Don’t Be Lazy Worshippers
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1
Introduction
What’s the difference between a soldier on the battlefield that’s about to die and a zombie in the graveyard about to eat you? There’s probably more than just one difference. But a difference is that the soldier is offering his life for something while zombies take the life of others. In worship, we offer our lives to Jesus out of gratitude for what He’s done for us. We come to receive His good gifts, but we don’t come to snatch His gifts.
Summary of the Text
In the book of Romans, Paul follows his typical method of preaching. He explains then applies. He gives indicatives before imperatives. He spent the first eleven chapters explaining the righteousness of God compared to man’s unrighteousness. He left no stone unturned in his argument. As Paul says in Romans 3:23, All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. But as he says in Romans 8:1, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 1-11 explain God’s righteousness revealed in the gospel.
The “Therefore” in chapter 12 serves as a hinge connecting the explanation of the gospel to the expectations of the gospel. If you are saved by faith, then you will live by faith. If God has saved you, you will live a saved life. If God has worked in you and saved you, you must work out your salvation. Saved people live like they’re saved. Paul calls this a living sacrifice.
Jesus Died to Make Living Sacrifices
God gave us life so we could worship Him and enjoy Him forever. God created us so He could give us good gifts. God wants you to have a full life. God wants to give us bread to eat, not rocks. He wants to give toys to play with, not rattle snakes (Matthew 7:9-11).
The problem with sin is that we choose the rattle of the snake instead of the food from the father. The last thing you want in a world is billions of people who confuse venom with vegetables. God gave the curse of death to put a limit on sin and thereby preserve the good in His creation.
Sacrifices in the scriptures allow for penalty of death to go to another so the worshipper can learn what is good. The death of the cow or goat covers your sin with its life. You learn that choosing the poison of the snake leads to death, and by God’s grace you stop choosing venom and begin enjoying God’s presents.
Now, even though the blood of cows and goats taught about the penalty of sin, they were powerless to change the heart. God sent His son to die in our place. His death covers our sin. His life makes us righteous in God’s eyes. His resurrection and ascension bring us into the presence of God.
If you’re in Christ, you live under His death. If you are in Christ, then you are a worshipper. You see, Jesus didn’t just die to save people from their sins. He died to bring people to God in worship.
Do you want to know how you can tell whose sins are forgiven? By seeing who is worshipping God in spirit and truth.
Attributes of Living Corporate Worship:
1. Living Sacrifices Worship Joyfully
Sally has been a member of First Baptist Church for 50 years. She’s sat in the same pew for 32 of those 50 years. She enjoys listening to the choir sing all the songs she grew up with. She enjoys listening to her pastor tell funny stories about his dog Fido. Now, Sally always encourages when the service meets her expectations. But Sally also complains when the songs are new, or the preaching isn’t funny. You see, Sally isn’t a worshipper; she’s a consumer. She pays her tithes and offerings to receive spiritual goods and services. Because she’s a consumer, she is not blessed and neither is her church.
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35
Worshippers come to Sunday worship to worship. Consumers come to a Sunday service to be served.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
Come to worship to give joyfully to a God who gives joyfully (Hebrews 12:2). Come to worship prepared to give to the Lord and receive from Him. The Lord gives us an opportunity to worship Him and enjoy Him. He also gives us an opportunity to participate. Do you prepare yourself on Saturday night to worship on Sunday morning? Do you come to service in a spirit of “I hope I get a good nap in today” or in a spirit of “God is so good to me. I can’t wait to praise Him with the saints”? What may be hindering a spirit of joy taking over your heart on Sunday is because your heart already is being occupied by another spirit—complaining.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14–15
Complaining is the opposite of praising. Praising is lifegiving while complaining is life taking. Worshippers are grateful for everything while complainers grumble over everything. Worshippers thank God for their spouse while complainers nag about their husband or roll their eyes around their wife. Worshippers thank God for their children while complainers mourn Facebook how they no longer have a quiet moment.
Complaining is a sin. It doesn’t matter if what you’re complaining about is right, the act of complaining is always wrong. “If only this wasn’t this way, then I’ll be happy.” “If only my job paid more money, then I would be happier.” “If only this health issue were to leave, then I would be in a position to be joyful.” “If only this family member were to get their act together, then I’ll ok.”
This kind of thinking is sinful because it puts your complaint in the driver’s seat. The rattle snake is now in charge.
One reason our church may not be shining brightly in the community is because of the grumbling and complaining spirit. I promise, if you grumble and complain six days a week, you will continue that habit on the Lord’s Day. But if you sacrifice your grumbling spirit in exchange for a grateful spirit, the worship we enjoy on Sunday will affect the other days of your week. So, don’t grumble joylessly but worship joyfully.
2. Living Sacrifices Worship Free from Guilt
Johnny is addicted to porn. But he’s also a Christian who hates that he’s a slave to sin. The more images he sees, the less worthy he feels to come to church. Sometimes, he even notices his heart forgetting God entirely.
