"Knowing Jesus" (Philippians 3:7-14)

Testimonies

Last week we talked about the necessity of NOT excluding Jesus from our lives, especially our life together in the church. We have to guard against being “lukewarm”, which would in effect keep Jesus outside the door. One thing we have to say about Jesus, is that he was fully and completely committed to his mission on earth. So we know that Jesus will draw close to anyone and any church … which is sincerely open to however Jesus wants to lead us.

From welcoming Jesus into our presence, where we begin the process of salvation, we need to get to “know” Jesus. We need Jesus not only to be our Saviour and inspiration (which can happen somewhat remotely), but also our friend and companion. When Jesus, in his earthly ministry, called his disciples, he then insisted that they spent time with him and learnt from him. When he would send them out on mission, they would need to return to him to report how they went (and receive further insight and encouragement).

These disciples, if they were to follow Jesus effectively, would need to leave behind everything that would potentially get in the way. We have many incidents recorded in the Gospels, where people disqualified themselves from service, because they just had to do other things first (e.g. Luke 9:57-62), or just could NOT put aside something they were giving undue priority to (i.e. the rich young ruler). This would have been so disappointing to Jesus, as these people had no doubt much potential for the Kingdom.

I spent many years welcoming Jesus, often with enthusiasm, but also with occasional periods of ‘lukewarmness’. I was happy to somewhat remotely accept what Jesus had done for me. I was even baptised. I was a youth leader. And, because of words of trusted people into my life, there was this strong sense of calling upon me. But my foundation was still pretty shaky. A bit of a dilemma. Where do you go with that?

We need to come to the realisation that the atoning work of Jesus AND THE PERSON OF JESUS go together (inseparably joined)! It was when I met the person of Jesus, especially as presented in the Gospels, NOT just the idea of Jesus, that I started to get solidly on the right track. We will have to “know” Jesus, if we are going to complete the course!

Joe Stowell wrote this in Our Daily Bread: I had the privilege of sitting next to Billy Graham at a dinner. I asked him what he loved most about his ministry – was it knowing presidents, kings and queens, or preaching the gospel to millions of people around the world? Before I had finished offering suggestions, Rev Graham stopped me. Without hesitation he said, “It has been my fellowship with Jesus; to sense His presence, to glean His wisdom, to have Him guide and direct me – that has been my greatest joy”.

Scripture

We have to come to “know” Jesus! There are, I think, two ways of achieving this – and they go hand-in-hand. The first is … to study the life of Jesus, and let his life and teaching go deep within us. At the same time, because of our various resistances, experiences of life and fears, we need to be open to the Holy Spirit weaving through our life … to defeat negativities and open places for Jesus to dwell. We need to prayerfully embrace the life of Jesus – what he stood for, and where his priorities lay – and allow all this to touch our lives deeply.

The apostle Paul, whose words we have read from Philippians chapter 3, did NOT lack for much, or so it would have appeared. Paul (or Saul, as he was previously known) was a respected and influential religious leader who had a definite mission to destroy the new Jesus movement. When he was confronted and called that day … by Jesus on the road to Damascus, he welcomed Jesus – accepting the truth of who Jesus was. Paul then abandoned his former agendas and associations. But, he would still have had to go through a further process of learning about who Jesus was (from the traditions spoken about him), at the same time as allowing the Holy Spirit to bring exceptional levels of understanding to him in a relatively short time.

Paul would also come to abandon his reliance on human performance (that would never actually gain him righteousness), and become fully open to God’s equipping and enablement. By the time Paul wrote this letter to the church in Philippi, he had come to understand (vs 7-9) that all of what he had gained in his former life, all his heritage and fame, paled into complete insignificance, when compared to simply “knowing” Jesus. And, anything else life could bring him now or in the future, also paled into complete insignificance, when weighed against the possibilities that came out of “knowing” Jesus.

