The passage today comes from Acts chapter 2 verses 42 to 47.
! This passage is picking up after the baptism of 3,000 people,
! after Peter gave an account of what Christ had done for them and also for us.
So these new Christians devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes,
they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.
And the Lord added to their number, day by day, those who were being saved.
This is God's word.
God, as we just sang a few seconds ago, that you are majesty, the king of all kings,
the one who is glorious and beautiful in all of your ways and in all of who you are.
And God, in light of all that, when we think about our sin and our brokenness and our sin that's against you and our rebellion,
God, it's such an incredible thought that you would come down in Christ Jesus and be with us
and take our sins upon yourself, Jesus, to take our death, our shame upon you and die on that cross.
God, when we do confession and assurance, God, we realize the incredible beauty and incredible grace that we have in you, Jesus.
And we can't help but praise you and thank you with our hearts filled with gratitude and joy.
So God, now as we listen to your word, through your spirit, would you come and stir our hearts?
Would you stir our affections?
Would you stir not just our heads and intellectuals, but our hearts to honor and glorify you?
So Holy Spirit, would you come and be glorified?
And in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
So, maybe I can start off with a question.
Do you know which is the most popular international destination for the residents of Hong Kong?
Japan.
Or Japan, right?
Okay, let me just see your hands.
How many of you have been to Japan?
Wow, that's incredible.
Me and my wife, we, last week we went to Japan for the first time, believe it or not.
First time, and we were there around the Mount Fuji area.
And for those of you who know, yeah, that's my photography.
For those of you who have been around this area, you know how incredible this sight is, isn't it?
Just the way that it stands from miles and miles away, the way it slowly peaks up and surrounded by these little houses and roads and trees and forests.
And all the way it goes up and there it is, standing all by itself, tall and majestic by itself.
Now, imagine you come up to me and you say, all excited, and I ask you, Alan, how was Mount Fuji?
You were expecting this wild and exciting feedback of my experience of Mount Fuji.
And all I say is, yeah, it was fine.
It was okay.
It was just 3,800 meters tall.
And, yeah, in fact, it looked like this huge pimple far away.
That's it.
Now, you would start wondering, did I even ever go to Mount Fuji?
Or maybe some of you would feel indignant, right?
It would be an insult to your experience of Mount Fuji or an insult to the glory of Mount Fuji.
Because here's the thing, right?
Deep down inside, all of us know that whenever we encounter something so majestic and so beautiful,
it should always, in some ways, inspire in us an awe or wonder.
And that is true when we talk about God, too.
So what is it that happens when we encounter God who is infinitely more majestic,
infinitely more glorious and more beautiful than the creation He created?
And that's what we're going to look into today.
So last week, we started this new series, which is going to go on for four weeks,
to almost slow down and see what the early churches were like.
Last week, we heard of how they were devoted to the teachings of the apostles,
how the Word of God was central to the life of early church,
how scriptures or the Word of God was not just information,
but is the living and active Word of God.
It's how God works through, and it's how we not just learn about Him,
but also meet Him through His Word.
But then what does that lead to?
If God's Word is an input in ways to encounter the majestic, beautiful, and glorious God,
then what is the output of it?
What does it result in?
What does it invoke in us?
Well, the simple answer is worship.
So today, what we're going to think about is,
we're going to think about how the early church was a worshiping church,
and how that should be shaping us as individuals,
but most importantly, how that should be shaping us as a church,
as a watermark church.
So what does it look like to be a church that's worshiping?
So today, we're going to look into it and think about it with three points.
And the first one is this, to behold.
Now, before we go any further,
I think we can all agree that we should start off by defining the word worship.
But the problem with that is,
worship is a word that is actually quite difficult to define well.
So what we're going to do is,
we're going to go into God's Word and kind of observe
how worship played itself out in the Scriptures.
So let's look at Revelation 4.11.
Here's a picture of 24 elders falling down and worshiping Him.
They cast their crowns before the throne,
and they all cry out, saying,
Worthy are You, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
Why? For You created all things,
and by Your will,
they existed and were created.
