Tom’s Paradox of Worship

 The more we prepare for worship, the more spontaneous we may be in worship. Having spent significant time in the pulpit this century and a little in the previous millennium, I say unequivocally that preparation is not only essential, but it also approaches being the sine qua non of the experience.

The pastor is expected to prepare. The thinking is that he is the full-time paid guy or gal and needs to prepare so the rest of the body can just show up and be entertained. This has led to worshiptainment. This not only misses the mark, but it also works against corporate worship.

Our reasonable act of worship and service is how we live daily. We work out—live out—our lives as the most important thing that we do. That is service to God. That is genuine worship. But when we come together as a family of faith—the Covenant Community—it’s a special thing.

Imagine OU, OSU, or Texas heading to the college football playoffs. Imagine your team makes it to the championship game. Imagine getting premier seats with your good friends. Oh, by the way, they are on the fifty-yard line.

Now imagine the week before the big game you don’t watch the hype on television or social media. Imagine that you don’t talk about the game at all that week. Imagine driving to the stadium; everyone’s attitude is just, yeah, whatever. It’s just another game.

Whatever.

That’s hard to imagine. Now imagine driving to Sunday worship. You will be in the company of fellow believers. You are headed to worship in the assembly of believers. Whatever, it’s just another Sunday.

Maybe this isn’t quite as hard to imagine. Maybe it happens regularly. Maybe the world has co-opted not only your time but your heart and mind, too. Work, school, bills, and what lies ahead this week push out the things we should set our eyes, heart, and mind on—Jesus and how we will respond to the boundless love of God we know through him. Maybe it’s all we can do to get there.

Maybe?

What if preparing to worship the Lord in the assembly of believers is a decision? You decided to go; now decide to prepare. How?

Read the selected scriptures in advance. I always sent out a draft of our order of worship on Monday. I sent it to all elders, worship leaders, teachers, the people running the sound booth, and others. Some congregations are blessed to have those involved in leading worship meet in person early in the week. Some hold choir practice.

Many struggle to carve out time from an already saturated schedule to do these things. Somehow, we can fit in two or three more ball games per week than in previous years, but those are things you must do, right? Giving up another hour or half hour to prepare for worship with other believers is just a bridge too far.

Welcome to the third decade of this twenty-first century. The struggle is real, and believers are surrendering in massive numbers to the world's demands.

We justify to ourselves that the paid professional should handle the preparation. That’s what we pay him to do. That’s her job.

We rationalize not preparing by thinking that showing up is enough. Showing up is good but not sufficient. Sufficient for what?

Abundant Life!

 When we view corporate worship as a duty or a gotta do sort of thing, we miss the fulness of what worshiping the Lord does for us. Worship should be all about God, but the paradox is that the more we rid ourselves of our desires and make it all about God, the more blessing we realize in our selflessness.  

With such a return for getting out of our own way and worshiping the only One worth worshiping, why wait until we're parked in a padded seat in a sanctuary to do that?

This is especially important for those who lead worship. Pastors, liturgists, choir leaders, and the leading choir itself, and even elders not directly involved in a designated role, must prepare.  The intent of leadership in worship is to help all believers unite in praise and reverence for God and to responsively live out their salvation in this special time of worship.

But I want worship to be spontaneous. I don’t want my worship to become ritualistic. Then prepare for worship.

What? I just said that I want worship to be spontaneous. I don’t want my worship scripted.

Welcome to Tom’s Paradox of Worship. It’s simple.

Preparation enables spontaneity.

The more we prepare for worship, the more spontaneous we can be while staying genuine. This is critical for leaders.

One thing I did as pastor was include the proclamation of the good news in our worship service. I would lead it, or sometimes ask someone else to lead it, but we proclaimed it in unison. I always asked the congregation to stand. I think proclamations should be delivered standing.

The congregation continued this practice after I left. That is, they left it in the bulletin. A few times the congregation did it sitting. One time the liturgist, an elder, mumbled through the few words the congregation knew by heart. The congregation responded accordingly with a pedestrian effort.

