The Gospel and Worship

Friends, I'm so thankful that I can unpack this passage with you.

Whilst I'm untangling myself, I want to add my special welcome to you.

But a particular special welcome to our Year 7-8s into our room

as they continue on the journey of discovering what it looks like to be lifelong disciples

and particularly as they worship with us on Sundays.

So I'm really glad that I can tie a neat bow.

I try to, hopefully.

To finish one Thessalonians.

And if you've got a St Paul's app with you, there is an outline for notes.

But if you're a note taker, I've got them on the screen for you.

These are the three points.

Number one, the heart of worship.

Number two, the inputs for worship.

And steadfast worship.

But before we do, let's pray.

Gracious Father, your kindness in Christ means that we can come before your throne

with full confidence that you will deliver on your promises.

And today I pray that you show us those promises evidently.

The promises that your spirit is unveiling the glories of this text to see you clearly.

And the promise that you are chipping away at our hearts so that we can become more like our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

I remember a while ago I was walking with a friend of mine to Macca's.

And we were determined to get a really, really good feed.

And as we were chatting, he kind of stopped me because he had received a text.

And it was a text that kind of shocked him.

And it was about a sad occurrence that had happened for a friend of his.

And he said, let's just stop now.

Let's just pray for this person.

And I was like, wow, okay.

Like, this is the first time I've ever gone like, okay, let's just stop in the middle of the path

and just pray because my heart is convinced and convicted that it needs to get chicken nuggets.

And as we continued hanging, I just noticed him talk about how cool it was for God to be his creator.

Every third sentence was like speckled with, I thank God that, or in God's kindness, by God's grace.

And as I was hearing these things, like, did he just want to show that he was, you know, more holy, more overtly religious than me?

And what I'd begun to realize was that he was so convinced, so convinced that God is the true and living God,

that he was confident about the presence and work of the living God, that he had to talk to him, that he had to talk about him.

This is worship.

This is worship.

What's your picture of worship?

Is worship connected to singing songs or when we open the Bible, when we pray?

Perhaps all the things that seem uber churchy.

Maybe we see that worship is only a matter of time in our calendars, a Sunday, maybe a midweek,

or maybe even certain seasons.

When seasons are hard, you come to church for hope and assurance.

And what I want to say is that the scriptures, particularly the passage that we're going to unpack today,

is much, much greater in its depiction of worship, much greater on a grander scale.

And we might have a small view of what worship is or what it even can be.

And it's limited, perhaps because the way that we give devotion and adoration to God

is confined by the resources that we can give him that we think are limited.

But maybe that's not the case.

Maybe God joyfully says you actually have more to offer than you think.

But this passage captures the essence about worship.

If last week's passage that Nick looked at was the horizontal nature of what it looks like

to be a follower of Jesus until Christ returns, this speaks of the vertical nature, our devotion to God.

Paul's very first point in regard to worship is that worship is an all-of-life matter.

If you've got your Bibles open, keep it at verse 16.

It says,

Be joyful always.

Pray continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Notice the language.

Notice that Paul uses to describe the action words with always, continually, all circumstances.

Worship is not a matter that is a start and stop.

It's not a compartmentalised life where I do this, this, and worship is here.

Worship is all of life.

And this might sound overwhelming to you.

How am I supposed to juggle being a parent, a child, a student, an employee, a boss, do chores, find time to sleep,

a member of a church, let alone be an all-of-life worshipper of Jesus?

Friends, that perhaps the question is not the what or how we do worship,

but our first question ought to be the who, the object of our worship.

Whom do you worship?

Friends, who or even what do you devote your time, affections, and praise to?

The matter at hand isn't that maybe you need more church or more Bible.

They could be, in fact, what you might need.

But the reason you worship is the object.

And the object in 1 Thessalonians that he starts and begins is that we worship the true and living God

who's made visible in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

So do you see God for who he is?

Do you see him as the creator of the universe?

Two years ago, I picked up tennis, and I had played as a child for about 10 years,

and I was really genuinely, I'm not trying to be humble, not good at all.

Couldn't hit a ball for the life of me.