In the next chapter,
thousands of angels, elders, and living creatures
are gathered around the throne of Jesus Christ.
And they all cry out again.
They cry out,
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing.
And right after that,
we hear all creation in heaven and in earth
and under earth and over the sea,
and basically everything that's created
and everything,
all creation cries out,
to Him who sits on the throne
and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor
and glory and might
forever and ever.
So what do we observe here?
What do we see here?
Well, the first thing we need to think about
is the word worship
comes from the word worth-ship.
In other words,
to worship something,
or for instance right now,
to worship God,
means to ascribe the proper worth
to Him,
to magnify His worthiness of praise.
Or as you see in these passages,
to approach God
and address God
as He is worthy.
I want us to notice
a few things in these passages,
that all creatures
address God as worthy
of so many things.
But it's not just that, is it?
They address God as worthy
in light of all the things
that God is
and that God has done.
So in light of all
who God is
and what He has done,
they cry out worship.
So they cry out worthy
and worship Him.
Now what this tells us
is that worship
happens in light of
the revealed truth about God.
You know, in a very similar way,
the majestic and beautiful
Mount Fuji
calls us to spontaneously
praise Mount Fuji
and say,
wow,
seeing and understanding
the beautiful
and the worthiness of God
evokes us in us
a response
in worship.
See, in other words,
there seems to be two elements
to worship.
Donald Whitney,
in his book,
Spiritual Disciplines
for the Christian Life,
he says this,
he says,
we cannot encounter
the worthiness of God
without the response
of worship.
So in a simple
yet inadequate ways,
worship can be defined
as seeing the worthiness
of God
and responding to Him.
To seeing the glories
of God
and responding
to that beauty
and glory.
Now the question
we gotta ask now
is then,
where is it
that we see God?
Where is it
that we behold
His glory
and His majesty?
Now obviously
there are many ways
we can do that,
but the most primary
and the most sure way
and the most God-given way
is found in His Word,
in His Scriptures.
I mean, yes,
we can experience God
and His glory
when we look at creation,
when we see a sunset
and a sunrise
and go,
wow,
God,
you're incredible.
Or when you hold
a newborn baby
in your arms
for the first time
and say,
wow, God,
you work wonders.
But the reality is
those things
are still incomplete
to capture
the beauty of God.
And it's only
in His Word
that we completely,
well,
not completely,
in a more true
and sure
and deep way
to encounter
the majesty
of His Word.
Niels was sharing
last week,
it's in His Scriptures
that we come face-to-face
with who God is
and what He has done.
I mean,
this is why we do
the call to worship
in the beginning
of the service
which Oscar did today.
We don't do that
just because
it's a great idea.
We do that
because we're calling people
to see who God is,
what He has done,
and in light of that
sing songs of worship
in response to Him
through singing songs
of worship to Him
with rejoicing
and with awe.
And you see,
there is a beauty
in beholding God first
when we worship Him.
And one of the beauties
is that when we do that,
when we behold God,
we come to know
that there's an infinite supply
of reasons
to respond to God
in worship.
You see,
because when we come to God,
we'll find infinite reasons
to respond to Him
because He's a God
of infinite glory,
infinite majesty,
infinite beauty.
You see,
God is not like Mount Fuji.
After seeing a week,
you get tired of it.
After seeing it
from different corners,
you're going to be like
the people that live
around Mount Fuji.
You wake up and He's there,
yeah, that's Mount Fuji.
God is not like that.
You see,
the creation
and the beauty
of this creation
is finite.
It does not have
infinite beauty,
but God does.
God is the one
with infinite glory
and beauty.
No wonder
the living creatures
around the throne
worship Him
day and night.
They cry out to Him,
worthy are you, God.
When you think about that,
that should invoke
in us
a longing
to see God
because,
yes,
we are on earth.
Christ has not come yet
and we see glimpses
of this glory
here on this earth.
But one day,
beloved brothers and sisters,
we'll stand before
this glorious
and majesty God
with infinite beauty
and we'll behold it
with our eyes.