Leadership in worship matters. It is not an administrative thing. It’s not a check-the-box thing. It’s not just get through this thing. It’s leadership.

Those entrusted with leadership must lead, and leading worship requires preparation. We can be solemn if we need to go that way. We may shout for joy when the flock needs to go that way. We may deliberately direct silence, so all may listen solely to God’s voice. No single model of worship exists, but all models share a common denominator. It is preparation. We all should prepare for worship. Leaders must prepare.

I’m adding Part Two to Tom’s Paradox of Worship.

Preparation enables genuineness.

Preparation gives us a better chance of truly encountering the living God. Leaders' preparation is essential to this, since many who come to worship don’t know their way around an offering, a hymnal, or a memory verse.

Imagine being a new believer at a worship service and being unsure what the congregation is doing now or next, or what your part is. No one should have to struggle because they don’t know. Leaders must prepare to lead. This next point is less a paradox and more a natural follow-on.

Preparation enables growth.

The one who prepares to lead worship grows in the process, and the one who needs leadership is led to grow in God’s grace. Leaders must prepare to be effective. Leaders don’t do lukewarm.

Preparation for worship enables spontaneity, genuineness, and growth in grace. It’s worth the effort.

Here are some thoughts on corporate worship leadership from our denominational directory of worship.

 

F. LEADERSHIP OF CORPORATE WORSHIP

 

General Guidelines

 

Thoughtful, responsible and imaginative leadership is critical for corporate worship; weak, careless and sloppy leadership diminishes significantly the worship of the people of God. The purpose of the leadership is to enable the worshipers to unite in their praise and homage to God, to act out the liturgical drama, and to respond obediently to God's claim on their lives. The leader directs the people with respect to actions or words.

 

There is no one way worship is to be conducted; the leadership will depend greatly upon the situation and the person or persons responsible for the leadership. The general rule for leadership is to do and say whatever is necessary to enable the worshipers to be certain what action is to take place or what is to be said, but do no more than is necessary. Some additional guidelines for leaders of worship are:

 

a. Present yourself as a worshiper along with the others;

b. Avoid any action or comment which primarily calls attention to yourself as a leader or distracts people from their worship;

c. Be direct and forceful in your leadership;

d. Plan carefully all comments and leadership actions;

e. Be brief and clear with all directions;

f. Learn how to lead non-verbally, and

g. Make use of the historically liturgical language in directing or leading the worshipers.

 

While the ordained minister is frequently the person most active in leading corporate worship, leadership of the worshipers is in no way restricted to the clergy. Various members of the congregation may function as leaders of worship and are encouraged to do so. The choir and instrumental musicians provide leadership for the parts of the worship involving music, and other laypersons also provide various types of leadership. It is paramount, however, that anyone who functions as a leader of worship be carefully prepared.

 

 

Symbols and Vestments

 

Through the centuries the Christian community has made use of symbols and vestments to aid in their worship. Christians can choose from this vast storehouse of symbols or create their own for use in the place designated for worship. What is crucial in use of symbols is that those who are asked to use them understand clearly their meaning and their function.

 

Vestments worn by leaders of worship may also enrich and enhance corporate worship. Robes worn by choir members and other musicians, clergy robes, albs, chasubles, stoles can all serve a useful purpose if they are properly introduced and understood. Vestments can fittingly symbolize the function of the leader of worship and can direct attention away from the individual to the responsibility the person is carrying out on behalf of the worshiper

Wake Up! We have Unfinished Business

 

Read Mark 10:13-22

Revelation 3:1-3

So, let’s get to it.

I told the session before I left that I would not be available to fill the pulpit for the first six months of the year. We had some travel planned, and that was part of the reasoning, but not the main part.

For years, I longed to see ministries kick into gear. Some did. Many stalled in the red zone.

I was very pleased that VBS was reconstituted years ago, produced good fruit, and stayed strong, and will continue this year.

In the last couple of years, the growth of our older youth has become noticeable and has clearly brought glory to God, as many have come to embrace God’s words. The fact that I am proud of them pales in comparison to the glory they bring to God.

