He Reigns: Thought #4

All week long I have found myself reading the same sermon over and over.  The sermon comes from September 17th, 1989 and it was preached by, as you may have already guessed, John Piper.  He titled this sermon "The Sacrifice of Praise".  The scripture he was preaching over was Hebrews 13:8-16.  From this one sermon I have drawn so many points of inspiration and one of those points of inspiration has been about the responsibility that each individual has within a church body.  He lays it out like this:

"Priority Number One at Bethlehem is the cultivation of hearts that stand in awe of God. We believe in missions. We believe in evangelism. We believe in nurture and education. But we know that this is all a weariness of the flesh if it is not preceded and carried by a sense of wonder at the glory of God. If your

• heart is not amazed by the grace of God,
• and your mind is not gripped by the truth of God,
• and your sense of right and wrong is not permeated by the justice of God,
• and your faith is not resting in the power of God,
• and your imagination is not guided by the beauty of God,
• and your life is not steadied by the sovereignty of God,
• and your hope is not filled with the glory of God,

then the service of God will be what Paul calls works of the law, and not the fruit of the Spirit. Work for God that is not sustained by wonder at God is a weariness of the flesh. Priority Number One is the cultivation of hearts that stand in awe of God."

I can't say it any better than Piper.  I read over that yesterday afternoon and it really rocked me backwards.  It made me stop and think about Oasis.  It made me stop and ask the best kinds of questions.  I think Chris and I would agree that one of our big priorities at Oasis is the, as Piper puts it, "...cultivation of hearts that stand in awe of God."  This week we as a church family are "working" for the kingdom of God as we prepare for He Reigns and I know how much hard work so many different people are putting into it.  But what the gospel says is true.  Piper echoes that when he says, "Work for God that is not sustained by wonder at God is a weariness of the flesh."  As a church family, no matter what we're doing, we will be wearied by God's work if we are not "steadied by the sovereignty of God."  

I am praying that one of our great priorities this weekend would be to "cultivate hearts that stand in awe of God".  If your heart is amazed by the grace of God you will want to see that happen and want to be a part of it.  If your mind is gripped by the truth of God then you will want to see that happen and want to be a part of it.  If your faith rests in the power of God then you will want to see that happen and want to be a part of it.  If your life is steadied by the sovereignty of God then you will want to see that happen and want to be a part of it.  If your hope is filled with the glory of God then you will want to see that happen and you will most definitely want to be a part of it.  

Do we at Oasis do more than believe in missions, believe in evangelism and believe in nurture and education?  Do you take that belief and mold it into action and reaction to what God is doing?  Here is a moment standing straight in front of us that gives us the opportunity to say with one very loud voice, "YES!  WE MORE THAN BELIEVE IN THESE THINGS...WE DESIRE TO LIVE OUT THESE THINGS!"  Today I continue the call for the body of Oasis to...

Be Expectant
Savor God in Worship
Be Vigilant
Be Present
Desire to Cultivate Hearts

In 72 hours I will be standing in the Pomeroy parking lot, expectant for God to draw near and receive a sacrifice of praise from His people.  Will you join me?  

Comments

[Sharon]

Amen, Chad! For any believer who has ever gotten "excited" to worship at a "Summer in the Son", "Women of Faith", "Promise Keepers", "Christ in Youth", "Joyce Meyer's Conference" or any other "revival-type" of event.....here's your chance to be a part of "He Reigns"! I pray that this work will be sustained by the Wonder of God thus NOT becoming a "weariness of the flesh".

[Chris]

Wow, you can probably guess where I am headed right after I make this comment. To desiringgod.com to look up that sermon. Good stuff!

[Des]

Good word Chad. We need to keep these priorities in the correct order. It is because of who God is and what He has already done for us that we can do anything anyway. Once we grasp this, then we are humbled, amazed and ever filled with His Spirit, which allows us to serve Him. If we try to do it in our own strength and power then we are digging empty wells, which produce nothing but weariness...