And the Lord Added to Their Number

And the Lord Added to Their Number.  Everything is not worship, clearly, because it is a distinct, biblical possibility to have wrong worship (i.e., objectively, e.g., idolatry) or to worship wrongly (i.e., subjectively, e.g., hypocrisy). But anything can be kindling for meaningful worship. Worship might occur anywhere, if it is directed to Jesus by faith (John 6:29), offered in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), and motivated for the ultimate glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Much more than a style of music, and much greater than any shared experience, we worship formally, informally, individually, collectively, directly, indirectly, inwardly, and outwardly in line with the psalmist who sang: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6).

Luke, in Acts 2:42-46, summarized the earliest church as a worshiping community. The first converts worshiped Christ in seven representative ways, by: (1) learning the apostles’ doctrine, (2) engaging in fellowship with one another, (3) observing the Lord’s Supper, (4) praying, (5) sharing what they had for the purpose of distributing what they collected, (6) praising God, and (7) having favor with all the people. It was not a stretch to interpret within each of the church’s core activities an expression of authentic worship to God. A fitting summary statement, like a narrator’s note to the reader, tied it neatly: “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). While the church worshiped, it was the Lord who added worshipers.

Worship was not merely one aspect of the ingathering of the church; evangelism was not contained in one department of the outreach of the church. Church was all worship, and all worship was evangelistic. Evangelism was the (super)natural byproduct of worship, the overflow of love for Christ, shown toward one another in Christ’s church, and given to others in the community and world in Christ’s name. Jesus gave a similar summary in his prayer for the unity of his followers as having an evangelistic byproduct in the world. “May they all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may be in us, so that they world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:21-23).

Therefore, it is never appropriate to downplay worship, as if “going to church” were disconnected from “going to all nations.” Worship is evangelism, too. By God’s design, it is through our unified, multi-faceted worship of Christ that the world will see, know, and believe in God’s great love to send his only begotten Son to save sinners from their penalty of death through his perfect life, substitutionary death, and triumphant resurrection.

And the Prayers

And the Prayers.  The church is a versatile group. It is simple, adaptable, scalable, and mobile. It does not belong to any one culture but finds a home in every single culture. Our methodologies in the church may change, but our message does not: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Christian worship encourages stylistic variations yet, wherever it appears, always includes these four priorities: (1) learning sound doctrine, (2) loving one another in the congregation, (3) remembering the Lord’s Supper, and (4) praying. “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Our prayers this week are many, therefore our worship this week is ongoing—whether we are inside or outside a church building. We pray because we are commanded to pray, because the Lord Jesus modeled prayer for us, gave us a pattern for prayer, granted us permission to use his name when praying, and mysteriously meets us in our praying to accomplish what he already providentially willed to do on earth as it is in heaven. He wants us to pray because in prayer our union with him is solidified and magnified. God is glorified when we pray in the name of Jesus. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). So then, let’s pray!

Christ Jesus Became for Us Wisdom from God

Christ Jesus Became for Us Wisdom from God.  1 Corinthians 1:18-31

 ¹⁸ For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 ¹⁹ For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

 ²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

 ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

 ²² For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

 ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

 ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

 ²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

 ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

 ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

 ²⁹ so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

 ³⁰ And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

 ³¹ so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom

 

Behold, the Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom.  Job 28:1-28

 ¹ "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine.

 ² Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore.

 ³ Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness.

 ⁴ He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives; they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.

 ⁵ As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire.

 ⁶ Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.

 ⁷ "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it.

 ⁸ The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.

 ⁹ "Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots.

 ¹⁰ He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.

 ¹¹ He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

 ¹² "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

 ¹³ Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.

 ¹⁴ The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

 ¹⁵ It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.

 ¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

 ¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

 ¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls.

 ¹⁹ The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

 ²⁰ "From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

 ²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.

 ²² Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'

 ²³ "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.

 ²⁴ For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

 ²⁵ When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure,

 ²⁶ when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

 ²⁷ then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out.

 ²⁸ And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"

A Cheerful Giver

A Cheerful Giver.  On the cusp of flying to Africa to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1), I am again fully aware—and extremely grateful—how missionary ministry depends on donations from Christians. My trip to Liberia to train 50 pastors in basic theology has been fully funded, thanks to God who guided many of you to give generously! What I am not always fully aware of, about which I need steady reminding, is how giving is a major element of worship. In this sense, Christian giving is unlike all other forms of charitable giving. Full marks for all forms of charity, but Christian giving is unique in that it is primarily a form of loving God, which becomes secondarily a mode of loving one’s neighbor. In other words, loving one’s neighbor without loving one’s God is altruistic but something less than worship. Christian giving is first worship, then fellowship. In truth, both are necessary—for generosity to others is largely how we represent and reflect our generous God. God loves a cheerful giver.

