Training Camp…Developing The Disciplines

Celebration & Worship

Luke 2:13-14 & Matthew 28:1-10

Easter Sunday, 2007

Before we get to the message of the morning – we’re going to sing one more hymn. Will you please stand with me and join me?

[Sing One Verse of: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”]

Some of you who only go to church on Christmas and Easter are really confused right now, aren’t you?

When Larry Meredith agreed to organize the praise and worship songs for this week, he checked the schedule of sermon topics and the Scriptural reference that I had listed with it, and sent me an email… “Is this right?” he asked, “Is this the right verse for this week?” “Yup,” I replied – “it’s right.”

Let me read to you the familiar, but unusual passage that I have selected for our starting point this Easter morning. It’s found in Luke, chapter 2, beginning with verse 10

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch ^F8 over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Now, some of you are probably thinking, “Man, this whole change in Daylight Savings Time has really messed up Pastor Bob! It’s Easter, man, not Christmas!” Well, you’re right it is Easter morning! Christ is Risen! Hallelujah!

The reality is that you can’t have one without the other. Without Christmas, there could be no Easter – obviously. But without Easter, Christmas would simply be the birth of another baby into poverty, who rose against the odds to make something of himself – happens somewhat regularly. 

It is EASTER that makes Christmas special! The “good tidings of great joy, for all people” was not just the birth of Christ, but also the mission of Christ! It was not just his nativity, but also His identity that was crucial – “Unto you is born this day a SAVIOR – Christ the Lord.” 

The same angel that we sing about at Christmas showed up at Easter, with a very similar message, and a similar response. I want you to do me a favor – I want you to open your Bibles to two passages of Scripture. Matthew 28 – and Luke 2. Keep them handy – because we’re going to look at the two passages side by side.

In Luke 2:8-10 we read,

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified, but the angel said, “do not be afraid.”

In Matthew 28:1-7, we read these words,

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look a the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as he said. Come and sew the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He is risen from the dead…”

Have you ever noticed the similarities in these accounts before? The angels serve like “supernatural bookends” in the birth and resurrection of Jesus. The “Angel of the Lord” appeared at both occurrences, both times there was dazzling light, each time those who saw him were terrified and in each case, the angel said the same comforting words, “do not be afraid.”

Isn’t that cool? But what is really important is that in both instances – the results were the same. The angel directed the listeners to Jesus. In Luke 2, the shepherds were told where to find Jesus. The Bible tells us they “hurried off” to Bethlehem, to a manger, where they came and saw the new-born Baby Jesus and they worshiped Him. They “returned, glorifying God for all the things they had heard and seen.” They “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

In Matthew 28, the angel sent the women to the disciples, with word of where to go and find Jesus: “He is going ahead of you into Galilee.” Verse 8 says, the women “hurried away” with their news. “Suddenly,” verse 9 tells us, “Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet, and worshipped him.” Then they went on their way to the disciples to tell them what they had seen and heard. And that telling has passed from believer to believer, from generation to generation for two thousand years – and it still must lead to the same response – WORSHIP.

Those of you who know me know that it bothers me how year after year the world gets more and more successful at marginalizing Easter. Just a few months ago we were all listening to Christmas carols over the speakers at Target and Wal Mart, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was on the television with, Linus reading the same verses I just read. PBS was showing special performances of Handle’s Messiah, and much of the world was commemorating the birth of Jesus. Yet here we are today, Easter Sunday, and I’ve got to tell you, we’re getting really close to the point where this day could just drop off the calendar and few would notice! Even within the church, good, decent people have said to me, “Oh, is it Easter this Sunday?”

If there is any note of Easter in our culture, it has been stripped of any hint of reference to Jesus Christ and His resurrection. The talk is of spring fashion, and children hunting for eggs, and candy companies selling lots of chocolate, but virtually no mention of the origin and meaning of this holiday. 

Do you know what I mean? Do you see the same thing I do? Do you ever wonder why that is? I have a theory.

I look at it this way: ANYONE can celebrate the birth of a baby. ANYONE can commemorate the birthday of a great man, a good teacher or a world leader – we do it all the time – from George Washington to Christopher Columbus to Martin Luther King, Jr. ANYONE can acknowledge the birth and life of an important historical figure. 

But only a BELIEVER can WORSHIP a RISEN CHRIST! When we celebrate Easter for what it is – the day that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead – we move into a whole new area. It’s no longer celebrating the life of a man. It’s not commemorating the contribution of a good teacher, a great philosopher or world leader. When we celebrate Easter, we move from the arena of history into the realm of faith; from teacher to Savior, from good man to Holy God!

A Jew can acknowledge Christmas! They can nod their heads and agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure and a good Jewish Rabbi – but not the Messiah. A Muslim will recognize the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and embrace his teachings as a prophet of God – but not His Son. But don’t expect either the Jew or the Muslim to celebrate Easter – because Easter refuses to be satisfied with celebration, it is not satisfied with recognition – Easter demands WORSHIP! 

Unbelievers will do all they can to minimize Easter because the empty tomb demands our worship! Only a Risen Christ can bring salvation! Only the Giver of Life can defeat death! The prophets of Judaism and the prophets of Islam are dead – they were not God. To celebrate Easter is to recognize a risen Savior – the one and only way to the Father.

Do you agree with me? Does that make sense to you? The world will ignore the message of Easter because Easter requires that we recognize Jesus as different from any other good man, teacher, prophet, philosopher or world leader – Easter is a call to worship.

