Week #1 Re-cap: Adjust Our Posture
Assessment time:
Let's see where we stand with Almighty God right now:
- I check in with God primarily on Sundays.
- Church is the place where I commune with God.
- I own a Bible.
- I read my Bible daily.
- I have memorized Bible verses.
- I pray before I eat.
- I pray when I awake and/or when I go to bed.
- I pray numerous times throughout the day.
- I mainly use the name "God" when speaking to or about my Creator.
- I speak about my faith regularly.
- I speak about my faith rarely.
- I have told at least one person about my faith journey.
- I know the story of my faith journey.
- I regularly strive to help others.
Regaining Reverence
We have all probably been in a situation that has heightened emotions and increased volume, and the following words came forth from someone's mouth:
"Who do you think you are talking to?"
Whether we were the receiver of these words or whether we spoke them, the message of the conversation is clear:
"Who do you think you are talking to?" The words cause an instant reset in the listener. A boundary has been crossed--a border has been trampled. The relationship has not been respected.
Now, let's make this personal and spiritual. Almighty God has asked for our attention. And as we stand before the holy throne of God, we are asked, "Who do you think you are talking to?"--Not in a scolding way, but in a calm, unhurried manner in which we know a thoughtful response is expected.
The disciples found themselves in this exact conversation, and Jesus was the one gently asking the question, "Who do people say I am?" He wisely started the inquiry with a curiosity about who others thought of him. Once the disciples had shared others' views, Jesus made it personal. He directed his disciples to formulate their own opinion. He knew they had probably been struggling with this in their own minds, and there is power in verbalizing the conclusion.
In education this method is called, "they say, I say." This centers on the fact that we have countless opinions of others at our fingertips, but after we have gathered the opinions of others, it is essential that we move past those to the next crucial step.
Given what I know to be true and what they say, what now do I say?
Before we answer, let's contemplate our view of the Most Holy Place.
Leviticus 16:2 [Chapter 16 explains the process for the Day of Atonement]
"The LORD said to Moses: 'Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.'"
John 4:19-26
"'Sir,' the woman said, 'I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.'
'Woman,' Jesus replied, 'believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.'
The woman said, 'I know that Messiah' (called Christ) 'is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.'
Then Jesus declared, 'I, the one speaking to you--I am he.'"
Matthew 27:50-51
"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split."
Mark 15:37-38
"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
Luke 23:44-46
"It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last."
That curtain was a physical representation of a much bigger spiritual action: the path to God's throne, the entrance to the heavenly Most Holy Place.
Hebrews 4:14-16
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Hebrews 10:19-23
"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
1 Corinthians 3:16
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
2 Corinthians 3:12-18
"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turs to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
No veils...No curtains...No barriers.
Access to God's Holy Throne is available to all of us who acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Hallelujah! Let us be bold and speak to our Maker with the reverence the Almighty deserves.
Our worship includes confidently and humbly proclaiming our response to His question:
Psalm 95:6-7
"Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the People of his pasture,
the flock under his care."
Prayer:
Almighty God, we are so very grateful for all You do in our lives. We are so thankful for Your perfect plan and for Jesus' sacrifice for us. We confess that too often we sin and fall short. Please forgive us for taking You for granted, and for the times we have not treated You with the reverence You deserve. God, we ask for wisdom and for continued guidance as we strive to do better. Help us to live each day for You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” ~Micah 6:8
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