April 28, 2024 "Why Do We Have Order To Our Worship?"

ReNew Ames Messages

There are lots of things we do without thinking about the reason we do them. A relevant example on a Sunday morning is how we order our worship services. Why do we worship? More specifically, why do we do the certain things we do in worship? It's called the liturgy - which means the work of the people. There's an intentionality to it - a reason - a purpose for the order in which we do things and this Hebrews passage helps us think through it. Act one of worship is The Approach to God. There's a welcome - an invitation to stand and sing. We're approaching the divine. In Hebrews, it talks about two mountains - one is wild, the other is sort of mild. The first mountain represents the tangible presence of God through symbols - fire, darkness, gloom, storm - it's the untouchable untamed presence of God. The other mountain is invitational - it's almost like there's a party going on. The Approach to God - it's fear and awe inspiring and yet at the same time it's invitational. It's like Niagra Falls, or the Grand Canyon. From far away, it's beautiful - but get too close and you realize it could kill you - you're mortal. Or it's like a lion - from far away, it's beautiful. But you get close enough and you realize your life is frail, imperfect, small. When we approach God, something like that happens. We recognize the sheer beauty while at the same time recognizing our smallness and our capacity to make a mess of things. This is why we leave room for confession of sins in the prayer - that's why we open ourselves up for receive forgiveness. Act two of worship - the Word of God. Now we're in the position to listen to the divine. Verse 25 - see to it that you do not refuse the one who speaks. Some how, some way, through some miracle of the Spirit, God speaks. And when God speaks, shaking happens - verse 27. God shakes loose those things inside of us that don't belong. Transformation happens. Act three - the Response to God. The bulk of this act of worship happens on the outside - the way we live out our lives as transformed people - we become the presence of Jesus where we are whenever we are there. The benediction isn't an ending - it's a sending. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Hebrews 12:18-29 https://www.bible.com/events/49251772