Right?

Good! I’m glad you agree – because that’s what we’re talking about this morning – WORSHIP.

What is worship? What does it mean to really worship? Worship is actually amazingly simple to do – in fact, every person on earth worships. Atheists worship. Agnostics worship. Liberals, conservatives, secular people and even religious people worship. The truth is that everybody looks to something or someone to give their lives meaning. Worship simply reveals what that something or someone is. What we love and adore and focus on forms us into the people we become. Some value independence. Some pour themselves into careers, seeking power, prestige approval and success. Some are consumed with exercise or appearances. We may not consider our obsession with these things to be acts of worship, but they are. They are the things we turn to, to get us up in the morning and keep us running through the day. They are the objects of our worship.

Worship is to “know, feel and experience the Resurrected Christ individually and as a community.” Worship is not about going to church on Sunday. In fact, far too many people come to church religiously, but never worship there. When we come to church and think only about the week we just had, or the week looming ahead, or when we come and criticize others or wonder what they are thinking about us, we are not worshiping. God said in Isaiah, and Jesus repeated it in Matthew 15:8, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” God isn’t interested in our religious deeds – even on Easter Sunday – He wants our hearts.[i]

True worship happens when God is first in our lives – period. All else comes far behind Him. When what God says matters more than what others say, we are worshiping. When loving God matters more than being loved by others, we are worshiping. When we value God, and desire to serve, please and honor Him with our lives all day, every day – then we are worshiping Him. Worship, then, is something that happens far beyond the confines of a building, and transcends the minute and hour hands on a clock. Worship is to be a regular, daily, on-going part of our lives.

Jesus said in John 4:23, “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Did you know that God seeks worshipers? He desires, looks for and wants a certain type of worshiper? A worshiper who worships in spirit and truth – what does that look like? How do we become that type of worshiper? Here are a few steps that I hope will help us all become authentic worshipers: [ii]

1. Worship Privately. Practice individual worship. Concentrate on Paul’s command to “pray without ceasing.” Take your mind deliberately to God in free moments – breath out a prayer for someone who comes to mind – or someone who catches your eye. Surround yourself with music that takes your mind to the Lord. I have found lately that I wake up virtually every morning with some song of praise going through my mind – that is so cool! Have times of quiet personal worship – in the Word, in prayer, in song. When we worship personally, our times of corporate worship will be enhanced.

2. Worship differently. We just talked about personal times of worship. Have times of small group worship, with a few people, go to service that are different from your normal routine. I have developed a practice of visiting other denominations on Good Friday – Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist – because the change of routine heightens my receptivity – it causes me to think and reflect more. 

3. Worship preparedly. Spend Saturday evenings getting ready for Sunday morning. Spend a few extra moments in prayer. Read the scripture for the week, or review last week’s notes. Come early on Sunday morning, and listen to the praise team warm up, join us in prayer before the service, or just come in and pray for people as you see them enter the building.

4. Worship corporately. When we gather as a church body, we have to submit to one another. There’s a variety of tastes in music, in style, in translations of the Scripture, in expressions of praise – these things need not divide us – in fact, as we submit to one another, and embrace each other, we offer a unique gift to God. Jesus said, “by this will all men know that you are my disciples, by your love one for another.” He also said, in John 17:21, that when we are united in love then the world will know that He was sent by the Father.

5. Worship gracefully. This kind of goes with the “Corporate” thing – but it needs a special focus – when things go wrong, don’t get upset by it – instead, learn to take it in and deal with it. If the computer doesn’t work right, and you don’t know the words to the song, then use it as a time from the Lord to close your eyes and just listen to the words from those who do know them. If a little kid starts crying in the service, allow it to remind you to pray for that mom or dad. If a song sung isn’t your cup of tea, pay attention to the lyrics and focus on the heart of the writer or the musician who’s sharing it with you. Extend grace to all, and allow that grace to be part of your worship. Recognize the creativity and variety that God has blessed us with in the body.

6. Worship expectantly. Come with an attitude of dependence on God, and expectation that He will show up. All the excellence in the performance of praise teams and preachers will not equal the simple yet powerful presence of God in the midst. Worship in a way that looks forward to God acting, teaching and moving in you and in others. In Psalm 27, David writes about worship and his closing refrain is, “Wait, I say, Wait on the Lord.”

7. Worship sacrificially. Sometimes we don’t “feel” like worship. Maybe we’ve been disappointed with past experiences. God’s power seemed lacking; people didn’t seem interested or prepared to participate; it didn’t meet “my” needs – worship anyway. How much of an offering is worship that is easy? How hard is it to trust and worship and praise when the world is a wonderful place, and all is right? Worship is being like Job, who said, “though He slay me, yet will I praise Him, The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord!” We bring a sacrifice of praise to the Lord when we come in spite of our circumstance, not because of our circumstances! Even if you come and in your heart you say, “Lord I don’t feel like worshipping today, but I am giving You this time. It is Yours. If this is a waste of time, I will waste my time for You.” 

On this Easter Morning, we come to worship the risen Christ. We proclaim to the world that we refuse celebrate the birth of the Baby, and ignore the resurrected life of the Savior! We rise this Easter Sunday morning, and join with the angels that sang at his birth, and sing of His resurrection! Join us in song as we put a new twist to a old hymn, and sing, Glory to the Risen King!