Paul uses the phrase, “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”. This is like the insignificant stuff standing still, while the good things of Jesus speed forward! “Knowing” Jesus just plainly outstrips everything else – this is in a ‘class apart’ (R P Martin). Paul has studied hard and learned well: those others things have NO value and will NOT be missed! This includes all attempts to save ourselves, vindicate ourselves, defend ourselves, promote ourselves – because in the end, all that counts for us, in our broken state, is the mercy and forgiveness of God, which leads to an experience of the “righteousness” that only God can give.

This is the “righteousness” that cannot be achieved by ourselves, but only placed within us as we open ourselves to God’s grace. We can only be made “right” with God, by saying ‘yes’ to Jesus. Even decent religious practice can be regarded as “rubbish”, if this ignores “knowing” Jesus! If we continue to rely on our own strength, such that it is, we will continue to block (and leave no space for) how God wants to bless us. There can be NO rival to putting total trust in Jesus!

God works best through our admitted weakness. Paul says, in verse 10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection”. Do we want to know the power of Christ’s resurrection? I do! And, I know, that I have experienced some of that, but there is certainly more to experience yet! We notice that Paul goes on to talk about pressing forward in this (v 12-14). Surely, to know the “power of Christ’s resurrection” is the epitome and the crowning glory of “knowing” Jesus! We need to consider what the “power of Christ’s resurrection” means, and then … how we get there.

Power

For me, the “power” of Christ’s resurrection, is the greatest “power” imaginable. This is the “power” that brought the dead back to life! One could imagine that this was level of “power” through which a universe was created out of nothing. This is the “power” that changes everything – e.g. those who are spiritually dead are made spiritually alive. One could do immensely useful things through this sort of “power”! So impacting is this “power”, that people should sense in us … the access that we have had to such “power” as this!

Yet, ironically, this “power” comes from drawing down into suffering (v 10b-11). This bit doesn’t fill me with so much excitement! Yet, as Paul well and truly discovered, there was a cost to following Jesus. And many persecuted Jesus-followers around the world could testify to the truth of this. Jesus only experienced the “power of resurrection” himself, because he was obedient unto death on a cross. Jesus sacrificed everything in the cause of people being able to find freedom in a relationship with God. The cross was the ultimate act of self-giving love.

To be raised up, we need to lower ourselves in humility. To experience the “power of Christ’s resurrection”, we need to embrace the suffering servant nature of Jesus’ life and ministry. Paul already expressed this beautifully (in this letter) in chapter 2:5-11. In this sense, Jesus came NOT to be served but to serve, and that is his call to us (Mark 10:45). Lest this “power” ever build pride, or any sort of excessive triumphalism, we are reminded that its source is found in torturous death. So, experiencing the “power of Christ’s resurrection” happens as we follow Jesus WHEREVER that takes us!

Progress

This is all a process … we don’t usually get there overnight. All the contradictions that could be noted in our lives, will take some time and effort to sort out. Coming to “know’ Jesus is an ongoing and progressive endeavour. It will likely take all our lives. Searching out and finding all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and applying them, is surely an ongoing process. Yet, we should still be able to say … that we “know” Jesus better today than yesterday. Also, this doesn’t, of course, happen in our own strength, but through allowing the Holy Spirit’s witness to Jesus … to work its way within us.

This is all a deeply prayerful and reflective endeavour. And, this DOES involve a determination NOT to get bogged down (v 13b). When we fail or backtrack momentarily, we should resolve to accept forgiveness, and remedy anything that has gone astray … especially in our relationships – rather than dally in negativity. Past ‘sins’, now forgiven, should NOT be allowed to impede our progress. Past mistakes are now there for us to learn the lessons necessary to go forward.