I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. Psalm 32:5
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:9–10
Part of Johnny’s problem is he sees himself as a slave. But if he were to go to worship each week where there’s a few minutes where he confesses his sin and hears the pastor read of the forgiveness of Christ, he will begin seeing himself as a free man. Each time we sin, we attach a hook on our body that anyone can grab and control. But each time we confess our sin to God, he shaves off the barbs and hooks.
Saved people are saved once and for all. But saved people keep going to Jesus for salvation from sin. A trait of people who are true worshippers of God is the desire to keep on dying to sin and living for Christ. This is why worship services should have moments for worshippers to confess, repent, and believe because its definitional of being a Christian.
The changes I’m making to our worship services is like moves on a chess board. Expect in the coming weeks, me to move my exhortation to the middle of the service and we respond with a confession of sin.
3. Living Sacrifices Worship Because They Want to.
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.Hebrews 13:15–16
Corporate worship with the saints is a “get to” not a “got to.” The choice not to attend worship is not merely a logistical choice, but a lord choice. Who is your lord? Unbelievers do not attend worship because they are too busy worshipping their little fake lords. When Christians choose not to worship in order to do something else, whatever that something else is, that is their lord. If naps, work, sports, vacation, or Sunday lunch.
Now, I understand that people may have jobs that hinder them from attending worship regularly. But there’s a difference between circumstances hindering regular worship and circumstances excusing regular worship. If you want to worship the Lord, you will find a way to worship the Lord. Worshippers find a way to worship the Lord because they want to worship the Lord.
4. Living Sacrifices Sacrifice Body and Spirit
God made us body and spirit. Both need to be used in worship. For example, God tells us to be humble in heart. But He also shows how humble hearts look.
10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10–14
And also
Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95:6
God also expects his people to raise their hands during worship.
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. 1 Timothy 2:8
So, expect in the coming weeks instruction on standing during scripture readings, kneeling during prayers, lifting your hands when we sing the doxology.
God also commands His people to sing Psalms in worship.
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; Ephesians 5:19
The Psalms are our inheritance. Each Sunday we forsake our inheritance because the Psalms do not fit our taste is another Sunday, we prove ourselves prodigals who love the pods of pigs rather than the feast of our father.
Each Sunday men stand during congregational singing and grit their teeth instead of sing. Now, this represents the utter disrepair of Christian influence in this nation. Men aren’t fighting battles in the world because they are silent as lambs in worship. So, on the one hand, one reason the Christian faith is not advancing is because Christian men aren’t worshipping.
But on the other hand, most Christian music today is impotent and feminine. Here are samples from a pop culture songs and contemporary Christian music.
You’re just too good to be true,
Can’t take my eyes off of you,
You’d be like heaven to touch, (Frankie Valli, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You)
I realize just how beautiful You are
and how great Your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so; oh, how He loves us. (John Mark McMillan, How He Loves Us)
Christian men don’t want to sing a love song to another man. But we will sing a song into battle to discourage our opponents. Consider:
Why do the heathen nations vainly rage?
What prideful schemes are they in vain devising?
The kings of earth and rulers all engage
In evil plots, and in their sin contriving,
They take their stand against our God's Messiah;
They claim they will not keep His binding chains.
The one enthroned in highest heaven, higher,
Mocks them to scorn, on them derision rains. (Psalm 2)
Many of the Psalms were written by a man of God’s own heart. David was a poet and musician, but he was also a warrior and hunter. The Psalms were written for warrior poets. The question I have for Friendship is are there any warrior poets here? We will be practicing a simple Psalm tonight. You’re invited to attend.
One last thing that we can learn from singing the Psalms is the instruction we are to receive from them.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16
Look in your hymnal. You will find responsive readings. Churches used to do this because many of the Psalms are structured this way. In the future, we will be doing responsive readings. Again, worship is participatory, not an observatory. We are worshippers, not spectators.
Conclusion
I will conclude with an observation. I’ve noticed two types of people eager to sing. The first type of person is the couple engaged to be married. They sing loudly and randomly. They turn the music up high in the car. One of the most sacred choices to make for a wedding are the songs for the ceremony and reception. Singing is essential for our worship because Christians are supposed to be excited people. That’s why if you don’t sing during worship, it points to a failure of worship on your part. It shows you are in an engagement you don’t want to be in. If that’s you, confess, repent, and sing loudly.
The second type of people eager to sing are soldiers. At basic training, soldiers learn cadences for their runs. They’re essentially songs. Living sacrifices offer their whole life to the Lord because worship is warfare. The reason we spent the last few weeks repeating the same points about corporate worship is because that’s the purpose of boot camp. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ (Revelation 11:15). Do you think the spiritual and worldly enemies of Christ will just sit around allowing the kingdom to spread? If the world and Satan doesn’t hate Friendship Baptist church, it’s because we are too cowardly to be taken seriously.
My question for you is what song will you be singing when they carry you off to the gulag cell or to the firing squad?