Introduction
Today we are going to conclude our preaching series on the importance and purpose of Spiritual Disciplines. The first week we looked at the importance of adopting and implementing the disciplines of prayer, meditation, and study into our lives to enhance and strengthen our bond with the Triune God. Last week we looked at the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, and submission, and how those can help put us in a position to be transformed by God. Today we going to look to the corporate disciplines of confession and worship to see how we can work together to support each other.
Wood or Fiberglass?
Max Lucado tells the story about two men that are having a discussion. Some time ago a man came upon a fellow on a trip who was carrying a Bible. "Are you a believer?" I asked him. "Yes," he said excitedly. I've learned you can't be too careful. "Virgin birth?" I asked. "I accept it." "Deity of Jesus?" "No doubt." "Death of Christ on the cross?" "He died for all people." Could it be that I was face to face with a Christian? Perhaps. Nonetheless, I continued my checklist. "Status of man." "Sinner in need of grace." "Definition of grace." "God doing for man what man can't do." "Return of Christ?" "Imminent." "Bible?" "Inspired." "The Church?" "The body of Christ." I started getting excited. "Conservative or liberal?" He was getting interested too. "Conservative." My heart began to beat faster. "Heritage?" "Southern Congregationalist Holy Son of God Dispensationalist Triune Convention." That was mine! "Branch?" "Pre-millennial, post-trib, non-charismatic, King James, one-cup communion." My eyes misted. I had only one other question. "Is your pulpit wooden or fiberglass?" "Fiberglass," he responded. I withdrew my hand and stiffened my neck. "Heretic!" I said and walked away.
Sometimes we get so caught up in divisions, groups, and differences, that we get sidetracked. We forget that we all serve the same God. We forget that we are all seeking to bring about the same Kingdom. We forget that we are are all working to show all people the love of Jesus Christ. We are a corporate body, one body, the same body. And in that body there is great power, great responsibility, great joy. Today we are going to discuss a couple of disciplines that we can adopt to help us experience that power, understand the responsibility, and reveal in the joy.
Speak Up!
One discipline we can use to understand that power, corporately, is through confession. Confession is a great liberator! Personally, spiritually, emotionally, confession can provide a great release.
We serve a living God that desires to have a personal, intimate relationship with each and every one of us. And a benefit of that is we can go directly to God to confess our sin. We do not have to have a mediator of any kind to help. But sometimes, that just does not feel like it is enough. I am sure all of us at some point have gone before God to ask forgiveness. We are sincere, we are in the right spirit, we have poured ourselves out, genuinely sorry for what we have done. We pray, we struggle, and we grieve. But when we are done, we do not feel any better. We cannot let go of the guilt and remorse. Intellectually we know God forgave us. Remember Psalm 103, a beautiful ballad from David about God's love for us. David recounts for us that God does not treat us as we deserve but removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. But emotionally, inwardly, we start to have our doubts. We still feel bad, we still feel alone, we still feel unforgiven. That is where corporate confession comes in. Deitrich Bonhoeffer, a tremendous theologian once wrote, “Our brother...has been given to us to help us. He hears the confession of our sins in Christ's stead and he forgives our sins in Christ's name. He keeps the secret of our confession as God keeps it. When I go to my brother to confess, I am going to God.”1 Each of us have a vitally important responsibility to each other. Richard Foster writes, “The followers of Jesus Christ have been given the authority of receive the confession of sin and to forgive it in His name. What a wonderful privilege! Why do we shy away from such a life-giving ministry? If we, not out of merit but sheer grace, have been given the authority to set others free, how dare we withhold this great gift!”2 Confession is a gift! Did you know that? Did you realize that? We each have the power to forgive and release people from the bondage of sin. When your brother or sister come to you, be willing, be open, be trustworthy, be God-like. Do not be like the people described in our first Scripture lesson. Listen with compassion, forgive with ease, take seriously the responsibility of confidant, and bathe them with the love that God gives you. The love that knows no bounds, the love that knows no limits, the love that never ends.
Are you Ready?
Another discipline that we can use, corporately, to understand responsibility and joy is worship. It is our responsibility to use the discipline of worship correctly. It is our responsibility to make sure worship does not become degraded, transformed into an idol, or done without understanding its true purpose. Worship is, “to experience reality...to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community...the human response to the divine initiative...our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father.”3 Worship is not a duty it is a moment. There is no correct way, just a needed posture. “When we are truly gathered into worship, things occur that could never occur alone.” 4 We come together to be with Christ, to listen to God, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Worship is a sacred time, a holy time, a joyous time! This is not meant to be drudgery. It is not meant to be a hassle. This is meant to be a highlight of the week. A time you cannot wait to experience and be a part of. It is not to be watched but lived. Worship is not a spectator sport. Do not come here hoping to find God. Come here expecting to be changed. Come confident that you will have an experience with our Heavenly Father. Worship is doing, worship is giving thanks, worship is being open to things and feelings never before thought possible. Our second Scripture lesson this morning talks about how we should enter these gates. It helps us understand the mindset that can help us get the most out of worship. Worship is the foundation for all we do. It sets the stage for our decisions, our treatment of others, and our relationship with God. Worship is alive!
Conclusion
These past three weeks we have talked about many practices that we can adopt. I have posted all these sermons on my blog and I have recorded audio versions of them that you can get to listen to them again. Use these to go back and re-read. Do not lose sight of how beneficial these disciplines can be. How important they are for us as individuals and as the one body of Christ to practice. But remember, the practice of these disciplines are not meant to become idols, driving forces for getting out of bed each day. They are meant as tools for you to use, alter, and cater so you can enter a greater relationship with God. God is crazy about you. God became like you, spoke like you, and is eager to be in relationship with you. Use these disciplines for cohesion, use them to experience God like never before, use these disciplines to be changed. But most importantly, use them so God can fully express God's love for you!
[1]Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. p 112.
[2]Foster, Richard J. The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. p 146.
[3]Ibid, p 158.
[4]Ibid, p 164.
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