Also, we can sometimes feel regret for things left behind that were once alluring, and be tempted back; but we need to constantly remind ourselves of the “surpassing [riches] of knowing Jesus”. After all, we are heading toward that “prize” of the “heavenly call of God” (v 14), where the “conquerors” in life will share in the “throne” of Jesus (Rev 3:21) – so, it may be a good idea to get to “know” Jesus now! This is why Paul shares this phrase (in v 13b) … “straining forward to what lies ahead”. There is a real sense of effort conveyed here, yet effort that is more fuelled by God’s Spirit than ourselves.

God has a great future for each of us, especially in spiritual terms – we just need a relentless centring of our energies on the course ahead (H A Kent Jr). On the road trip of life, we need to let Jesus set the itinerary, guide the course, keep us looking forward through the windscreen, see us past the pot-holes, and help us avoid the dead-end streets – all toward the ultimate destination. We then can experience an ever-increasing conformity to the image of Jesus. Along the way, we get to pick up a few passengers, who become our guests, before launching their own road-trip accompanied by Jesus.

Application

What can we “know” about Jesus? A whole lot!! We know … that it is all about that practical application of loving God i.e. loving our neighbour. Everything Jesus did was out of a heart of love, and a mission of re-introducing the lost and the broken to God. This love was seen in deep and abiding compassion for the hurting and those that had been excluded. The “power of the resurrection” was already on show, as Jesus healed the blind and the lame, and as he cast out the demons of oppression. Jesus forbade judgement of others, and instead promoted merciful attitudes. As we are loved by God, we must love others.

We know that Jesus never held back, and when sacrifice was required … sacrifice he gave. Yes, we need to delve into Jesus’ life! Have we trawled through the pages of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) enough … to really soak up who Jesus is? Yet, as we have said, this is NOT just an intellectual search – this needs to be deeply personal! Have we imagined, as we read, what Jesus is saying to us in these biblical passages?? We need to see the world through Jesus’ eyes, so that we can best weave our way through life’s complexity.

We also need to be able to “know” Jesus as our Saviour, brother, friend and leader – all of these. Who Jesus is to us, makes a difference to who we (ourselves) are becoming! As we come to “know” Jesus, how we speak and act can come into alignment with his example, and thus we live out his life in all of our daily interactions. No one, including Paul, says that this is easy. Yet, we should never be defeatist nor give up. Because, in the end, “knowing” Jesus, is the work of God’s Spirit in us – our part being … openness, readiness, patience and courage. 

"I want to know Christ, and the power of His resurrection". Amen.

"Welcoming Jesus" (Revelation 3:13-22)

Dedication

This message is dedicated to Pastor George Spence, a significant mentor of mine, who passed away this week. 

Prelude 

I wonder if we ever leave Jesus out, either because we forget him, or because we find him inconvenient and prefer our own way? This could be subconscious or deliberate. I wonder if Jesus' presence is always evident in our church? 

Introduction

Clearly God is unimpressed with this church in Laodicea. This is probably the severest assessment of the seven churches specifically addressed in Revelation chapters 2 & 3. Look at verse 16. This "lukewarmness" was informed by the tepid sickly lime-ridden water springs of the day - NOT a happy picture - not something you would want to drink … or be compared with! To be referred to as “lukewarm” implies: indifference, complacency and being ineffective. To be neither “cold nor hot” implies: ‘sitting on the fence’ and being indecisive. Churches like this do NOT advance the Kingdom of God!

Such was the Divine assessment of the church of Laodicea. This is Jesus Himself speaking – and He had the right to speak like this – He died for the Church. Jesus is referred to as the “Amen” – the One who puts an exclamation mark on God’s great work in the world. Jesus is called the “Amen” as He perfectly and obediently fulfils God’s promises to all humanity. Paul (in 2 Corinthians 1:20) puts it this way, “For in [Jesus] every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes’”. [And, as we shall see in verse 21, as Jesus emulates or says ‘Yes’ to God … we, in the church, are to be a little ‘Amen!’ to the life of Jesus (A F Johnson).]