But there were more times when there was a need or a challenge, and the most we did was talk about it.

I informed, analyzed, challenged, presented alternatives, and on occasion, provoked, hoping for action. I realize that many of you associate the word provoked with anger. You can be provoked to anger, but you can also be provoked to action. It’s that inertia thing again.

What else could I do?

I could leave. I could get out of the way. Your leaders and potential leaders and disciples needed something more from me, my absence.

Three years ago, I gave a general notice that I would leave sometime between the end of 2025 and the end of 2027. I was thinking that the end of 2026 would be the most likely, but the end of last year was the right choice.

I have watched from afar as that vacancy has been filled in different ways. I am not talking just about the pulpit. Many are moved to action. I hope more will be.

I realize that sometimes my assessments are unique and not shared by many others. I am glad I made the Spring Presbytery in Fort Worth this year.

A theme among the denominational representatives prevailed across many reports. It was to repent.

Repent for what?  I repented. I’m saved. So, repent for what?  Repent for talk without action. Across so many functional areas, the message at the last meeting of the Red River Presbytery was the same.

Jesus did not say that the wise man puts his words into conversation. He did not say that the one who put his words into the most posts gets the most points.  He said that the one who puts his words into practice is the one who builds his house on solid rock.

We as Christians in general, and I can talk specifically as Cumberland Presbyterians, talk a lot but do little. We need to repent of that, and repentance requires action.

Repentance is more than just turning away from the ways of the world. It is turning away from everything that is not of God and leaving all of the worldly junk behind, without getting a claim ticket to come back for it later.

The denomination is on the precipice of fully embracing that faith without works is dead. We acknowledge it. Will we act upon it?

We are at what could be the tipping point of the next great awakening. But to embrace that faith without works is dead requires some action from us, from us all, or it’s just more talk.

The rich young man went away sad because Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow him. This was a pick up your cross and follow me moment.

To which we—Americans—often retreat to the position that this was just about this one rich man. It doesn’t apply to everyone, not to us regular folks in any case.

You would be correct. It does not apply to everyone, but it very much applies to you and just about everyone who lives in this country.

You may not have a lot of money in the bank, but you are richer than the young man in this account in so many ways. The first and perhaps most important way is comfort.

For all the money and possessions that this young man had, he couldn’t turn on the bathroom light with the flick of a switch.

He couldn’t turn on a faucet and step into a hot shower whenever he wanted.

He couldn’t kill the afternoon watching Netflix or reels on his phone.

He couldn’t say, “Let’s make a quick trip to OKC and catch a movie.” That wasn’t a day trip.

He couldn’t one click his purchase and have it there the next day or two.

He never knew the thrills of Taco Tuesday or Throwback Thursday, or watching a grandchild smack a ball into the outfield on his phone while the kid is in another town.

Make no mistake that we who live in this country are as rich as this young man who had many possessions. We are rich and the words of Jesus that we find in Mark 10 apply to us.

Before Jesus told this rich young man to sell everything he owned and give the proceeds to the poor, we find these words. They are among my favorite words, and we see them in verse 21.

Jesus looked at him and loved him.

Jesus saw that the man practiced the big-ticket items of the Law but that something was in the way of him being complete—perfected if you will.

In modern vernacular, this young man made it to services, even stayed awake for the message, only got up to go to the bathroom twice and once was during a song he didn’t like, and surely made the required trips to the temple with the required offering or sacrifice. He checked the blocks but never knew the heart of the God of love who was behind his directives.

Something was in his way. That something was his possessions—his stuff—and evidently, he had a bunch of it. I’m guessing he had more than one Connex box.

Do we need to sell everything we own?

Yes! If our possessions, our comfort, our anything has equal status with God in our lives, it’s got to go.

More than likely, it is not money or stuff that is in our way, but our reluctance, complacency, or hesitation to put God’s words into practice.  We are comfortable just talking and not acting.

What we need to get rid of in our lives is our complacency and desire to live unchanged by the gospel. We must discharge our desires to make the words of Jesus fit into our comfort zones.