You see,
there's this beauty
in beholding God.
But at the same time,
there's also a danger
when we don't behold
the beauty of God
or when we don't behold God
in our worship.
And the danger is that
our worship,
our response to Him
might be out of line
of who God actually is.
Now imagine this.
Imagine Oscar.
I'm going to pick on you, Oscar.
Imagine you come up to,
someone comes up to Oscar
and say,
Oscar,
I met your two boys.
I can't believe
they are six foot tall,
they've got blonde hair
and they play
fantastic basketball.
Man,
they're awesome kids.
Now obviously Oscar
is going to say,
hey man,
thanks for the,
hey man,
that's what Oscar says.
Hey man,
thanks for the praise,
thanks for the compliment,
but my boys are
not six foot tall,
they're not blonde,
they don't play basketball,
they're just above my knees
right now.
Maybe you got the wrong guys.
And sometimes we can do
the same thing with God
if we don't spend time
beholding
who He truly is.
You see,
in other words,
worship starts
with beholding
God,
seeing the infinite
reasons
to respond to Him,
to seeing the truth
about who truly He is
and not come up
with their own versions
of who God is
and understanding
His worthiness
of who He is
and responding
to that.
So the first is this,
to behold
His majesty.
But then,
what's the output?
How do we respond
to that?
So now let's see
how the early churches
did that,
which leads us
to our second point
to respond.
So let's look at
Acts chapter 2
and see how the early church
responded.
In verse 43,
you'll see that
there seems to be
an awe,
or in other words,
a fear,
or reverence,
or respect
that came upon
every soul.
and he moved
down a little bit
to verse 46,
and they're described
as having glad
and generous hearts.
Or in other translations,
it says,
it was a joy
that was unaffected.
A joy,
unaffected joy.
And I think
that's a very incredible
thing to think about.
Have you ever met
a person
who has a joy
or happiness
that's unaffected?
that no one
can affect
or change
or destroy
his joy
or happiness.
It's very rare
to see someone
like that.
And here
is the early church
that's being described
as an unaffected
joy.
Now,
we cannot deny
the joy
and the reverence
and the awe
that we see
in the hearts
of the early church
as they respond
to God.
I mean,
John Piper,
when he talks about
truth versus emotions,
or in other words,
beholding of who God is
and responding
with affections,
this is what he says.
He says,
truth without emotions
produces dead orthodoxy
and a church full
of artificial admirers.
And he says,
strong affections
for God
rooted in truth
are the bone
and marrow
of a biblical worship.
I mean,
consider Psalm 100
where David says,
make a joyful noise
to the Lord
all the earth.
Serve the Lord
with gladness,
come into his presence
with singing.
And the truth is
because know that
the Lord,
he is God.
It is he
who has made us
and we are his.
We are his people
and the sheep
of his pasture.
Again,
enter his gates
with thanksgiving
and his courts
with praise.
Give thanks to him
and bless his holy name.
Why?
Because for the God
Lord is good
and his steadfast love
endures forever
and his faithfulness
to all generation.
You see,
joy
or affections
is a natural response
to the greatness
of God.
I mean,
it is one of the fruits
of the Spirit.
It is one of the fruits
of the,
when the Spirit
indwells
in us.
it is almost like
when you are standing
in front of the church
and you see your bride
walking down the aisle.
It just invokes
a joy
and an affection
that one cannot
really explain.
You see,
joy and affection
is a natural response
to who God is.
But then,
what if some of us
are going through
struggles?
What if some of us
are going through pain
and suffering
and affection
seems to be
difficult?
Well,
let's consider
what Psalm 40
has to say.
You see,
David is in trouble.
He needs rescuing
and in verse 1
he says,
I waited patiently
for the Lord
and he inclined to me
and heard my cry.
You see,
if you are struggling
and affection
seems to be difficult,
the reality is
actually even
wading through
difficult time
is a response.
It's a response
to the faithful God
trusting that
he will rescue you.
I mean,
verse 2 after that
tells us that
God does rescue David
and verse 3
he says,
he put a new song
in my mouth,
a song of praise
to our God.
