First Lord's Day Sunday

On this first Lord’s Day Sunday in a new month, we who love, honour and cherish our Risen Lord and Saviour, come resolved to worship Him and Him only. We hail Him as Lord and King for there is none other in heaven, on earth or under the earth who can ever dare to stand with Him, in any respect. He is LORD. Who can stand with our Lord?

Here are words of the Psalmist to which we hold fast.

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Psalm 24: 3 – 4

Again we hear this servant of Jehovah acknowledging the Lordship and Deity of God in these undeniable words, as found in Psalm 5: 5. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.

If I cannot stand in His Presence, how can I worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth? If I am proud and arrogant in my ways, how do I expect the Lord to accept my worship? How can there be sweet communion with Him? We are here today, on this first Sunday, in the month that is referred to as Family Month, ready to have truth – whether pleasant or unpleasant; pretty or ugly; wanted or unwanted; believed or disbelieved; accepted or rejected – about our status in the family of God. As a child of Father God, what is His Son and our Lord and Master saying about each one of us, individually and as a body of believers, regarding our worship?

What is Jesus saying about you, about me, about us, who publicly claim worship, delight in it and seek to be so faithful in coming to worship, whether virtually or actually? I ask you honestly and earnestly as I ask myself, what is Jesus saying to you about your worship?

If this question were put to a body or group of Pharisees and teachers of the law, who stood in Jesus’ presence, asking Him questions, this would be their honest, though totally dismissed answer. What I mean is this. They will tell you exactly what Jesus said, but they will also tell you that Jesus is talking nonsense, that He does not know the truth and that He is just a loudmouth, speaking what is totally unfounded and ignorantly stupid. What has Jesus said to them? May the Holy Spirit release our blinded eyes and deafened ears to Look, to Hear - the Way, the Truth and the Life – Jesus Christ.

They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. Mark 7: 7.

Yes this is what Jesus has said to these worshippers of God, some of the most religious, prestigious and ambitious worshippers in the community. People who are looked up to as examples of the right way, people who are proud of their lives in God, and are not shy about showing and telling it. They are the Godly people, according to law, who are always ready to point out the wrong doings of others and even prepared to put them straight according to the requirements of the law, as they understand and believe it to be.

But Jesus has struck them a stunningly harsh blow that they simply cannot and will not accept.

What is Jesus saying to you in this very hour, as you stand in worship? What’s He saying to me?

During the week, we will be guided in this single statement and see how far and deep it extends to us.