What we now have to do is to keep the festival properly: none of the leaven of the old life, and none of the leaven of depravity and wickedness, either. What we need is leaven-free bread, and that means sincerity and truth.
I Corinthians 5:8
If God Is God, Why Are There Problems?
If God is God, then why are there Problems?
Everyone is going to ask the question, “Why are there so many problems in the world?” Every war ever fought was started by someone. No war in history was started by God, but is a result of human decisions. Every human being, including me, has made decisions that hurt someone else. People go hungry because of human choices. People have been harmed and overpowered by others due to human decisions. Divorce is not a natural occurrence; it is a result of human choices.
Adam and Eve Chose to Make Their Own Decision
The first humans in the bible, Adam and Eve, created a mess because of their choices. God told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Instead of trusting God, they believed they knew better than God. They turned from worshipping God to worshipping themselves. God created Adam and Eve to worship God, but instead of trusting God, they thought they knew better than God.
Sin is Not the Issue; Who We Worship Is
Two quotes from NT Wright express my point. First, he states, “The primary failure of the human race was idolatry, a failure to worship.” Paul wrote about this primary failure in Romans 1:18-32. I encourage you to read it. This section of scripture is not about sin, but rather about the inability to worship, which ultimately leads to sin. In verse 23, Paul writes, “and instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshipped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.” (NLT) People created their own gods and idols, devising their own ways. A couple of verses before, Paul said, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give them thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.” (NLT)
When people choose to trust themselves more than God, they create a distorted image of God. People stop representing the heart of God. The second quote from NT Wright says, “Sin is rooted in idolatry, it’s swapping the divine Glory for images.” God has a divine purpose for us that is spelled out in Genesis 1:26-28 and Psalm 8. As God’s creation, we have a responsibility to take care of the earth. Turning away from the creator to our ideals has created the mess in which we live. When we choose to worship idols, our worldview becomes twisted, selfish, and corrupted.
Does God Need Us to Worship Him?
God is not an arrogant God needing His ego boosted by us. When we worship God, we are acknowledging that He is the supreme authority. Reading Psalm 8 reveals that God is a beautiful Creator worthy of worship. We are created to worship, but we have a choice of what we worship. We can worship ourselves (idol worship) or we can worship God. I John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.” He defines love. So yes, he is worthy of our worship.
Biblical Examples of Worship
As we conclude this blog, let me provide some biblical examples of people who expressed worship to God. Take a moment to explore these examples in more detail.
1) Paul and Silas (Acts 16:24-26). When put in prison, they worshipped the Lord, when they could have complained.
2) The Woman with the Alabaster Box (Luke 7:36-50). She was a woman who had sinned, but she came and worshipped at the feet of Jesus. Jesus forgave her sins.
3) The Widow’s Mite (Mark 12:41-44) The widow gave all that she had.
4) Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:12-14). Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. Abraham was God’s promised son. Abraham was willing to sacrifice this promise, knowing God had a purpose.
5) Jesus surrendered to the will of God (Luke 22:41-43)
How do we respond?
As we live a life of worship, look for idols in your life. What have we placed in greater importance than God? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the idols and lead you in repentance. We are created to worship, and when we do what we are designed to do, we create a better world.
We Are Hope!
Our church family gathered on Sunday to connect, worship, and deepen our understanding of God's purpose. If you missed the service on Sunday, please watch it on Facebook or YouTube.
For the past three weeks, I have been preaching a series on hope and asking, "Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?" Our hope is placed entirely on Jesus offering himself for us, for the forgiveness of our sins. So that leads me to a second question: "What does it mean that Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins?"
To help answer these questions, we have been looking at the "Walk to Emmaus" in Luke 24:13-49. After the resurrection, Jesus encountered two of his disciples, but they did not recognize him as he walked to Emmaus. The disciples were sad because of Jesus being crucified, because they thought Jesus was the Messiah who would bring freedom to Israel (21). This statement of hope being dashed explains their perspective of what the Messiah would do for Israel. However, Jesus was going to redefine this perspective.
Jesus replies by referencing the teachings of Moses and the prophets. Scripture does not specify the exact verses that Jesus shared; researchers estimate that there are 300-400 prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah, so He could have drawn from many. This past Sunday, we examined several critical scriptures that the disciples would have heard since childhood. I will reference these scriptures, but recommend looking them up for yourself.
First, in Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah gets direction from the Lord about the future of Israel. The Lord said he would establish a new covenant with Israel that would not be like the old covenant. This prophecy would give Israel the expectation that God would again deliver them from exile. Then, the prophet Daniel would read this prophecy while he was in captivity in Babylon. In Daniel 9, Daniel writes that he was reading Jeremiah when he prayed for Israel. Daniel would repent for the entire nation of Israel for the idolatry and sin they committed. As he prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to share God's plans. Gabriel told him the Messiah was God's plan to bring forgiveness and restoration to Israel.
Jesus' words convinced and excited the disciples. They invited Jesus to stay with them, but were still unaware of who Jesus was. Once they sat down for dinner, Jesus broke bread, and God opened their eyes to recognize Jesus. Jesus instantly disappeared, later to appear before all the disciples. The revelation of Jesus' resurrection and that He set them free must have been an incredible moment. Jesus showed them a greater freedom than they had expected. Jesus restored them to their original purpose and us to ours, to be God's image bearers to the world.
The Apostle Paul later wrote that God has "rescued us from the Kingdom of Darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son." (Col. 1:13) Jesus took us from darkness to light. When Jesus was teaching in Matthew 5, He told the crowd that "THEY are the light of the world." (14) Jesus died on the cross so we can return to our vocation as His children. This is our purpose!
Jesus started a revolution on the day he was crucified; we, too, can join Him! The world is falling apart, people are being destroyed, but we have the answer. Be the light amid the darkness.