What Does Your Worship Cost?

I recently bought some fencing for my backyard through a connection at my work. My company supplies industrial parts for a local fencing company and I asked if he might be able to get me a deal on a 25 foot length and a gate. He said to me, "Of course. I'll see what we have lying around and put something together for you." Maybe I'm just naive, but by his tone of voice and the "wink-and-gun" he gave me, I thought that meant "free fence". The next day I got a quote. Now, I did get a good deal and still have the laborious task of putting it together, but it was not free. It cost me money. The old adage "nothing in this life is free" certainly applies here and for most aspects of our lives. This includes our worship which I've come to discover by reading 2 Samuel 24:18-26 (NIV).

David disobeyed God's orders 2 Samuel 24:1-9. To atone for that disobedience, God gives David three choices of punishments. Behind door number one, three years of famine. Door number two, three months of "fleeing from your enemies". Door number three, three days of plague on the local Israelites (24:13). David pancaked at the choices and God chose to be swift and sent a pestilence across the land for three days. 70,000 people died. Basically, my whole hometown of Moncton disappeared over under the wave of an angel's hand. Gone.

God ordered the calamity to be stopped just as the Angel was reaching Jerusalem, at the threshing grounds of Aranuah the Jebusite. A threshing floor was an open area outside a city where the edible part of a grain (or other crop) was loosened from the stalk or chaff that surrounds it. When David was asked to make a sacrifice on behalf of the people to stop the pestilence on the land, Aranuah's threshing grounds became the site of the burnt offering.

Aranuah, both surprised and excited to see the king coming to his workplace, bowed and greeted the David with astonishment:
"Why have you come here of all places?"
"To buy your stuff so I can make an appropriate sacrifice for the people."
"Pffft. You don't need to buy it. Just take my threshing floor, my tools, the oxen for the burnt offering, and wooden yokes for making a fire. They're yours! Free of charge."
Then David said something that has really stuck with me lately:
"No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them" (v24).

I will not offer anything to God if it costs me nothing.

David could have easily accepted Aranuah's gift of items for the offering. Instead, David knew that God required more than just free stuff to ward off the plague that decimating the people. There wouldn't have been any honor, price, or sacrifice in burning somebody else's precious commodities. Instead, he declined the gift and gave 50 shekels of silver for the pieces necessary for proper sacrifice. King David likely had everything he's ever needed. He was given all prestige and respect by his people. Yet he was humble enough to know his own King, God, deserved more; a true offering of value that costs something.

Not only have I been trying to live that out in my life, but I've been really trying to live that out as a worship leader. Whether you're leading a congregation in worship or you're a part of the band, what does it cost you to worship your God? I'm not talking about the cost of that cool guitar pedal or preamp you just bought. Ask yourself...
What is my sacrifice as I lead today?
What am I leaving behind as I lead others?
What am I leaving out as I lead others?
What is it that I've been wanting to add to the worship experience that I've been scared to do before?
What do I really want to say or do as I worship?
How do I honestly feel about my God this morning?
How can I challenge myself or the congregation?

It's so easy for leaders and musicians to strap on their instruments each week and just play. I've done it for many years. Last Sunday, I decided that I wasn't going to let my self-consciousness or my pride hinder what I do as a leader. I wasn't going to follow the service order. I wasn't going to be distracted by what people thought of my vocals. I was not going to let how others were (or were not) worshipping affect that way I worshipped. I was going to play guitar like it is the gift that was given to me. Because I did that, something cool happened. I felt the Spirit work through me. The Holy Ghosts became a tangible presence to me. My worship felt true and accepted. That felt awesome and it didn't cost me a cent; just some possible embarrassment and my pride. As a Mastercard PR might say, my experience was "priceless".

What sacrifices are you making when you lead? What does your worship cost you?

1 John 1:1-4 - Who He Said He Was

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete."

- 1 John 1:1-3

This morning, my friend Tim had a blog about who Jesus is. Not that I was trying to ride the coattails of what he was blogging about, but it just so happens my portion of 1 John today touches a bit on just that; who Jesus is.

The author, John the Apostle (not to be confused with John the Baptist) starts this book out by explaining the purpose of his writings: to share and express the "Word of Life" to its readers. John makes some suggestions about what the Word of Life is. Or, if you will, who the Word of Life is. Since John likely saw Jesus' ministry first hand, it's easier for him to be able to draw comparisons to person of Jesus and the prophesied Jesus. Apostle John takes the literal "Word" and applies it to the person of Jesus:
Jesus is - "from the beginning" (v. 1)
Jesus is that - "which we have heard (v. 1)
Jesus is that - "which we have seen with our eyes" (v. 1)
Jesus is that - "which we have looked at" (v. 1)
Jesus is the one whom- "our hands have touched" (v. 1)
Jesus - "appeared" (v. 2)
Jesus is - "the eternal life" (v. 2)
Jesus was - "with the Father and has appeared to us" (v. 2)

John's epistle is to "proclaim to you" what we (the apostles) have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us (the apostles)". A call to the sinner, the unsaved, the Jew and the Gentile, to believe that Jesus was the prophesied one and the gift of God in flesh; the truth, the way, and the life. Jesus' story and ministry make "our joy complete" (v. 4).

I was reading (not taking part in) an interesting thread today where people were arguing the existence of God; more precisely, the existence of deities like Jesus, Buddha, or Mohammad. The one Christian in the conversation proceeding to defend Christianity by simply comparing Jesus as superior to Buddha or Mohammad. Instead of using historical fact, scripture, or even the ministry/example of Jesus, he proceeded to just slam other religious figures.

I've quoted this from Bono on a recent blog but I thought it prudent to repeat it. In an interview he did with Bill Hybels where he says, "You either have to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God or believe that he was a complete nutcase. Jesus was either Charles Manson... an absolute nutcase or, in my opinion, who He said He was."

Jesus is the beginning and end who we have seen, heard, touched, and felt. You can either believe who he said he is, or you cannot. I say this to make our joy complete.