And I just noticed, as I was hitting my forehands and backhands, my coach said something to me,

and he was screaming repeatedly from the other side of the net.

And he said, eyes on the ball, like a million times.

Because I thought I had my eyes on the ball, but what I realised was I had my eyes on the opponent,

the coach, spectators, where I was trying to aim,

but what I needed to have my eyes fixed on was the ball.

And the three actions that Paul refers to in worship that he calls you to do all times,

all circumstances is pray, rejoice, give thanks.

For the Christian, this is what the heartbeat of the person does,

and it only is worship that is pleasing and true

when the worship has our eyes fixed on the right thing.

Pray to God in Christ Jesus.

Give thanks to God for Christ Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord.

That's where your eyes should be fixed, friends.

It's because Christ is worthy of your praise.

He is the only living, true God who created all things to give thanks to.

Worship is made right and perfect when our eyes are fixed with Jesus.

And the rejoicing here that Paul talks about as well is not this matter of being happy.

John Piper puts joy as being Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit

as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.

Happiness hangs on what happens.

Joy doesn't.

I won my soccer game.

I got a promotion.

If that's not happening, I'm not happy.

But joy?

Joy can be a matter of when life is frustrating.

Joy can be experienced and felt in the midst of grief.

Joy can be felt when you don't know even what the Lord is doing in your life at this present moment.

Think about the times that Paul himself talks about joy.

He says in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9 on the screen,

2 Corinthians 12:9

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Romans 5, 2-3,

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings.

Notice that Paul often talks about joy in times when it is hard.

If you are wanting this steadfast and ongoing joy that doesn't buckle when you are crushed and afflicted,

look to Jesus.

Have your gaze firmly fixed on him.

Because what we saw earlier in the chapter that Paul gets them to look forward to the day of the Lord.

For those of you who are playing at home, that is the day that Jesus will come back

and bring an end to all things and renew them and restore them to how everything will be.

Because joy is confidence that he will make you all that you were meant to be in every fashion.

Physically, mentally, spiritually, existentially, on the day that Jesus returns.

Because do you see it?

God made you to be an awe maker.

You were created to have awe at things.

And when our awe of Jesus is diminished, what we cannot do in renewing our awe,

Jesus does it for us and will complete it when we are with him forever.

Revelation 19, verse 1 says,

Revelation 19:1

After this, I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting,

Hallelujah.

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

The end for the Christian, in fact, the end for all people, is that they worship God.

What our life, the world, is hurling towards is the adoration of the one who made us

and is the only one who is worthy of our praise.

And so to answer that question at the beginning, how am I meant to do all of life worship?

Worship is when your life becomes more about Jesus than this world.

Worship isn't just singing praise to our God, being in the Word as they are and is a pinnacle of what we are on about.

But worship is also when you willingly vacuum after Sunday kids when there is glitter all over the floor

because you were convinced that the glitter was going to help them understand the Bible.

It's when you sit under your boss talking about your work performance and listen humbly like Christ.

When you pray for the Lord's patience not to scream at your child.

It's when you keep coming to church in the hard, hard seasons or even when church is hard.

Because it's all about Jesus.

For is that not what Jesus does when he is on agony on the cross?

When he says, Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

The true living God perseveres on the cross for his Father's will.

He doesn't scorn at you.

He doesn't sit in silence.

He prays.

He prays.

He prays that your soul might know the depths of your sin, your inability to worship him,

and that your gaze may be reaffixed to his heart for you.

Because of Christ, you are free to worship.

You are free to worship anytime, anyplace, and you get to do what you were made for.

Friends, isn't that good?

Isn't it a joy that in Jesus you get to worship who you were made to worship?

I've had this question a lot from youth over the years, and it's this.

No judgment.

Ash, I understand.

God is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Jesus died for me.

He's everything.

But I just don't want to learn about Jesus today.

Is that okay?

Have you ever felt sometimes weary about worship?

Have you felt that what the kid is saying is what you feel sometimes?

I wonder if Paul continues on reminding us that our devotion to God doesn't just start with what you put out,

but what you put in.

The inputs in your heart matter as much as your outputs.

Have a look at verse 19.

