The Gathering - Part Nine

Last week as we prepared to gather we spent time considering the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and what that meant. When we consider Christ's sacrifice, the unimaginable cost to God the Father to offer up His Son and the horrific pain and agony endured by Jesus physically, mentally and spiritually, it should stop us in our tracks! What this sacrifice is telling us is how despicable our sin is before a holy God. He didn't just do a few hours of community service on our behalf - He died! And He died the most horrific of deaths, one reserved for criminals and rebels. This sobering view of our sin should lead us to confession. Part of remembering Christ's death is confessing our great need, humbling ourselves before God and recognizing our complete inability to restore a right relationship with Him through anything we bring, do or say. We come falling on His mercy and His grace. And as we come to that place there is power in the Gospel. Our greatest need has been met by an even greater God! We have been set free from the curse of sin and death and can enjoy the blessing of a right relationship with Him.  

As we prepare to gather spend some time reflecting of this passage:

With what shall I come to the LordAnd bow myself before the God on high?Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,With yearling calves?Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,In ten thousand rivers of oil?Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of youBut to do justice, to love kindness,And to walk humbly with your God?

~ Micah 6:6-8

"Father, as we prepare to gather with our brothers and sisters in order to magnify Your greatness may we have a moment to consider the cross. Please reveal to us how dreadful it was and yet how necessary. May it humble us and cause us to run to You for mercy and grace. Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

Holy, Holy, Holy 

     by Reginald Heber | John B. Dykes

Jesus Messiah

     by Chris Tomlin

Let it Be Jesus

     by Chris Tomlin | Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

By Faith
     by Keith and Kristyn Getty | Stuart Townend

The Gathering - Part Eight

Here again is the purpose statement for our gatherings:

To remember what God has done to bring us into relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the communion that is now possible with God, to give attention to His word and to recommit to living within the grace of this covenantal relationship with God and each other.

This week as we prepare to gather let's consider what we mean by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In order to understand this great doctrine of the Atonement we must first grasp two truths. First, God is altogether holy and righteous. In Him is no evil, no sin. In fact, He is so opposed to sin that when He sees it, His holy wrath is aroused against it! The second truth we must understand is that all of mankind is sinful. We are sinners by nature, by birth into Adam's race. We also sin. We live out our fallen nature. When we understand these two truths we can understand the atonement. 

When we remember the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ we are talking about His death on the cross that makes amends for our sin and brings us back into a right relationship with God. The Bible Scholar and Pastor Lehman Strauss wrote these words on the subject,

Because of two great facts, the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, Atonement is made an absolute necessity if sinners are to be pardoned and brought to God. When we have the true conception of the holiness of God, we will have the true conception of sin, and when we have the correct view of sin, we will have an adequate view of the Atonement. The only reason that men are offended at the preaching of the Cross is because they have no adequate sense of sin and the holiness of our Lord. When a man refuses to face sin, he will find it easy to dispense with what the Bible teaches about the Atoning Death of Christ. The love and mercy of God are infinite and matchless, still the penalty for sin must be paid. Thus it was, in the eternal past, before the foundation of the world, that God determined and planned that atonement should be provided for His fallen creatures who would be deceived by Satan. If no plan of atonement had been proposed and perpetuated by the Godhead, all would be hopeless for mankind. And so, in the counsels of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it was decreed that One should come and offer Himself as a Divine Substitute in the sinner’s place. This necessitated the Substitute taking upon Himself a human body. The eternal Son of God was that Substitute. And so “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).   (To read more of this article by Strauss click here.)

As we gather this weekend, may we keep in the front of our thoughts that Christ's atonement for sin is the only way that we are able to have a relationship with God, to engage with God, to worship Him.


"Father, make us keenly aware of Your holiness and Your hatred toward sin. Let us feel the weight of our sinfulness and then be able to rejoice in the atoning sacrifice of Christ. May we remember that He is our only hope. May we worship You in spirit and in truth today! Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

