Worship is Our Witness
This is from my S.O.A.P. journal this morning:
Scripture:
Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.
Ezra 3:3 (NIV)
Observation:
The Jews are still in exile under the Persian King, Cyrus. This pagan king gave the Jews permission to take people, money and the sacred items taken from the Temple by the Babylonians back to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Chapter 3 of Ezra describes the actual return to the City of David and the beginning of the rebuilding process. It’s important to note that the project goal was not to simply rebuild a building but to reestablish worship. Ezra describes the context of Jerusalem in verse 3, “Despite their fear of the peoples around them…” The Jews were doing their sacred work in a hostile environment. They were no longer the majority population. They were the minority and it did not feel safe. Yet despite this reality, the people of God built the altar to give worship to Yahweh day and night.
Application:
This is a powerful picture for the Church of Jesus in our contemporary American context. In a fearful culture of antagonism towards the Gospel and the Church, the people of God have been commissioned to establish the worship of God. And it is fearful work. John Piper famously wrote, “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” Our world was made to worship God. It is baked into all of the creation. Psalm 19:1 (NIV) says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Paul wrote in Colossians 1:16 (NIV), “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, John from Patmos wrote down what he saw and heard in his vision, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Worship to the Maker of all things is the primal impulse of our broken and sinful creation, but because it does not worship God, the people of God are called to be exemplars of worship in a worship-less world. Worship day and night is our witness. Despite our very real fears of the people around us, we must persevere in our adoration of our Triune God. Like Ezra and the Jews, the Church of Jesus must be faithful to build “…the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.”
Prayer:
Lord, help me serve your Church today by serving the spiritual leaders I will coach. Let the work we do on our Zoom calls cast a vision of worship in our fearful contexts. Help us to resurrect night and day worship to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:36 NIV)
“Missions exist because worship doesn’t.”