So, if any church was to receive such an assessment from Jesus as this church in Laodicea did, you would surely want to do something about it! The prospect of being spat (or, vomited) out of Jesus' mouth … is NOT something we would ever want to experience! One spits out “lukewarm” water, because it is not hot enough to warm your insides on a cold day, nor cold enough to refresh anyone when overheated. It’s useless!!

I want to say, that this is NOT us; I don’t think it’s us – but if there is any element where this thinking could be directed at us, then we need to pay attention. We are being challenged here … to take nothing for granted. To profess Christianity while missing any of its major themes does NOT have credibility. And in this day, we, the church, certainly need to build credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of the general public. And so we must be (and remain) attentive to our mission and purpose, and to what the Spirit is saying to the church (v 13, 22).

The Key Problem Area

We'll come back to some of the specifics in this challenging text; but what was the root of the problem here??? We see it clearly portrayed in verse 20. Jesus was on the outside!! If Jesus was on the outside knocking on the door of the church in Laodicea … wanting to be allowed in – this indicates that Jesus had been left out – just like what might happen to a naughty dog ... put outside!

Clearly, it is possible, for a church (by name) still to exist in outward form, while it has excluded Jesus from its life. And, for various reasons, it could still feel satisfied with itself. There could be plenty of people and programs, and the appearance of (kingdom) life. But without Jesus, this would be more like a comfortable private club, which would inevitably resist intrusion. This is what is addressed in verse 17 – which brings further negative assessment. {I’ll come back to this verse.}

For now, G Campbell Morgan comments, “Can anything be so ghastly – a church organised and busy, but Christless”?! If Jesus is left outside, then this would explain any deficiencies in any church community! We need to be sure to welcome Jesus into the life of the church, for, after all, He is the founder, and He did give His life for the church, and … it is all about Him!

The Centrality of Jesus

Why is Jesus important - no, vital - to the church??

1. Salvation – Jesus is the centre of God's gift of grace. Jesus affords us mercy, forgiveness and new life. Without this, we are completely stuck and going nowhere. Totally opposed to that sickly tepid toxic water, Jesus brings living water - pure water – just like Jesus said to the woman in Samaria … if we drink this living water, we will never be thirsty again (John 4). Jesus sets us on the path of freedom and discipleship through which we enter eternal life.

2. Purpose – Jesus' earthly life and teaching guides us into knowing what to do. Without Jesus, we lack our example – our model for life. As we reflect on Jesus' life and teaching, we discover that loving our neighbour and reaching out to all those who are struggling – leading to making new disciples for Jesus ... this is our collective purpose! When we are fully confronted by Jesus, we soon come to the conclusion that it's NOT simply about us. The well-being of the world depends on us being prepared to respond to God in the correct way. Our spiritual status does NOT ever allow us to be removed from human need or human responsibility. And if we want to truly express compassion, we need to welcome Jesus into our midst.

3. Worldview – Jesus makes sense of the whole progress of life. Jesus was there at creation (as part of the love-filled dynamic that brought all creation into being), came to earth himself to deal with all depravity and lostness, died on a cross to defeat sin, rose again to open a passage to new life, gave the gift of the Holy Spirit so that the church would NOT lack for anything, intercedes for us as we deal with the challenges of life, and sits on the throne of heaven waiting for us to wholly be his people. For me, this totally makes sense of our existence.

4. Headship – Jesus is the only one fit to be our leader. As Paul teaches us, we might be all vital participants in a very varied body, where diversity meets together with harmonious functioning, but none of us will ever be qualified enough to be the 'head' ... except Jesus! So without Jesus, we could be described like a ‘headless chook’ (running around pointlessly).

In summary, Colossians 1:15-20 reads …

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

The Good News

The good news is - the very good news - that Jesus still knocks on the door of the church seeking entry. Jesus never gives up. He warns, he weeps – but Jesus never walks away! This reminds me of the story I read this week of a guy in Frankfurt Germany in 1997 who forgot where he left his car in a parking lot near an industrial building – he just couldn’t find it. Having first reported the car missing to the police, he then counted it as lost. 20 years later, when the industrial site was being demolished, the car was found exactly where he must have left it!

