Embracing Worship and Reflection on Mortality

 

Summary

In our gathering today, we focused on the profound act of ministering to the Lord, emphasizing that worship is not just a performance by those on stage but a collective offering from each of us. We are called to engage deeply, recognizing that God is a real person who receives and delights in our worship. This is a sacred privilege, akin to the Levites' role in the Old Testament, where our primary task is to look upon Him, worship, and minister to Him with sincerity and gratitude.

Reflecting on the recent funeral I attended, I shared how these moments of mourning bring us face-to-face with our mortality and the reality of eternity. Funerals remind us of the brevity of life and the importance of living a life worthy of following, as exemplified by my brother-in-law, who lived quietly, worked hard, and served others selflessly. This aligns with the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, which teaches that the day of death is better than the day of birth, and it is better to be in the house of mourning than in the house of feasting. These moments of sorrow and reflection are crucial for our spiritual growth, as they help us lay to heart the end of all mankind.

We also explored the concept of godly sorrow, which is a gift that leads us to repentance and deeper love for God. This sorrow is better than laughter because it brings about a genuine transformation of the heart. It is essential to remain sensitive to our sins and not let our hearts grow calloused. The story of the woman in Luke 7, who wept at Jesus' feet, illustrates the profound love that comes from recognizing the depth of our forgiveness.

In our current culture, there is a tendency to avoid deep, meaningful reflections on life and death, often distracting ourselves with entertainment. However, the heart of the wise remains in the house of mourning, contemplating the weight of eternity and the holiness of God. This awareness should drive us to live lives that honor Him and prepare us for the moment we stand before Him.

Key Takeaways:

- Worship is a personal and collective act of ministering to the Lord, where we engage with sincerity and gratitude, recognizing God as a real person who delights in our worship. [00:14]

- Funerals and moments of mourning remind us of our mortality and the importance of living a life worthy of following, as they bring us face-to-face with the reality of eternity. [04:16]

- Godly sorrow is a gift that leads to repentance and deeper love for God, as it brings about genuine transformation and sensitivity to our sins. [17:17]

- The heart of the wise remains in the house of mourning, contemplating the weight of eternity and the holiness of God, rather than distracting ourselves with entertainment. [22:01]

- Our culture often avoids deep reflections on life and death, but it is essential to prepare ourselves for the moment we stand before God, living lives that honor Him. [33:51]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Ministering to the Lord
[01:41] - The Power of Silence
[03:27] - Reflections on a Funeral
[04:34] - Living a Life Worth Following
[06:03] - A Moment of Miraculous Prayer
[08:30] - Preparing for Eternity
[09:48] - Wisdom from Ecclesiastes
[11:31] - The Value of Mourning
[13:47] - Sobering Realities of Life
[15:44] - Sorrow Over Laughter
[19:38] - The Gift of Godly Sorrow
[22:01] - The Heart of the Wise
[25:30] - Contrasts with Worldly Views
[28:15] - The Necessity of the Cross
[33:51] - Distractions from Deep Reflection
[36:02] - Space for the Holy Spirit

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 - "A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth."
2. Luke 7:36-50 - The story of the woman who wept at Jesus' feet, illustrating profound love and forgiveness.

#### Observation Questions
1. What role did the Levites have in the Old Testament, and how does this relate to our act of worship today? [00:14]
2. How does the sermon describe the impact of funerals on our understanding of life and eternity? [03:57]
3. What is the significance of the woman weeping at Jesus' feet in Luke 7, and how does it relate to the concept of godly sorrow? [19:38]
4. According to Ecclesiastes 7, why is the day of death considered better than the day of birth? [10:18]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of ministering to the Lord as described in the sermon challenge our typical understanding of worship? [00:14]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that moments of mourning can lead to spiritual growth and transformation? [03:57]
3. How does the story of the woman in Luke 7 illustrate the relationship between forgiveness and love? [19:38]
4. What does it mean for the heart of the wise to remain in the house of mourning, and how does this contrast with cultural tendencies to avoid deep reflection? [22:01]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal worship practices. How can you engage more deeply in ministering to the Lord with sincerity and gratitude? [00:14]
2. Think about a recent experience of loss or mourning. How did it impact your perspective on life and eternity? How can you use such experiences for spiritual growth? [03:57]
3. Consider the concept of godly sorrow. Is there an area of your life where you need to experience this kind of sorrow to bring about genuine transformation? [17:17]
4. In what ways do you find yourself avoiding deep reflections on life and death? What steps can you take to cultivate a heart that remains in the house of mourning? [22:01]
5. How can you live a life that is worthy of following, as exemplified by the speaker's brother-in-law? What practical steps can you take to serve others selflessly? [05:46]
6. Identify a distraction in your life that prevents you from contemplating the weight of eternity. How can you minimize this distraction in the coming week? [33:51]
7. Reflect on the story of the woman in Luke 7. How can you cultivate a deeper love for God by recognizing the depth of your forgiveness? [19:38]

