WORSHIP THROUGH THE GOSPEL

At Harvest Bible Chapel we recently finished a series called "Simply Saved," and last Sunday we celebrated with the whole church as 20 believers publicly declared Jesus as their LORD and their dedication to the Gospel of Christ through baptism!  As I thought this week through the events of the past weeks at Harvest and the strong presentation of Gospel from week to week, I began to think about what the Gospel means for worshipers of the living God.

As I prayed through the worship service that will take place tomorrow morning, and asked the Lord what to communicate, I began to look through the list of songs we do at Harvest.  I pulled up the words to the song, "Thank You Jesus For the Cross," by Andi Rozier (becoming a favorite of mine, due to the saturation of the gospel within it! BUY IT HERE).  I've read through the lyrics to this song over and over again this week, and thought about the Gospel, which we've been defining as, "JESUS DIED ON A CROSS, IN MY PLACE, AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MY SIN," and I couldn't help but think about what does the Gospel mean for me as a worshiper of Christ?

"YOU AND I WERE MADE TO WORSHIP..."

The statement above I'm sure all of us have heard, and I agree with that statement.  We were created in the image of God, and for the glory of God.  Worship, or giving worth, to something comes natural to us as humans.  However, when sin entered the world, due to our rebellion, our eyes were blinded to WHO we were created to worship...God the Father!  We as sinful humans worship many things on this earth...money, time, possession, and the list goes on and on...

THE GOSPEL IS THE EYE-OPENER FOR THOSE WHO WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH!  The Gospel is the entire reason that we as the children of God can worship HE who we're made to worship!  The more we understand our hopelessness apart from Christ; our filthiness apart from the blood; and our debt apart from the Cross, the more our eyes are open to worship the LIVING God and creator!

As one who is desperately striving to be a worshiper that God seeks, I encourage you, preach the Gospel to yourself daily.  Focus your life daily on the fact that Jesus died on a cross, in your place, as a substitute for your sin!  That'll preach!!! And for those who understand the life they've been freely given, will be led to worship the one who freely gave...Jesus Christ!

2 COR. 5:21-For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.