Isn't that incredible?
Even in our suffering
when we respond
in patience
and waiting,
God puts a new song
in our mouth,
a song of praise.
God bless you.
But beloved
brothers and sisters,
there is a danger
and something
to think about
in this.
What if there is
no affection,
not even a desire,
not even a remorse
to have
over the fact
that we don't have
affections for God?
What if there is
no regret
over the joyless response
to God in our lives?
What if
our faith journey
has become mundane?
There is no more joy,
no more desire for joy,
no more desire for God
and we have
somehow settled
into a
routine
that is just
joyless
and
gray.
Well,
if
we are in that space
that I think
we should
truly consider,
reconsider
our faith
and our
worship to God
because worship
is
an affection-filled
response,
whether that is joy
or a longing
to have that joy
to God
in light of
His infinite
beauty and glory.
And if that's
where you are
in your life,
then you need
to cry out to God.
Maybe reach out
to a CG leader
or an elder
or seek your
fellow brothers
and sisters
for prayers.
You see,
in Acts 2,
what we see is
a church
that responds
with a joyful
heart,
an unaffected
heart
to God.
But at the same
time,
it's also combined
with an awe.
It's also combined,
the joy is combined
with a reverence,
isn't it?
There's a sense
of respect
and honor
towards God.
God.
Now,
just this past
week,
I was talking
with a youth
who is struggling
with a particular
sin,
and along our
conversation,
he says something
along the line
of this.
He says,
I want to honor
God
and not take
His grace
for granted.
God
and as we
talked about it,
we realized
that he
was so broken
over his
desire
for the sin,
which was more
than his desire
for God.
And I found
that incredible
because we live
in a culture
where we care
more about
what offends
us than
what offends
God.
than what
God wants.
And here
is a youth
that had a
desire to
honor God
over his
sin
and over
his desire.
You see,
worship is
a response
with joy
and affections,
but it's also
a response
with reverence
because it is
a response
to God
who is the
king of all
kings,
the creator
of all things,
the one
who is outside
of time,
the alpha
and the omega,
the beginning
and the end.
This is the
God that we
are responding
to.
You see,
worship also
comes from
another Greek
word,
which means
to bow
down,
to fall
down,
to lay
prostrate
before someone.
And that's
another meaning
of worship.
you see,
which means
that this
calls us
to really
consider
our lives
that goes
beyond what
happens within
this hall.
You see,
we can joyfully
respond to God,
serve in
multiple ministries,
raise our hand
and jump
while singing,
but our life
could be lived
in disobedience,
a blatant
dishonor
to the king
of kings.
God
is.
So,
therefore,
worship,
yes,
it is a
joyful response
to who God
is,
but it's
also a
reverent
fear and
awe response
to who God
is.
so far,
what we have
thought about
is worship
is a
response
to the
glory of
God,
but it's
also a
response
with joy
and reverent.
Now,
what does that
look like?
What does it
look like
as individuals,
but what does it
look like
as a church?
So,
finally,
let's look at
that in terms
of hands
and hearts.
Now,
to say it
in a very
simple terms,
all of our
lives are
meant to be
worship,
isn't it?
In fact,
we were
created to
worship God.
Isaiah 43
says,
bring all the
sons and
daughters to
me,
everyone who
is called
by my name,
everyone whom
I created
for my
glory.
This means
that everything
we do
should be
worship,
which means
that whether
it's tithing
or singing
or parenting
or working
or studying
or listening,
in other words,
everything should
be worship,
which is part
of the reason
why here at
Watermark we
call everything
worship,
right?
Worship in
benediction,
worship in
greetings,
worship in
sermon,
and worship
in response
to God.
Everything
is,
should be
part of
worship.
By the same
time,
everything we
do outside
of church
is also,
should be
worship.
Now,
consider Romans
12,
where Paul
says,
I appeal
to you,
therefore,
brothers,
by the
mercies of
God,
to present
your bodies,
all that you
do or all
that you
have or
everything you
are,
as a living
sacrifice,
holy and
acceptable to
God,
which is
your spiritual
worship.