Praise to the Lord, The Almighty

     by Joachim Neander

O Worship the King

     by Robert Grant

Open the Eyes of My Heart

     by Paul Baloche

Your Glory 

     by Leslie Jordan

Worthy, Worthy
     by Jacob Sooter and Mia Fieldes

The Gathering - Part Seven

     Here at FBC our practice is to celebrate communion on the first Sunday of the month.  Although the New Testament has very few instructions on what the specifics of our worship gatherings should look like, one thing is very clear – we are directed by Christ Himself to regularly remember His death until He returns and to do this through partaking together of the communion elements. The bread and the cup are specific symbols that are to remind us of what Christ has done for us and in our place.  It is no coincidence that Jesus instituted this ordinance of communion during the Passover celebration.  This festival was to be a reminder to the Israelites of God’s provision of a means to avoid the final plague of judgment upon Egypt, the death of the firstborn sons. Because of the death of a lamb and its sprinkled blood on the doorposts, the angel of death would pass over the household who followed God’s provision.  The Passover festival was to be a regular reminder of this salvation. 
     Christ is the fulfillment of the Passover festival through His death and sprinkled blood for us who by faith receive God’s mercy in “passing over” our sin.  We need a regular reminder that we have received a death penalty for our sin.  We need to be reminded that Jesus is the Lamb who died in our place.  We need to be reminded that His shed blood brings about our peace with God.  As we gather this weekend, the first Saturday and Sunday of the month, let’s take some time to prepare to celebrate communion together.  Let us reflect on these words that we will sing together:

There is love that came for us, humbled to a sinner’s crossYou broke my shame and sinfulness; You rose again victorious.

Faithfulness none can deny, through the storm and through the fireThere is truth that sets me free:  Jesus Christ who lives in me.

No beginning and no end, You’re my hope and my defenseYou came to seek and save the lost; You paid it all upon the cross.

You are stronger!  You are stronger!Sin is broken; You have saved me!It is written Christ is risen!Jesus, You are Lord of all!

"Father, we deserve a death penalty for our sin. There is nothing we can do to escape this judgment. Thank you that Your Son took our place on the cross. He is the Lamb of God slain for us who takes away the sin of the world. As we gather this week and remember His death, burial and resurrection, may we be humbled with hearts of thanksgiving for all You have done for us! Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

     by Martin Luther

Strong to Save

     by Eddie Hoagland and Tyler Miller

More Than Conquerors

     by Rend Collective

Stronger

     by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan

The Gathering - Part Six

     We want to take the next few weeks and dig into an important part of our purpose for gathering each weekend. We gather to remember that God has brought us into a relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This sacrifice of Christ is no less that a brutal execution on a Roman cross. Even more than that was what Christ suffered beyond just the physical torture of crucifixion. As God, He took on human flesh (John 1:1,14). As Savior, He took upon Himself the sins of the world (1 Pet. 2:24). As the propitiation for our sins, He bore the wrath of God against sin (Rom. 3:25-26). 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

     John Piper puts it this way, "If God were not just, there would be no demand for his Son to suffer and die. And if God were not loving, there would be no willingness for his Son to suffer and die."
   
     When we gather to remember what God has done, let us not forget the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When we consider the depth of how awful and awesome this sacrifice was it tells us so much about God and about ourselves and our desperate need for a Savior. 


"Father, may we remember Your Son's sacrifice. Allow us to see the terror of falling into the hands of a wrathful, righteous God. Help us to remember that He took our place so that we could draw near to You. May these thoughts shape our view of You and in turn shape our view of our circumstances! Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

Everlasting God

     by Brenton Brown

How Great Thou Art 

     by Stuart K. Hine

Come Lord Jesus (Even So Come)

     by Chris Tomlin | Jess Cates | Jason Ingram

The Greatness of Our God

     by Stuart Garrard, Jason Ingram, and Reuben Morgan

Behold Our God
     by Jonathan Baird, Meghan Baird, Ryan Baird, and Stephen Altrogge 

The Gathering - Part Five

     Over the last few weeks we have been looking at what the worship gathering is all about. We gave this purpose statement for our gatherings:

To remember what God has done to bring us into relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the communion that is now possible with God, to give attention to His word and to recommit to living within the grace of this covenantal relationship with God and each other.

     Last week we pointed out that our first priority is to remember. We stated that the Gospel is what God has done through Jesus Christ; His death, burial and resurrection which is the only way to bring us eternal life. God has provided this free gift so that we can be brought into a relationship with Him. All throughout the Scriptures we see God's desire to draw near to those He created and loves. He wants to include us in a relationship that He has always had within the Trinity! This is only possible through His provision. We are not able to approach a holy God on our own. He brings us in! 
     One other truth that we need to see is that when God brings us into relationship with Himself, He also brings us into relationship with one another. When we enter into relationship with God we are entering into a family, a body! So as we gather let's remember that we are gathering before God and with one another. Our activities in the gathering are to be worship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and they are to be opportunities to encourage each other in the faith. What a great privilege we have!


