Wednesday April 24, 2013

Read Isaiah 29:13-16.  1 John 1:8-2:2

Someone once said, ‘The single greatest cause of atheism today is people who honour Jesus with their lips but deny Him with their lives.’  That’s a powerful statement that captures the essence of worship. God is not interested in part time worshippers, Sonday pew warmers or half hearted disciples. God is into commitment! God wants our all. God wants us to serve Him with the passion and dedication of an Olympian.

 

Why is it that God wants so much from us? Basically it’s because He gave so much to us. Not only did God create us in His image, but when we rejected God He went to great lengths to save us. He sent His one and Only Son into the world to die under the curse that you and I deserved. He sent Jesus to be punished in our place.  God gave us everything and in return wants us to give Him everything. God spared nothing in saving us and wants us to spare nothing in serving Him.

 

I often laugh at myself, when like Israel, I think that I can hide my sins from God and then continue to worship Him on Sondays as though nothing has happened. Even when we sin in the darkness of night or when we remove ourselves from everybody, God is still there seeing our actions. I can’t hide my sins from God. I can’t pretend that God’s not present. I can’t believe the lie that after a few weeks God will forget my sins and I can press on as though nothing happened.

 

When I do sin I need to confess my sins to God and to those I’ve hurt or offended. I need to seek their forgiveness and by God’s grace and power I need to promise to live in a way that is different.

 

No single Christian can claim to be perfect and without sin. No single person in the church can claim to have their act completely together. When we do fall what the world needs to see is honest repentance and reconciliation. As they see this, they will realise that even though we do sin, we are worshipping God with our lives, not just our lips.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

Ask the Lord to bless the Reformed Bible College in Myanmar and the Mustard Seed Orphanage, also in Myanmar with all their needs to continuing caring for the needy and training ministers. Pray that God would be gracious and generous in meeting their daily needs.

¥ Pray that God would raise the level of generosity in your congregation so that together you may be able to share and spread the love of Christ to more and more people in your local community.

 

Jesus Challenge: In the early church the disciples would meet each morning to break bread and to encourage one another. They would sing together and spur one another on to love and good deeds.

See if your cell group can also be spurring one another on to greater heights of love and service.

For one whole week, Seek to meet together for prayer, for praise and for encouragement each and every single morning or afternoon.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Why does God want us to worship Him with our lips and our lives?

2. What should we do when we have sinned?