Jesus continues to knock at the unopened door (where sometimes he has been left)! The only reason anyone would care enough to keep knocking at the door, and seek to set a church like the one at Laodicea straight, was because they were so greatly loved (v 19a). Jesus never gives up on the possibility of taking up the central place (or, the "throne") in the church. Jesus stands waiting, offering each church the hospitality of his love.

However, Jesus is a gracious guest, who waits for a sincere invitation. There is NO point crashing in where uninvited or unwanted, because eventually the visitor's presence will wear thin. Yet where there is real humility and true integrity in the church, Jesus will take up residence to stay.

What Does the Spirit Say?

Even though these words refer initially to 1^st Century churches located in particular places, they also transcend that time, and speak to all churches in every generation. So, what does the Spirit say to the churches?? Open the door, and let Jesus in. Verse 20a.

How do we welcome Jesus?? The first answer to this goes back to verse 19b – being “earnest” and repenting. These two go well together – because it is the enthusiastic and committed person, who is sincere and loyal, that is willing to change whatever stands in the way of going forward. It is in response to God’s unconditional love of us, that we align ourselves with His will.

Then, secondly, we are prepared to "eat" with him (v.20b). And, this is NOT fast food! This is a leisurely meal … with many courses of the best food imaginable. This is about being unhurried; and being most concerned, above all other endeavours, about spending quality time with Jesus. This is about the restoration and development of relationship. This is also about the depth of our worship. Sometimes we just want worship gatherings to be over, so that we can get on to the next thing. This would be unfortunate – if Jesus still had some things to say, and more time to spend with us.

The ultimate symbol of eating with Jesus is the Lord’s Supper which we celebrate each week. This provides the opportunity for such a close identification with Jesus – all that he has done for us, and all that he wants to achieve in the world … identifying with his sacrifice, and involving ourselves with God’s new covenant of grace. While 'reclining' with Jesus, he will show us how to bring together all our diversity ... into a church full of harmonious interaction and mission to the community … under His leadership.

The Church of Laodicea

This all sounds so good – almost too good to be true; yet it CAN BE! But, we can so easily be distracted (and compromised). Laodicea was a prime example of this - distracted by its own success. Laodicea was an affluent place. It lay on the intersection of existing trade routes. It had good industries - famous for clothing, banking, and the latest in medical treatments (especially a particularly good eye ointment). Perhaps it was just too easy and comfortable there. If material prosperity is necessarily seen as God’s blessing, then this can lead to self-deception about a church’s true spiritual condition.

It seems the church in Laodicea had completely bought into the city’s material success and lost their spiritual compass. The people acted in ways that suggested they were reliant on their material wealth, rather than their spiritual wealth. The church in Laodicea had failed to see that Jesus would be the source of their real wealth. Oh the actual poverty of the church from which Jesus is excluded. We might call this ‘spiritual paralysis’! Better material poverty, and spiritual wealth!

Look at verse 17. To have ever said that they lacked nothing would have been the height of self-delusion, pride and arrogance. If that material wealth was stripped away ... there would be nothing left. Interesting that the centre of banking, medicine, and clothing manufacture ... would be exposed in their spiritual poverty, blindness and nakedness, i.e. NO spiritual assets, NO spiritual vision, NO spiritual clothing. What God wanted was less attention on the things of the world, and more attention on the things of the Spirit.

We, like the church in Laodicea, can lose our spiritual freedom by losing our focus on Jesus. Who are we primarily committed to? The only cure for this "lukewarmness" ... is the re-admission of the excluded Jesus (Campbell Morgan, Walvoord, Wilcock). Look at verse 18. The spiritual goods we need in the face of spiritual poverty, nakedness and blindness, is the gold refined by fire (representing a life of sacrificial service), white robes (representing a cleansed life), and eye salve (representing new sight) … all things that God gives to allow us to follow Jesus.