Now,
to apply
what you've
just heard
in the first
two points,
this means
that all
of our
life should
be an
affectionate
and reverent
response to
who God
is and
what he
has done.
Now,
if some
of you are
hearing that,
you're going
to quickly
realize that
that is a
very high
standard.
Because we
all know
that that is
not always
true,
is it?
sometimes we
worship through
tithing,
not because
of who God
is,
which is that
he's a
generous God
and he did
not even hold
back his son
Christ Jesus
to pay the
price of our
sins.
Sometimes we
just tithe
because that's
what Christians
do.
You know,
sometimes we
can forgive
one another
because,
again,
that's what
Christians do
and we
got such
amazing
community
and I
want to
protect that.
But we
don't forgive
one another
because,
you know,
Christ has
forgiven us
first.
We don't
forgive one
another because
of the
incredible
news that
I am
forgiven
by Christ.
That our
sins that
were broken
and disgusting
and devastating
was forgiven
by God
because Christ
paid that
price.
You see,
we can do
a lot of
things,
a lot of
good things
like singing,
parenting,
working,
and we can
do a lot of
Christian things
without actually
worshiping God,
without actually
responding in
light of who
He is and
what He has
done.
because you
see,
God created
us to
worship and
in many ways
we are always
worshiping
something.
But the
brokenness in
us and the
sin in us
is that we
don't always
worship God
even when we
come into
church or do
Christian things.
Which then
tells us that
whether you're
a Christian or
whether you're
not this morning,
every problem
that we have,
every brokenness,
every sin that
we have is a
problem of
worship or in
other words is a
problem of
idolatry.
You see,
we modern people
might not bow
down to a
literal idol,
but we do bow
down to other
idols.
Like for example,
the idol of
money.
When we start
pursuing money
more than
anything,
when we start
using money
as a measure
of success
in ourselves
or in other
people.
And you see,
there are so
many idols
in life,
but idols are
not just out
there.
Idols are in
our hearts
to the point
where John
Calvin describes
the human heart
as an idol
factory.
The human
heart
continuously
produces
idols after
idols.
And the
thing about
idols is
that idols
always
requires or
demands
sacrifice.
You see,
for example,
for the idol
of money,
it demands
you sacrifice
time,
whether that's
your own
or time
that you
could have
given to
your loved
ones in
return,
only to
find out
that the
idol is
going to
just demand
more and
more of it
only to
not be
true to
its promise
of security,
success,
status,
satisfaction.
It is
going to
leave us
out to
dry.
And it's
true for
all kind
of idols.
The idol
of self,
the idol
of approval,
the idols
of health,
the idols
of comfort.
All these
things
demands
and demands
but it
never
fulfills
what it
promises.
But
beloved
church,
whether you
are Christians
or whether
you're not,
when we
come and
worship God,
we actually
come and
bring ourselves
to the
one who
actually first
himself
sacrificed
on our
behalf.
Yes,
like Romans
12,
we come
before God
bringing all
of ourselves
as a living
sacrifice,
but he's
actually to
the one
who first
sacrificed
himself on
the cross,
taking the
penalty of
sin that
you and
I had to
pay,
taking the
shame that
we tried to
cover up
with leaves,
and taking
the death
that you
and I
had to
pay.
And him,
unlike other
idols,
he's the
faithful one,
who is the
faithful one,
who in return
we are not
left out to
dry hanging
like with
other idols,
but in
whom we
find true
life,
in whom we
find unshakable
joy,
unaffected
joy,
peace beyond
understanding,
life that
does not
end,
brokenness
that's healed,
relationship
that's healed,
restored,
and ultimately
our deepest
longings that
are satisfied.
So,
church,
what does
it mean to
be a
church that
is a
worshiping
church?
Well,
I think the
first step is
to come and
behold our
incredible,
majestic,
and glorious
God.