I was blessed to watch the movie, “A Great Awakening.” It is the story of George Whitfield coming to America and spiritually awakening its people—our forefathers—a few decades before our independence and the writing of our Constitution.

Just over 47 years ago I received my degree in Political Science from the Oklahoma State University, but I learned a couple of things about Benjamin Franklin that I didn’t know before, trusting the film was faithful to the facts in most matters. Most notably that this God-fearing man came to receive Jesus as Lord late in life.

Franklin was always a God-fearing man, but he had systems for righteousness—ways to be right with God. He was his own Pharisee. His mantra, his code was his comfort zone and professing Jesus as Lord would take him out of that comfort zone.  I won’t spoil the movie for you.

I also took to heart this story related by Whitfield as his own, but there was a little license with that as the historical documents note that Whitfield attributed it to someone else.

I'll tell you a story. The Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 1675 was acquainted with Mr. Butterton the actor. One day the Archbishop . . . said to Butterton . . . 'pray inform me Mr. Butterton, what is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?'

'Why my Lord,' says Butterton, 'the reason is very plain. We actors on stage speak of things imaginary, as if they were real and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.'

On the 90^th anniversary of pronouncement of Fake News—Google George Orwell and the Spanish Civil War—let’s commit to speaking the truth. That truth resides in God’s word.

We need to quit acting like God’s word is just one proposal among many to consider or that it might be true.

We need to repent of knowing what God tells us to do and doing nothing, or doing something else, or just talking about it.

We need to repent of thinking if we build it, they will come—not to knock that movie—and embrace, go and make disciples.

We need to speak the truth as if it were the truth for it is the truth. We speak the truth in a spirit of love, not worried that the truth might offend someone. It’s the truth.

Know it.

Speak it.

Live it.

Your measure of faith was sufficient to receive the gift of salvation. It’s all from God. You just had to receive it by faith.

We like that part, and we should, because we could never receive salvation by the way we live, yet having received grace by faith, so many  have parked their faith on the shelf.

Faith is not a one-and-done deal. Salvation is a done deal, and if you are content in having received grace by faith and having your faith parked on the shelf for the rest of this life, why are you listening today?

If you are listening today and have no intention of putting our Lord’s words into practice, what’s the point?  It’s just a placebo. Well, it felt good to hear God’s word. It feels good to talk about God’s word. Don’t ruin it by asking me to put those words into practice.

I am preaching mostly to the saints—to the saved. I’m not trying to get most of you to the altar to profess your faith. You have been there. I am talking about picking up your cross daily and following Jesus.

That’s a whole ‘nuther deal.

I’m not talking about doing all the right things so you can get into heaven. I’m talking about doing things—the right things--the right way because heaven has already been gifted to you. I am talking about responding to the love of God that we know in Christ Jesus with action.

I’m not talking about talking about the words of Jesus—thought they are worth discussing when you awaken, go to sleep, go to work, or in anything else you do. I’m talking about putting his words into practice.

In so doing, you never have to worry about:

·       Integrity

·       Fidelity

·       Speaking the truth in a spirit of love

·       Living in the light

·       And the list goes on…

I am talking about never thinking, I’m doing too much church stuff. I’m doing too much for the Lord.

I don’t mean getting sucked into every activity on the church calendar—though for some, that's their daily bread. Some have been called and ordained as elders and should have more skin in the game in the ministry and life of the body. They received and accepted a call from God to be ordained as elders and should put more time and effort into this than most of you.

But today I am talking to everyone about feeling the gentle nudge from the Spirit or the still small voice of the Lord leading you, and you saying, I’m already doing enough. I hear you, Lord, but would you recheck your metrics? I think you will see that I’ve done my fair share and more.

If that’s your situation, if you don’t want to play the antiphonal game with God—He calls and you answer, then go buy a cross, a crucifix like the Roman Catholics have with Jesus hanging on the cross. I love our cross without Jesus nailed to it.

