Why do we worship the way we do? One way to answer this question is by noticing the texts in the New Testament that urge us to offer our bodies and our praises as sacrifices: We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). When we walk in love toward one another, it’s a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:2). When we give offerings and gifts to the work of ministry, it’s a sacrifice, acceptable and pleasing to God (Phil. 4:18). When we acknowledge God and do good and share with one another, these are sacrifices of praise, pleasing to God (Heb. 13:15-16). We are being built up into a spiritual house together in the church, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). 

But once we establish this point that New Covenant worship is to be full of these kinds of spiritual sacrifices of praise, we realize that the Old Covenant sacrifices were our training wheels. They were previews of the final bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, but they were also tutors or teachers, preparing us to offer what God truly always wanted: broken and soft hearts, lips of praise and thanksgiving, joyful fellowship, and wholly consecrated lives. 

And that is what we find in the three principle Old Testament sacrifices: a sin offering focused on cleansing from sin, a whole burnt ascension offering – focused on a wholly consecrated life arising to God as sweet smelling aroma, and a peace offering, where the worshipers ate and fellowshipped in the presence of God. And wherever we find those three sacrifices together, they are always offered in that order: sin offering, whole burnt ascension offering, and peace offering. 

If you add a Call to Worship to the beginning and a benediction at the end, we find this same basic pattern of Christian worship throughout the history of the Church: we are called into the presence of God, we confess our sins, we hear the Word read and preached, consecrating our entire lives to Him, we sit down for communion in His presence, and then we are sent out with His blessing. Why do we worship this way? Because we are holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. 

Toby Sumpter – December 3, 2023

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²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24

Christmas is the season of gift giving. This is the season of presents. Ask any 5 year-old in our midst and they can tell you that, and this is a wonderful thing as we celebrate the ultimate gift of Christ. But there are some rules that go along with gift giving and one of them can be found here in this instruction from Jesus. If you would seek to make an offering, a freewill gift to God, you may not do so while there is something between you and your neighbor. That gift will not be accepted. Instead, you should leave it and go make things right with your brother first. In the same way, the nicest Christmas present will not cover up sin between you and your neighbor. This is a lie that you will hear in countless commercials. “Have you been a distant husband, make up for it with this beautiful neckless!” “Have you been failing as a mother, well just splurge a little extra this holiday season. This gift will say sorry for you.” No, it will not! Your mouth must say sorry for you. That gift will never do the trick. All the blessing of that gift that you intend will not be realized by the giftee when there is strife between you. Proverbs 17:1 “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.” 

So, leave the gift at the door and first go in and make things right. Rather than trying to make up for your wrongs with your wallet, humble yourself, confess your sins to those you have wronged and don’t hold any sin back. Once you do that, then bring on the gift-giving and it will be bless-ed. This applies to our interaction with the city of Troy as well. We are seeking to bless our neighbors by contributing to the Christmas celebration and with Christmas caroling. But that gift will not be received if you are holding onto any malice in your hearts towards them. Confess this first and go to your neighbor if you have sinned against them with sideways words or actions, make things right. We are fighting back against the world, but we must do so like our Father, with peace and goodwill toward men.

Zach Browning – December 3, 2023

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At the center of any society are its festivals. What you celebrate defines and manifests who you are and who you wish to be. They have both descriptive and prescriptive power. If you want to see what is important to a culture, don’t look at their work, look at what they take off work for. Look at the parades, the feasts, the holidays.  

We see this in the Israelite feasts and festivals. God ordained yearly, monthly, weekly festivals for His people. We are gathered right now in continuation of the Sabbath: the festival at the heart of Israelite life. What and how we celebrate defines who we are.

This is why the Pride parades and the drag shows and the Juneteenth observances are big deals, because they are attempts to redefine a people. And it is also why the seasons of Advent and Christmas are so charged and fraught with temptation, because they are strategic points in the battle for the soul of a people.

So as we enter Advent and the Christmas preparations begin, recognize that you are entering the fray. The powers of Earth and Hell are arrayed against you, and they are subtle and crafty and have long desired this last bastion of Christendom to crumble. You may encounter outright persecution and snarling atheists flinging themselves at the walls, but more likely you will face subtler ploys, treachery and sappers under the walls: temptations to envy, to sloth, to sentimentality, to gnostic notions disguised as spirituality.

But your God has not left you defenseless. He has given you fudge. And hot chocolate and eggnog and some of the finest songs ever written and trees that stay green all year long, giving us token of the eternal life that is ours, and lights and savory meat and bright tablecloths and rich wine. In other words, our weapons are Gospel joy and hope and charity.

So get ye to battle, and above all else, resist the sidelong glance. You are brothers and sisters in arms defending an ancient fortress. Spur one another on towards love and good deeds, but don’t waste time envying one another.

Josh Edgren – December 3, 2023

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In the season of Advent, the Christian Church declares that the Lord comes. Beware dark corners. You have sat for long enough, moldy, putrid, wallowing in subterranean rivers of unseemliness. But your days are numbered. The King of Lights has appeared. He did so just outside of an obscure little town, in a sheep pasture, at night, when the dark was black enough that you could have seen the glory shining around those angels for miles.

We rejoice in the advent of our Lord, and it is most fitting to do so. But, we really should understand why so many have embodied the spirit of Mr. Grinch at a time like this. Stand with Herod for just a moment, Herod with his deep, dark precious lust for power, the one for which he was willing to kill many little baby boys; and hear him explain to you why it is no small problem that this new king has come. Stand with the chief priests and scribes shortly after they spoke with Herod, self-righteous with their long prayers and twisted traditions, and hear them out as they tell you of their troubled hearts.

When the Lord comes, He exposes the works of darkness. He reveals some very uncomfortable things. So two roads lie before you. Side with those who despise His coming, those who would rather stay in their soiled garments rather than have them changed, those who hated Him because He testified of their evil works (John 7:7). Or, side with those who say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” But that means He will open you up, He will find what remains of your former self, and He will clean you through and through. This sanitization process will be so thorough it will singe your eyebrows. But you are God’s covenant people so the only response is: Even so, Lord, quickly come.

Jared Longshore – December 3, 2023

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