Yesterday’s worship for me was inspiring.  Thinking about heaven as described in Revelation 4 often moves me.  I like to think about the songs that are being sung throughout eternity (actually it doesn’t say that they were singing…but I like to think that what they’re saying is very melodic:

Revelation 4:8-11

Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

The new song the band did yesterday called Revelation Song is a favorite of my wife, and it was so beautiful.  If you notice the words to that song is exactly what the inhabitants of heaven are using even now…and will use forever.

If you have any doubt that you have an eternal hope of heaven and forever worshipping the Savior Jesus Christ, then I want you to begin considering what it will take to secure that future for you.  Talk with me about how God will help make it clear to you too.

Sunday was the final day of the Activate Series…three messages that help a Christian amp up their life of faith.  All put together, this series outlines three foundational parts to a Christians’ walk…worship, small group discipleship, and authentic lives lived for others.  At Team Church, we offer inspiring worship on Sundays, Home Teams during the week, and opportunities to reach and impact our community.

UP

• First there was “UP,” a message about activating our faith in terms of our worship.  I told the story of the major change of perception I received from the time I ascended the mountainside waterfall, to the moment I approached the ledge to leap into the water below.  The point that I made was that everything would suddenly change if and when we see God as He truly is.  And just like Isaiah immediately worshipped God when He glimpsed just the hem of God’s robe filling the Temple, our lives of worship would be instantly activated if God showed up in our lives.

IN

• The second message talked about activating “IN.”  This was a challenge for us to stop living isolated lives and lean in on a small group of growing disciples.  I truly believe that we aren’t the Christians God designed us to be if we aren’t engaged with church… and by church I mean a close group of believers.  I told the story of how a close-knit group of believers that met in homes saved my life over the last few years.  In addition to activating a life of upward inspiration with others on Sundays, we too must activate inward with others.  At Team Church we have Home Teams that will begin in just a few weeks.

OUT

• And Sunday’s message finished off the series by suggesting that when we re-focus our lives both UP and IN that the transformation on the inside should ultimately be expressed OUT.  Children “act out” sometimes and we think it’s not appropriate, but on the other hand, it’s the most natural thing for a person to act out or behave according to his or her nature.  A kid’s got to move and be energetic because that is what’s on the inside…a rambunctious, growing, curious, can’t-be-quiet being.  If that’s true, then why don’t we see more Christians acting out what’s on their inside…a powerful, transformed, loving, serving, giving and sharing spiritual being that looks more and more like the image of Christ?  In specific, I asked everyone to help out others as one way to act out their activated faith.

I like to watch infomercials.  I love the way they persuade me to cut aluminum cans with my kitchen knives, cook whole frozen turkeys in just thirty minutes, and watch my waist slim down just by pressing the “on” switch to some new contraption.  I was thinking of infomercials when I started preparing this week’s message on personal devotion.

Asking people to engage in acts of personal devotion to God is sort of like what I see taking place in the infomercial.  The salesman didn’t put on his little bow tie just to explain that sharp knives cut better than dull ones; we already believe that.  I mean, who doesn’t value a good meal in a short amount of time?  And needless to say, they don’t have to convince us that exercising is better than not exercising.  My point is that I don’t have to sell others on the value of personal devotion.  We already believe that praying and Bible and worship are important.  What seems to be needed is the motivation to act on what we already value.

Now, I don’t mean to devalue Godly devotion by comparing it to sales and manipulation.  But I think there is a lesson to be found in the infomercial illustration–albeit maybe just a small one.  Here is what I get from this comparison…We sometimes need a boost of motivation to begin doing what we already value.  In other words, I’m not interested in giving the audience a lecture to explain why prayer, the Bible, and worship are good for us–that will be assumed.  What I am looking for is a holy inspired motivation where we “get off the couch” and begin to do it.

Let’s get past the salesman’s deal…after all he only had to get you to call up and order the exercise equipment.  Once he delivers the goods, it’s up to you whether it gets you buff or collects dust.  Now think about a hiring a personal trainer.  A personal trainers job would be to continually motivate you to do what you value.

So how much motivation do you need to act on your personal devotion throughout the week?  Do you need more consistency, do you need a schedule, do you need someone to personally train you?  My hope is that Sunday will be a motivation to our devotion, and perhaps–as they say in the infomercials…”you’re guaranteed results in ten days or less!”

If you haven’t chimed in on the personal devotion poll, please do so, and I’ll see you Sunday!