Conclusion

We, together, as a church community, need to be led into a living encounter with Jesus. We need to experience Jesus' mercy; we need to encounter the nature and quality of Jesus' life; we need to experience Jesus as Creator, Saviour and Sustainer ... the Alpha & Omega (the beginning and the end); and we need to ensure that Jesus is the head of the 'body'. In short, we need to welcome Jesus! And then, then, we can conquer in life!

We can then follow Jesus into His pattern of sacrificial service toward humankind. Then, we have the potential of being so aligned with Jesus, and involved in such a rich and harmonious partnership, that we are seen as co-reigning with Jesus on his throne (refer verse 21). What a mighty verse (of encouragement) this is!

Our Prayer

This is our challenge … this is our prayer! Are we welcoming Jesus? We better know! We welcome you, Lord Jesus. Jesus, be our cornerstone. Jesus, be the centre - be our light, be our guide, be our path, be our hope, be our song; Jesus, be the fire in our hearts, be the wind in our sails, be the reason that we live; Jesus - be our salvation, be our purpose, be our worldview, be our leader. We welcome you, Jesus. Amen!

"True Worship" (Amos 5:18-27)

Introduction

Amos was a prophet in Israel during the 8^th century BCE. Amos had an acute eye toward hypocrisy and injustice. Amos, as a prophet, tried to prick the nation’s conscience, condemning those in positions of power or influence, for their ill-treatment of those who could NOT defend themselves (J Barton). At the same time, Amos would ask … how it was … that those who claimed to be God’s people, and who worshipped in the designated places of assembly, could live in ways that were contrary to God’s ways, including the neglect of the most vulnerable?! This would certainly break God’s covenant with the people, as they ignored the major commandment concerning loving their neighbour.

Those who have the ‘light’, are more responsible for living in the ‘light’, than those who are unenlightened! This all speaks to our integrity, being wholistic, and to whether our worship is ‘true’ or ‘false’!! Amos, in effect, argued, that only ‘true’ worship would be acceptable to God, and anything other … would be deemed worthless, and thereby land the people in (unnecessary) danger. Something surely to be avoided! So, how can we ensure that our worship can be described as ‘true’? How can we, as a church, make sure we are within God’s blessing??

Text of Amos 5

Even 28 centuries ago, the people of God had their mind on a particular point in time – a point in time that they considered would be better for them – “the day of the Lord” (v 18); this, rather than concentrating on the day that they were in. God wants us living in the now! When humans get ahead of themselves, they tend to lose the deeper meaning of the present. We desire a different future, without recognising our current responsibilities. The “day of the Lord” was likely the day that God would ultimately intervene in history to vindicate these people against those who were against them – God taking up his own direct sovereign rule in the world. But the assumption being made, which Amos here challenges, was that this “day of the Lord” was, necessarily, going to be good news for these people.

They assumed so, but maybe not! Why not? The credibility of their worship!! Look at verse 18 (again). You are assuming that this will be a “day” of “light” for you … a good experience, when it may well be “darkness”. Why would you want that?! You thought you had escaped one danger, only to encounter another (v 19)! That’s what happens in the dark. This can only be because, having once encountered God, you have now in some way ignored God. It may be subtle – it is probably often subtle … because the people of Israel often missed what God wanted of them, and ended up, surprisingly to them, in exile … defeated by a foreign power (as referred to in verse 27) … in this case the powerful Northern neighbour Assyria.

