Worship Devotional LXXXIII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 8/7/2021.
Worship Devotional for 8/8/21
Galatians 2:19-20:
"For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
We were created for the glory of God. In trying to live our own way and not trusting in our Father in heaven, we fell into sin and brought condemnation and death upon ourselves. Our good deeds and works could never be enough to save us from the death sentence that we deserve for our rebellion against our holy Creator. But in His grace and mercy and goodness and love, He made a way for us to be saved by His strength and righteousness and not our own, for we are weak and sinful. God sent His Son to live a blameless life on earth in perfect obedience and submission to the Father. The Son of God then laid down His life according to the Father's will, and He suffered and died in our place so that the price for our sin would be paid in full and God's justice satisfied. Then on the third day, He rose from the grave! After appearing to many witnesses, He ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of Father's throne. So now, by grace through faith and not by works, all who believe in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are saved from the wrath of God and redeemed from their old and sinful way of life! We have true freedom, unfailing hope, and eternal life in Christ because of what He has done for us, which we could never do for ourselves. Now we live a new life in Him by His Holy Spirit for the glory of God, having been reconciled to our Creator and Father in heaven through the Son.
This week, as we come together as the church of God — the body of Christ, believers, those who have been redeemed and set free from sin and death — to lift our voices and our hands and our hearts together in unity to praise and worship the one true God, let us remember that we do this not of ourselves or of our own strength, but by the Spirit of God who lives in each of us and who gives us the grace and strength we need to live our lives on earth for His glory.
Philippians 2:12-13:
"So, then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose."
Songs:
1) Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me by CityAlight
Romans 5:20-6:11:
"The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin's dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin's claims. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him. For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:8-10:
"For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them."
2) The Solid Rock by Edward Mote and William Bradbury
Matthew 7:24-27:
"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it did not collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn't act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!"
Psalm 40:1-3:
"I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."
3) 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) by Matt Redman
Psalm 103:
"My soul, praise Yahweh, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget His benefits.
He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He revealed His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass — he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. But from eternity to eternity the Lord's faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep His covenant, who remember to observe His precepts. The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Lord, all His angels of great strength, who do His word, obedient to His command. Praise the Lord, all His armies, His servants who do His will. Praise the Lord, all His works in all the places where He rules. My soul, praise Yahweh!"
4) We Exalt Thee by Peter Sanchez Jr.
Psalm 97:9:
"For You, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; You are exalted above all the gods."
Psalm 95:3-7:
"For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. The depths of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are His. The sea is His; He made it. His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care."
Psalm 34:1-3:
"I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. Proclaim Yahweh's greatness with me; let us exalt His name together."
Theme(s): Living through Christ for the glory of God
Scripture references:
Psalms 34, 40, 95, 97, 103
Romans 5-8
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 15:9-11 (esp. v. 10)
2 Corinthians 4, 12:1-10 (esp. vv. 9-10)
Galatians 2:19-21
Ephesians 2:1-10
Philippians 2:1-18
Colossians 1 (esp. vv. 21-23 & 27)