October 8: The Essence of Worship
John 4:19-24
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one ought to worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus replied, “Woman, believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You do not know what you worship; we do know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
1. Worship is not anchored by the “Form” (v21-22)
Worship is not anchored on the form, but it is about who — who you are worshipping.
Wholehearted worship goes beyond the form. God also sees our heart and sees us inside out.
2. Worship is anchored by the “Who” (v23-24)
Who are we concerned about when we worship?
Because God is so much greater than we are, there is a humanity and divine gap between God and us.
Because of this revealing of God to us through Jesus, we are able to know the Father, and worship the Father. 🙌🏼
John 14:6 -7
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Jesus is the truth: he is the way, the truth, the life. He allows us to understand God and how relate with God’s Spirit in a new light, which is the Holy Spirit.
We stand in His presence because of what He has done for us. God is worthy of our wholehearted worship.
When we have the right perspective of the WHO, it will guide the HOW.
Dec 10: Part 1: Pleasures without Joy
1. Life is too short to be wasted (v1-3)
James 4:14 (NIV) 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Ecclesiastes 9:12 (NIV) “Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.”
2. Pleasure Can Be Sought in Many Ways (v 4-9)
The problem with achievement is that there are always others who achieve more than us. This shortens the lifespan of any joy or satisfaction we can derive from our achievements.
Shortcomings of possessions:
- Possessions do not last;
- Possessions do not make us secure;
- Possessions do not make us happy
Psalm 39:6 (NIV) 6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
Pleasure can be sought in many ways:
- Pleasure through Achievements (v.4-6);
- Pleasure through Acquisitions (v.7-8);
- Pleasure through Accolades (v.9)
3. Joy Is Found Only in God (v 10-11)
A Chasing After the Wind: It gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere. It promises more than it delivers.
Under the Sun: From man’s point of view
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) 13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
Dec 17: Part 2: Success without Purpose
1. The Futility of Our Work (v17-23)
the meaning of “Meaningless” —
emptiness, futility, like a vapor, It is something which vanishes quickly and leaves nothing behind
Ecclesiastes 2:17-23 (NIV) 17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
It can make us feel like the author/life is pessimistic. however, it is not! We should be diligent, and we need to put in the effort to study/work well because we are studying/working for the Lord. Rather, the author is provoking our thoughts to rethink about how we can live our lives with purpose to find fulfilment.
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A pessimist will say “what I do is not going to matter = I’ll just lie flat”
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A cynic will say “why to work hard? I am not going to benefit from it = I’ll quit quietly”
Beyond the pessimism and cynicism, perhaps we should look deeper and perceive how should we be living our life?
2. The Fulfilment In Our Labour (v24-26)
From pessimism to purpose, from meaningless to meaningful, from chasing after the wind to cherishing life under the Sun, we need to enjoy the simple goodness in life!
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 (NIV) 24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Whatever portion God has given to us, accept it and be contented!
Our life is fulfilling when God is at the center of our life, knowing He is the giver of all good things.
We labor with the assurance that we have a purposeful life in a relationship with God.
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A person who lives to please the Lord finds contentment and satisfaction.
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A person who pleases God trusts Him to meet our every need.