Like nearly all missionaries, our early years in foreign missions consisted of full-time fund-raising. Although the process was unthinkably grueling, I learned a valuable lesson that I didn’t intend to learn. I was rightly rebuked by one of our supporting partners. His lesson stuck! This partner fit the pattern that we repeatedly observed. Humanly speaking, he was too poor to give so much to our missionary ministry. It seemed to be borderline irresponsible. While I didn’t say that out loud to him, I thought it, and because I thought it, I said something that seemed slightly more palatable. “Thank you so much for your generous gift to us. It is humbling to receive.” He stopped me mid-sentence. “Oh, I don’t give to you; I give to God. You just are the direct beneficiary in this instance.” Wow, he was entirely right! From then on, I did not shrink back from receiving the generosity of others because I didn’t want to hinder their worship of God. Hypothetically speaking, if I had refused their support, then God would still have found a way to bless them, but I would not have been blessed in the meantime. Who am I to rain on God’s parade? It is his glory, not my ego, that matters most.

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:7-15). 

The Good Confession

The Good Confession.  Words are funny. They can change over time. They fall out of fashion. They combine with other words to make new compound forms. One of those words that has fallen out of fashion is to fess, as in: “The perpetrator finally fessed up to his involvement with tampering with the evidence, Detective.” Fessing [up] is acknowledging or declaring the truth of a situation, usually in public.

One place that fessing is frequently found is in the Bible. Confessing subjectively and professing objectively (same Greek word, homologeo) hold a central piece of the New Testament. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom. 10:9). Confession is not only declared in the once-and-for-all sense of salvation but also acknowledged in the daily grind of sanctification. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Therefore, to confess/profess is to say the same thing about a situation that God has said about it. Concerning salvation, sin, or whatever the issue might be, we agree with God, even when we are on the wrong side of justice and in need of his mercy.

Therefore, the opposite of confessing is denying, also with an emphasis placed on its public application. Peter famously illustrated this in his triple denial (John 18:25, 27), a betrayal over which he repented and was restored to Christ by Christ (John 21:17). Peter eventually said the same thing about Jesus in public that God had said. Peter confessed; he agreed with God to such an extent that he, seven short weeks after running scared from the servant girl in the courtyard of Caiaphas, spoke bold words, unthinkable to him on the night of Jesus’ arrest, to many thousands of people in Jerusalem. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36).

But it was Jesus who made the true, better, and unflagging confession. He had no sin to confess, but he was the Good Confessor in the sense that he always said the same thing that God the Father said no matter where he stood. “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession” (1 Tim. 6:13). Ultimately, it is his confession of us to the Father that holds the full weight of our eternal hope. Christ agrees with the Father about our identity; that whatever we were before, he has made us to become his people by grace through faith in his blood. “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5).

Then They Will Fast

Then They Will Fast.  Today is a holiday (think: holy day) on the liturgical church calendar, but probably not the holiday you are expecting. Truly, February 14 is the feast day for the patron saint of lovers, beekeepers, and epileptics, St. Valentine, when his martyrdom was traditionally celebrated (A.D. 269). But today is also the holiday known as Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the 40-day approach to Good Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion (not counting Sundays or this year’s Leap Day). All things equal, Lent is a bigger deal than Valentine’s Day.

Religious holidays such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday change each year because they are determined by the Jewish (lunar) calendar. Jesus was crucified in conjunction with the Feast of Passover. Passover’s Sabbath began at sundown on the first Friday, after the first full moon, after the vernal equinox. Sundown was the deadline for religious Jews to begin their Sabbath, so they pressured the soldiers to accelerate the death process of the condemned by breaking the sufferers’ legs just after 3:00 pm. By 6:00 pm the Jewish Sabbath would have started when no one was allowed to do any physical work, such as burying the dead. But because Jesus died at 3:00 pm, the same time as the evening sacrifice, his legs were not broken. Soldiers confirmed Christ’s death with a spear to the heart. Lent effectively leads worshipers to this very specific moment of Christ’s death on the cross.

Traditionally, Lent is a season marked by fasting and penance. Penance is doing a religiously prescribed deed to absolve one’s guilt of sin. Roman Catholic rules dictate a partial fast for Catholics who are of reasonable health between the ages of 18 and 59, “to eat one full meal and two smaller meals which, combined, would not equal a single normal meal. Additionally, Catholics may not eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday—or any Fridays during Lent” (credit: “Frequently Asked Questions,” hallow.com). This was where the tradition of eating fish on Fridays originated; fish wasn’t considered meat by Rome. The fasting was their penance. This tradition became the wider custom of giving up something for Lent.

So many facets of this custom are noteworthy and troublesome, but the one that deserves primacy today is the role of the fast. Fasting is ancient, meaningful, and beautiful, but fasting never absolves sin. The New Testament term for the removal of sin is not absolution, but justification. Justification is not a penitential deed accomplished by people, but a gracious gift accomplished by Jesus. Fasting achieves nothing for self. Fasting worships God above all. Fasting is not about the absence of food but the presence of God. Fasting is feasting on a spiritual meal which the physical world does not know about (see, John 4:32).   

Jesus implied that fasting would occupy some aspect of the Christian’s devotional life, but fasting never absolves sin. God justifies sinners! “Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast’” (Matt. 9:14-15).