Do not quench the spirit.

Do not despise prophecies, but test everything.

Hold fast to what is good.

Abstain from every form of evil.

Why does Paul say this?

The Thessalonian church might have been constantly hearing prophecy maybe.

Maybe there was a really bad instance of prophecy.

And so Paul says, don't despise it.

And what we need to say about prophecy is that often biblical prophecy, particularly in the Old Testament,

was not just a future prediction, but a message from God.

It could be God's law, as he did with Moses.

And perhaps Paul is calling for some discernment of what they hear.

And it's worth noting briefly that prophecy is quite a divided matter between Christians today.

And I don't think scripture is quite definitive of what prophecy for us today is.

Particularly in this passage, Paul does not tell us what the prophecies are

or why he brings the matter of prophecy in verse 19 to 22.

Some people say that prophecy today is this unprompted thought that God has suddenly brought to mind.

Some people say it's the powerful preaching of the word.

But I want to park the debate.

You can speak to me or you can speak to Steve.

Sorry, Steve.

Over about morning tea.

But what I want us to listen carefully here to is the principle.

The principle is if prophecy is rooted and always rooted that it is from the word of God,

it must always be tested by the scriptures.

And I think what is clear in this passage and others what Paul writes is that these prophecies are about holding what is good

and what is in light, what is affirmed in scripture.

In other words, the principle is that whatever you hear, does it ring out the glories, the majesty, the beauty of our great God.

So that means we can apply this principle to everything.

We can apply it to our social media.

Because sometimes we take matters that we hear in our phones and podcasts as gospel.

You've heard it before, you know, the gospel of self-actualization, I am enough.

The gospel of self-care.

The gospel of health and fitness.

And I'm not saying those things aren't good things.

But have you ever considered all of the things that you hear from this world, the media, your friends,

whether you place them under the microscope and look them through a gospel lens?

Do we let the spirit work as we let him witness to the truth that aligns to his word?

If Jesus is the most ultimate thing and the ultimate matter I am to gaze my mind on,

if he is coming back, shouldn't everything I do, read and hear,

fall under my understanding and worship of him?

And I wonder if the people in our modern era, like me, despising of prophecy isn't the issue.

The thing that our brain and mind is subsumed by is the world, the internet and the media.

And so friends, let us train our eyes to look towards Jesus and his word because he is worthy.

The heart of worship is that you let all that you take in and all that you put out be shaped about Jesus.

God wants your heart.

It is his will for you in Christ Jesus.

The object of our affections in worship.

The heart of worship is Christ Jesus.

And you might say to me, it's all good and well for me to pat you on the back.

Go on, brother.

Go on, sister.

But how do I keep going in worship until Jesus comes back?

How do I keep going?

How can I be steadfast, perseverant for the next 5, 10, 20, 50 years,

however long God has got me on this earth?

Take a look at verse 23.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely.

And may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you is faithful.

He will surely do it.

Paul starts ending this chapter with what he begun this chapter with.

The hope of the day that Jesus is coming back.

Because this is what will keep them steadfast in worship.

This is what they are to persevere in lifting their eyes to Jesus.

I was speaking to a parent recently who was considering how they parent their children

and how they always have their eyes on equipping them as individuals beyond living in the household.

So by the time that they become empty nesters,

their children are able to live in a way that they can be self-sufficient and independent as adults.

Not just doing everything for them or fixing all their problems or making them happy,

but equipping them for the future.

They've always, they're always, always thinking about the future as they love, parent and nourish their children.

They've got their eyes on the future.

And for the Christian, as you have your eyes fixed in Jesus,

you have your eyes fixed on the future that Jesus has secured for you.

For the Christian, you are always thinking about that future.

If you want worship that is steadfast,

don't take your eyes off the target.

That is the promise

that God,

in Christ Jesus,

works powerfully in you

to complete you,

to make you who you were meant to be

until he returns.

And did you see that word sanctify?

What does it mean?

Sanctify is,

sanctifying or sanctification

is the process of being set apart for God,

being made more like Christ Jesus,

set apart for worship.

And what is God sanctifying?

What is he sanctifying?

your whole spirit

and soul

and body.

