Wilderness Wanderings

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:1-2).

When I watch a movie for the first time, I pay particular attention to the opening shot. What is the landscape? What music is playing? Who are the characters? What do they say? What is the mode, the tone? I assume that the director has chosen all this and more to say something about the movie and what is coming.

Let us assume that this is true of the Bible as well. Notice that the details are few. But maybe we ought to pay attention to the few that are there. We are introduced first to God. Is he the main character of what is coming? Christians have always answered that question in the affirmative.

If you are a Christian, you know this. If you are not a Christian, you are probably wondering why you have encountered so many self-centred and self-righteous and self-absorbed Christians? It is a question we Christians need to ask ourselves. Why are so many of us self-centred? Why do I make the universe revolve around me?

Consider the disagreements you have had in your life. Conflicts with your parents, employer, children, siblings, employees, friends, fellow church goers. How many blew out of control? If they blew out of control, was it because one or more parties wanted to, needed to, win? A need to win is almost always rooted in selfishness. We are attempting to take God's place. How much conflict, death and destruction arises from this selfishness?

The opening details may be few. But that make the few stand out. God created everything. The phrase 'heavens and earth' is a Hebraic poetic phrase meant to encompass all things. It all belongs to God because he created it.

Let's carry on. When God starts creating everything is a mess. Eugene Peterson put it this way, "First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness".

And then this detail, "God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss." Very early in the Biblical story we are introduced to God's Spirit, later identified as the Holy Spirit in Christian theology. But this text is not primarily interested in the theology of the Trinity. However, we may assume that, appearing in the opening sentences of the scripture, the Spirit is no minor character.

He is pictured as brooding over the chaos. Then God begins separating and organizing the creation. We can assume that the Spirit is the agent through whom God does this. The Spirit was part of it, flinging stars into space and fusing molecules together, gauging out the oceans and building the mountains, scattering sand in the desert, and causing flowers to grow in the valleys.

Later, compared to the wind, we discover just how powerful the Spirit is. Reflecting on this, the psalmist would compose this song about the creatures of the earth, "If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute—take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; send out your Spirit and they spring to life—the whole countryside in bloom and blossom" (Psalm 104:30 MSG).

This is good new for all Christians who are convicted by our selfishness. If we are crying out with the apostle Paul, "I've tried everything, and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?" (Romans 7:24). And the answer is that Jesus can. What does Jesus do? After his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, he sent his Spirit to take up residence in us. This is the same Spirit introduced in Genesis 1.

The Spirit, agent of creation, is now the agent of renewal in us. The Spirit knows how things are meant to be. When we are faced with our own selfishness, we need to turn to this Spirit. He is after all, the Helper Jesus sent. He will lead us to renewed living.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)

What has your attitude been like these days? Has it been one of gratitude and thankfulness? Gratitude is not about our circumstances. It is a loving and thankful response toward God for His presence with us and within this world. Though blessings can move us into gratitude, that is not what is at the root of a thankful heart.

There are a several attitudes that hinder an attitude of gratitude in our lives. I'm going to mention three today. The first is the "never enough" attitude. If we're not careful we can fall into the trap of thinking that our happiness is connected to what we have instead of who we are in Christ. This includes putting more value on the things in our lives rather than on our relationships with others and with God. We can combat this tendency by expressing gratitude to God for what we have. Through giving and sharing what we have with others, as an expression of our love of God and others and as a sign of our thankfulness to God for what He has graciously given us.

In this too are the gifts that God has given in our everyday, the breath in our lungs, the flowers and trees that are budding in vast arrays of colours and styles, the warm water on our hands as we wash them, the table and chairs that we sit at for meals that are a privilege to own. God's abundance of gifts to us are given because of His mercies and His grace that He pours into our lives. Christ is our enough. "For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things" (Psalm 107:9 ESV).

