Over the next four weeks we will be turning to the book of Hebrews for insight regarding our worship. This week, we will begin with the reason for, or foundation of, our worship. The author of Hebrews makes the case that Christ is preeminent; that there is nothing and no one who is higher or greater than Jesus. That is so, we are told in the very first chapter, because Jesus is the Father's final Word to His people, a perfect reflection of Himself and a perfect sacrifice for those the Lord chose to redeem. It is Christ's preeminence that leads us to worship Him as we celebrate the revelation of God's character and the salvation of God's people that Jesus accomplished.
F.F. Bruce notes seven facts about Christ listed by the author of Hebrews in the first few verses that establish His superiority: 1) Jesus is the "heir of all things"; 2) the Father made the world through Him; 3) Jesus is the radiance of (perfectly reflects) God's glory; 4) Jesus is the exact representation of God; 5) Jesus upholds all things; 6) Jesus made purification of our sins; 7) Jesus is seated at God's right hand. Those things, taken together, establish that Jesus is above the angels, Moses, the Law, or any other created thing. Through our worship we celebrate Jesus, through whom God brought salvation to the world. When we worship, we remember and even relive those events, and are able to tap into the saving power of God. As you and I worship, our remembrance of what God has done for us through Jesus helps us to live it out in our daily lives.
According to 2 Corinthians 5, we are new creatures in Christ. Furthermore, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) When we seek to understand what our worship is founded on, we are inevitably drawn to the work of Christ, through whom God has reconciled the world to Himself. Our sins are no longer counted against us because of that work and, having been reconciled to God, we are now free to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. It is the work of Jesus on the cross which draws us to worship Him!
Worship is of the ways we reverence, or show our deep respect for, God. It is a natural reaction to what the Lord has done for us through His Son. But God does not need to "earn" our reverence or respect. We are called to respond to God with worship not just because of what He had done on our behalf, but also because of who He is. The Lord made us. He is holy and glorious. There is no one and nothing who is His equal in power or majesty. Those attributes or characteristics also compel us to worship the Lord, and according to Hebrews 1 those same attributes are found in Jesus Christ. As we prepare to worship God on Sabbath, and indeed as we worship the Lord throughout the week, we do so because He alone is worthy of our worship. "Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker." (Psalm 95:6)
God’s appointments: Abraham was appointed to be a blessing to all nations Genesis 12: I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” All who fear God are appointed to special blessings Psalm 128: Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table
Since Abraham was faithful in believing and obeying God -- and was blessed and a blessing to all -- his natural and spiritual descendants who fear the Lord are now appointed to exceedingly abundantly blessings.
Jesus was appointed to be heir of all things Hebrews 1 [God’s] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power. We are appointed to be ambassadors with the ministry of reconciliation 2 Corinthians 5: 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
Since Jesus Christ, once crucified and raised from the dead, now sits exalted above all -- perfectly representing the glory of God -- we are now completely reconciled to God and are appointed to a ministry of reconciliation for others.
In conversation we are often tempted to have the "last word." In Hebrews 1 it is the Lord who has the last word. After speaking to His people in the prophets in many "portions" (there were many prophets) and in many "ways" (each prophet had a unique voice and communicated God's message differently, from simple words to elaborate illustrations to "living out" the message in a symbolic way). But now the Lord has spoken in His Son, and has no more to say. Jesus sums up all that we need to know about God and our relationship with Him completely and perfectly. As we study Jesus, we study the Father. As we come to know Jesus, we come to know the Father. "That is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27) What a joy and privilege it is to have heard the Word of the Lord in this way, and to know the surpassing mystery which was kept secret for long ages past, but is now made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith.
Over the next four weeks we will be turning to the book of Hebrews for insight regarding our worship. This week, we will begin with the reason for, or foundation of, our worship. The author of Hebrews makes the case that Christ is preeminent; that there is nothing and no one who is higher or greater than Jesus. That is so, we are told in the very first chapter, because Jesus is the Father's final Word to His people, a perfect reflection of Himself and a perfect sacrifice for those the Lord chose to redeem. It is Christ's preeminence that leads us to worship Him as we celebrate the revelation of God's character and the salvation of God's people that Jesus accomplished.
ReplyDeleteF.F. Bruce notes seven facts about Christ listed by the author of Hebrews in the first few verses that establish His superiority: 1) Jesus is the "heir of all things"; 2) the Father made the world through Him; 3) Jesus is the radiance of (perfectly reflects) God's glory; 4) Jesus is the exact representation of God; 5) Jesus upholds all things; 6) Jesus made purification of our sins; 7) Jesus is seated at God's right hand. Those things, taken together, establish that Jesus is above the angels, Moses, the Law, or any other created thing. Through our worship we celebrate Jesus, through whom God brought salvation to the world. When we worship, we remember and even relive those events, and are able to tap into the saving power of God. As you and I worship, our remembrance of what God has done for us through Jesus helps us to live it out in our daily lives.
ReplyDeleteAccording to 2 Corinthians 5, we are new creatures in Christ. Furthermore, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) When we seek to understand what our worship is founded on, we are inevitably drawn to the work of Christ, through whom God has reconciled the world to Himself. Our sins are no longer counted against us because of that work and, having been reconciled to God, we are now free to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. It is the work of Jesus on the cross which draws us to worship Him!
ReplyDeleteWorship is of the ways we reverence, or show our deep respect for, God. It is a natural reaction to what the Lord has done for us through His Son. But God does not need to "earn" our reverence or respect. We are called to respond to God with worship not just because of what He had done on our behalf, but also because of who He is. The Lord made us. He is holy and glorious. There is no one and nothing who is His equal in power or majesty. Those attributes or characteristics also compel us to worship the Lord, and according to Hebrews 1 those same attributes are found in Jesus Christ. As we prepare to worship God on Sabbath, and indeed as we worship the Lord throughout the week, we do so because He alone is worthy of our worship. "Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker." (Psalm 95:6)
ReplyDeleteGod’s appointments:
ReplyDeleteAbraham was appointed to be a blessing to all nations
Genesis 12: I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
All who fear God are appointed to special blessings
Psalm 128: Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table
Since Abraham was faithful in believing and obeying God -- and was blessed and a blessing to all -- his natural and spiritual descendants who fear the Lord are now appointed to exceedingly abundantly blessings.
Jesus was appointed to be heir of all things
Hebrews 1 [God’s] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.
We are appointed to be ambassadors with the ministry of reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5: 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
Since Jesus Christ, once crucified and raised from the dead, now sits exalted above all -- perfectly representing the glory of God -- we are now completely reconciled to God and are appointed to a ministry of reconciliation for others.
In conversation we are often tempted to have the "last word." In Hebrews 1 it is the Lord who has the last word. After speaking to His people in the prophets in many "portions" (there were many prophets) and in many "ways" (each prophet had a unique voice and communicated God's message differently, from simple words to elaborate illustrations to "living out" the message in a symbolic way). But now the Lord has spoken in His Son, and has no more to say. Jesus sums up all that we need to know about God and our relationship with Him completely and perfectly. As we study Jesus, we study the Father. As we come to know Jesus, we come to know the Father. "That is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27) What a joy and privilege it is to have heard the Word of the Lord in this way, and to know the surpassing mystery which was kept secret for long ages past, but is now made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith.
ReplyDelete