Journey of Worship

It’s the time of the year when we stop to remember and celebrate the birth of Christ. The reality of God with us in the world with mankind. Something that had never been seen before and has never happened since. The story of Christmas is not just another story, but the beginning of God’s answer of love to a world in need.

We began our Advent/Christmas series this weekend. …Upon a Midnight Clear will explore the Christmas story by looking at some of the characters of the story. What did they experience? How were they impacted by being a part of the story? What role did they play?

This week, to go along with the themes of prophecy and hope, we looked at Simeon and Anna from Luke 2:21-38. Even as they were reaching the end of their life on this earth, God allowed them the privilege of seeing the Messiah as a baby. They had spent their lives worshiping, waiting, and watching. And when the time came, they were there. Their example shows us that spirit led people hear, obey, and respond to God. Are we seeking to live in that same way?

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This was the final week of our Vintage Faith series. Over the past 12 weeks we’ve looked at the lives of some of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 – the hall of faith. How did they live in faith? Why did they live in faith? How did God show His faithfulness in the lives of these people? What is the faith example we can learn from and apply?

This week, we concluded with Hebrews 11:29 where it references the Israelites crossing the Red Sea together. Faith is not only a personal thing, it is a corporate thing. The faith we live individually has far-reaching impact. What if only some of the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea?

The Israelites crossed the Red Sea lead by the faith of Moses, and in the end they more fully recognized and responded to God. The Egyptians, who did not have faith in God, also tried to cross the Red Sea, and it didn’t end well for them. Are we moving forward together with faith in God that He will do what He says He will do?

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It’s been a while since I have posted one of these updates, or anything for that matter. These last few weeks have seen a bit of transition for us. The short word is that the campus I was serving at has decided to step away from the church and seek their own identity. My wife and I feel that our place is to remain with Genesis Church and the mission and vision we are pursuing. So, we’ve been in a bit of transition.

Over the weeks, we have continued exploring what Vintage Faith is all about. This past weekend, we looked at the broad story of Moses, especially the strokes painted in Hebrews 11:23-28. These verses describe some of the steps of faith Moses took as God prepared him for His role. Faith is an active response to the situations of life, including those that might be a little scary.

But even when faced with uncertain situations, Moses, and his parents, chose faith. In the Hebrews verses, it says that Moses did not chose the luxury of life as an Egyptian but instead had his eyes on Christ and what was to come. Like Moses, we need to choose faith and keep our eyes on the unseen God in all circumstances.

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Before we can really talk about how God is love, God is merciful, God is mighty, or God is holy, we have to talk about the simple fact that God is. And because God is, there is nothing and no one else more worthy of our faith.

One of my personal favorite guys of the Bible is Elijah. He lived an amazing life of faith, acting in amazing ways because of his faith in the living God. Elijah had some amazing highs, but he also had some significant lows. It can be easy to be in awe of the man Elijah was, but in James he is described as a man just like us.

What if we lived in faith everyday in the same way Elijah did, because God is? That’s what we looked at this week as part of our Vintage Faith series. And if it’s been a while since you’ve read the story of Elijah, head over to 1 Kings 17-19 for some great stories.

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We moved forward in the many stories of faith this week with the story of Joseph of the Old Testament. Joseph is a man who showed us how faith is consistent through the ups and downs of life. He built his life on the unending and unchanging promises of God. The promise given to his great-grandfather Abraham and the promise given to him.

Joseph lived a life focused on God and the value of the eternal versus the temporary. Even at the end of his life, in a position of great wealth and power within Egypt, his concern was for the blessing of God upon his sons and for his eventual return to the Promised Land.

Do we live with such a faith? Do we stand solid on the unchanging and unending promises of God in such a way that our faith remains steady and true like a compass pointing north?

Today, we took the opportunity to remember and celebrate the promises of God, both those fulfilled and those still playing out.

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We all know that life can be difficult. As a Christian, it’s never a question of whether or not there will be circumstances to face, but how we will face them. How do we handle the ups and downs of life?

A great example of a godly response is the Apostle Paul. This week we looked at one of the many stories of his life found in the books of Acts as part of the Vintage Faith: Yesterday, Today, Forever series. In Acts 16, as Paul and Silas are doing their thing, Paul gets annoyed by a girl (who happens to be possessed by a demon) and casts it out. As a result, they are beaten and thrown in jail. While there, they spend the time praying and singing. As a result, God shows up and shows off, and people are saved.

The point? We have a choice of how to respond in the circumstances of life. The response of faith, and its full expression, is the response that allows the glory of God’s greatness to be evident. Paul and Silas acting out of their faith in the truth of God changed their environment, attitude, and other people’s lives. Does our faith do that?

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