The second attitude is the "I deserve it" attitude. It's easy to slip into this attitude especially in light of our current circumstances. Society teaches us from a young age that we should be able to get whatever we want, whenever we want it. This leads to ungrateful thoughts and behaviour because we believe that we are worthy of positions and titles and material items and we come to believe that we deserve only the best. This attitude however, is not a picture of what Christ died for. We are to receive what we have as a gift, not as an entitlement. We are worthy only because of the worth that has been bestowed on us by Christ. "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10).

We are undeserving of Christ, yet we have great worth because of Christ. Let us display our gratitude to God for who we are in Christ! We will never be deserving enough for anything that we have, but in God's love our worth is found. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

The third attitude that hinders an attitude of gratitude is the "it's all about me" attitude. My children used to watch a show about animated cars. In one episode a young car decides that the world revolves around him and gives himself the nickname "COTU" that is, "Centre of the Universe." as he puts down a friend, drives through a freshly planted garden, knocks over a sign and eventually drives out of town looking for an old car who has been living his own way for years. After only a few minutes with the older car who spits and cusses and destroys property without thinking, the young car realizes how wrong his attitude was, and quickly drives back to town to right his wrongs and ask forgiveness from his friends.

Perhaps this sounds like only a silly children's story, but it is often how we behave even as adults. We grumble that we can't go into a physical store, but there are many in our city that cannot afford even food, no less the "non-essentials" that are in currently closed stores. Where has lack of gratitude crept into your life? Take it to God in prayer. He will train your heart in His ways if you ask Him. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8).

Start by thinking about, or better yet, writing a list of all of the people that you are thankful for in your life. Then, write one of them a note! There were lots of cards being sent out at the beginning of the pandemic and I remember pastor Anthony saying in a sermon last year, "Let's become a card sending church!" Part of being thankful is letting those in our lives know that we are thankful for them and their contribution to our lives, whether large or small.

Gratitude is a thread that can bind our lives together through the messy days, happy days, seasons of sickness and difficulties. Gratitude is a response to God for His presence in our life and in the world. Gratitude draws us near to the heart of God our Creator and allows us to get a glimpse of how He sees each one of us--His image bearers, and His creation--astounding! Thanks be to God!

The Lord says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of your enemies!" (Psalm 110:1-2).

Our text is part of a military psalm. Its battle time. In the New Testament it was linked to Jesus' ascension into heaven. This is one of the psalms that led to the composition of the song, "Lord of lords and King of kings". It is a central doctrine of the Christian faith: Jesus reigns over earth from heaven. Our faith in Jesus the king is a source of comfort and courage for Christians.

But there are ways that this truth can be misused. I want to mention two to help us live more fully out of this comfort. A possible misuse is that I shrink this reality to be about me. The Heidelberg Catechism teaches that Jesus' ascension means that he 'defends and protects us' (A51). Its easy for us to assume this means that everything should go well for me or for my church. When trouble arises, our first response seems to be 'Why?' or 'How could God let this happen to me or to us?'.

But that was never the intent of this teaching. It needs to be understood in light of Jesus statement to his disciples, "I will build my church." This was just after Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah of God. This Messiah would build his church. Revelation 19:11ff shows a picture of the victorious church, but the New Testament clearly shows that the road to victory would not be straight and easy. It would be difficult with plenty of setbacks and hardships including the martyrdom of many Christians.

Our doctrine of Christ's Lordship recognizes that there is a long road to travel before every tongue acknowledges his Lordship and every knee bows before him. We can endure the agony of the journey because we know how it will end. The journey becomes more bearable when we learn to change our prayer from 'Lord bless me' to "hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done." We must become less; he must become more.

Now a second way that we can misuse our faith in Christ's Lordship. One of my favourite hymns growing up was, "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war." The church organ made us want to march. I imagined columns of iron clad Christians carrying machine guns and swords marching off to distant lands. As I got older, and hopefully more mature, I realized that this was not the image the Bible presents for the church.

Paul is emphatic, "be completely humble, and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). And Peter adds that when we give reason for our hope in Christ as Lord, we are to do so with 'gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 4:15).

Too often, the church has attempted to use military and political means to achieve Christ's victory. It sets us back each time. This kind of marching always sets us against other people. The church is not against other people, "for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12).

Being kind and gentle and compassion can appear rather insignificant. It does not make the news. We do not need to make the news; nor do we need to be impressive. We are called to follow Jesus, who is Lord. He will build his church through our acts of kindness and compassion, through our gentleness and love for each other and the stranger.

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." (Hebrews 9:9-10)

I was recently in a conversation over the topic of Sabbath. Some folks have grown up not allowed to ride their bike on the Sabbath or go to the public pool on the Sabbath, and hopefully your pastor never was found doing something as controversial as mowing their lawn on the Sabbath! Myself, not growing up in a Christian home struggled with the concept of Sabbath when I accepted Christ as a young adult. What was I allowed to do, and what wasn't I? Then I attended a church where the pastor's wife would slip out with their son halfway through Sunday morning services in the winter months and come out of the bathroom with him in full hockey gear. Where was the line?

It seems to me that there are two views of Sabbath that are at odds with one another. Christians may either feel the need to climb some metaphorical mountain to reach God and attain His rest, to follow all the rules and thus "achieve" Sabbath rest. Alternatively, Sabbath is a day filled with jubilee and fun, but prayer and devotion is fleeting. Either way, Sabbath becomes drudgery, a task to do, a mountain of shifting sand to reach the top of. The "Sabbath-keeper" is left either joy-less or God-less.

In Exodus and Deuteronomy, God commanded the Sabbath as a covenant between Him and His people, Israel. It was part of an Old Testament covenant. When Christ came, it was not to abolish that law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). We no longer need to follow strict rules in order to enter the rest of God. We come into that rest through Christ. And so, there is a third option. A Sabbath of grace.

The seventh day is not simply a "day-off." That is a secularized view of Sabbath. Sabbath means to stop. Take a break. There is nothing holy about the word itself. It is a word talking about our nonuse of time – what we might call "wasting time." Sabbath-keeping can feel like an interruption, an interference with our routines. It challenges assumptions we build up over time that our daily work is indispensable in making the world go. And then we find that it is not an interruption at all but simply a part of the rhythm of life that God ordained from creation.

We feel like what we do is important, and the world can't do without us if we were to pull away. But by including a rhythm of Sabbath in our weekly rhythms, we can focus on relationships which we want to deepen and detach from others in which we feel ourselves constantly pulled at and having our attention vied for. The Sabbath day is uncluttered time and space to distance us from the frenzy of our own activities, to pull away from the need to "do" and instead looking to God to fulfill in us what we can never do on our own.

In the two biblical versions of the sabbath commandment, the commands are identical but the reasons for keeping sabbath differ. The Exodus reason is that we are to keep Sabbath because God kept it (Ex 20:8-11). There are some things that can be accomplished, even by God, only in a state of rest. This, a call to prayer. The Deuteronomy reason for Sabbath-keeping is that our ancestors in Egypt spent four hundred years without a vacation (Deut 5:15). They were no longer considered people, but slaves. This, a call to play. And so, Sabbath is a mixture of play and prayer. Opening ourselves up to the Word of God and the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us through it, and also to "let go" of what we must accomplish for a day and quiet our mind and soul and taking time to rest – with God, family, friends. But just to rest. In play and prayer. Because of what Christ has done for us. Time well wasted.

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 8:22-27 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE IN

1. What does 'giving birth' have to do with Pentecost?

2. Do you remember a time you had to wait for something (maybe for someone or an event or an actual thing...) and you found it hard to wait? What made it hard to wait? Do you remember how you felt?

3. The Apostle Paul tells the Christians in Rome to wait patiently. What does waiting patiently look like? How does waiting patiently make you feel?

4. What are the Christians in Rome waiting for and what are we as Christians waiting for in 2021?

5. Is there anything you are waiting for specifically in this time? Maybe you can invite God's Spirit to help you in being patient and hopeful, as you're waiting

Exalted to the right hand of God, [Jesus] has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-13).

Sunday is Pentecost. On this day, the entire church celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit. Of course, some parts of the church focus on the Holy Spirit more than others. Some of us seem to love the Holy Spirit whereas others of us get a bit nervous regarding the third person of the Trinity. Certain churches emphasis the more spectacular gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues and prophecy while others appreciate such things as teaching and service. I am sure Christians will dialogue about value of these things till Christ returns.

However, there are some things that ought not to be open for debate. One is the language of scripture regarding the Holy Spirit. God does not skimp when it comes to this gift. Peter said it in Acts. He, of course, was echoing the prophet Joel. Even the Heidelberg Catechism uses this language, "through his Holy Spirit [God] pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members" (A51).

There is no such thing as a little bit of the Holy Spirit. There is no such thing as the Spirit being more available to some Christians than to others. Its not true that the Holy Spirit is reserved for Christians who are further along on the road of discipleship than others. Paul says that "each of us" has received grace, which, of course, comes to us from Jesus through the Spirit. Jesus speaks about the eagerness of God to give us the Spirit when he said, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13).

Another thing that should not be up for debate is the purposes of the Holy Spirit's coming. Paul mentions two things in our text from Ephesians 4. Using imagery deeply immersed in ancient military victory, Paul tells us that Jesus purpose is to "fill the whole universe" with his grace. Christians are correct to be invest in education and medicine. We ought to involve ourselves in efforts to provide food and housing for those who do not have enough. The repurposing of agricultural land for business and highways ought to concern us. 'Where our food is grown' is an important issue. Humanity is charged with nourishing God's creation, not using it for our own selfish ends. The whole universe will experience God's redemption.

Often, when it comes to the Holy Spirit we think almost exclusively about people, evangelism, and church renewal. The Holy Spirit is deeply invested in these things, but His reach is universal: to fill the whole universe with the glory of our Risen Lord.

Finally, we need to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit continues to fill the church so that we all mature into Christ who is our head or as Paul writes, becoming "mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ". What a glorious vision for the church. As I have said before, the Holy Spirit will wrestle our agendas and our egos out of our heads and hands so that we can hold onto the fullness of Christ. He will cause us to use John the baptizer's words for ourselves: "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30). It is a dangerous thing to ask for the Spirit's filling. We will not be left the same. But he will fill us with the glory of Christ. Come Holy Spirit, come.

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." (Hebrews 9:9-11)

Today I want to focus on Christ as our Sabbath rest. The origin of Sabbath goes back to creation when after creating the heavens and the earth in six days God "rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made" (Gen 2:2). God's rest wasn't because He was tired. God rested in the sense that He stopped what He was doing and ceased from His labours.

In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15 God gave the Israelites the fourth commandment, that they were to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. One day a week they were to rest from their labours, and also give the same Sabbath rest to their servants and their animals.

This Old Testament Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah who would provide a permanent rest for His people. Under the Old Testament law the Jews were constantly labouring under a list of do's and don'ts to make themselves acceptable to God, and thus too, the need for sin offerings and sacrifices in order to come to God for forgiveness and to temporarily restore fellowship with Him. But there was a continual need for offerings and sacrifices because the law "can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship" (Hebrews 10:1).

But these offerings were offered in anticipation of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross who "after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). Jesus sat down and rested after performing the ultimate sacrifice because there was nothing more to be done. His cry "it is finished!" from the cross was His cry of victory over sin, over death and the works of the law. Jesus was sent so that we might rest in God and in what He has provided us. God's Sabbath day is a holy day unto the Lord. Christ is the perfect symbol of our sabbath rest. The holy, perfect Son of God sanctifies and makes holy all who believe in Him.

The writer of Hebrews exhorts his readers to enter into the Sabbath rest provided by Christ and pleads with them not to harden their hearts against Jesus as the Israelites had hardened their hearts in the wilderness after their deliverance from the Egyptians. Because of their unbelief God had denied that generation access to the promised land saying, "They shall not enter into My rest" (Hebrews 3:11). In the same way, the writer of Hebrews asks his readers not to make the same mistake by rejecting God's Sabbath rest in Jesus Christ.

Only Jesus satisfies the requirements of the law. As our great high priest Jesus has made the old system and the old covenant obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). There is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He is "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matt 12:18). On Tuesday I will look at our Sabbath response to the sanctifying work He has done. But for today I want to leave you with these words from Jesus inviting us into the rest of God:

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30)

That power is the same as the mighty strength [God] exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way (Ephesians 1:20-23).

"Who is Jesus Christ?" -- a central question of the Christian faith. This has been so from the beginning of the church. That is why the Apostle's Creed, one of earliest summaries of what Christians believed, gave so much attention to Jesus. In that creed, those earliest believers included the phase, "Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

These words state something important about Jesus. But the imagery may be lost on us. To be seated suggests at rest, work completed, in control, unflustered. Here is an interesting fact, the Old Testament tabernacle and temple had no chair, no place to sit. The work was always ongoing, never finished. But Jesus went to heaven and sat. The outcome is no longer in doubt. In a world of tragedy and injustice, seemingly spinning out of control, we do well to focus on this counter-message of hope.

Christ ascended to heaven and sat down, to show that his cry on the cross, "it is finished," was true; to show that he is head of his church; to show that the Father rules all things through him.

Luke tells us that as he went, Jesus blessed his disciples. This was not Jesus simply waving goodbye, wishing them luck. No! it was part of their commissioning. They were being sent out to continue the mission Jesus had started.

But why did he leave? Wouldn't it have been better if their leader led them from here? Again. No! He ascended into heaven, to sit on the throne of power and rule. Earth is the place he rules. Heaven is the throne room, control centre. From there, he continues to send forth his church on his mission with his power.

What does that mission look like? Is it merely a matter of sending forth missionaries to the farthest reaches of the earth? Is it merely to create churches so Christians can learn about God, worship him, prepare for his return, and hope others will join us? Again no. That is part of it, of course, but there is so much more.

In Jesus' ascension we celebrate Christ's coronation, Lord of all, ruler over history and culture, the arts and the sciences. This is why Christians have often initiated educational institutions. This is why we persist in being involved in the arts, in science, even in politics. In all spheres of human life, we seek to live out the reign of Christ.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated him on heaven's throne, now sends us forth in mission to the ends of the world, yes, but also into all areas of human endeavor. We go, not with earthly weapons of power plays and back room deals, but in the power of love and gentleness and patience and kindness.

We go, recognizing that we are entering into battle. Forces of evil still linger in this world. It is rarely easy to live as a Christian among unbelievers, but we are sustained by our faith that Jesus is on the throne, and he will not rest until he has completed his work. As Paul says, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). This faith believes what Peter wrote, [Jesus] "has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him" (1 Peter 3:22).

Satan tempts us to forget that Jesus is King. But with his ascension, Christ's eternal reign over all his enemies began. Jesus Christ is the King of the universe, and Satan can do nothing about it.

"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." (Rev 4:11)

It's not about you. These are the opening words of Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life." Although they are written about the purpose of our life, they can be extended into the realm of worship as well. Worship of God happens when we place God first in our life. Jesus plainly said who we are to worship, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matt 4:10). Worship is about valuing God above everything else that runs across our paths and through our minds in order to be transformed and renewed day by day into the image of Christ.

Everyone on earth looks to someone or something to give meaning to their lives. Our worship reveals what we most value in our lives. What we love and what we give our focus to translates into the person that we become. Some people value money, possessions, celebrities, power, happiness, approval, success, body-image. I could go on. Although none of these things on their own are bad or wrong, when we place a disproportionate focus towards them, they become objects of worship to us.

Worship is a verb. It's not a passive verb. It's something we do. True worship is not simply attending church on Sunday -- which is a good thing because church attendance hasn't been so regular over the last 14 months. Jesus knew that worship is not just about church services. It is about our heart. He said, "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Matthew 15:8). Worship is a response to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we come before God in an act of worship whether in a church service, or anywhere else in our lives, it becomes difficult to hold grudges and resentments towards others.

Each one of us is uniquely made in the image of God in order to glorify Him in our own special way. But worship is so much more than a type of music or something that happens at a church service. Theologian and author Richard Foster writes, "Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not been worship." When we stand before Our Holy Lord, He changes us. He transforms us.

We worship the Lord not only because of who He is, but also for what He has done. The Lord our God is faithful, merciful and just. We can see this over and over again in the Old Testament as the Israelites repeatedly rebel and turn away, yet God remains steadfast towards them. We see this in the New Testament as the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ came and died in our place, taking our sin and offering Himself for us.

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were offered in what Hebrews 9 calls an "earthly sanctuary." Old Testament worship was a shadow of the purer form of worship which is now possible because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ. We are now to offer ourselves as living sacrifices because this is our true and proper worship (see Romans 12:1). And our worship here on earth is preparation for worship in heaven, where a great multitude that no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, stands before the throne and before the Lamb of God (see Rev 7:9).

The act of worship can touch us deeply. But worship isn't about us. It is about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Lord our God is worthy of all glory and honour and praise! "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." (Hebrews 13:15) True worship is based on a right understanding of God's nature, and a right valuing of God's worth.

I will end with Romans 11:36, "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16-17).

Last week, the church commemorated the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. This coming Sunday, we will celebrate Pentecost, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the church. According to the Heidelberg Catechism this is the third benefit of Christ's ascension. The authors wrote it this way, [Jesus] "sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit's power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God's right hand" (A49).

Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit whom he would give is the Spirit of truth. The Spirit is not a sitter, He is a doer. We might say that He does truth. The Catechism offers us two ways in which the Spirit does truth.

First, the Spirit comes as the guarantor that everything that is promised us will be given. To use a biblical term, he is the first fruits of our redemption. This is put clearly in Ephesians 1, which in the Message, is paraphrased this way, "It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This down payment from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life" (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Elsewhere, we are told that the Holy Spirit "testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:16). This is a beautiful reality. Throughout our lives on this earth, Satan, our enemy, tries to discourage us, causing doubts about our redemption to move us away from God. But the Holy Spirit is always speaking the truth to our hearts. Now, its true that the Holy Spirit rarely shouts, he is more of a whisperer. So, I invite you to quiet your heart and hear his words.

Life in this world can be difficult. We can spend our lives pursuing the Kingdom of God and see little movement, even within our own hearts. In such situations, we can become discouraged and wonder if it is all true. Then the Holy Spirit invites us to look ahead, to see what is to come. He calls us to live in hope, a hope that is confident that the future is guaranteed. The Spirit is just the beginning.

Second, the Spirit moves us into kingdom living. Like the Spirit, Christians are not sitters. We are doers. Now, understand, the first doing and the doing we keep coming back to is the renovation of the heart. When the apostle Paul calls us into the kingdom life he always begins with our hearts, our attitudes. Again, he puts it so clearly in Ephesians: "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (4:1-2). Or, as he writes elsewhere, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1).

Being Christian and being involved in Christ's kingdom is not first of all a matter of doing something out there. Its first receiving the mercy of God and secondly, taking on the attitude and character of Christ. As we pursue the character and attitudes of Jesus, the Spirit will propel us out into the world to live the kingdom in places where there are forces opposed to the kingdom. Don't deceive yourself, its still a battle ground. But victory is guaranteed. The Holy Spirit's presence is just the beginning.