All this disrupts the true essence of worship – for individuals, AND for the community of believers. Ignoring God in some way, disrupts ‘true’ worship. To deliberately ignore this, once aware of such a deficiency, turns us toward ‘false’ worship. ‘False’ worship, where it is deliberate, is probably worse than ‘no’ worship, because it sends out exactly the wrong message. ‘True’ worship is focussed on engagement with our Creator and Redeemer God, responding to God’s great faithfulness and goodness, with an eye to the change that is necessary in our various lives. ‘False’ worship, on the other hand, seeks to manipulate God (and others) toward our way of thinking, to meet our own goals, to facilitate our comfort. And, ‘false’ worship ignores our (horizontal) social relationships. And so we hear, “I hate your festivals, and take NO delight in your solemn assemblies (v 21) … etc”! Whack!!

For us today, ‘true’ worship centres around Jesus; while ‘false’ worship likely centres around ourselves. When we don’t like or agree with God’s way of going about running His Kingdom, we set up other ‘gods’ to worship, and pretend these are compatible with ‘true’ worship. In Israel’s case, they disobeyed God through neglect (lack of “sacrifice” – v 25) and, in so doing, turned to idolatry (v 26). Any lack of ‘true’ worship leads to new ‘idols’ of many origins and descriptions. We can easily put other things on a pedestal, and build a shrine around them!

This can still happen, even after making a good start in worshipping God. There are forces which would prefer us to fail, and would even provide forms of congratulation so that we might be fooled into complacency. Amos, in those verses 21 to 23, reflects how God reacts to unthinking and hypocritical worship. As Christopher J H Wright puts it, “There was no shortage of religion and ritual in Amos’ day, but the rampant social injustice made a blasphemous mockery of it”. God cannot abide this, can’t watch it, even turns a deaf ear to it; God cannot accept it, indeed rejects it! Indeed, ‘no’ worship would be better than ‘false’ worship!

The Good News

The good news is, ‘true’ worship is NOT difficult – that is the true scandal within Amos’ preaching. It just didn’t need to be this way. God is NOT a strict judge, far from it; God is wholly benevolent. But it is just so counter-productive, and also downright ungrateful, to choose to ignore God. ‘True’ worship is so available, so accessible. We just need to build in two foundational principles: humility and social integrity. Humility will avoid putting our agenda before God’s agenda. And, social integrity will mean that we will treat others as God would have them treated. Clearly NOT rocket science – love God, with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love your neighbour as yourself – the clearest and most basic biblical principle. This is path to ‘true’ worship – humility and social integrity.

Humility

There is only one path to joy. There is only one way to experience God’s glory coming upon us. As the New Testament book of James puts it, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (4:10). It is only the ‘humble’ that can be lifted up, everybody else is heading for a fall! We can only be lifted up, if we first lay ourselves down. Amazingly and awesomely, this is how Jesus did life; and I think that should be the example we follow (Philippians 2:1-11). As Jesus laid his life down in service, God lifted it up in glory! The one who is open to learn, open to be led, open to change, open to serve others, can be exalted (and truly experience joy).

Humility (or becoming humble) means that we decide that we are NOT self-sufficient – that we WILL seek out the One we were created to have a relationship with (the One … we will be ultimately bereft without a relationship with). Humility means that we accept that we will NEVER be complete without Jesus in our lives (because of the guilt and shame that we often carry). Humility means that we admit that we have fallen well short of best and need grace and forgiveness. Humility means that we have come to know that life is way too complex for us to survive it, without the guiding and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit.

Humility means that we make the determination that we are NO more important than anyone else. Humility means that we won’t seek to dominate or control. Humility means deciding that serving is more important than being served. Where we continue to struggle, humility means allowing God space to work in. Humility then means that we are prepared to be seen as we are, which is an okay work-in-progress, rather than pretend to be what we are not.

Social Integrity

Verse 24 gives us a big clue as to why the people copped such a barrage as we see in verses 21-23, as well as the regrettable outcome in verse 27. Amos’ passions have been aroused. This could all been seen as a particularly brutal half-time spray. Not getting in after the ball, not picking up your opponent, creating too many turnovers – heading for a bad defeat – sorry, football talk … but there was high level passion here! And verse 24 tells us why. Verse 24 reveals a (prevalent) lack of social justice and right living.

