Worship Renewal | Gospel Shaped Worship

Isaiah 6: 1-8 gives our worship a Gospel-shape.  

Praise | 

In Isaiah’s vision of God, he sees creatures praising God.  

Renewal |  

In response to God’s holiness, he confesses his sin and seeks renewal. 

Proclamation |

God speaks His Word to Isaiah.

Response |  

Isaiah responds by committing to serve the Lord. 

Therefore, we approach God in awe, we see our sin, we hear the good news, and we respond in faith and obedience.  The various elements in our worship “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” are centered around the Gospel (Act 2: 42).

Worship from the Heart |  

God is the only Audience.  Worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4: 23).  The songs we sing are biblical, instructing the mind and affecting the heart.  The loudest sound in the worship are the voices of the congregation (see Psalms).  The instruments serve congregational voices.

God cares more about the heart than lip service.  “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3: 16).   

Worship as Lifestyle |  

When we set up chairs, banners, sound system or camera without grumbling and complaining, it’s an act of worship to God.  Praying for the people who are going to sit in the chairs, praying for the sound systems to serve rather than distract, praying for banners that they point us to why we do what we do, praying for the camera so that the Gospel goes out and reaches people can be a helpful way to worship while setting up. When Abraham offered to sacrifice his son Isaac, it was an act of worship to God (Gen. 22: 5).  When we are sent out with Gospel blessings from Monday to Saturday, all of life in our homes and workplace is to be a living sacrifice—an act of worship to God (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 10:31). 

Evangelistic Worship |

Welcoming unbelievers in worship.  Paul said when “an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” (1 Cor. 14: 24, 25).  

each element in our worship MATTERS.

Why Each Element in Our Worship Matters

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Every Sunday, several people come early to set up despite their own weaknesses and struggles. They are truly commendable because they set up to minimize distraction during our worship. We can all relate with Martha who was distracted, anxious and troubled about many things while serving (Luke 10: 41). Jesus said to Martha, “one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (v. 42). We see that Mary was commended for sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening (Luke 10: 39). We bring nothing before God but our weaknesses, struggles, heartaches, sins and sufferings. But God’s lavish grace meets us in our mess. The warm welcome of Jesus is for weary, wounded and exhausted sinners. He is not seeking perfect saints and those who have it all together to worship Him. Our restless hearts can now find their rest in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

For this reason, coming early for corporate worship has certain benefits! In an age of digital distraction our attention span has been drastically cut short. It is easy to miss the various elements in our worship. Therefore, creating that sacred space to catch our breath and reset our minds in prayer before worship starts can be really beneficial! We have one hour and thirty minutes on Sunday to worship together as a church family.

Therefore, it can be beneficial to arrive at least 10 to 5 mins before worship starts and hear the welcome of Jesus and the call to worship. It’s even better if we are able to come earlier to greet people and engage in pre-worship fellowship if God has given us the strength. And/ or stay for post-worship fellowship to reach out to people we haven’t met, to listen to one another, encourage one another and pray for one another. Below is why each element in our worship matters!

Pastoral Letter To The Congregation | CoronaVirus

Note: Japanese text below. 日本語下に見てください。

親愛なるBridge Family の皆さんへ

世界的にコロナウィルスによって多くの苦しみがもたらされています。今週、日本政府は大規模なイベントを延期したり、縮小するように国民に要請しました。全国の小中高、学校も臨時休校にするよう要請が出ました。最新情報を常に知ることは重要ですが、メディアの過剰な報道よって恐れや不安が取り除かれることもありません。私たちの教会は小規模なコミュニティなので、賛美、礼拝のために一緒に集まります。そして、私たちの心を、神さまに向け、神さまが全てを支配しておられることを思い起こしましょう。