He is not there. He is risen. He is risen indeed. He is not on the cross or in the tomb. He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and for me.

Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

But go get you one of those crosses and keep it handy for those times you are ready to dismiss the calling of the Lord upon your life, and you want to say, I think I’m doing enough already.

When that time comes, say those words to Jesus hanging on the cross and tell him how much you are doing for him and how that surely must be enough. I want you to devalue what Jesus did for you on the cross in your conversation with the image of him hanging there. See if that doesn’t change your perspective.

You might be doing a lot to bring glory to God’s name, but do you remember the precondition to the directions of Jesus to this rich young man? If you want to be perfect, if you want to be complete, if you really want some life out of life, then…

If you want to be complete…

If the saints are too busy or burdened to put our Master’s words into practice, how do we expect the lost to hear our words, or believe them because our lives belie the words of our Master?

Remember these words quoted earlier between the archbishop and the actor. This is Butterton’s reply to the archbishop.

We actors on stage speak of things imaginary, as if they were real and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.

It’s not just the preachers that need to treat the truth as the truth, but every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do we do that? We put his words into practice.

How do we do that? We sell everything that we own—or discard everything that supplants the place of God. If it is in the place of God, it’s got to go.

We cast off everything that hinders and run our race of faith fully for him.

We pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.

Do we act like Jesus Christ is the most important person, relationship, and entity in our lives? Do we act like Jesus is truly number one?

No!

I say emphatically, no! Do not act like Jesus is at the very top of the list of what matters in your life.

Live like it! There is no acting, just fidelity, for he is the One who is most important in your life. Everything else that we love must be no closer to the number one spot in our lives than a distant, a very distant second.

But, but, but we know this. So, what do we do?

I go to the words of Jesus to the church at Sardis and to the church universal.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

The church that we know in our time has unfinished work. You have unfinished work. We have unfinished work.

We have unfinished work!

What do we do?

“Wake up, sleeper,

    rise from the dead,

    and Christ will shine on you.”

Go all the way back to Isaiah and see how long God has been calling his people to awaken.

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

And Paul has something to say on the matter as well.

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Take all these commands to awaken in the context of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Do not go through life with a business-as-usual attitude. As long as it is called “Today”, you are called to action. You know the truth. Now is the time to live it.

What could keep us from that? What is the root cause of complacency?

Sin’s deceitfulness.

God’s got it covered. He will just get someone else. I’m doing enough. Those people aren’t doing anything. Sin’s deceitfulness will make you deaf to God’s call upon your life.

God’s sheep know his voice and will do what God requires of them. His disciples will put his words into practice. We will all be Doers of the Word.

So, what’s that mean?

Cast off everything that hinders, and complacency needs to go first.

Sell everything that is taking the place of God. Just give it to Christi’s or Mission House or Judah House. If it’s taking the place of God in your lives, it’s got to go.

Discharge your doubt. Speak the truth and live it.

Wake up! The time of his coming draws near.

And one last thing, for now: OK, one last thing in three points.

The day is coming when you will have your next pastor. Remind him or her that you don’t need to be coddled. Tell your next shepherd to:

1.    Preach the word. Don’t try to see what we like. Just preach the truth. Don’t sugar coat it. If I need to sell all my stuff, then tell me.

2.    Disciple us. Don’t coddle us. Don’t find the lowest common denominator. Don’t lower the bar. We might have to put more steps in the process of making disciples, but don’t forsake it. Disciple us. Challenge us to be complete.

3.    Here’s one that goes back to my observations when I began. Tell your new pastor, “Try to keep up.” That’s right, challenge your next pastor, whom you will love dearly, to keep up. You are on your way to being overcomers. Look around you. We are on our way to another Great Awakening. Don’t give up being an integral part of that up for anything, especially comfort or complacency. You don’t breathe a sigh of relief when you get your new pastor. OK, the search committee can for a couple of hours, but don’t lose the momentum that you have now and are growing into in your service and discipleship.

Tell your new pastor to hit the deck running because you are not slowing down.

