It's very easy to forget that we don't get to have a direct connection with God the Father. Our relationship with Him is only through the mediation of Jesus Christ. I think Kauflin is absolutely right that we tend to "underestimate the gravity and offensiveness of our sin" to God. I know for myself I can get into the "I'm not as bad as that person is" kind of thinking and I start subconsciously (or sometimes not so subconsciously) elevating myself thinking that I am better than others or that I have some kind of higher standing than other people do. This pride issue is something that many of us fall captive to without even realizing it, but Kauflin gives us a good reminder that every one of us, because of our sin, is completely offensive to God regardless of how much better we might think we are than someone else. It is only through the sacrifice and mediation of Jesus Christ that we can be presented to God in a way that is acceptable to Him and it is only through Jesus that we can present our worship to God in an acceptable way."We need to remember that our access to God is not based on last week's performance, today's practices, or tomorrow's potential. Rather, we're accepted 'in the Beloved' (Ephesians 1:6) and need have no fear of rejection as we come before God's throne." (p. 74)
What a good reminder this is. I often get caught up in the idea that I need to try harder, achieve more, and be better in order to somehow win God's acceptance and approval, but there is nothing we can achieve or accomplish to win acceptance or approval from God. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we are accepted by God based on what His Son has done, not on anything we have done or can do. We are called to be Jesus' disciples and to follow Him which definitely involves a lot of work and effort, but it is not based upon that work and effort that we are acceptable to God. Jesus sacrifice was and is the only thing that God bases His approval and acceptance of us on. We can come to worship God boldly knowing that we are accepted not on the basis of our works but on the basis of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
"All our offerings are humbled by the work of Christ because they would be unacceptable to God without Him. All our offerings are exalted because when they are joined to the atoning sacrifice of the Savior, God accepts them as though His own Son were offering them." (p. 75)
This chapter made me think of the scenario of what if I wanted to meet say the President of the United States. I would have to know someone close to him or befriend a congressman and then wait to make an appointment and then if all that came together, only get a few minutes if not seconds with the head of the most powerful nation on earth. How much more is our High Priest who we know personally who takes our requests directly to the throne of God, the power of the whole universe. I so often forget what Jesus did on the cross and that He did it out of love for us and His Father. I can't realistically see the President because I am too small, but through Jesus I am ushered into the very throne room of heaven regardless of my size or works etc.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, David and Enalo! It was almost shocking to read the quote from Frederick Leahy about how we tend to see what Christ did on the cross as "primarily and exclusively for the sake of man, when, in fact, it was primarily out of love for God..." (Hebrews 10:7). WHAT? You mean it's not ALL ABOUT ME? Meditating on that does help to "set me free from misguided self-love" to focus on Jesus and what He did to redeem me.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe - after all the years I've been involved in leading corporate worship - that I haven't read a book like this. It's addressed questions and, if you will - a bit of angst - I have had, over the years, about why we do what we do.
A while back an un-saved friend of ours came to church with us. He was hesitant but it was Easter (one of the CEO's - Christmas, Easter Only) and I was asking with a puppy-dog look "Don't you want to hear me sing?" so what could he do???? Afterwards I asked him what he thought of the music and he said "Well, it was entertaining". Hmmm...That really bothered me for a long time and although it did segue into a spiritual discussion - which was a good thing - it still really bothered me that the music had left that impression. What I have learned, since then, and partly from reading this book, is that OF COURSE, to someone who does not know the Lord and has not accepted the redemptive love of the Savior, what they may hear during the music portion of our worship service is just that....entertainment. I can't remember which chapter, now, but somewhere the author talks about what our main goal is: Because of the world's distractions and our fleshly tendency to focus on ourselves, we - like our brothers and sisters in Christ - tend to forget how GREAT and MAGNIFICENT our God really is. Our goal in leading worship is to remind ourselves about that. That's why it's OK if it's a BIG polished sound and maybe has some flash and mirrors occasionally. Just not TOO much.....:)