
He is a God of justice.
And He is a God of grace.
This being so…
4. We should never leave worship unmoved.
As Rick Warren says (this is a quote I used two weeks ago)…
“Whenever you feel indifferent, apathetic, or bored with worship, it means you’ve forgotten how amazing God’s grace really is.”
Worship is important to us because it is here that we integrate our lives with God’s character.
In so doing, we align our lives with God’s mission.
When we truly worship, it leads to mission.
For how can we leave unmoved by the plight of those who don’t know His love?
No matter how hard or uncomfortable it may seem to us, we know sharing in God’s mission must be done.
Worship is for all the peoples of the world.
And the mission continues for us because true worship is yet to exist for so many, here in this community and the entire world.
ILL Evangelism: Evangelizing in the Worst Circumstances
In 1948 in Europe, Dawson Trotman, the founder of Navigators, met for three days with a group of 25 German men. He talked to them every evening for three hours, laying before them the Great Commission and the idea that not only did Germany need to hear the gospel, but that Germans themselves needed to obey the Great Commission by sending out missionaries.
Every once in a while a hand would go up. One of them said, "But Mr. Trotman, you don’t understand. Some of us right in this room don’t even own an Old Testament. We only have a New Testament." But He pointed out, "When Jesus Christ gave these commands, they didn’t have even a New Testament."
Later another spoke up. "But Mr. Trotman, we have few good evangelical books in this country like you have in America." He asked, "How many books did the disciples have?"
Scattered through the nine hours were other protests: "In America you have money." "You have automobiles; we have bicycles." "In America you can hear the gospel any day." Every excuse was brought up. Each time He replied, "But the 12 apostles didn’t have that either, and Jesus sent them out."
Finally, near the end, one fellow who was a little older than the rest, and who had a bitter expression on his face, rose and said, "Mr. Trotman, you in America have never had an occupation force in your land. You don’t know what it is to have soldiers of another country roaming your streets. Our souls are not our own." He responded by reminding him of the Roman soldiers who occupied Palestine at the time Jesus Christ and his disciples lived.
Then it dawned on Dawson that when Christ sent out his men, they were in a situation so bad that there could never be a worse one: no printing presses, no automobiles, no radios or television, no telephones, no church buildings.
He left them with nothing except a job to do. But with it he said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations…"
Dawson Trotman, "The Need of the Hour,"
Discipleship Journal (Jan/Feb 1982)
And that mission continues, for the worship of God is the ultimate purpose for all the world.
Prayers for the Nations
1. Be exalted among the nations, O LORD; be exalted in the earth! May Your Ways be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. May all the peoples praise You, O God. May the nations be glad and sing for joy (Ps. 46:10, 67:2-4)!
2. Lord, You have said that Your house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. Forgive us for failing to pray for all nations. Forgive us for prayers that are self-centered and hearts that are cold. Give us hearts of flesh! Give us the compassion of Jesus! Open our eyes to see the harvest fields ripe for harvest! Stir our hearts to intercede for the lost because You want all people to be saved (I Sam. 12:23; Is 56:7; Ezk. 36:26; Mk. 6:34; Jn. 4:35; I Tim. 2:1-4).
3. Lord, grant Your children perseverance to pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. Make us alert so we will keep praying for Your saints who minister in the harvest fields of the world. Help us not to become weary in doing this, clinging to Your promise that at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Eph. 6:18; Gal. 6:9).
4. You don’t want us to be unaware of Satan’s schemes, Father. You have told us that Satan not only deceives individuals – he deceives entire nations! We take up spiritual weapons You have given us on behalf of the nations. In Jesus’ name we demolish strongholds, arguments, and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We speak freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, in the strong name of Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life (II Cor 2:11; Rev 20:3; II Cor. 10:4-5; Is. 61:1; Jn. 14:6).
5. Sovereign Lord, we rejoice in Your plan to bring all the nations to worship before You! How fitting that the kings of the earth will bring their splendor to You and to the Lamb, and that the nations will give their glory and honor to You as well. Hasten the day when we will join the throng of worshipers around Your throne – from every tribe and language and people and nation. Your kingdom come, Lord (Rev. 15:4, 5:9, 21:24, 26; Mt. 6:10).
by Cynthia Hyle Bezek, managing editor, Pray!
Copied from Pray! Used by permission.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Let’s worship correctly…for when we do so, we give the world the opportunity to really hear how great God is.
So let’s get the message out…grace really is amazing and God desires that we know the best love, the deepest joy, and the greatest life.
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, William A. VanGemeren
Psalms 73-150, Derek Kidner, Tyndale series
“Purpose Driven Life: Worship that Pleases God”, Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox, Rick Warren
“A Glorious Pursuit,” Mission Frontiers, 22 Mar 2001, Steve Hoke
“Let All the Peoples Praise Him, March 12, 2000, John Piper, www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/00/031200.html
“Let the Nations Be Glad!, November 7, 1993, John Piper, www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/93/110793.html
Sermoncentral:
The Imperatives of Worship, Brian Bill
