Christianity is ludicrous without the hope of the resurrection. Think about it for a moment: what does God call us to in Christ? In 1 Corinthians 15 the apostle Paul reflects on some of the dangers he had to face for the sake of the gospel. In v. 30 he says that he was in danger every hour. Later, in 2 Corinthians 11:26 he records some the dangers he faced: “in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers”. No wonder Paul said: “I die every day!” (1 Corinthians 15:31).
That is what taking of the cross meant for Paul (Luke 9:23: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”). That is what it might mean for us. If this is all there is to life – if death is the end – then following Jesus, risking for Jesus and dying for Jesus makes no sense. If death is the end, then we should “eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1 Corinthians 15:32). But that is not what Paul chose. Why did Paul choose the way of the cross instead of the ways of the world? 1 Cor. 15:20 & 58 gives us the answer: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” So ask yourself: what difference does the resurrection make now? How does the hope of the resurrection affect your life? At the very least it should give us hope, but more than that: it should give us courage – courage to do what God has called us to do, knowing it will be worth it in the end. Because of Christ, Pastor Pieter A couple of years ago I was at the Passion conference where 6000 young adults were gathered together, praising God. The stated aim of the conference was to encourage people to worship Christ. It was almost overwhelming: 6000 students sang: “Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God, forever”.
God judges the heart, so we’ll leave it to God to judge their sincerity. But it made me wonder: why can’t Sunday services be like that? Most people would blame the service, but that would be dishonest. If we can only experience worship with great music and big crowds the problem might lie elsewhere. The problem might be us. What exactly is worship? Worship in the proper sense is the acknowledgement of God’s worth in all of our lives. But I want to focus on what happens on a Sunday. Worship happens when believers in the Lord Jesus Christ gather together as the church of Christ, praying, singing, reading and explaining the Word of Christ, obediently conforming to the image of Christ. Col. 3:16 states that singing is part of it, but not just singing. Everything in the service should be an act of worship, even the sermon. Worship is the earthly expression of our heavenly vocation: glorifying God and enjoying Him for ever. What needs to happen for us to experience worship in that way? First, we must have a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Deut. 6:4-5 made it clear that only those who love God can truly worship him (see also Ps. 95:6-7). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6), or truly worship Him. Do you know the God you claim to worship? Have you put your faith in Him and Him alone? That is where true worship starts. Because of Christ, Pastor Pieter |
Topics
All
By Date
April 2024
|