2022-02-27 – WOCC- Getting The Right Perspective – Graham Brum
During worship, we are reminded that when Jesus talks about the word, Jesus talks about it as a seed. That seed can land on different types of soil. The soil is our hearts can be in various conditions.
We are responsible for making sure the seed can and does grow. One of the best ways that our soil can be made ready for the seed is WORSHIP! When the Word comes from God, Holy Spirit speaks to us & it touches & transforms us.
From the worship songs – Jesus, Be Lifted up, Be Lifted higher!! Become more aware of his presence!
Reach out for His Presence & listen to the Holy Spirit for His word is Life!
These Are important times, the last year or two have been very traumatic, but this morning, we’ve crossed a line in worship, entering in deeper.
Twitter is in the Bible! 😉 1 Corinthians 1:12 – “I Follow…”
“What then is Paul or Apollos”, we must be careful who we follow. There is no one perfect out there in the world, except JESUS! So, find His twitter account and follow him alone!
Get the right perspective on things – GOD’s perspective.
Psalm 73 – Martin Lloyd Jones – (Preacher/teacher at Westminster Chapel, London) wrote about this Psalm at some length.
Things don’t always look so good… But Mr Jones talks about how the psalter overcame it!
Psalm 73 was written by Asaph. Who was Asaph?
He was an important Worship Leader – Appointed by the Levites.
He reported to the King. He was a ‘”seer” and a leader of prophetic worship!
Some scriptures to look up about Asaph:
I Chron 15: 16-17-19, appointed by the Levites
I Chron 16 – Asaph the leader
I Chron 25 – Asaph reported directly to the King
II Chron 29:18 King Hezekiah ordered the Levites to sing the songs/Psalms of David & Asaph the seer!
Asaph wrote Psalm 73 pondering the good life of the rich, but had great difficulty understanding why the rich and the wicked seemed to have it so good and to be so successful. How that in vain he had kept himself pure.
But he realized it would be a serious problem if he voiced what he was thinking…
Psalm 73:15 – he summarizes his thoughts.
Psalm 73:17 – He records a profound change in his perspective when he entered the house of the LORD!
“I Entered Your Sanctuary, O God… And finally understood…!”
THE KEY – Was coming into the Presence of God!
Recent video went around by Bill Prankard who shared about a vision he had 50 years ago of evangelism, salvation & baptism happening on the streets of Ottawa – This has started to come true now!
Benita, who shared her story recently, spent time in the presence of her Heavenly Father – She followed the call on her heart – of what she received from the presence of the FATHER.
Come to the place of safety in His presence!
Ken shared last week – Come into His Sanctuary – and realize that in all things, JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!
Its ok to be confused, but get yourself into HIS PRESENCE – its where we need to be
The example of MOSES and the Israelites (Exodus 33-40 – records the story of Moses and the Israelites)
They sang a song of worship to the Lord after the LORD brought them through the Sea & saved them from the Egyptian army and from slavery!
“I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously, the Horse & Rider is thrown into the sea!”
Exodus 33:7-11 – The Tent of Meeting – where Moses went to seek and speak with God.
This tent was also where everyone who sought the Lord went to seek and worship Him. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, everyone would rise up and watch until he went in.
“As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses.
Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.”
They worshipped the Lord God of Israel!
Then in Exodus 35 – we see God beginning his national building program for the Tabernacle! God gave very specific instructions to Moses about it’s sizes, materials, skills, and all the details of its design, structure, purpose and construction.
Exodus 35:30 – Moses told Israel about God’s plans & details – e.g. Bezalel – God filled him with teh Spirit of God and specifically empowered him with the spiritual gift of craftmanship to accomplish His work & acts of craftsmanship – he was given such skill… and the ability to Teach!
He was God’s architect, designed, craftsman, teacher
Exodus chapters 35-40 – Here we see it was a huge team effort! It depended completely on volunteers to give all the material that was needed, as well as volunteers to do all the construction work!
Psalm 73 – Its about coming into His Sanctuary – into His very presence – its about us coming into His Presence that counts!
Now, His presence is not a tent, not a temple, not even a building now – its in His Presence where we experience Him!
Ps 73:15-17 – When I come into His presence! Then I will see things in a different perspective.
You/we are being built together into a dwelling place for His Holy Spirit!
Many examples, scriptures of us being the temple of the Holy Spirit!:
I Corinthians 3: 16-17, I Corinthians 6:19-20, II Corinthians 6:16, I Peter 2:4-5
I Cor 12-14 When God builds His church there is room for everyone. There’s room for everyone’s gifts!
But, don’t ask “what can I get from the Church?” Or “what did I get from Church?” Instead, it’s important to ask: What did you/I bring with you when you came into His Church – What am I taking to build His church?
Our worship is critical – as we come together to bring our offering to the Lord!
In studying, Exodus 33-35, we see 3 things:
1) we need everyone praying & worshipping (Exodus 33:10)
2) We need everyone giving (Exodus 35:5 – an offering from all) God blesses us so that we can give back to Him – So that he has a place to work out of.
3) We need everyone serving – (Exodus 35:24-25) There were so many places where it says everyone!!
It was a matter of serving & building the habitation of the Lord – for His Presence
Psalm 73 – then we can apply this & say when we came into His Sanctuary that we will see/saw everything differently – from God’s perspective!!
We need to build one another up in His Body – The Body of Christ !
So!
Let’s pray together
Let’s play(serve) together
Let’s pay together
Hebrews 10:19-25 – Therefore brethren, do we have confidence to enter the Holy Places – YES! by the **Blood of Jesus**!
Jesus shed His blood on the cross so that we could enter in – through the curtain of the Temple.
On the day Jesus was crucified that curtain was torn from top to bottom – allowing us into the very presence of God!
Encourage each other & stir one other up to love & (do His) good works!
Do not neglect the habit of meeting together – and even more so, as we see the day drawing near!
We are closer now than at any other time in history!!
Psalms 73: Go into His Presence! Spend time in His Presence!
Psalms 26:8 Oh Lord I love the habitation of Thy House, and the place where Your Glory dwells!!
Psalms 27:4-5 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
Our perspective is so important – But we can only get his perspective in His Presence!!