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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (28-8-2001 Framsden Baptist Church)
This concluding section is about three essentials of life
in the local church – leaders, members, and public worship. Today we are going
to consider the latter.
Worship is a two-way
conversation. God speaks to us and we speak to God. God speaks by His Spirit
through His Word when it is read and preached (5:19-22). We speak to Him in
praise and prayer. Ought to take five looks in our praise and prayer – look up
(worship), look in (confession), look back (thanksgiving), look forward
(petition for oneself), and look round (intercession). These looks should be in
every act of worship and in our own prayer life. Four of the five are mentioned
or implied in this passage, the fifth, confession, can be found in other places.
Of course, rejoicing, prayer and
thanksgiving are to be features of our personal Christian lives, but going to
emphasis their place in public worship now because that is the context here.
This letter was to be read to all the brothers. There is a need for careful
preparation and thought. The preacher prepares what to say to men, and ought to
prepare what he says to God. As the preacher prepares his heart, so we should
prepare our hearts.
It is interesting to study the
worship of the early church. We have their prayers and sermons. They used
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Also creeds and confessions of faith by which
people were taught the basic truth. This is what Paul passed on: that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was
raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to
Peter and then to the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). We find in the
Christological hymn of Philippians 2:6-10 there is a rhythm in the original
Greek, that suggests the construction of a creed.
Here are the standing orders of a New Testament church – to be joyful, prayerful and thankful. These should always be the marks of every believer. This is God’s will and purpose for individuals and for His church. Not just sometimes, but always. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances.
This letter is sometimes called the “epistle of joy”
– yet Paul wrote it from his prison cell. Often we relate joy to our
temperament and circumstances. But Christian joy should be related to the Lord.
There is much we cannot be joyful about – ill health, family problems, poor
prospects. But we still have joy in the Lord, in who He is, and what we owe Him.
This is always possible, independent of circumstances.
The Thessalonians were being
persecuted, many were in mourning because a relative had died and they worried
about them. Yet Paul tells them to be joyful. This is one of the paradoxes of
the Christian faith – sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians
6:10), rejoicing at being counted worthy to share in Christ’s sufferings (Acts
5:41), rejoicing even when feet were in the stocks (Acts 16:25).
As a church we should be
concerned that our worship should be joyful. When worship is dull and gloomy, it
is not always the musicians’ fault – more likely a reflection of the
spiritual state of the congregation. If people are only thinking of themselves,
it will affect their worship adversely. But if they are thinking of Him, if they
are lifting Him up as He is revealed in Christ, joy will come into their hearts.
If the service is dull, it is because He has been left outside. His glad tidings
of redemption, holiness and life everlasting are still waiting admission into
hearts.
New Testament Christianity is
not austere, rigid and cold. It was joyful, cheery and sunny. There is nothing
so contagious. It is a powerful aid to evangelism. The joy of the Lord is the
strength of the Gospel preacher. Our outlook, tones and singing must not belie
our words. If God’s grace in Christ does not make us glad and influence our
spirit, there is something the matter with us. If it does not make our faces
shine, we have not experienced it.
It is no accident that some of
the most joyful hymns were written at times of Revival.
“His
Name the sinner hears and is from sin set free.
Tis
music in his ears, tis life and victory.
New
songs do now his lips employ
And
dances his glad heart for joy”
This is the primary mark of the Christian. Recall how the Lord told Ananias to visit the newly converted Saul in Damascus, for he is praying (Acts 9:11). The Christian life depends on continuous contact with God. Prayer is the converse of the soul with God. When the Christian opens his heart to Him to receive His fullness, to be changed into His likeness, to experience more of His grace and help. If He does not send us hourly help from above, we would face our foes without resources. Apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
Constantly turn to Him as the
source of wisdom, strength, guidance and support. There is no time and no
circumstances we may be in where we may not have an immediate interview with God
Himself. We will never hear “He is not in”, or “engaged, but will ring you
back later”.
In the life of the church we
engage in corporate prayer to “our Father”. Among the worship of God we pray
for ourselves and intercede for the church, world and society. Requests,
prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone (1 Timothy 2:1).
Very wide in our prayers, and then also very specific. We pray for church
members, the unconverted, Christians in various needs and in persecution, the
advance of the Gospel, Bible translation, world leaders, rulers, parliament,
local affairs, sick, disabled, rich, poor, unemployed, hungry, mentally
disturbed, blind, deaf, dumb, peace among nations, children, teachers, schools,
home-workers for missionary societies, missionary children, seamen, police, life
boatmen, the forces… the list is endless.
But on a personal level, how do
we pray continually? We cannot be praying directly all the time else we would
get no work done. The meaning is that we practice God’s presence. Conscious of
Him whatever we are doing, as if someone else is in the room while we are
writing or reading. Living in an attitude of dependence on Him for every detail
of life. Frequently turning to Him and referring everything to Him. Consciously
and deliberately lifting hearts to Him with each new demand and with each
emergency.
Living in the spirit of prayer,
and yielding selves consciously to do His will. So many arrow or telegraph
prayers during the course of the day – “Lord, help”, “Lord, direct”,
“Lord, show me”. Can be done while engaged in other things. They were
helped.. because they cried out to him during the battle (1 Chronicles
5:20).
This does not come easy to us
because by nature we are used to running our own lives, and even as Christians
we like to do so. Then God chastises us with failures and disappointments and
frustrations. Stonewall Jackson never raised a glass of water to his lips
without God’s blessing, never sealed a letter without putting prayer under the
seal, never took a letter from the post without sending thoughts heavenward,
never changed classes in the lecture room without prayer for the cadets going
out and those coming in.
This does not dispense with set times of prayer. The more disciplined we are here, the easier it will be to pray continually. By having set times of prayer, we wind up the clock and so it goes all day.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:2). We are very good at asking, but we are not so good at thanking. D.L.Moody points out, “More is said in the Bible about praise than prayer”. Material and spiritual blessings are incalculable.
“Count
you blessings..
And
it will surprise you what the Lord has done”
Every good and perfect gift
is from above (James 1:17). We are not told to give thanks for all
circumstances, for some of our circumstances are evil and displeasing to Him,
but we are to give thanks in all circumstances. The Thessalonians were
enduring persecution, and had just buried their dead. As with us, they knew
adversity, bad health, deep disappointment and family trouble. In all these
things, they were to give thanks. If God had allowed them, He has a purpose
which can turn out for His glory and our good, though it may not be immediately
apparent. Whatever happens – hardship, persecution, famine, danger, sword – we
are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:35-39). Nothing
can separate us from His love, and we learn things about God we never learn when
the sun is shining overhead.
J.C.Ryle said, “There is only one thing better for the Christian than good health, and that is sickness!” and that is true of all adversity. God wants to benefit us, and so He allows us to know adversity. He reminds us of death. It softens our hearts and humbles us. We are all naturally proud and high-minded. He exposes the worthlessness of many people’s religion that is not built on Christ. He is the soul’s adviser. He awakens conscience, purifies the heart, gives deeper thoughtfulness, truer estimate of the world, and leads us to a more simple trust in God. He makes us more sympathetic to others. Proves the nearness and strength of Christ.
Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances. Joyful, prayerful and thankful. This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. This should be our disposition whenever we meet for worship, whatever our feelings and circumstances. This is only within the reach of Christians. Not possible without Christ and His revelation of God, and His indwelling, and His redeeming grace.
