Worship Preparation Guide for Sunday, May 6

Worship Preparation Guide for Sunday, May 6

See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking.  For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth,  much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns from heaven.  At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised,  “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is,  things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.   (Hebrews 12:25-29 ESV)

As you prepare for worship this Sunday I encourage you to take time to prayerfully read through Hebrews 12.     The writer of Hebrews understands our hearts.   We need to be reminded we gather to worship God who is Holy.  We are approaching God who is a consuming fire.  When we forget this, our thinking and our worship need to be corrected. 

Kent Hughes says: “today’s church has shamefully trivialized worship, turning it into a self-assured farce.  God’s divine intention in creating Sinai is obvious because “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  Flaming Mount Sinai shows us God.”

The other mountain, Mount Zion of Hebrews 12: 22-23 completes the picture.  Here we see the joyful heavenly assembly that is our sure destination for those who finish the race of faith.   We are confident of this because of what Christ accomplished on Mount Calvary.  There we see God the Son dying for our sins, taking upon himself the holy wrath of the Father.  There we see his arms stretched wide upon the cross- as if receiving and embracing all who come by faith.  There we see His blood, and hear it speaking a better word – a word of forgiveness for sin and fellowship with God. 

“It is this “great twin-peaked God” we come before in worship.  When we come to worship, we must keep both mountains in view – the approachable Zion with its consuming love, and the unapproachable Sinai, with its consuming fire.  We must come in reverent boldness.” (Hughes)

As you prepare for worship pray that God will impress these thoughts on your heart:

Ø The nature of God dictates the nature of true worship.  The heart of true worship is all about God, not us.

Ø God is a relational God who speaks to His people. His Word we must hear and accept. Refusing to do so is destruction.

Ø God is the intentional God of history.  Everything is happening according to His plan moving towards the the dramatic consummation of His kingdom.  It is an unshakable kingdom to which we belong through faith in Chrrist.  How thankful we should be that our life in Christ cannot be shaken!

Ø Our God is a Holy God -  a consuming fire. Let us come before Him this Sunday acceptably, with reverence and awe. 

This Sunday we will hear a new song entitled Immovable Our Hope Remains.  This hymn is a revised version of the original which was written by Augustus Montague Toplady. In his brief 48 years of life Toplady wrote and published numerous poems and hymns, including Rock of Ages.   The original version of Immovable Our Hope Remains had 10 verses.  Brittney Kauflin revised it to these four verses.  This hymn is a great reminder that we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken!

Immovable our hope remains, Though shifting sands before us lie;

The One who washed away our stains, Shall bear us safely to the skies.

The floods may rise, the winds may beat, Torrential rains descend;

Yet God His own will not forget; He’ll love and keep us till the end;

You’ll love and keep us till the end.

This is eternal life: to know, The living God and Christ, the Son;

The Savior will not let us go, Until His saving work is done.

Our debt was great, as was our need, But now the price is paid;

Who can behold Immanuel bleed, And doubt His willingness to save?  

We trust Your willingness to save.

The Lord acquits, who can condemn? Though Satan’s accusations fly.

His power can never reach our names, To blot them from the Book of Life.

The Son has surely made us free, His Word forever stands;

And all our joy is knowing we, Are graven on His wounded hands,

We’re graven on Your wounded hands

Built into Christ, secure we stand, For with His Spirit we’ve been sealed;

By grace we’ll see the promised land, Where every sorrow shall be healed.

To God who gave His only Son, To Jesus Christ, our Lord,

To God the Spirit, Three-in-one, Be songs of praise forevermore;

We’ll sing Your praise forevermore.