ABANDON: THE MOVEMENT

 

Read Hebrews 13:15-17.  What is true worship?  In his book “Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe,” Mark Driscoll simply defines worship as “the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do, and all that I can ever become in light of having chosen or choosing God.”

 

Worship is often confused with a style of music.  When some hear “worship” they think crowds of people raising their hands, kneeling in honor, or prayer.  Others migh equate it to contemporary worship songs written and led by Chris Tomlin, Hillsong United, David Crowder, Jesus Culture, Misty Edwards, etc.  Or you might think Bill Gaither and southern gospel, a choir and orchestra, ancient and modern hymns, or even Kirk Franklin.  Worship is not defined by music; it is simply expressed through it.

 

 

Hebrews 13:15 opens with the words, “Through Him…”  Worship only happens through Jesus!  Apart from the redeeming sacrifice of Christ there is no way to worship God, pray, or have relationship with Him.  Verse 15 continues with “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.”  Pay attention to the words “that is.”  These words present a qualifier to how we are to sacrificially praise God.  The sacrificial praise of God is the verbal proclamation of His Name.

 

A name might not mean much today other than identifying a person, place, or thing.  In biblical times a name meant so much more, it defined who you were and served as a sum total of your character and actions.  So where are we called to proclaim Christ?  Everywhere!  Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”  God’s heart is for all people to know and worship Him.  John Piper famously said, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

 

Additionally in Hebrews 13:15 “the fruit of lips” acknowledges our need and reliance on the Holy Spirit.  God’s Word tells us that nothing in and of us is holy and good apart from that which is from God.  We were born into a state of total depravity and apart from the work of Christ we could never know God and live by His Spirit.  Worship songs are simply an extension of a 7 day-a-week walk with Christ; otherwise when singing we are doing nothing more than “Christian karoake.”

 

 

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If today’s church doesn’t recapture the spirit of the early church, it’ll lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning.”  Wow!  Let that quote sink in for a minute.  Hebrews 13:16 goes on to say, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”  The verse begins with a stern warning: “Do not neglect…”  We are called to push in the giving and serving of others because the opposite means to give into our fleshly desires and to neglect the transformation of lives.

 

Jesus was the model.  In one moment we see Jesus healing; in other moments we see him feeding.  Jesus served us at great sacrifice, ultimately costing His life, so that we might know Him and be saved.  Sacrificial service is what make Christians distinct form the world around us.  I can’t tell you how many times in my ministry work through Abandon Productions, First Priority NOLA, or the local church, we’ve shown up at a person’s house to pull weeds, mow the lawn, wash their car, etc. and the reaction we get is, “Why and what do you want from me?”  We’ve had people upset because we wouldn’t collect money or take anything from them for serving and loving on our neighbors.  Serving with no strings attached does not make sense to the world, but it is the true picture of Christ to the world.

 

 

This last verse is the hardest for any leader to tackle because it’s ultimately the role we play.  Hebrews 13:17 concludes, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.  Let them do this with joy and no with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”  Leadership, especially Christian leadership, is a weighty task because you are not simply overseeing an organization, but a living organism that is the body of Christ, His Church.

 

Christian leadership does not mean spiritual superiority as much as it is keeping “watch over your soul.”  Humility and leadership are interchangeable.  It’s a great responsibility to know the heart, will, and voice of God and lead other to know it as well.  The bible speaks of elders and deacons.  Elders, or pastors, teach the Word, guard the doctrine of the church, and oversee the church in light of the scriptures.  Deacons work hard to serve the needs of others, including both the body and the lost in the community.  In summary, elders lead in the proclamation of truth while deacons lead through the sacrificial serving of other while we humbly submit to the leaders God has placed in our lives and lead in light of God’s Word.

 

 

Before we end let’s touch briefly on what worship is not.  When you hear the term “idol” I’m sure many things come to mind like a statue, image, an object that is worshipped, or maybe even a television show singing competition.  Idolatry is when we live and act in ways that do not reflect the worship and character of God.  Romans 1:25 says, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”

 

Idolatry is when we seek equality with God.  As sinners we are prone to worship things, like ourselves, rather than the One who created all things.  As the church we fall into modes of idolatry including celebrity, consumerism, and competition rather than living out the will of our Creator by loving Him and others.  Avoid making good things like marriage, sex, children, health, success, financial stability, etc. the ultimate thing because that is where idolatry begins.  Theologian G.K. Beale said, “What people revere, they resemble, either for ruin or restoration.”  Worship God!