Where God is being truly honoured, “justice” and “righteousness” should flow freely. [This might sound a little idealistic, but at least it is biblical!] On the other side, where justice and right living are ignored within community relationships, that shalom, that desirable peace and well-being, will be missing. Nations cannot expect, nor receive, God’s blessing, while they ignore justice and righteousness, and anyone is being oppressed or ignored. And there was no excuse in Amos’ time, as this was a time of economic prosperity in Israel.

However, this was also a time when power was being misappropriated! Loans were being offered to the struggling, with interest charged; leading to debilitating debts for some, and huge profits for others. The poor lost their land and were sold into slavery, while the rich felt good about themselves. Now, when it comes to responsibility for this level of oppression – whether this was deliberate behaviour, or whether people were just allowing it to go on without due critique, makes little difference! Either way, this neglects God’s covenant relationship with His people. People should be treated … the way they were designed to be treated! All people should be afforded the opportunity to participate in society with dignity.

It is the ‘fruit’ (or, the output) of our lives that indicate the seriousness of our devotion to God! Without love, our worship is just clanging symbols and noisy gongs (1 Corinthians 13:1). Why should we ever expect a blessing … if we ignore the basics of being in a relationship with God?! The lack of response to those in need is a consistent biblical theme. This might not be us … there is a whole load of caring people in worship today; but we still need to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through His Word – to say anything that needs to be heard.

From the various prophets’ call to look after the foreigner, orphan, widow and poor person, and to give hospitality to strangers … just like Boaz did in his ministry to Ruth (Ruth 2), to Jesus’ teaching about our responsibility of welcoming children (Matthew 19:14) and caring for the ‘least of these’, right through to Jesus identifying himself in the face of the hungry and thirsty – that what would we do for them and him are synonymous and inseparable (Matthew 25:40) – the Word of the Lord needs to be heard. I think the words in Deuteronomy chapter 10 (v 17-21) capture the intertwined and indivisible connection between ethics and worship:

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, ¹⁸ who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. ¹⁹ You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ You shall fear the Lord your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear. ²¹ He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.

In the New Testament, along similar lines, James 1:27 reads:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Repentance

God dwells wherever there is love – neighbourly love, shown especially through courageous and compassionate care for the poor. Our worship will never be ‘true’ while we act in ways inconsistent with God’s will and ways. Yet there is a remedy close at hand. We are never stuck for an answer … change is very possible. Our confession and God’s forgiveness leads to different outcomes.

Whenever the people of Israel heeded God’s words, and changed their hearts, they were brought back into a place of intimate relationship. They would again worship … with God present to bless them. This process is called ‘repentance’. And, ‘repentance’ comes from a place of humility, and leads to lives of integrity. It is a heart attuned to ongoing ‘repentance’ … that will mean a life is being transformed toward ‘true’ worship.

Conclusion

 

So, this is where, today, we need to wholly focus on Jesus – because it is Jesus who ‘fuels’ our ‘repentance’, our cleansing, our transformation – and prepares us for true worship. Jesus does this in his teaching, through the life that he lived, in his sacrifice, and through his gift to us of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, that if our worship is really to be ‘true’ – we will need to worship in ‘spirit’ and in ‘truth’. As we read in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth”. This means that God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, coheres with our ‘spirit’, so that we CAN worship in a way that is consistent with Jesus – our whole life then properly reflects the ‘truth’ about who God is.

And, it is Jesus, in his very life, who is the ‘truth’, for Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This means, that if we ‘insiders’ … want to truly worship God, we will need to allow for the change … that will see our lives wholly aligned with Jesus’ life. So it is, that ‘true’ worship centres around the sort of humility and social integrity that Jesus models, made possible on the cross, and brought to His church through the work of Holy Spirit. Let us NOT resist; let us NOT wander, let us be true instruments of worship!! It’s all about you … Jesus!! Amen!