Church
I am guilty. I have grown accustomed to watching church by Zooming Austin Ridge Live with Brad Thomas each Sunday Morning. AR was our church when we were spending much time in Austin, and his sermons and many of his words and examples always landed… in my heart and mind, and would continue to resonate in weeks that followed.
But last week, at the encouragement of my husband, (and honestly a great hesitancy from me) I did resume going to my church here in Houston. There was a guest speaker named Dr. Ligon Duncan, who is Chancellor, Reformed Theological Seminary. His sermon was titled “Thirst and Despair”, a Psalm about the psalmist being unable to join the assembly of worshippers and the despair that followed whatever the situation was that prevented him from doing do. (Psalm 42)It was not an uplifting title by far but one I ultimately could relate to because his basic message was this:
1) Corporate worship is important for it is a place where God has gathered his believing people. They praise, worship and glorify his name and in that bounty of people, it bears a strength of Holiness and fellowship that compliments our isolated times to be one with God in our private quiet times. But those isolated times are not to take the place of the Assembly that God has called to gather. Public worship shores up your soul. And it was true…for there was a feeling of warmth, worship and witness with friends as we were gathered under one roof to praise God, hear his word and faithfully open our hearts to accept what was being spoken as a testament to his glory and grace.
A second point was this: 2) At one season in our lives or another we are going to experience despair. A time when darkness shadows the light of our spirit, and leaves us with a feeling of emptiness or a longing for peace, security or way out of a pit of fear, loneliness, or whatever that dark cloud emcompases. And when that happens we need a fight song; a song of goodness, light, joy and truth.
That fight song begins with truly knowing the character of God, our God, the goodness of our God of the universe. Our God who has his hand upon all things, and all people of this universe. God who is all knowing and all encompassing of love, hope, faith, promises and endurance.
I was convicted that although I love a great and impounding sermon, there truly is a God given sentiment and blessing that comes from corporate worship. And about the fight song: Duncan said, (and I am sooo paraphrasing this), the outline for writing your own fight song comes down to this:
a) Admit – who God truly is and that you do not have it all together and you are hurting and need his help and his guidance and his forgiveness but most of all you need his grace and mercy to flow over and through you.
b) Remember – I must remember what God has done, and that God is my salvation, God is my helper, God is consistent, he never changes….and you and I are loved loved loved.
c) Question- what/where you would be without knowing God, what does he want us to learn through this experience/despair that is before us? In this darkness where is your light?
d) Pray– talk to yourself and recant that God is HOLY, God is God of everything, there is nothing, no despair that God cannot conquer and bring blessings from…and peace to your soul
e) Sing – Sing songs of praise in an assembly of God.
This was a sermon that got me off my Zoom track, I will still seek out Brad Thomas but, even he, in many of his sermons has preached….corporate worship and gathering in fellowship is important. Duncan quoted Matthew 18 that said “when two or three are gathered in His name there He is.” He promises to be there in a unique way with His people as they are gathered for the worship of God as the church of God. And true godliness longs for the blessing of God in that particular circumstance. The Christian is to pant after the living God, but not for an isolated, individual, extraordinary experience of the living God off by ourselves somewhere; but an experience of the living God together with the people of God under His word as the house of God.”
I am now understanding that: Worshipping in the Assembly of God is not just for us but also in respect, appreciation and adoration for God, the one who has blessed us, who stands with us, and who fights for us. God continues to challenges us through worldly circumstances and as we grow closer to him and trust him with all our heart and mind and soul, we are given a loving security of grace that exceeds the waves of fear, frustration and despair that can and often do end up on the steps of our heart.
(I do find it constantly amazing when God knows just what avenue to take to get you where he wants you to be. He wanted me in church and of course the subject matter in this particular sermon on this particularr day would reflect that.)
Dear Lord, thank you for nudging me to be open to look a little further than the comfort and ease of my back porch to worship you. I know that worship is a freedom that we, in this culture, often take for granted. I am truly blessed to be able to worship and fellowship in/with an assembly of your followers Thank you for helping me to see that. Amen
Psalm 149
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
Praise God wherever you are or whatever situation he has allowed you to be in...for his Glory will shine through!