"Father, thank you for drawing us to Yourself. May we marvel in the wonder of the creation being in relationship with the Creator. Help us not forget that You make this possible. And may our times together this weekend be a joyful reunion with one another that foreshadows what You will one day bring about when you call us home to Glory! Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

Glory to God Forever

     by Steve Fee

In Christ Alone

     by Stuart Townend | Keith Getty

Great Are You Lord

     by David Leonard | Jason Ingram | Leslie Jordan

The Revelation Song

     by Jenni Lee Riddle

Come Lord Jesus (Even So Come)

     by Chris Tomlin | Jess Cates | Jason Ingram

The Gathering - Part Four

     A few weeks back we started a discussion on the worship gathering in order to consider, from a biblical perspective, why we meet and what we are to be about when we gather. We started with this calling: 

To remember what God has done to bring us into relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the communion that is now possible with God, to give attention to His word and to recommit to living within the grace of this covenantal relationship with God and each other.

     If remembering God's plan and action to bring us back to Himself, we call this the Gospel, is to be the focal point of our gatherings, let's make clear what the Gospel is. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 gives the most succinct statement of the Gospel when Paul states,

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." 

     This good news must be remembered each time we gather as believers for worship because it is our only hope for being able to worship. We remember that we have a holy and righteous God who has created us and who desires to commune with us. Our sin separates us from this relationship and a righteous God must punish this sin. In order to bring about reconciliation, God poured out the penalty for sin upon His Son Jesus Christ. He died upon a cross and was buried in a tomb. Because God's righteous wrath was satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice, God raised Him from the dead. That is the Gospel that we have received and which we remember when we gather to worship.

"Father, thank you for the Gospel. It is Your power for salvation to all who believe. May we believe in truth and clarity! May we never mix your Gospel with our own efforts and think that we can add anything that brings about our reconciliation with You. May this Gospel be central as we gather together to worship You. Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

Our God (Is Greater

     by Matt Redman | Chris Tomlin | Jesse Reeves | Jonas Myrin

Before the Throne of God Above

     by Charitie Less Bancroft

I Stand Amazed in the Presence

     by Charles H. Gabriel

Your Glory

     by Leslie Jordan | Robert Lowery

How Great is Your Faithfulness

     by Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

The Gathering - Part Three

     Last time we stated that the purpose of corporate worship is . . .

"to remember what God has done to bring us into relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the communion that is now possible with God, to give attention to His word and to recommit to living within the grace of this covenantal relationship with God and each other."

     Our first priority is to remember. 

     In his book Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin states, “Biblical worship involves proclamation and leads to proclaiming God’s truth with our lives. We’re doing more than emoting or having a ‘worship experience.’ We’re declaring why God is so great, what He has accomplished, and all that He has promised. We all need to be reminded, and proclamation helps us remember." We are a people who quickly forget things. We have a tendency to live in the moment and forget what has brought us to a particular time and place. 
     All throughout the Scriptures there are calls to remember. The feasts of the Old Testament were meant to be memorials that would enable the nation of Israel to remember and pass on to future generations what God had done to make them into a people of His own possession. They were designed to recall how He had continued to graciously provide for them. The monuments were another tool used for remembering. There were many times that memorial stones were erected in order that the coming generations would see and ask what transpired in a particular place. This would give opportunity to once again recount the mercies of God to individuals and the nation. 
     In the Gospels, when Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant at the Passover celebration on the night He was betrayed, He told His disciples, and those who would come after them, to partake in remembrance of Him. Peter desires the same thing when he writes, "Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder" (2 Peter 1:12-13). Our worship gatherings must have a component of remembrance, and what we are to remember is the Gospel. We should never think that the Gospel is only for unbelievers and that we ought to move on to deeper and more profound topics in our worship gatherings. There is nothing more central to our faith and to our gatherings than the Gospel.

"Father, as we gather together, may there be an element of remembrance. May You stir our hearts and minds to recall what You have done for us at the cross and how you have brought us to Yourself. As we proclaim and celebrate the Gospel may the next generation hear the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. Amen."

Songs for Our Gathering this Week:

God is Able (F1/F2/F3) 

     by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan

My Lighthouse (FSat) 

     by Rend Collective

Glorious Day

     by Michael Bleecker | Mark Hall

Great Are You Lord

     by David Leonard | Jason Ingram | Leslie Jordan

Ancient Words

     by Lynn DeShazo