Devotional

Day 1: Worship as a Collective Offering
Worship is not a performance but a collective offering from each of us to God. It is a sacred privilege to engage deeply in worship, recognizing that God is a real person who delights in our sincere and grateful offerings. This act of ministering to the Lord is akin to the role of the Levites in the Old Testament, where the primary task was to look upon Him and worship with sincerity. Worship is a personal and collective act that requires us to engage with sincerity and gratitude, recognizing God as a real person who delights in our worship. [00:14]

"Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." (Psalm 95:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you transform your personal worship time into a genuine offering to God, recognizing His presence and delight in your worship today?


Day 2: Embracing Mortality and Eternity
Funerals and moments of mourning bring us face-to-face with our mortality and the reality of eternity. These moments remind us of the brevity of life and the importance of living a life worthy of following. Reflecting on the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, it is taught that the day of death is better than the day of birth, and it is better to be in the house of mourning than in the house of feasting. These moments of sorrow and reflection are crucial for spiritual growth, helping us lay to heart the end of all mankind. [04:16]

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you live a life that reflects the reality of eternity, making each day count for God's glory?


Day 3: The Gift of Godly Sorrow
Godly sorrow is a gift that leads to repentance and deeper love for God. This sorrow is better than laughter because it brings about a genuine transformation of the heart. It is essential to remain sensitive to our sins and not let our hearts grow calloused. The story of the woman in Luke 7, who wept at Jesus' feet, illustrates the profound love that comes from recognizing the depth of our forgiveness. [17:17]

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you need to allow godly sorrow to lead you to repentance and transformation today?


Day 4: Wisdom in the House of Mourning
The heart of the wise remains in the house of mourning, contemplating the weight of eternity and the holiness of God. In contrast to a culture that often avoids deep, meaningful reflections on life and death, the wise choose to embrace these moments. This awareness should drive us to live lives that honor God and prepare us for the moment we stand before Him. [22:01]

"It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart." (Ecclesiastes 7:2, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a heart of wisdom that embraces the reality of life and death, allowing it to shape your daily decisions and actions?


Day 5: Preparing for Eternity
Our culture often avoids deep reflections on life and death, distracting ourselves with entertainment. However, it is essential to prepare ourselves for the moment we stand before God, living lives that honor Him. This preparation involves a conscious effort to live in a way that reflects the holiness and eternity of God, rather than being swayed by the distractions of the world. [33:51]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to shift your focus from worldly distractions to living a life that honors God and prepares you for eternity?

Quotes


"just want to remind you why we're here we said we're here to minister to the Lord it's not just about those on the stage ministering to you but you yourself seeing yourself as an active participant and saying we want to minister to you Lord that was the task of the Levites in the Old Testament is your job is just look at him and worship him and minister to him he's a real person who receives worship who can see with all when you with all your heart are taking of the bread and the cup and you're going I am so grateful for this I am so dependent on this this is the thrill of my life to commune with you that me this sinner can partake of the body and blood of Christ and I could be one with him God's honored by that is that exciting to you that there are actually things we can do that he enjoys that he is blessed by" [00:02:35]

"I was doing a funeral and uh it was awesome uh someone even said afterwards they go you you should just do this every day and I said that would be my happy place I could do a funeral every day please let me do your funeral if you know anyone that needs anyone to do a funeral let me do the funeral um I don't charge anything I just love it because it's one of the few times we actually deal with real things and we're struck with our mortality and every funeral you're at there was people who just go man he's my age or or we grew up together or he's younger than me or gosh he just started life or and and and you just think about it" [00:03:21]

