Matt Boswell and D.A. Carson have written a new hymn for Christmas entitled “Exult in the Savior’s Birth.” You can download the music, chords, and lead sheet here for free. This would be a great song for pastors and worship leaders to introduce to their congregations during the upcoming Advent season. Also makes a good song to add to your Christmas rotation on your MP3 player.
Tag: Worship
Missions Quote
Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory…. But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish…. Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak….
– John Piper in Let the Nations Be Glad
Ministry Monday
Here are some helpful posts on worship for pastors and worship leaders:
What Is Worship? – Matt Mason (TGC Worship)
Some helpful summaries…
Scripture in Worship – Joe Thorn
Because God’s word is what revives the soul, makes us wise, enlightens the eyes, and is the means by which God sanctifies us (Ps. 19; Jn. 17:17), we should be eager to give it a prominent place in our worship. While it is common to read the Scripture with the sermon and before the Lord’s Supper, I want to suggest 5 more places in worship where the word of God can be lifted up.
Truth We Believe and Songs We Sing – Matt Smethurst (Gospel Coalition)
Sound theology should shape everything we do in corporate worship. But what does that mean for music in particular? Don Carson recently sat down with worship leaders Keith Getty and Matt Boswell to discuss the relationship between the truth we believe and the songs we sing.
What Worship Is
In his commentary on Acts, R. Kent Hughes shares this excellent quote on the definition of worship. To worship is:
To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God,
to feed the mind with the truth of God,
to purge the imagination by the beauty of God,
to open up the heart to the love of God,
to devote the will to the purpose of God.
– William Temple
Missions and Worship
Missions is about the worship of Jesus. The goal of missions is the global worship of Jesus by his redeemed people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The outcome of missions is all peoples delighting to praise Jesus. And the motivation for missions is the enjoyment that his people have in him. Missions aims at, brings about, and is fueled by the worship of Jesus.
– David Mathis in A Holy Ambition
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
My Measly Opinion – Marva Dawn (via Trevin Wax) – There is truth that transcends opinion.
Location, Location, Location – Paul Tripp (via Gospel Coalition) – A helpful summary of the daily battle of life – it is all about location.
A Catechism of the Heart – Sinclair Ferguson (via Justin Taylor) – What is the heart, and how do you keep your heart for God?
Like A Bag of Sand – Jared Wilson – How NOT to overcome an idol.
Worship: The Fuel, Fire, Furnace, and Heat – John Piper (via Justin Taylor) – A helpful summary of worship as you prepare for corporate worship tomorrow.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshipping our great God!
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading – all on the topic of worship and idolatry:
Why I John Ends With A Command – John’s last line properly leaves us with that most basic question which God continually poses to each human heart: Has something or someone besides Jesus the Christ taken title to your heart’s trust, preoccupation, loyalty, service, fear and delight?
The Idolatry of Spiritual Laziness – Laziness is idolatry. It is closely related to its opposite—workaholism. Both the sins of laziness and workaholism are sins of self-worship. The behavior looks different, but the root idolatry is the same.
Worship Distorted – The root of idolatry is pride…. Pride is seen as detestable to God precisely because it steals from God’s glory and his preeminence. Pride is rebellion, but it is much more than rebellion against God’s authority. Pride is self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness. A proud heart sees itself as central and God as the one who must find his place of orbit in the proud heart’s universe.
Why Do You Worship – Worship is not first an outward act; it is an inner spiritual treasuring of the character and the ways of God in Christ. It is a cherishing of Christ, a being satisfied with all that God is for us in Christ. When these things are missing, there is no worship, no matter what forms or expressions are present.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshipping our great God with your local church!
God Our Creator
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
– Genesis 1:1
Consider the creative ability required for God to create our world. He creates thousands of different animals in all shapes and sizes. He creates giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hippos, hamsters, penguins, eagles, robins, whales, sharks, shrimp, lobsters, and so much more. He creates thousands of different types of plants. Some plants bear fruits of various color, shape, and taste. Many plants have flowers in incredible variety. He creates different environments on the earth – deserts, forests, prairies, mountains, oceans, and more. He fills space with stars and planets of incredible variety. What creativity to make all of this!
Consider the wisdom and knowledge required for God to create our world. What he designs must actually function. Animals must move and breathe and eat and multiply. God must come up with practical things like hearts, lungs, livers, spinal cords, and so much more. All of this made up of cells, made up of atoms, made up of…. And then there are plants which need to grow and bear fruit and form seeds. And all these plants and animals have to fit together in their habitat. And the earth has to be just the right distance from the sun. And, and, and…. We have spent several thousand years trying to figure out how our world works. But God knows it all. What wisdom and knowledge to make all of this!
Consider the power required for God to create our world. There is nothing, and with a word God creates something. With a word, he makes planets and stars and plants and animals. With a word. What authority! What power! Ponder the power required to make this vast universe. And God does it all by simply speaking it into existence. What power to make all of this!
This is our Creator. This is our God.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
– Psalm 95:6
Passion Points
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving giving thanks to God for our many blessings! Here are a few good posts for your weekend reading:
Kevin DeYoung gives us four helpful principles for generous giving.
Bobby Jamieson asks what corporate worship is for (hint: it is more than worship).
Bill Clem argues that gospel community is all about imaging God to each other.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day applying these three posts!
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
The Parable of the City Dog and the Country Dog – Trevin Wax. You’ll just have to read it to find out the meaning of the parable. May we become more like the Country Dog!
Prayers of confession can be hard for many reasons. Not least is finding words. Lancelot Andrews gives us words in his prayer of confession and hope.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. I am always amazed at the stuff Christian retail comes up with for people to give to their pastors. Brad Whitt suggests ten things to give your pastor to show your appreciation that he will really appreciate. As a pastor, I would heartedly agree.
Finally, R. C. Ryle gives us four thoughts on true worship. It is much more than singing hymns and choruses on Sunday morning.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church family.
Brian J. Mikul 