A WORSHIP SCENE LONG AGO......

I mean, what we are going to read is really an example of  worship that happened long ago. The story is about Ezra, a priest and scribe, who ministered about 500 B.C. And yet, similar to Ezra’s worship gathering so long ago, there are elements of worship then that are still included in many places of Christ honoring worship today. I have interjected an outline in the passage below. It makes salient 12 points of God-honoring worship. All that is in parentheses and in caps is my attempt to point out the richness of the text.

NEHEMIAH 8:1-8

​^“And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked (THE PEOPLE’S ASPIRATION) Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses (DIVINE REVELATION) which the Lord had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest (DIVINE AUTHORIZATION) brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding (PEOPLE’S PARTICIPATION), on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose (ADVANCE PREPARATION). And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand (LEADERSHIP PARTICIPATION). Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up (CONGREGATON VENERATION). Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God (WORSHIPER EXALTATION). And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen! (WORSHIPER AFFIRMATION)” while lifting up their hands (WORSHIPER EXHILARATION); then they bowed low (WORSHIPER HUMILIATION) and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law (PRIESTLY EXPLANATION) to the people while the people remained in their place. They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense (MORE EXPLANATION OR EXPOSITION) so that they understood the reading.” 

D.  CHRISTEN

DANIEL, A GREAT PRAYER WARRIOR.....

DANIEL, A REAL PRAYER WARRIOR

Daniel 9:1-9, 16-19 constitute an instructive, heart-felt and most earnest prayer uttered by Daniel during the Babylonian Captivity. He had learned that Jeremiah had spelled out that it would last seventy years. Now, well into this time span, Daniel knows of the sin of his people which caused the horrible captivity and is also aware that the people have yet to truly clean up their act. And so, he prays so very ardently. It is one of the most passionate payers in the Bible. So open the Bible and read the above Scriptures and feel his burden and yearning heart.  

AND THEN, DO NOTICE DANIEL’S:

SET DETERMINATION (9:3a)

“Then I set my face toward the Lord God…”

     A true prayer warrior sets his or her face like a flint to do so. Prayer can't be merely a whim or a fancy. I must understand that a righteous believer can reach the heart of God and move Him in unusual ways. Speaking in hyperbole, Jesus said if we pray in faith we can move an entire mountain into the sea. Such a faith is perseverance that GOD CAN! It's been said that the difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often comes from a strong will and the other from a strong won't. 
Daniel had both!

THEN, NOTICE DANIEL'S SERIOUS COMMUNICATION WITH GOD (9:3b)

“…to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.”

     J. Wilbur Chapman told how he met the famous missionary, "Praying Hyde." Chapman asked the man if he would come to his room and pray for hm personally. He was conducting meetings at the time and sensed he needed to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Chapman reported that as soon as they were in his room, Praying Hyde locked the door and dropped to his knees. "I waited five minutes without that dear man uttering a single syllable, said Chapman. "Presently I felt hot tears course down my cheeks. Although Hyde had said nothing, I knew I was in the presence of God in a special way. Then, with upturned face and eyes streaming, he exclaimed, "O God!" Then he was quiet again. When he sensed he was in communication with the Lord, there came from the depths of his heart petitions such I had never heard I arose from my knees knowing what real prayer was! 
Daniel prayed like that!

THIRDLY, HEAR DANIEL'S  PRAYERFUL MAGNIFICATION (9:17)

“Now therefore, our God, hear the PRAYER of Your servant…”

Supplication or asking God for 'this and that' (worthy causes as they may be) is indeed encouraged by the Lord Himself. "Ask and you shall receive." But, the very word 'PRAYER' primarily elicits the idea of worship or fixing our eyes upon the magnificent God to Whom we pray. When we enter into communication with Him, He is to be extolled and magnified. When David prayed before the congregation dedicating the materials for the Temple, he worshipped God intensely at the outset  of his great prayer, saying, 
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all" (2 Chronicles 29:10-12). 
     Jesus taught us to pray in a manner in which, first of all, God is magnified: "Our Father Who art in heaven..." Big thoughts about God bring forth a big faith toward and in God. And so, Daniel commences his prayer. 