"so today was it was my brother-in-law and uh and it was just cool you know recently we read a second Thessalonians as a church in our Bible reading and it talks about those who who aren't idle he says don't don't even hang out don't associate with anyone called himself a brother but he won't work he's like a busy body rather than really busy and working hard with his hands he says make it your ambition to work hard with your hands and live a quiet life like it's a good thing and that's the way my brother-in-law was in fact they took in for uh four kids and adopted them raised them and hearing them talk about their dad today it was it was so cool you know just a guy that was a mechanic worked hard with his hands took in kids like God he was a father to the fatherless" [00:04:25]

"and I was telling the people gosh if I could live my life over I think I would be more like John and Les like me he just was okay with being in the background serving working hard with his hands worshiping God and living a life that's worthy of following and what's really cool was a few weeks ago they were gonna you know he was uh what did you call that when you're on um machines and you're not really coherent yeah kind of incoherent you're just kind of being kept alive and they were going to pull the plug and so you know and turn off all of the machines and and so I called his wife Sonny that morning and just just to pray for her because I knew that's a very difficult thing to do as a wife to go it's time you know reassuring her that look if God wants to do a miracle he doesn't need the machine it's okay don't feel guilty he can save him if he really wants him to live" [00:05:31]

"and so I called and and I'm telling her this she goes hey can I put you on speaker phone because my daughter's here too and she wants to hear what you're saying and they're right there with John's body in between him and she just laid my phone her phone on his chest and I said John if you can hear me I'm praying for you right now we're coming to the presence of God and we're going to pray right now and right then his wife says he he's oh he's opening his eyes and he's looking right at me I'm okay okay John and I'm just like praying to God and I'm telling John I go John this is going to be the greatest moment you've ever felt the greatest day of your existence and then she tells me tears are coming down his eyes right now and I'm just praying and just telling God God this is good this is a good moment this is what we live for" [00:06:47]

"and then verse 2 he says it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting for this is the end of all mankind and the living will lay it to heart this is the wisest man on Earth he says hey it's better to go to the house where people are just bawling their eyes out the house of mourning it's better to go there than to the house of feasting deep can you ever get excited okay I love Asian food surprise and and there are times when I know I'm gonna go somewhere and I'm just gonna Gorge myself on the best Asian food I know who's cooking or where we're eating and it's just gonna I look forward to that I really do you know and for some of you maybe it's you know a good Subway sandwich you know but uh Fried Chicken uh so so I'm just kidding just kidding okay you're vegan right not anymore you eat meat now oh okay I thought you looked healthier it's brighter okay it's good for you okay" [00:10:54]

"but you know for me I I just I just love I love a good Asian meal that's just the one I'm into but here he says uh it's actually better than going to a party with all the best food and everything else it's better to be in a house of mourning there's something that is so good for us to be in the house of mourning and so when I think about what he says I go you know what I actually agree with him like I would rather I mean as much as I look forward to having you know all my friends together and having a great meal together unless I'm not kidding like I I I really enjoy Memorial services I really love when we're all together and we're actually thinking about something that matters and we're dealing with eternity because because I care about people I love people and and so often we're just thinking about so many stupid things and we're not thinking about that most important second of Our Lives me in the presence of him better to grow the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting for this is the end of all mankind and the living will lay it to heart" [00:12:23]

"there's just something good for my soul to go that's going to be me any day now in our culture here in America we go wow you're talking about some really morbid things but that's not the way Solomon talks about it it's just reality this is life this is our destiny so it's good to stay in the house of mourning verse 3 he says sorrow is better than laughter for by sadness of face the Heart Is Made glad sorrow is better than laughter again I love to laugh there's all right this is one of my favorite is laughing to where tears come out I don't know the last time and the Bible's not against that the Bible says laughter is good medicine it's good when you are laughing so hard that the tears are coming out it's just it's the best just stupid stupid things that you just laugh at and and afterwards there's just like oh you just feel lighter right it just feels so good with all the pressures in the world and everything else there's nothing like laughing to the point of Tears but he says sorrow is even better than that sorrow is better than laughter" [00:15:14]

