Sunday Sermon

This morning my awesome friend Preston got baptized and it brought back all the awesome memories of my baptism a few months ago in the freezing cold river surrounded by my best peterborough friends! awesome! THe church i've started to attend, Auburn Bible Chapel is great. Tons of students from my university go there and for the last 5 weeks there's been this amazing guy speaking. He's been speaking on spiritual disciplines and this weeks was worship and it was so awesome and so challenging and so great that i took notes like a mad woman so i could post them on here! so enjoy! it might be a little scatterbrained but thats just how my mind works:)

WORSHIP!

What kind of person is free to come into God's presence? Who can stay? Psalm 15 tells us pretty clearly.

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

When Brent first said psalm 15 i flipped to it expecting the normal uplifting beautiful psalm and was kind of blindsided by this. My first thought was "brutal!!!!!"

There are 10 descriptions of the person who is free to come into God's presence.

1) a blameless walk -> the way they live their live- one who is perfect in obedience to God
2) actions are righteous-> live lives of perfect integrity
3) speaks truth- -> truth and integrity at their core
4) does not slander -> no gossip!
5) casts no slur -> doesn't make hurtful remarks
6) despises vile -> response to evil
7) keeps oaths -> even when it hurts!
8) lends $ without interest -> no rip offs! doesn't take advantage
9) not accept brides -> doesn't take advantage for selfish gain
10) whoever does these things will not be shaken.

Whoever does these things (all of which seem to me to be impossible!!!) will NOT be shaken.....BUUUT this confronts us with the holiness of God. We have to beware of the temptation to move towards 2 extremes. 1 is to give up, thinking its too much and we'll never be able to do those things psalm 15 days so why even try and the 2nd is to cling to God so familiarly like we're throwing an arm around his shoulder and giving him a pat on the back which reminded me of the song "i am a friend of God" thats i'm violently opposed to but thats another story;)

Whats the answer to our hopeless state then? Psalm 15 reminds the worshiper of their inability.
The Israelites needed a sacrifice, the shedding of to cover sings. We're living in NT times and the requirement is the same but different. God provided the spotless lamb. Hebrews 9 talks about that. There's an importance to preparation. In preparation we sense his instruction. its serious business. Yes- come as you are to Christ for salvation. but examine/cleanse/purify ourselves when we come into His presence.

Practicing spiritual disciplines on our own and expecting to improve our relationships with Christ doesn't work. It needs to be a component of a deep commitment and with the ultimate desire of knowing Him and living like Him. Because at the very core of what we so and who we are is Jesus.

***I dont know if that makes sense to anyone out there and i guarantee it sounds better first hand but the principle is the same and it was challenging as all get out!