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18^TH NOVEMBER 2017 by PASTOR GEORGE CHERIAN

What does God desire from us as human beings?

God’s desire for us is to dwell with us according to Exodus 29:45 where God says that He will live among the people of Israel and be their God. This is an strange desire that God expresses, it is not that the people of Israel were perfect or very loving people. They were as carnal and selfish as we are today. It is amazing why God wants to dwell with us because we ourselves are not able to stand our own fellow beings. Again, and again in the Bible God expresses His desire to live among the people of the earth.

Even in the book of Ezekiel chapter 37 verse 27-28 God says “I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”

Even Jesus is called Immanuel which means God with us. God’s intention has always been to dwell with us, sinners.

In Exodus 19:5-6 God says “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’

God’s mission for Israel was to become a Kingdom of Priest in a prodigal world. God wanted to make them His own special treasure, His own special people.

According to 1 Peter 2:5 “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

It is also written in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that “we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”

Whenever we praise and worship God, we are building a throne for God.

Why do we need to worship God or celebrate God’s presence on Sunday mornings?

The first book of Peter chapter 2 verse 9-10 says “…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

The above verse is the very basis for each one of us to worship God every Sunday morning. We have a very beautiful and powerful reason that we are called by God, that we are chosen, that once we were not a people but now we are God’s possession.

God has done this for us though we were unworthy, so that we can declare His praises. Isn’t this the greatest reason to celebrate our lives?

David enjoyed God’s presence every day and going to the house of the Lord was the greatest excitement for him. (Psalm 122:1 where David says, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”) Again, in Psalm 84:10 David says that “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” And in verse 4 he says that “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. He also wrote in Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;”

From all the above statements we can see that David was very much in love with God, so much grateful for his life that he wrote such beautiful poems for God.

The prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 26 verse 9 that “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you”

Psalm 63:1 “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Our lives in this world is like living in a dry and parched land hence by the time Sunday morning come our hearts reach a point where we are thirsty and longing for God’s living waters.

The heart of a Sunday service is the revelation of Jesus Christ because He wants to speak to us, minister to us and comfort us.

According to Hebrews 10:19-22 “we stand in the legal status that God has prepared for each one of us because Jesus’ flesh was torn for us to give us access to God.” God has made us the holy priesthood. Jesus has already entered giving us the confidence to enter the holy place but the challenge for us by God is to draw near to Him.

How does God want us to draw near to Him?

1. Draw near to God with the fruit of your lips offering sacrifice of praise: According to Hebrews 13:15-17 “let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls”
2. Draw near to God in the Spirit: In the book of Revelation chapter 1 verse 10, John says “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day”. Similarly, we need to be in the Spirit when we come forSunday service. When John was in the spirit, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ. If we prepare our hearts to worship God in our spirits, we too will see God.
3. Draw near to God after reconciling with your brother or sister whom you have anything against: As written in the book of Matthew chapter 5 verse 23-24 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” Because if we come without reconciliation we defile the house of God. (Hebrews 12:14-15)
4. Draw near to God with Care: As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So, let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2)
5. Draw near to God by consecrating yourselves: God wants us to sanctify ourselves to meet with God. (Exodus 19:9-10). Then as promised to Moses, God will come and speak to us.

The four elements of the Sunday service according to Acts 2:42 are the apostles teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer. The first century believers did everything together with glad and sincere hearts. Giving is also one of the key element of the Sunday Service.

The Lord is longing to shower His blessing over us, if we prepare our hearts throughout the week.

Some of the practical ways in which we can prepare ourselves for Sunday morning worship are as follows;

1. Seize the rest of the week: Practice family worship and secret worship throughout the week knowing that this will inform and encourage your experience in corporate worship.
2. Be Boring: Go to bed earlyon Saturday night. Friday nights can be filled with late-night activity, but Saturday nights should routinely be safeguarded. Sleepy heads make for drowsy worshippers.
3. Right Attitude: Cultivate a spirit of joy on Sunday mornings in your home. If this is the highlight of our week, then lets act like it. Talk about how wonderful the day is going to be, wake the kids up with excitement, turn on good Christian music for the whole family to listen to, and put a smile on your face.
4. Media Blackout: Refrain from turning on the television, watching Netflix, or catching up on Facebook on Sunday mornings. Our minds are so easily distracted. Safeguard your mental space.
5. Plan ahead: Lay out your Sunday morning clothes on Saturday night, so you don’t have to change ten times on Sunday morning before finding an outfit that fits well, looks right, or is ironed.
6. Don’t be surprised: We should seldom be surprised at the passage we hear preached. Working our way through a passage throughout the week provides more fertile soilon Sunday morning.
7. Early bird: Rise earlyon Sunday morning and spend time reading the Word, praying and meditating to prepare your heart for worship.
8. Talk and ride: On the car-ride to church talk about the passage that you meditated and what God spoke to you, sing a hymn together, and converse about the things of God.
9. Timing it right: Give yourself enough time on Sunday mornings. Rise early enough that the morning isn’t rushed. Leave home with plenty of time to spare. Try not to arrive at church late or even a few minutes before the service. Come early and prepare the place of worship, pray and prepare. Help the team to set up, wish the people and welcome them.
10. Collect your thoughts: Sit down, meditate on the Scripture readings, and pray before the service begins.