Paul yearns for the church

to not be those who are idle people.

We saw that earlier in verse 14 last week.

But what he wants

is mature,

sanctified,

transformed Christians,

lovers of Christ

who are both transformed horizontally

and vertically.

He wants you to be

all in,

full throttle,

self-abandoned.

And the question now is,

how does God sanctify us?

Paul tells us

that the how

is in the who

will sanctify.

Yes,

Jesus

is

our object

of worship.

But he's not just

our object

of worship.

He is also

our agent

of change.

Verse 24,

he who calls you

is faithful.

He will surely

do it.

Jesus will

by his Holy Spirit.

Doesn't that give

anyone

more reason

to rejoice,

more reason

to pray unceasingly

if he is the one

that you ask

and long

that he will sanctify you

and make him

more like him.

And I wonder

if you've come

weary today

thinking,

I can't do it.

maybe you've heard

sermon

after sermon

this series

about the need

to be at peace

and community.

Maybe you haven't

even fully grasped

hold

of the gospel

in your heart.

The call to worship

God with both

your bodies

and your work

and you just

sense that you

are not strong

enough

to do more

or be more.

the story

of the gospel

finds its hope

and beauty

in that there is

a stronger man

than you.

There's a stronger

one than one

who can defeat

the giant apathy

in your heart.

There's a more

patient one

when you are

impatient at life

and impatient

with people

around you.

There's a more

faithful God

when you feel

so faithless.

He will

do it.

not just might

do it someday

but certainly.

Paul says

surely do it

because he wants

the Thessalonians

to have that

certainty

to not mistake

that it will not

happen

but to be certain.

Friends,

you can be certain

that Jesus

will change you.

You don't have

to be blooming

to be growing.

You don't have

to always be happy

or be in a good

season in your life

to be growing

because

you and yourself

in your own striving

cannot grow yourself

to the image

of Christ Jesus

without his Holy Spirit.

Perhaps you are

growing in Jesus

because all you have

done is remained

in him

in the hard times

because he is

the one changing you.

Where have you

seen yourself

slowly but surely

grow closer

into the image

of Christ

rather than your own?

Who in this room

have you seen

grow slowly

but surely

into the image

of Christ?

Who will you

encourage?

And I can imagine

as we talk about

these big concepts

what we can do

is get all

muddled

as what that looks

like in our

day to day.

and I think

it will be

helpful for us

to ground it

in our daily

reality.

So take this

group of flowers

imagine that

each flower

is made up

of all of

the things

you do

in one day.

Maybe

you are

packing your

school lunchbox

for you kids

doing it yourself

thank you.

Maybe you are

driving to work

through all that

traffic.

maybe you are

doing a load

of laundry.

Maybe you are

going for a walk.

Maybe you are

reading the Bible.

Maybe you are

attending a

community group.

It is done

in worship.

All of these

flowers is done

in worship

when you pray

that your kid

will shine

like a light

for Jesus

as you pack

their lunchbox.

it is when you

are patient

like our Lord

when someone

cuts you off.

It is when you

thank God

that you have

clothes to wear.

It is when you

are in awe

of your great

creator as you

see the trees

that you walk

through.

It is when you

walk past the

other runner

who is made

in God's image.

It is when you

see that God

has been so

so good to you

but so

so good

to generation

after generation

and his faithful

love for his

people.

It is when you

turn up each

week to community

group to be

an encouraging

friend that

speaks the

gospel.

And all you

do is you

hold the vase

up back to

God and give

it to him

saying thanks

God.

Thank you

that you have

given me a

life that was

made for

worship.

You have

given me

life to

live to

the full

and I

give all

this, the

experiences, the

thoughts, all

back to you

because I was

made to

worship.

Friends, what

is in your

vase?

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

you are the

founder and

perfecter of

our faith.

We plead

with you

knowing that

you are good

and that you

are a promise

keeper.

That you

might help us

redeem every

moment, take

every thought

captive so

that we can

lay it down

at the foot

of the cross

and say

thank you

and just

say you

are worthy,

you are

worthy, you

are worthy

of all our

praise.

holy