A Great Privilege

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by: Timothy Vazquez

12/08/2020

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Romans 9:4 (NLT) They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.

The Apostle Paul, in explaining to the Roman believers the heritage that they had inherited from the Jewish people, spoke about all that God had entrusted to His chosen people, Israel. He was telling them about how so many of the Jewish people had rejected the Messiah, Jesus, and explaining to them that just being born Jewish didn't make them a child of the promise that God gave to Abraham. The children of the promise were those that loved and served God and followed Him wholeheartedly. Paul recounted all the wonderful things of God that the Jewish people were given to enjoy, which included the privilege of worshipping Him and receiving His promises. Obviously, many in the nation of Israel did not regard all of this as a privilege and the vast majority of them lost their way and lost their privilege.

When it comes down to it, worshipping God is a privilege. Have you seen it that way in your life? Many people who say that they are Christians just put up with worship in church. Some just want to get to the Word while others are just disconnected and really don't like standing up all of that time. Some people purposely show up late so that they will miss the worship part and just hear the sermon. This all is part of the sad state of affairs of the Church in the United States. Very few Christians view worship as a privilege. But it is a high privilege that only a remnant gets to enjoy. It is a privilege because on our own merits, we should not be able to come into the presence of our Holy God. We should not even be daring enough to mention the Name of Jesus on our foul lips because of our great many sins. When confronted with the holy presence of God, the Prophet Isaiah exclaimed, "Woe to me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5) He felt and experienced his unworthiness to be in God's holy presence. But the Lord provided a way for Isaiah to remain in His presence without being ruined and He has provided a way for us as well. But what do we do with the privilege that we have? Do we even count it as such?

By the way, worship is not something that we do on Sundays by singing a few songs. Worship is an attitude of the heart that keeps you in a state of honoring the Lord Jesus all of the time not just with your lips, but with your heart. You worship Him by the way that you live and by the way that you treat others. You worship Him by obeying His Word and by serving Him with all of your heart and serving others. And yes, it includes singing to Him with all of your heart and soul, making music from your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). We all need to realize the great privilege that we have to come before the throne of our great and Almighty God, and we should be taking advantage of that privilege every day of our lives. The next time that you are in church and the worship time begins, be the first one to rise from your seat to experience the privilege that is ours of lifting up the Name of Jesus! Then continue on to enjoy the privilege of worshipping Him every day that you are alive until you see Him face to face.

Pastor Joey Vazquez

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Romans 9:4 (NLT) They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.

The Apostle Paul, in explaining to the Roman believers the heritage that they had inherited from the Jewish people, spoke about all that God had entrusted to His chosen people, Israel. He was telling them about how so many of the Jewish people had rejected the Messiah, Jesus, and explaining to them that just being born Jewish didn't make them a child of the promise that God gave to Abraham. The children of the promise were those that loved and served God and followed Him wholeheartedly. Paul recounted all the wonderful things of God that the Jewish people were given to enjoy, which included the privilege of worshipping Him and receiving His promises. Obviously, many in the nation of Israel did not regard all of this as a privilege and the vast majority of them lost their way and lost their privilege.

When it comes down to it, worshipping God is a privilege. Have you seen it that way in your life? Many people who say that they are Christians just put up with worship in church. Some just want to get to the Word while others are just disconnected and really don't like standing up all of that time. Some people purposely show up late so that they will miss the worship part and just hear the sermon. This all is part of the sad state of affairs of the Church in the United States. Very few Christians view worship as a privilege. But it is a high privilege that only a remnant gets to enjoy. It is a privilege because on our own merits, we should not be able to come into the presence of our Holy God. We should not even be daring enough to mention the Name of Jesus on our foul lips because of our great many sins. When confronted with the holy presence of God, the Prophet Isaiah exclaimed, "Woe to me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5) He felt and experienced his unworthiness to be in God's holy presence. But the Lord provided a way for Isaiah to remain in His presence without being ruined and He has provided a way for us as well. But what do we do with the privilege that we have? Do we even count it as such?

By the way, worship is not something that we do on Sundays by singing a few songs. Worship is an attitude of the heart that keeps you in a state of honoring the Lord Jesus all of the time not just with your lips, but with your heart. You worship Him by the way that you live and by the way that you treat others. You worship Him by obeying His Word and by serving Him with all of your heart and serving others. And yes, it includes singing to Him with all of your heart and soul, making music from your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). We all need to realize the great privilege that we have to come before the throne of our great and Almighty God, and we should be taking advantage of that privilege every day of our lives. The next time that you are in church and the worship time begins, be the first one to rise from your seat to experience the privilege that is ours of lifting up the Name of Jesus! Then continue on to enjoy the privilege of worshipping Him every day that you are alive until you see Him face to face.

Pastor Joey Vazquez

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