It's to come
before God
and see in
his scriptures,
in his truth,
the majesty
and his glory
who laid
down his
life and
who is risen
and his
return is
sure,
and to
respond to
him in
everything that
we do,
to have our
focus on
him,
to have our
hearts on
him,
to have our
eyes on
him,
whether that's
inside this
hall or
whether that's
out in your
work when
you're working
under a very
terrible and
a difficult
boss,
or when you're
struggling with
your relationships
or in your
marriage or
parenting,
or whether
you're finding
difficulty in
making decisions
about dating
or relationships
or big
decisions in
life.
In all of
these things,
having our
heart focused
on who
God is and
responding to
him with
joy and
reverence.
So what does
it mean to be
a worshiping
church?
It's a church
that beholds
God and
responds to
him in
everything that
we do with
joy and
reverence.
So let me
end before we
pray with a
story.
I don't know
how many of
you know
Eugene Peterson,
the guy who
wrote the
message version
of the
Bible.
He shares
the story
about where
he was quite
young and he
sent by his
church to
start a
church in
a suburban
area where
he goes,
he starts
knocking on
different doors
and after a
lot of labor,
he gathers
these people
and they
start a
church in
his basement
and after a
lot of hard
work within
two years,
they got
enough finance
to start a
church, to
build a
church and
have their
own place
of worship.
And Peterson
thinks, Eugene
thinks, yes,
finally we are
here, finally we
are established,
now we can
focus on
worshiping God,
missions and
evangelism and
discipleship.
But to his
shock, he
suddenly finds
out that the
numbers are
actually decreasing
the numbers
start shaking
and people
actually stop
coming, actually
those exact
people that
helped start
the church and
that confuses
him.
So what he
does is he
goes back to
the same
doors that he
knocked and
he starts asking
questions, what
happened?
And the
response that he
gets is, you
know, we had
this huge project,
we've done it,
now the work's
done, and we're
just looking for
the next new
project to do.
And suddenly
Eugene Peterson
realized that
the church that
was so vibrant
was actually
more focused on
accomplishing
projects and
finishing projects
than actually
worshiping God
and loving one
another.
You know, that
story does tell
us something as
we move to
Viva.
Because as we
move to Viva and
as we settle
down and
everything's done
and the TVs are
set up and the
music is set up
and the sound
is set up, we
can all give a
huge relief and
sigh like, ah,
that's it, we're
done.
And sit back and
look for the next
new project to do.
But church, we are
called to be the
worshiping church.
Even as we settle
in Viva or even
as we have these
new big projects,
we are called to
have our eyes to
behold who God
is and to worship
him in his glory
and to respond
to him in joy
and reverence.
So church, let us
strive to be a
worshiping church
always having our
eyes focused on
who he is and
glorifying him and
worshiping him,
not just with our
mouths, not just
with our bodies,
but with our
hearts that's filled
with joy and
reverence for our
God.
So why don't we
spend some time to
think about that
because ultimately
we cannot do that
by pushing or
forcing ourselves
and saying,
come on guys,
be joyful.
We cannot do that.
So why don't we
spend some time in
prayer asking the
spirit to come and
do this work in us.
So let us spend
about 30 seconds or
a minute and I'll
come and lead us
in prayer.
so why don't we
know if we can
So why don't we
in prayer?
so why don't we
advance us
so why don't we
Yes,
so why don't we
advance us
Yes,
so why don't we
in prayer?
Yes,
advance us
so why don't we
advance us
so why don't we
advance us
in prayer?
Yes,
so why don't we
advance us
Father, we need you, Lord.
We need you to come and open our eyes to your majesty, to your glory, and to your beauty.
Father, we confess that sometimes our hearts, our mouths might be singing out songs of praise,
but our hearts are joyless and anxious about other things.
Holy Spirit, would you come and stir our hearts and passions for you,
not just to sing words or songs of worship and praise to you,
but to live all of our lives in light of who you are, God,
and the truth that one day we will witness and see with our own eyes
this infinite glory and beauty that's seen by your people right now.
God, we need you as a church.
We need you as individuals.
May our lives be a life of worship to you, God,
a life of joy and reverence, all of who you are, God.
So come, Holy Spirit, do this work in us for your glory and our good.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.