Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/20/us/thoughts-and-prayers-florida-school-shooting-trnd/index.html

Introduction: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/20/us/thoughts-and-prayers-florida-school-shooting-trnd/index.html

What do we as a Church do with the charge against “Thoughts and Prayers?”

God Wants Us Not to Just Worship,

God Wants Us Not to Just Worship,

Jesus Said -

Mark 12:38

Warning to Beware of the Scribes

38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and greetings in the marketplaces 39 and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy prayers for the sake of appearance.

These will receive more severe condemnation!”

Mark 12:38

So what was Amos saying about Israel’s Worship?

2 Issues -

Worship that is going through the motions that is an end in of itself - Therefore Meaningless

Rushing to get it done with to go about our lives of injustice.

Meaningless Worship looks something like this.

Meaningless Worship looks something like this.

1.

In 2013 there was controversy at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela; it was discovered that the sign-language interpreter hired for the event didn’t actually know sign language.

He stood next to the speakers and waved his hands in a manner that appeared to be ASL, but none of it meant anything.

He was putting on a show, but no one got anything out of it: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/12/11/250179179/fake-sign-language-interpreter-marred-mandela-memorial.

1.

Our relationship with God can be compared with a marriage.

What makes a marriage?

Is it posting on social media about date nights and long paragraphs on anniversaries?

If the actual relationship isn’t there these are just empty gestures for keeping up appearances.

It is the same way in our relationship with God.

Israel was going through the motions - sacrifices, ceremonies etc., They somehow believed that going through these motions is like a ticket to earn God’s favor, and so they could live the remainder of their lives without God, they even were adding Idol worship to that.

Are you going through the motions?

- Is your faith just about coming to worship and if you do that all is good with God, but the remainder of your life is lived as thought God is meaningless to you?

God hates worship that is just going through the motions, is just a ritual a to-do that we check off our list.

The second issue is rushing to get the religious ceremony/Sabbath done with to go about our lives of injustice.

Worship that is going through the motions that is an end in of itself.

Rushing to get it done with to go about our lives of injustice.

1.

The people were complaining about when their religious ceremonies would be over so they could go back to making money unjustly (v.

5).

They weren’t sincerely participating.

They had one foot in religion with one foot still planted firmly in their greed.

1. “The New Moon festival marked the consecration to God of each new month in the year.

New Moon festivals were marked by sacrifices, the blowing of trumpets over the sacrifices (), the suspension of all labor and trade (), and social or family feasts ()"

How is your attitude about worship?

Is it about getting it done with asap?

Do we forget that Christ’s worship of his Father involved coming as a human for 30 years, suffering on the cross for six hours for us.

Do we treat worship as 1 hour and done?

Yes God wants us not to just worship

But God Wants Just Worship

Jesus - Do the Word, not just listen to the word.

Jesus - True worship is wroshipping in Spirit & in Truth

Belhar Confession - That for God, pure and undefiled religion is to visit the orphans and the widows in their suffering.

-

James 1:27

27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our* God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:26

1. T. Scott Daniels explains the Sabbath this way: “The nation of Israel used the Sabbath to mark their lives in contrast to the nations around them.

It was meant to show others that this life is not dependent on our work, but it is dependent on God” (Jessica Sherer, “Resting from the Work: Observing Sabbath in a Hurried World,” Azusa Pacific University, July 11, 2011, http://www.apu.edu/articles/17431/)

2. Both the New Moon festival and the Sabbath call for rest.

Both are meant to remind the people of Israel they are dependent on God and not just their own work.

These are not meaningless ceremonies.

They’re not an exercise in obedience.

When you approach these with total sincerity, they help renew your mind and your focus.

True worship will mover us to seek and live for Justice.

Gary Haugen - Talk on International Justice Mission - Rescue people from all forms of slavery around the world.

They go into the most dangerous places where those who are in power and make their money on slavery want people from IJM dead.

He said, our work is so beyond what we can do, we must drop to our knees and pray.

Prayer takes on an urgency when you fight against injustice.

Worship that does not lead us into Justice is no worship at all, and Working for Justice in a way that does not require us to fall on our knees and worship is bound to ultimately fail.

Worship without serving those who have no power is not worship, and standing up for those who have no power in the name of Christ is worship.

Conclusion:

Don’t Stop Praying, I am not convinced that thoughts do not do much, Do Not Stop Worshipping.

But don’t just do that, Worship like it Depends all on God, and Work for Justice like it depends on you.

(Batterson) Engage all of your life in Just Worship.

I encourage you this week to spend some time sincerely praying, but in that Prayer Ask God what he wants you to do about an injustice he is laying on your heart.

Then do it.

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis.

Heidelberg Chatechism: Q&A 62-64, 86, 91 Belgic Confession: Articles 24, 28-29 Canonos of Dort: Head V, Article 12 Belhar Confession: Article 4