But for you, if it is in the way of your discipleship and evangelism, get it out of the way. Sell it. Discard it. Give it away. Kick it to the curb!

What might be in your way of keeping God in first place in your lives might just help someone else make it through the day or week.

Probably more than our money and stuff is our comfort. We so value our comfort in this nation.

Paul said that he could be content in all circumstances, and so can we. That’s not the same as being comfortable or complacent in every situation. We are content if we have a little or a lot, but we don’t do complacency. We don’t do slothfulness.

When the Spirit moves us or we hear that still small voice leading us, or the written word of God judges your thoughts and attitudes, failure to act in the way God is leading is sin for us.

Pick up your cross every day and do the things that we know God wants us to do. No excuses.

You can’t do too much for God.  You can’t out give God. And when he prompts us to act, we don’t go away sad because we might have to give up something in this world—of this temporary lodging facility—to give up something that is not eternal.

We respond with great joy in putting his words into practice.

When you talk to your next pastor, tell him or her to challenge you because you want to be a part—a big part in a small Oklahoma town—of the next Great Awakening.

If we will get off of our behinds and put his words into action, we might see this next Great Awakening in our time.

The times ahead may look dark but light is coming. Help bring that light, the truth, and faith in God through Christ Jesus to everyone you know.

Whatever you have to give up—money, things, comfort, status, or anything else that is encroaching on that number one spot—will seem like nothing compared to what is in store for us.

Eye has not seen and hear has not heard what the Lord God has in store for us. Discharge what is in your way and embrace the glory to come for we have unfinished business.

Wake up, for we have unfinished business.

Amen.  

If it takes the place of God, sell it, give it away, or cast it off. Just do it.

 

Read Mark 10:13-22

 

So, let’s get to it.

Jesus did not say that the wise man puts his words into conversation. He did not say that the one who put his words into the most posts gets the most points.  He said that the one who puts his words into practice is the one who builds his house on solid rock.

I realize that sometimes my assessments are unique and not shared by many others. I am glad I made the Spring Presbytery in Fort Worth this year.

A theme among the denominational representatives prevailed through many reports. It was to repent.

Repent for what?  I repented. I’m saved. So, repent for what?  Repent for talk without action. Across so many functional areas, the message at the last meeting of the Red River Presbytery was the same.

We as Christians in general, and I can talk specifically as Cumberland Presbyterians talk a lot but do little. We need to repent of that, and repentance requires action.

Repentance is more than just turning away from the ways of the world. It is turning away and leaving all of the worldly junk behind, without getting a claim ticket to come back for it later.

The denomination is on the precipice of fully embracing that faith without works is dead.

We are at what could be the tipping point of the next great awakening. But to embrace that faith without works is dead requires some action from us, from us all, or it’s just more talk.

The rich young man went away sad because Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, pick up his cross, and follow him.

To which we often retreat to the position that this was just about this one rich man. It doesn’t apply to everyone, not to us regular folks in any case.

You would be correct. It does not apply to everyone, but it very much applies to you and just about everyone who lives in this country.

You may not have a lot of money in the bank, but you are richer than the young man in this account in so many ways. The first and perhaps most important way is comfort.

For all the money this young man had, he couldn’t turn on the bathroom light with the flick of a switch.

He couldn’t turn on a faucet and step into a hot shower whenever he wanted.

He couldn’t kill the afternoon watching Netflix or reels on his phone.

He never knew the thrills of Taco Tuesday or Throwback Thursday, or watching a grandchild smack a ball into the outfield on his phone while the kid is in another town.

Make no mistake that we who live in this country are as rich as this young man who had many possessions. We are rich and the words of Jesus that we find in Mark 10 apply to us.

Before Jesus told this rich young man to sell everything he owned and give the proceeds to the poor, we find these words. They are among my favorite words, and we see them in verse 21.

Jesus looked at him and loved him.

Jesus saw that the man practiced the big-ticket items of the Law but that something was in the way of him being complete—perfected if you will.

