Inside out

In Christ we find Jesus gives us a peace beyond the world’s understanding. Worship of God comes from here; it is an inside out experience, like a river flowing from its source. This peace is a deposit, a sign of the presence of God, the fountain of living water.

The presence of God was signified in the creation by God resting on the seventh day with man.. God’s agreement to abide with Israel was signalled by their keeping of the seventh day as holy, a day of rest. God’s heart is to dwell with man in peace.

Paul’s favourite salutation is, “Grace and peace.” Grace brings peace and peace is a sign of God’s grace in our lives. Peace is a heart response given to us as a sign of God’s presence. When we know peace, we know Christ is present, we are lead into truth that sets us free and we know the love of the Father.

All our effort is directed towards the love of the Father who dwells with Jesus in our hearts. It is this presence of God that brings us life and joy everlasting. We draw living water from this well and we pour out our worship. We cannot work up worship; our worship comes from a heart abiding in God. We are called by Jesus to worship in Spirit and Truth and worship that is not grounded in the love of the Father and the Peace of Christ is not true worship. It is an emotional fabrication; lifeless, stagnant.

Group worship began in the time of Seth. In the time of Seth people began to call on the name of the LORD. This is where the story began and lessons can be learned from what God tells us about Seth. Seth was the third son of Eve, given by God after his brother Abel had been killed by the eldest Son, Cain.

The story of Cain and Abel is one of deepening sin in the world. Cain brought an offering to God of the fruits of the soil and Abel of the fat of the first born of his flocks. Both offerings were righteous and of equal value, later ordained by God in the Law of Moses as an offering of consecration and a peace offering. God ignored Cain’s offering.

The reason why God ignored Cain’s offering soon becomes apparent. Cain is very angry and his face falls. We might have some sympathy for Cain at this point and view God as being unfair, nasty and capricious. But then God says to Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” or, “will there not be a lifting up of your face?”

What is Cain to do well? He is to resist sin and God will accept him and lift up his head. God’s regard of Abel’s offering and disregard of Cain’s offering revealed Cain’s need. God offered Cain acceptance, rest from his anger and a way out from the ravaging sin that crouched like a wild animal waiting to dwell in him. God commands Cain to rule over sin so as not to allow it to rule over him. God does not over-rule Cain’s choice only promises him peace through his obedience. God’s regard for Abel’s offering was Cain’s offer of salvation.

Abel is killed by Cain. Cain is banished, Seth is born, the offspring of Eve from which the Saviour would come, and people start to Worship the LORD together.

Our hearts are so important to God. The sacrifice of praise we offer God is acceptable to God only because of Jesus. Sin crouches at the door of our hearts. We are commanded to come to Christ, to believe in Him and abide in Him. We are to love one another. Cain did not love Abel and so did not love God and know His acceptance. He shows no remorse at the murder of righteous Abel, only at the severity of his punishment. It is Abel’s righteousness that makes his offering sweet; his heart is right and he knows peace with God; he knows acceptance. The cross brings our acceptance and we are made righteous by the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Christ.

Our worship together can know no other fount; its from the inside out. Our offering of praise comes from coming in confidence to God, secure in the knowledge that we have come to Christ, believe in Him, are abiding in his love and obeying his word. Our worship comes from the foot of the cross; Christ is our offering. This peace with God is our assurance of Grace and is freely given. As we come into the light of God’s presence and draw water form his wells of salvation, feeding on him, the bread of life, we express heartfelt worship to Him. We worship in Spirit and in Truth, not as hypocrites working up a mask, but as worshippers abiding in God’s presence.

God loves to dwell with man and he gave his Son as a sacrifice for sin so that we might dwell with Him eternally. Keep yourself from idols.

John 3:21 (ESV) But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”