Worship in Christ

Worship: The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity

Points of view (stories)

• The illness of missionary Kent Brantly

Points of view (stories)

• The illness of missionary Kent Brantly

• Hero or fool? Depends on which story.

• In Christian worship, we proclaim God’s Story, which is the One True Story of the Whole World.• This week: What is God’s Story?

• Next week: How do we tell God’s Story in worship?

What is God’s Story?

• God makes himself known to us through His Story.

• Creation - Fall - Redemption

• Christ Event at the middle (and center)

• The relational God’s desire to be in relationship with his people

• A mission for God’s people

• A future for God’s people

What is God’s Story?

• God is the One who initiates the relationship with us. Always!

• We are the ones who respond to God’s invitation. Always!

• Our corporate worship together is a primary way we respond to God’s invitation.

What is God’s Story?

• How does God initiate relationship with us?

• He creates us in his own image and blesses us, saying,

• “live in triune community”

• “exercise godly stewardship over the rest of creation”

• He provides the means of restoration when we fall short of his purposes for us.

What is God’s Story?

• Christian worship tells the story of this ongoing relationship.

• It proclaims who God is and what He has done, is doing, and will do.

• It proclaims who we are and what we are called to become.

What is God’s Story?• The primary tension in God’s Story

centers on our inability to offer back to God the kind of relational response He requires. We are:• not obedient

• not trusting

• not true worshipers

• We therefore cannot become the people God created and called us to be.

What is God’s Story?• This plot tension prepares us for

the Christ Event, in which God, • of his own accord,

• motivated by love,

• becomes one of us!

• so that in Christ:• He can keep his own requirements;

• He can give us the gift of himself, through the Holy Spirit.

What is God’s Story?

Hebrews 9:24 (ESV)

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

What is God’s Story?

Colossians 1:27-28

To [his saints] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

What is God’s Story?

• This Story is the Gospel:• Jesus lives the life to which God has

called all humans.

• Jesus offers his life not only for our sins, but as a gift to us – his life becomes our life.

• Our worship response is then one of • proclaiming and giving thanks for Jesus

Christ

• seeking to live like Christ

What is God’s Story?

Practically Speaking• The things we do in corporate worship

all aim at proclaiming God’s Story:• Singing• Scripture Reading• Praying• Preaching• Passing the Peace• Giving• Baptism• Communion• Testimony

Practically Speaking

• The motivation for Christian worship is gratitude, not fear or self-fulfillment.

• Jesus Christ is at the center of Christian worship

• The Holy Spirit enables our worship in Christ.

• True worship always overflows into mission and service – these activities are the logical and reasonable fruit of our gratitude.