In modern vernacular, this young man made it to services, even stayed awake for the message, only got up to go to the bathroom twice and once was during a song he didn’t like, and surely made the required trips to the temple with the required offering or sacrifice. He checked the blocks but never knew the heart of the God of love who was behind his directives.

Something was in his way. That something was his possessions—his stuff—and evidently, he had a bunch of it.

Do we need to sell everything we own? Yes! If our possessions, our comfort, our anything has equal status with God in our lives, it’s got to go.

More than likely, it is not money or stuff that is in our way, but our reluctance, complacency, or hesitation to put God’s words into practice.  What we need to get rid of in our lives is our complacency and desire to live unchanged by the gospel—our desires to make the words of Jesus fit into our comfort zones.

I was blessed to watch the movie, “A Great Awakening.” It is the story of George Whitfield coming to America and spiritually awakening its people—our forefathers—a few decades before our independence and the writing of our Constitution.

Just over 47 years ago I received my degree in Political Science from the Oklahoma State University, but I learned a couple of things about Benjamin Franklin that I didn’t know before, trusting the film was faithful to the facts in most matters.

I also took to heart this story related by Whitfield as his own, but there was a little license with that as the historical documents note that Whitfield attributed it to someone else.

I'll tell you a story. The Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 1675 was acquainted with Mr. Butterton the actor. One day the Archbishop . . . said to Butterton . . . 'pray inform me Mr. Butterton, what is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?'

'Why my Lord,' says Butterton, 'the reason is very plain. We actors on stage speak of things imaginary, as if they were real and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.'

 

On our 90^th anniversary of Fake News—Google George Orwell and the Spanish Civil War—let’s commit to speaking the truth. That truth resides in God’s word.

We need to quit acting like God’s word is just one proposal among many to consider or that it might be true.

We need to repent of knowing what God tells us to do and doing nothing.

We need to repent of thinking if we build it, they will come—not to knock that movie—and embrace, go and make disciples.

We need to speak the truth as if it were the truth for it is the truth. We speak the truth in a spirit of love, not worried that the truth might offend someone. It’s the truth.

Know it.

Speak it.

Live it.

Your measure of faith was sufficient to receive the gift of salvation. It’s all from God. You just had to receive it by faith.

We like that part, and we should, because we could never receive salvation by the way we live, yet having received grace by faith, so many have parked their faith on the shelf.

Faith is not a one-and-done deal. Salvation is a done deal, and if you are content in having received grace by faith and having your faith parked on the shelf for the rest of this life, why are you listening today?

If you are listening today and have no intention of putting our Lord’s words into practice, what’s the point?  It’s just a placebo. Well, it felt good.

I am preaching mostly to the saints—to the saved. I’m not trying to get most of you to the radio or internet altar to profess your faith. You have been there. I am talking about picking up your cross daily and following Jesus.

That’s a whole ‘nuther deal.

I’m not talking about doing all the right things so you can get into heaven. I’m talking about doing things—the right things--the right way because heaven has already been gifted to you.

I’m not talking about talking about the words of Jesus—thought they are worth discussing when you awaken, go to sleep, go to work, or in anything else you do. I’m talking about putting his words into practice.

In so doing, you never have to worry about:

·       Integrity

·       Fidelity

·       Speaking the truth in a spirit of love

·       Living in the light

I am talking about never thinking, I’m doing too much church stuff. I’m doing too much for the Lord.

I’m not talking about getting sucked into every activity on the church calendar—though for some, that's their daily bread. I’m talking about feeling the gentle nudge from the Spirit or the still small voice of the Lord leading you, and you saying, I’m already doing enough. I hear you, Lord, but would you recheck your metrics? I think you will see that I’ve done my fair share and more.

If that’s your situation, go buy a cross, a crucifix like the Roman Catholics have with Jesus hanging on the cross. I love our cross without Jesus nailed to it.

He is not there. He is risen. He is risen indeed. He is not on the cross or in the tomb. He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and for me.

Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

But go get you one of those crosses and keep it handy for those times you are ready to dismiss the calling of the Lord upon your life, and you want to say, I think I’m doing enough already.

