Sunday Matters #4
Paul Tripp makes the point in the introduction of the book that “every Sunday, there’s a battle for your heart”. I know I feel that battle waging in my own heart and I think corporate worship has a way of keeping my boots on the ground. In the chapter for this week, he shows how easily we, just like Jonah, are often walking contradictions from our head to our hearts. He shows how our “God-forgetfulness” leads us headlong into misdirected fear, selfish complaining, and stubborn independence. Did you resonate with one, or even all three, of these obstacles? So, what weapon is at our disposal that can we rightfully employ in this fight?
“The regular gathering of the church for worship and instruction has been designed by God to be one of his most valuable weapons in our fight against these.” (pg.24)
If we’re being real, it only takes a moment to find ourselves right in the middle of a struggle with any of these, right? Fear of loss, change, suffering, uncertainty can cripple us and obstruct our spiritual eyes. Maybe we’re confused by our circumstances, feeling out of place, or giving in to seeking our own momentary pleasures and our cry of complaint is drowning out the steady voice of our Father’s good provision for today. How often do we buck the reality that we need spiritual leaders and godly counsel along with God’s Word to break into our independent, isolated, and often foolish patterns? I know I’ve experienced some of this in my own life this week!
See! We really do need the rhythm of corporate worship in our lives. What other place in the course of our week do we experience the presence of God, the people of God, and the Word of God as it’s being sung, spoken, prayed, and presented in communion with each other as vividly as we do on the Lord’s Day? What other context are we shouting words of faith alongside other brothers and sisters who add to your voice of praise? How about this - Have you ever considered how another brother or sister just might need to hear your voice singing “Jesus is better” because they are battered by the storms of last week? In corporate worship we sing together, we hear together, we are exhorted together, we are renewed together, we receive assurance of Christ’s love for us together, and we are sent out to scatter for the kingdom together for another week. Without this weapon, we are sure to find ourselves defeated. So, let’s rehearse the gospel together again for this Sunday so we can experience renewal and redemption together too!
“We need the narrative of creation-fall-redemption, which is the overarching theme of Scripture, to confront us with the disaster of human independence and the danger it places us in if we give it room in our hearts.” (pg.27)
Guys, a big reason we are preparing our hearts each week with the purpose of why we gather is so that we might pray in unity together for the very things God already wants us to experience on Sunday. So that’s why every week I will continue to highlight things we can pray for ourselves and for our church.
Let’s pray this for our church as we gather this Sunday:
Father, help us experience the full gospel rhythm of worship today from creation, to the fall, to your redemption. Awaken our hearts to your presence and power in the fight to turn fear into trust, complaint into praise, and independence into submission. Amen.
