Is there Peace in the World Tonight?

Dear Worshippers,

Following a rest stop in our journey through our core values of worship last week, I sense the Lord leading me to take a detour for this next season. It is my expectation that this detour will lead us back to the path we were traveling together, but for now, let us enjoy this road that lies immediately before us-the Advent and Christmas seasons.

This is a good time to begin a new path since it marks the beginning of the year. Before you think that the stress of the Christmas musical has through my mind off by a month bear in mind that I am referring to the Christian or Church Year, not the calendar. The Church Year, liturgically speaking, begins with Advent. You will remember that advent means appearing. This is the season when we remember that God our King promised to appear, and then kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

The musical we will share next week, makes the statement “There is Peace in the World Tonight” in it’s title and then reinforces that through narration, drama and song. The angels got it right when they said, “Peace on earth”, although the headlines might lead you to believe there proclamation was premature. You see peace is not the absence of conflict, peace is the presence of God.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” [John 14:27] Often this peace seems allusive, just beyond our grasp, but it is found when we rest in Him, not allowing our hearts to be troubled or ourselves be afraid. Sounds easy, right?

I am facing something today in my personal life that kind of has me reeling. I am troubled. I could allow these circumstances to dictate the state of my soul, or I can allow God to do that. Ultimately, this is a response I must choose based on truth God has revealed.

What are you facing today? Will you allow it to rob you of the peace of God? Or rather will you choose to respond to it with the peace of God? I know the choice that I am determined to make. We sang it in the service Sunday night: “Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy or what Thou art. I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.” AMEN. There is peace in the world tonight.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Evangelistic

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the fifth value. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

Last week I mentioned that the last two phrases of our new brand flesh out our mission focus very nicely: Multiplying communities of Christ. Around the World. The thing about multiplying communities of faith, whether here, there or everywhere, is that it requires evangelism. That is, seeing the lost turn to Christ alone for salvation. Our mission to do this around the world implies that we will be doing that right here for starters. If we are to be an evangelistic people, and we are, then our worship must be Evangelistic. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, but here are the ones we are recommending for inclusion in the philosophical document:

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,

so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Psalm 145:11-12

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men…For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5:11a, 14-15, 18-19 (From II Corinthian 5:11-21)

Part of the reason that we worship is so that others may hear of God’s mighty acts as we glorify Him. We often forget about the horizontal dimension of worship. When we gather to worship we are there with others. Though our primary focus is the Lord, we recognize the presence of others with us, believers and unbelievers. You may ask, “Do you really think there are that many unbelievers in church from week to week?” The Scriptures bears out very clearly that there are many who think they know Christ, but have never surrendered their lives to Him, and others who simply have not yielded but are being drawn to Christ. When we worship God, those unbelievers hear of “[His] mighty acts and the glorious splendor of [His] Kingdom and have the opportunity to turn in faith.

The second passage reminds us that we have entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, that is, helping people to realize a that Christ has made a way to be reconciled to God. What a privilege is ours to be Christ’s ambassadors. If this is a part of our life in Christ individually, then certainly it will find expression through us collectively. We need always to be looking out for those opportunities to help people realize they can have peace with God.

While we offer a variety of events that have this as a part of their focus, it may not be more clearly presented than at our Christmas musical. There is an effort made to invite the unchurched, and unevangelized in our lives to come. While here, they hear the Christmas story and have an opportunity to give their lives to Christ. Take advantage of this evangelistic event by inviting others and encouraging them to join us for the musical.

But the musical is not the only evangelistic thing we do all year. Every time we gather there is that awareness that unbelievers are likely in our midst and we must clearly communicate the gospel so that they have the opportunity to come to faith. Keep your eyes open for those opportunities when you are here, and when you are there. Everywhere.

Jesus, may our individual lives of worship be evangelistic, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be evangelistic as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Worship is…Mission Focused

Dear Worshippers,

We continue our journey through the core values of our worship this week with the fourth value. As I keep saying, you may be surprised that none of the things the Elders are considering as core values of our worship are necessarily music-oriented. Actually none of them deal with elements at all, but rather with the essentials of worship. They are more the why than the what of worship, if you will.

Last week I mentioned new brand of The Christian and Missionary Alliance “Living the Call Together” and the way it communicates who we are. It is explained with four concise phrases: Ordinary people. Empowered by an extraordinary God. Multiplying communities of Christ. Around the World. Those last two phrases really capture the Mission focus of this movement. That focus must be reflected in our worship. There are any number of Scriptures that speak to this value, here are the ones we are recommending for inclusion in the philosophical document:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

You may recall that the latter verse was one of the verses that was used for the last value, Spirit empowered. There is a very pointed purpose in that empowering, completing the task that Jesus gave those first disciples and continues to assign today to everyone called by His matchless name. The empowering of the Spirit is not as much for our good as it is for the glory of our God.

The revealing of that glory to the world in this age started with Jesus command to us, which we call The Great Commission. We often think about the word “go” as being the primary operative word, but we need to be careful not to miss “make disciples”. Jesus did not say make converts, but disciples. The process is very different, the latter being a process not a pinpoint moment. Our worship should aid that process in every way, and be a significant part of it.

But there is at least one other aspect that I want to highlight. At the beginning and the end of this passage are two things we must not forget as we focus on mission: power and presence. Jesus says, “All authority…has been given to me…and surely I am with you always”. We must demonstrate to the world the power and presence of Jesus to the world in relationship. We can tell people about Jesus, but living out His mission focus requires that we show them Jesus. He lived out His mission flawlessly, we do not. Still let us give ourselves over to the One who wants to focus our worship on the mission He has given us to accomplish.

Jesus, may our individual lives of worship be mission focused, so that when we join together in our corporate worship it will be mission focused as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott