Category: Devotionals

Worship is to be a Way of Life

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

Worship is to be a way of life, one in which we honor and glorify God for who he is and what he has done.

True Worship

In true worship, we stand in reverent awe before him, acknowledging him to be our God, submitting to his sovereign rule in our life, and giving him our very best. Our lives are offered to him as living sacrifices. All that we do is sacred, because every act is lifted up to him as an offering.

Worship Wherever and In Whatever

Of course, there is something unique and significant about believers coming together in corporate worship. But when they leave, they do not cease to worship but rather continue to honor and glorify God wherever they go and in whatever they do.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you view worship as a way of life or just something you do on Sunday morning?
  2. How could viewing worship as a way of life all of life change the way you live throughout the week?

Resource

Murray Capill, The Heart is the Target, 183-84 (headings mine)

Are You A True Disciple-Maker?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

Every month I receive a new issue of Table Talk Magazine. It is a devotional magazine without the fluff. The articles and daily devotions not only have theological depth and clear teaching on Scripture, but they are also relevant, challenging, and informative. I would encourage you to get a subscription (and no, I am not getting paid to say that.)

This morning, while reading the Church and Discipleship in the September issue, I came across these challenging thoughts.

The Great Commission calls us to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). All power on heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, who gives power and a call to us. Making disciples means that we embrace this call by accompanying people along their way. Some churches call this “doing life together.”

But true discipleship is not just about hanging out. True discipleship is about embracing gospel truths in the context of a biblical community that results in life change. It’s about visibly seeing sanctification in the life of a new believer. It’s about progressively becoming more aware of our sinfulness and of God’s holiness. It’s about the cross looming larger and larger in our lives as we embrace gospel truths. Gospel-centered churches understand this. The true measure of a church’s success is not its size but whether it is making disciples.

We have a vast problem in our churches, not only in American churches but in churches around the world. We have many “conversions” but few disciples. We have many “conversions” but few who embrace the Lordship of Christ…

…True disciple-makers are not just interested in developing leaders…they are interested in seeing the cross loom large in the life of a new believer. They are passionate about sanctification. They are passionate about teaching gospel truths. And the result of this kind of biblical discipleship is amazing – people and churches whose testimony truly reflects God’s character, bringing much glory to Jesus.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Are you a true disciple-maker?
  2. Does your desire match that mentioned in the article?

Resources

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Table Talk Magazine, The Church and Discipleship, 23.

Can We Be Honest With God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

In Genesis 15:1, Abraham has a vision. The text says,

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”” (Ge 15:1)

In his vision, God appears to Abraham. Of course, Abraham’s first reaction is fear — fear of judgment. Knowing Abraham’s thoughts, God says to him,

“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.” (Gen. 15:1a)

In other words, God is telling Him that He is for him, He is his refuge and protection. As such, Abraham shouldn’t fear God’s judgment.

That’s true for us as well.

Those who are God’s need not fear His judgment

That is an awesome promise because it means those of us who are God’s know where we stand with Him. We are not left to wonder or worry. We don’t have to hope that we have done enough good works to escape God’s judgment. Those who are His know where they stand.

Those who are God’s Can Expose Their Life to Him

Knowing where we stand with God allows us to expose our life to Him without fear that He will use that against us, or change His mind and judge us. As well as it allows us to be honest with God, to truly share our feelings with Him. We don’t have to hold back. We can reveal sin in our lives, repenting of it, and asking Him for the strength to fight it. We can share with God what we are thinking. We can ask Him questions.

Abraham’s Example

That is exactly what Abraham does. After God tells Abraham that He need not fear Him and that His reward shall be very great, Abraham is honest with God when he says,

““O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?””” (Ge 15:2)

You see, 10 years ago God promised Abraham that He would give him a son and that He would make him into a great nation. God hasn’t delivered on that promise yet. Since God hasn’t delivered, Abraham questions God. Essentially he is saying in verses 2 and 3,

“You have been promising me a reward for a while. I still don’t have the heir you told me I was going to have. The only one I have is Eliezer, who is my servant. Is he supposed to be my heir? Because, if I remember correctly God, You told me You were going to give me my own son?”

Calling God’s promise into question takes some guts. But, again, knowing that we don’t have to fear His judgment if we are His allows us to be honest with God.

Proof We Can Be Honest With God

God proves that we can be honest with Him, when He doesn’t respond in judgment. Instead, in verses 4 and 5, He responds lovingly, assuring Abraham that he will have a son of his own and he will become a great nation. So this will sink in, God takes him outside, tells him to look up at the uncountable stars in the night sky, and as he does, God tells him again that He will give him an heir and that the nation that will come forth from him will be greater than the stars in the sky that night.

Question for Reflection

  1. When is the last time you have been honest with God about how you feel, the sin you are struggling with, or the questions you have?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon “What are the three foundational truths upon which the Christian life must be built?“ You can listen here.

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Do You Worship Out of a Sense of Duty or Thankfulness?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Devotionals, Discipleship2 Comments

In Psalm 50, Asaph confronts Israel regarding their worship and living. What they were doing isn’t much different from what many do today. Their worship was formulaic. In other words, they were going through the motions. Sure, they brought the appropriate sacrifices, but it was done more out of a sense of duty instead of thanksgiving.

Many Do the Same Today

To our shame, many today view the Sunday worship service as nothing more than another box to check off on their spiritual checklist right alongside their morning prayer and devotion. Thinking that way, we drag ourselves to the Sunday Service, sing a few songs, bow for the pastoral prayer, greet our neighbors, place some money in the offering plate, listen to the sermon, and then we are on our way, patting ourselves on the back for a job well done. Why do we do this?

Why Do We Worship Out of Duty?

We worship out of duty because we think that is what God wants or needs. But that is far from the truth. God doesn’t need us, our provisions, or our worship. He owns everything, and He is satisfied in and of Himself. The truth is, we need God. We need His provisions and care.

The Gospel Changes Our Perspective

Instead of faking it, what we need to do is change our perspective. The way we do that is by meditating on the gospel.

The gospel tells us we are sinners, who have rebelled against and offended a holy God. As a result, we are destined to suffer His wrath. However, Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and, even though He didn’t deserve God’s wrath, He faced it on our behalf. He took the wrath we deserve on Himself. All those who repent of their sins and believe Jesus suffered the punishment we deserve, can experience a restored relationship with the Father free from the fear of judgment.

For Jesus’ sacrifice, we should be thankful. For God’s provision and care in our life, we should be thankful. Our thankfulness should drive us to worship God. So when we begin to go through the motions in worship, what we need to do is stop, meditate on the gospel, and remember God’s provisions.

We need to reset our heart, so we see that it’s not God who needs us, but we who need Him.

When we truly see our need for God and how He has provided for us, we should be driven to worship out of a sense of thankfulness instead of duty. When we worship from a right heart, we end up glorifying God. For He says in Psalm 50:23

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Ps. 50:23)

Question for Reflection

  1. Does thankfulness or duty drive your worship?

Resource

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6 Characteristics of a Spiritual Awakening Servant of Christ

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals3 Comments

“What [characteristics must a pastor possess in order to] be the pastor of a great and growing church that is experiencing a significant spiritual awakening?”

Lewis Drummond proposed and answered that question in his comprehensive biography on Charles Spurgeon. He does so with six answers, which amount to six characteristics of the man God could use to create a significant spiritual awakening. These characteristics were true of Spurgeon and are needed in men today.

Six Characteristics of a Spiritual Awakening Servant of Christ

(1) He must be a Spirit-filled man, who has been saved by God.

(2) He must be a man unencumbered by tradition, who is able to relate to the people he is given watch over.

(3) He must be a disciplined thinker, who studies hard and reads voraciously.

(4) He must have a personality that is warm and outgoing, and he must love people.

(5) He must be sold out for Christ. Evangelism and church planting run thick in his blood.

(6) He must be a man who is given to much prayer.

Question for Reflection

  1. If you desire to be a minister, are these characteristics true of your life?

Christians Don’t Just Accept Truths About Jesus, They Have A Desire To Know Jesus

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

Every week I gather with a few faithful men to read and study God’s Word. We meet at a local IHOP, sit at the same table, and are served by the same waitress. While it is a routine meeting in a routine place, we have learned truths about God’s Word that have made our life anything but routine. It’s amazing how a simple study designed around the reading and studying of God’s Word can change your life. But it’s the Bible we are talking about, so that shouldn’t shock us too much.

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer

As of late, we have been working through the book of John. Today we started working through Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in chapter 17. If there was ever a chapter that was packed full, it is this one. In fact, this chapter is a theological factory that’s doing no less than pumping out deep truths about Jesus, salvation, our mission, and eternal life.

Eternal Life and Being a Christian

I don’t know why, but verse three landed hard on me this morning. It really got the wheels turning. There Jesus tells us what it means to have eternal life. He says,

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (Jn 17:3)

According to Jesus, eternal life involves us knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ.

Sadly, that truth is not emphasized by many preachers. Instead many teach a watered down gospel which involves nothing more than someone gaining their “fire insurance” by raising their hand, walking an aisle, filling out a card, or accepting some blanket truths about Jesus.

Sure, we need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who has come on a rescue mission to seek and save the lost. We need to believe He died on the cross for our sins, resurrected on the third day, and will return to set things right. We need to admit we are sinners, repent of our sin, and turn to God. I don’t want to downplay any of those truths and actions. We need to believe and do those things in order to be a Christian. But that is just the beginning, not the end of our Christian walk. Those beliefs and actions serve to bring us into a relationship with God that should be continually nurtured and deepened.

Being a Christian, then, involves more than raising our hand, walking an aisle, being baptized, or even accepting some truths about Jesus. Being a Christian involves a desire to know God, to have a relationship with Him.

A Christian’s Desire

Pushing the envelope a bit further, we can also say that being blessed, experiencing joy, and seeing loved one’s in heaven is just a by-product of our relationship with God. If you have come to Christ out of a desire to gain those things instead of a desire to know God, you may need to ask yourself if you truly are saved.

You see, if you are a Christian you will have a desire for the things of God. You will  have a desire to fellowship with God’s people, to worship Him, to learn more about Him, to read His Word, and to pray to Him. In other words, you will have a desire to continually deepen your relationship with God and Jesus in an effort to get to know more about Him.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you have a desire to know more about God?
  2. Do you have a desire to deepen your relationship with Jesus?

Resource

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