When that time comes, say those words to Jesus hanging on the cross and tell him how much you are doing for him and how that surely must be enough. I want you to devalue what Jesus did for you on the cross in your conversation with the image of him hanging there. See if that doesn’t change your perspective.

You might be doing a lot to bring glory to God’s name, but do you remember the precondition to the directions of Jesus to this rich young man? If you want to be perfect, if you want to be complete, if you really want some life out of life, then…

If the saints are too busy or burdened to put our Master’s words into practice, how do we expect the lost to hear our words, or believe them because our lives belie the words of our Master?

Remember these words quoted earlier.

We actors on stage speak of things imaginary, as if they were real and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.

It’s not just the preachers that need to treat the truth as the truth, but every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do we do that? We put his words into practice.

How do we do that? We sell everything that we own—or discard everything that supplants the place of God.

We cast off everything that hinders and run our race of faith fully for him.

We pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.

Do we act like Jesus Christ is the most important person, relationship, and entity in our lives? No!

I say emphatically, no! Do not act like Jesus is at the very top of the list of what matters in your life.

Live like it! There is no acting, just fidelity, for he is the One who is most important in your life. Everything else that we love must be no closer to the number one spot in our lives than a distant, a very distant second.

But, but, but we know this. So, what do we do?

I go to the words of Jesus to the church at Sardis and to the church universal.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

The church that we know in our time has unfinished work. You have unfinish work. We have unfinished work.

What do we do?

“Wake up, sleeper,

    rise from the dead,

    and Christ will shine on you.”

Go all the way back to Isaiah and see how long God has been calling his people to awaken.

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

And Paul has something to say on the matter as well.

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Take all these commands to awaken in the context of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Do not go through life with a business-as-usual attitude. You know the truth. Now is the time to live it.

Cast off everything that hinders, and complacency needs to go first.

Sell everything that is taking the place of God.

Discharge your doubt.

Wake up! The time of his coming draws near.

And one last thing, for now…

Remind your pastors that you don’t need to be coddled. Tell your shepherd to:

1.    Preach the word. Don’t try to see what we like. Just preach the truth. Don’t sugar coat it. If I need to sell all my stuff, then tell me.

2.    Disciple us. Don’t coddle us. Don’t find the lowest common denominator. Don’t lower the bar. We might have to put more steps in a dicipling process but don’t forsake it. Disciple us. Challenge us to be complete.

3.    Try to keep up. That’s right, challenge your pastor, whom you love dearly, to keep up. You are on your way to being overcomers. Look around you. We are on our way to another Great Awakening. Don’t give that up for anything, especially comfort or complacency.

If it is in the way of your discipleship and evangelism, get it out of the way. Sell it. Discard it. Give it away.

What might be in your way of keeping God in first place in your lives might just help someone else make it through the day or week.

Probably more than our money and stuff is our comfort. We so value our comfort in this nation.

Paul said that he could be content in all circumstances, and so can we. That’s not the same as being comfortable or complacent in every situation. We are content if we have a little or a lot, but we don’t do complacency. We don’t do slothfulness.

When the Spirit moves us or we hear that still small voice leading us, failure to act in the way God is leading us is sin for us.

Pick up your cross every day and do the things that we know God wants us to do. No excuses.

You can’t do too much for God.  You can’t out give God. And when he prompts us to act, we don’t go away sad because we might have to give up something in this world—of this temporary lodging facility—to give up something that is not eternal.

We respond with great joy in putting his words into practice.

When you next talk to your pastor, tell him or her to challenge you because you want to be a part—a big part in a small Oklahoma town—of the next Great Awakening.

If we will get off of our behinds and put his words into action, we might see this next Great Awakening in our time.

The times ahead may look dark but light is coming. Help bring that light, the truth, and faith in God through Christ Jesus to everyone you know.

Whatever you have to give up—money, things, comfort, status, or anything else that is encroaching on that number one spot—will seem like nothing compared to what is in store for us.

I’m going to add one thing here at the end. Let’s give up our self-pity.

Get in the fight!

Amen.