予防、対策として

①入口にお手拭きを用意します。

②予防のため外ではマスクを着用してください。

③礼拝の間は、人と話す時に握手ではなく日本人スタイルでお辞儀をしましょう。

詩篇91編より、神さまの守りの約束のことばをシェアします。

「夜、脅かすものをも 昼、飛んで来る矢をも、恐れることはない。 暗黒の中を行く疫病も 真昼に襲う病魔も あなたの傍らに一千の人 あなたの右に一万の人が倒れるときすら あなたを襲うことはない。 あなたの目が、それを眺めるのみ。 神に逆らう者の受ける報いを見ているのみ。 あなたは主を避けどころとし いと高き神を宿るところとした。 あなたには災難もふりかかることがなく 天幕には疫病も触れることがない。 主はあなたのために、御使いに命じて あなたの道のどこにおいても守らせてくださる。」 ‭‭詩編‬ ‭91:5-11‬

罪(コロナウイルスよりもはるかに致命的なもの)は、何千年もの間、人類を殺してきました。だからこそ、救い主イエスさまが私たちを救いに来られたのです。イエスさまはいつの日か戻られ、全ての病、全ての苦しみを癒してくれます。それまでの間、主権者である神さまが許さない限り、悪が私たちに降りかかってくることはないという保証があります。そして、私たちには祈り、人をケアし、福音の明るい希望を伝え、私たちがどこにいても、傷ついた世界を慰めていく責任があります。 いと高き神、イエスさまは、私たちの心が住うところであり、避け所です。 正しい人は彼のもとへ駆け込み、そして守られます。

たくさんの愛と祈りを込めて

牧師　ジョーイ」

Is Tithing Required ?

One of the main objections or confusions regarding giving tithes today is that since tithe (10% of your income) was a requirement in the Old Testament, the question goes: “Why are New Testament churches requiring tithes today?” It is true that nowhere in the New Testament does it say that Christians must tithe. While some churches misuse the text in Malachi 3: 10 to motivate people into giving with great returns, nowhere is there a command to give tithes in the New Testament. However, when the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he took a very different approach. To encourage the Corinthians to give generously to the Jerusalem church, Paul used the generosity of the Macedonians as an example to the Corinthians.

He wanted them to know (v. 1) “about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia.” Although these churches were (v. 2) “in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” The grace of God they experienced overflowed in a wealth of generosity despite their extreme poverty (not prosperity). It was their “abundance of joy” in the gospel of grace that moved them to give generously. In other words, they gave more than tithes (which was an Old Testament requirement). As New Testament believers who have received so much grace, Paul said, (v. 3) “they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord.” They exceeded tithes.

And instead of appealing to their guilt, or manipulating them to give at the level of their will power, Paul said, (v. 8)  “I say this not as a command.” Rather, he pointed them to the riches of the gospel that they have already received: (v.9) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” 

In his reflection on the story of Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus in the New Testament, Tim Keller said that Zacchaeus, after having repented:

“promised to give away 50 percent of his income to the poor. This was far beyond the 10 percent giving that the Mosaic law required. Today, to give away even 10 percent of our income to charity seems an enormous sum, though wealthy people could do much more and still live comfortably. Zacchaeus knew that when he made this offer. His heart had been affected. Since he knew salvation was not through the law, but through grace, he did not aim to live by only fulfilling the letter of the law. He wanted to go beyond it........Did Jesus ‘tithe’ His life and blood to save us or did He give it all? ... We certainly wouldn’t want to be in a position of giving away less of our income than those who had so much less of an understanding of what God did to save them.“ (Tim Keller: Counterfeit Gods)

In simple words, if New Testament believers have received more grace than the Old Testament believers did, we have more reasons to give liberally. Our giving will always be in proportion to our understanding of the gospel of free grace. Our giving will either be motivated by self-congratulatory pride (“I give my tithes regularly”) or fear (“If I don’t give it will make me look bad”). But in the gospel, we can be motivated by the grace of God in Christ “that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”  Jesus became poor in order that we might become rich eternally. God has deposited the riches of the gospel in our hearts and therefore we have more to give than anyone else living on the face of the earth.

This is why Paul says, “see that you excel in this act of grace also.” (v. 7). Let’s marvel at our rich King who gave His all for us, and let’s excel in this act of grace also.