Celebrating in Christ

How excited are you about Jesus?

Our worship service today started off with a very spirited song that made me wish I could dance. I have never had rhythm. Why, I can’t even sing and clap at the same time. It just doesn’t work for me. However, there are times that I am overcome with excitement when I think of all God has done in my life.

• He gave me eternal life through His Son.
• He gave me a hope and a future.
• His activity in my life motivated me to pursue my education.
• He provided me with a career as a research scientist.
• He gave me a wonderful and caring wife.
• He provided me with three great children and five super granddaughters.
• He gave me a love for His word.
• After many years of serving Him, He saw fit to allow me to be a pastor at Truth Fellowship Live.
• And the list goes on and on.

I am sure He has also provide for you needs. But how do we respond to the realization that God has provided much more than we could even conceive (or more than we deserve)?

It sure seems to me that we don’t want to demonstrate (at least in public) that we are really excited to be Christians. We hold back because we are concerned about what others might think of us. We don’t raise our hands in worship because that is what “those other Christians” do. We don’t make a joyful noise unto the Lord because we are afraid of what “those who can actually sing” might think. We don’t witness to a lost and dying world because we think they might ridicule us.

All of these restrictions keep us from demonstrating our love for God. What showed us true love—“…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) How do we put this same love in practice? How do we demonstrate our love for God?

We have some poignant examples from Scripture.

The woman who anointed Jesus

The message at Truth Fellowship Live this morning was outstanding. Pastor Terry spoke on Luke 7:36-50. Please listen to the message to get the details of his message. What struck me was that this woman barged into a party to which she wasn’t invited to get into a situation where she would be ridiculed. But she went anyway. Why? Because she had an earlier interaction with Jesus which so moved her that she could only go to where He was so she could honor Him.

She approached Jesus and bathed Him with her tears and wiped Him with her hair. Then she anointed Him with oil. These are not normal actions—they are extraordinary. She went out of her way regardless of the opinions and actions of others to demonstrate her love for Jesus, the Christ.  This was something she just had to do.

Jesus responded to her by forgiving her sins. She was set free. When we humbly approach the throne of Christ, we enter into a new depth of relationship. At that point, we can worship Him without concern for what others might think.

We in the Church need to loosen up a bit. We tend to be stiff and inflexible. We need to allow our emotions to show a bit.

I was really moved when Chris came to pray and read the Scripture during the worship time. He commented regarding the songs we had just sung. They drew tremendous sentiment from him, because these were some of the first songs he learned as a new Christian. Tears actually welled up in his eyes.

Our relationship with God should free us up to worship Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind.

David dancing before the Lord

David was a man valor, but also a man of great emotion. He loved the Lord as no man of his time. He faithfully served God and his remorse greatly when he sinned against God. David was a man of ultimately a man of conviction.

He demonstrated his love for God when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem. David “danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Sam 6:14). “ David enthusiastically led the house of Israel with shouting and the trumpet.

But when his wife, Michal, saw King David acting so “unkingly” she despised him. She watched through her palace window as David was leaping and whirling before the Lord. Yet, David’s eyes were on his worship of God and not on the opinions of people.

Far too often we are concerned with what people think. This stops us from opening up and worshipping God with all of our heart, soul, and mind.

Worship in heaven

We don’t know much about what happens in the throne room of God. But we are given a glimpse in Revelation 5:8-14. John was taken to the throne room of God to stand before the Messiah. John tells us that then four living creatures and the 24-elders fell down before Jesus, the Lamb. And they sang a new song saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev 5:9–10)

Just think, Jesus redeemed us to God by His blood. He has called humanity out of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. He made us kings and priests to God. We will have the great privilege of reigning with Him on earth. Doesn’t this make you want to jump up and shout, “AMEN!?”

Then those around the throne of Christ said with a loud voice (might even be singing), “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12)

The Messiah alone is worthy to receive our worship. He alone is worthy of praise. He alone is worthy. Doesn’t this make you want to jump up and shout, “AMEN!?”

Those standing before Christ continued, “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev 5:13)

Christ alone is worthy to receive blessing, honor, glory, and power. He alone deserves our worship. We must worship Him regardless of what society says. We are to worship Him without hesitation and without concern regarding what others may think.

We need to stop being so stuffy, so plastic. We are to worship Him and give Him all the praise, glory, and honor. Doesn’t this make you want to jump up and shout, “AMEN!?”

Our response

We need to take our place before Christ. We need to focus on Him and not what others might think. Let’s shed a tear or two for our Lord. Let’s give Him the glory and honor He deserves. Let’s worship Him without reservation. Let’s be willing to stand up and shout AMEN. Let’s demonstrate to the world that we serve the risen Lord.

Let’s make Truth Fellowship Live a church that celebrates the risen Lord. Let’s live a life that reflects we really believe the truth regarding Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Let’s put this truth into practice. He is the life.

Do you believe what Jesus said? Then let’s live it—let’s worship Him with our hearts, souls, and minds. We need to stand up and shout AMEN!