"remember last week we talked about Godly sorrow and I was praying for a miracle that God would give us Godly sadness because there's something so great about Godly sadness it's the gift when you see your own sin and you don't just feel like shrugging your shoulders like no big deal or your callous to it man that's a that is that is so horrible that is terrifying when you can sin and not feel it and I feel the weight of it that's why the scriptures say that today if you can hear his voice don't Harden your hearts don't let your heart grow calloused it I don't know if you guys have ever picked up a guitar and tried to play it but those who I remember when I first was learning how to play guitar I played it um till my fingers bled that's a song huh it's a summer of 69. and and we I played that guitar you know I just I just wanted to get it down so bad that it kept playing and playing but I wasn't it hurts so bad and suddenly you're you're seeing blood and but you keep playing and pretty soon the next time it hurts less and less and less and pretty soon you develop these things I don't have them anymore because I don't play anymore um you developed these things called calluses to where you can play guitar you don't even feel it on your fingertips anymore see the Bible says that can happen to your heart that you may feel so much pain the first time you sin you're so convicted about a certain particular sin it just was like oh I did that to God you confess it you repent you do it again you're like ah I did that I'm so sorry you do it again ah again again and pretty soon you're looking back you're like man I used to be so sad about this and now I don't even feel it there's a Godly sorrow as I was saying the times when God's convicted me and I'm just bawling my eyes out of how offensive my son that was a good thing" [00:16:54]

"this last Sunday we're looking at uh you remember that story in in Luke chapter 7 where the woman you know who was uh not a good woman had not lived a great life but had been forgiven by Jesus she is on her feet I mean she was on her knees at Jesus's feet and she's weeping this woman is crying crying and her tears are just spilling all over Jesus's feet and the religious leaders are looking at her like what are you doing and Jesus do you know who that is you know what kind of past that woman has and she's and she's bawling and they're just kind of like grossed out by it look at her making a spectacle of herself and God explains to everyone around you don't get it those who have been forgiven much love much so you guys think your life you've lived a pretty good life so when we talk about forgiveness you're like yeah that's I no but if you really felt the weight of your sin that's a gift from God you know God I don't deserve to be here I don't deserve to be in this room ministering to you I know the things that I have done and when God gives you that Grace of Sorrow of pain to where you can cry that's a gift because you recognize your own sinfulness and then you can become like that woman and love my I mean isn't that the goal that we would be such strong lovers of God well the Bible says you love much when you've realized you've sinned much and God has forgiven you of that and so here he's saying sorrow is better than laughter a good cry over the right things is actually better than laughter for by sadness of the heart or sadness of the face the Heart Is Made glad" [00:19:36]

"then verse 4 says the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of Mirth the heart of the wise so where your heart stays the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning that's why I did I don't really want to leave that memorial service I was just at I don't want to transition to another topic I think that's what I'm wrestling with I said well God I I want to feel the weight of that body I want to feel the weight of of a friend of mine who's not here anymore I want to feel the weight of of saying goodbye to your family and then going into your presence I want to feel the pain of missing someone he says the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning look I have done so many funerals and something I notice a trend that started happening especially when young people die is uh people are so anxious to uh get drunk afterwards um I mean I I started doing these funerals where these people would talk about it and even as they're giving their eulogies they'll say things like I know what he would want us to do he wants us to party today and party hard yeah you know and they just go and and let's so after this we're gonna throw the biggest rage one because so wasted so bummed out of our minds I mean they'll say this you know during the eulogies like let's get wasted because this is what he would want this is what she would want and she'll be right there with us and and it is crazy some of the moral Services I've done where people are coming in and they're just dressed like ready to party not in a good way I mean the girls and these little skirts and everything else and it's just like we're gonna have a party right after this why because the Bible says the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of Mirth" [00:22:01]

"and again we live in a time when people say a loving God will not punish that if he's a loving God how could he ever pour out his Wrath that doesn't make sense and yet scripture is filled with his judgment again it's it's the opposite what am I teach because the truth is is if God is Not holy and I am not bad and he does not judge why do I need the cross why are we taking communion it's just a little God we're going to run into up there who's just like us and we'll just argue with him and explain to him oh no no I'm a good person and you're supposed to be loving so you can't you can't punish me so why do we need this why would he send his one and only son to die on a cross but the truth is is he is Holy and there's no way a human being can just come into His presence or even get close to him and the truth is is I'm a rotten Sinner and the thoughts and that's why we confess those things with people who've been confessing those things for hundreds of years before we took communion and we just talked about our sin in word in thought indeed offensive to a holy God a God who is coming back to judge and pour out in Revelation it says is the undiluted wrath of God and he's been storing a breath and that's why we come to the table and go this is the best news ever that God is a loving merciful gracious God and sent his son to pay the penalty for all of my crimes" [00:28:15]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?