HIS PRAYERFUL SUPPLICATION (9:17)

“Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, AND HIS SUPPLICATIONS…”

     Again, our Savior taught us to ask Him for whatever is needed. "Give us this day our daily bread." "Ask and you shall receive. Wisely, He doesn't always give what we ask, but, He will give us what we need. He always answers with a RED LIGHT (no), a YELLOW LIGHT (wait a while), or a GREEN LIGHT (yes). 
BY WAY OF PRAYERFUL AND WILLING DEPRIVATION (9:3)
“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, WITH FASTING…”
     What am I willing to forego in order to pray or receive the right response. It may be food, a change of schedule or some other inconvenience in order to be with God. Someone has remarked that today's plastic saints want to hear all about Jesus doing all the dieing. They want the preacher to preach another sermon on the cross. It never occurs to them that the same Jesus who died for our sins, asks us to die to sin and self. Only thereby can be ever be found to be serious prayer warriors. "Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord."

AND THEN, HIS PRAYERFUL AND LOWLY HUMILIATION (9:3)

“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, 
SACKCLOTH, AND ASHES.”

     Isaiah the prophet excoriates the proud who parade their feigned goodnesses before the Lord. God hates pride. He sums up much of what he says on this subject in the last chapter of his prophecy when he reports God saying, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." How profound. Do I want to be close to God? I must then be humble before the Almighty.

- dick christen

THE COST OF CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP....

In his book THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP, Bonhoeffer wrote: 

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

     Jesus challenges His followers with these words: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."  - Matthew 10:37-39.

     Neil Postman remarked, "I believe I am not mistaken in saying Christianity is a demanding and serious religion. When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether."

     Let's consider Bonhoeffer's comment.

     PREACHING WITHOUT REQUIRING REPENTANCE?

     The Apostle Paul, in rebuking a carnal church at Corinth in his first letter to them, later, in a second communication, rejoiced because they changed their way. They changed their way of thinking, having been so very blithe concerning the sin among them. They (the Christians) had repented. And so, he rejoiced with them saying, "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:9,10). The need to repent when confronted with the Word is thereby made clear. 

     BAPTISM WITHOUT CHURCH DISCIPLINE?

      Again, to the same Corinthians, when in his first letter to them, Paul, in bringing a condoned sin to their attention and regarding the erring brother, said, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:4,5). These are very harsh words, but, apparently, in the Apostle's mind, necessary for cleansing the church from all known sin. The Word does say believers are to be holy even as God is holy. Thankfully, we are IN Christ Jesus but must ever strive to be holy in practice, or BY Jesus Christ.

     COMMUNION WITHOUT CONFESSION?

     Again, the same Apostle, when addressing the Lord's Supper (Communion), requires a worthy approach to the table. He says, "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Corinthings 11:27). And, as if this isn't strong enough, in the next two verses, he further declares, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body." Again, pretty serious approach to communion, yes? Non confession of sin is to be taken very seriously. These verses address Bonhoeffer's next phrase, namely:

 ABSOLUTION WITHOUT CONFESSION?

     At salvation we ARE forgiven all our sins, judicially speaking. When truly saved a believer will never, ever be condemned for his or her sin. In the court of heaven we are cleared once and for all time and eternity. But, for the sake of daily warm and growing fellowship with our dear Father in heaven, we must regularly mount His lap and acknowledge our sin(s) for the sake of closeness to Him, and for the sake of the abiding life (John 15). 
     Such behavior as thus described constitutes true dicipleship and keeps the cross of Jesus central. 
     Yes, such directives make for a "demanding and serious" Christian faith but is not the Word of God very clear about it? The fact is, it costs to follow Jesus Christ, but it costs much more not to. 

     A disciple is someone who not only learns about the life of Christ but also desires to live it. Salvation itself is free. Jesus paid the price fully at Calvary. It is all of grace. It saves completely, once and forever. But the price of disciple- ship (following Jesus) is excruciatingly high, but BY His promised and persistent sanctifying grace divinely at work in us, true believers press on. They WILL do so. Concerning the Philippian Christians the Apostle Paul said, "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears" (Philippians 1:6, MSG). 

Coming to Christ and being saved is all by grace apart from any merit by the believing one. It is the positioning of the sinner "IN Christ Jesus" fully clothed with God's righteousness and thereby fully accepted by the thrice holy God. But all such are saved "unto good works" which are made a reality BY Christ Jesus. Thereby discipleship proceeds. 

- dick christen