Commentary on worship through music during the TCC.
For a Christian, the vivacity of a song of worship is not purely in the notes, the melody, or even the lyrics. There is a certain quality of the music that is only sensed when the Holy Spirt of God is presently working to empower the elect to sing praises to the one who is alone worthy. One can not "bottle up" this quality and place it into a recording. Indeed, the presence of God among a fellowship of believers singing praise to him is an experience that can not be artificially recreated. This recording is not an attempt to re-create it.
There is no worship from music that makes you "feel tingly" inside if it purely the music alone that one pays attention to.
Instead, I'm sharing this recording from the final service of the 2009 True Church Conference at Grace Life Church of the Shoals as a way presenting the ways in which the presence of the Holy Spirit changed other aspects of the music that can be found in the recording - the unique bits of this particular moment. Even without the benefit of the Holy Spirit's unique presence, the words speak truth, and the beauty of the music echoes the nature of God.
The songs are: Before the Throne, In Christ Alone, and [On Christ the] Solid Rock.
The entire service can be viewed and heard here.
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(A brief note on copyright: It is believed that the use of this material is covered under fair use, as its inclusion is essential to elucidate my commentary.)
For people reading this via my Facebook Notes, you must go to my blog to see the audio player. This post can be found at: http://www.tollie.org/blog/2009/02/22/medley
Twitter Updates for 2009-02-22
- @lizziekeiper My old Powerbook G4 power cord used to get hot too. I figured it was tied to a battery/charging issue. I'd unplug until cool. in reply to lizziekeiper #
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- @LoriMiller_WHNT On the phone. My LG tv was defective from purchase, and I tried to do right by talking to LG instead of BestBuy. LG failed. #
- @LoriMiller_WHNT I told her as much and I believe she knew, but she only read from a script - a manager that can be replaced with recording. in reply to LoriMiller_WHNT #
- So likewise, I recommend people avoid LG products if you want any degree of _actual_ customer support. Full manufacturer's warranty? Bogus. #
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Notes from 2-20-2009 Sermon – Brokenness
Where does depression hurt? It hurts everywhere. It's like the 'Check Engine' light is on, and we've learned how to break the light. We have no sense of being crushed under our own sin. Instead, we try to remove that weight.
Unbiblical, anti-truth:
- Rob Bell: "no need for brokenness"
- The Shack (endorsed by Eugene Patterson, and Steven Curtis Chapman): "God submits to, needs people."
- Rick Warren: "You don't have to tell people they're sinners; they already know this."
Psalms 51:1-19
"Blot out" - like the flood
"Wash me" - like on a washboard
"Cleanse me" - a ceremonial style
=== I ===
Ps 51:8
Brokenness is an appropriate response to sin because sin leaves behind 'scar tissue' - a mark on us. See Romans 7:23-24.
=== II ===
PS. 51:3
Brokenness is an appropriate response to sin so that _we_ don't forget our sins. God can forget, but _we_ can't. We must realize that sins create memories that stay with us. This is good because:
1. If you could forget your sins, you could never testify to the forgiveness of God!
2. If you could forget, you wouldn't be warned against doing them again. Imagine if we could forget that fire is hot...
3. If you could forget, you couldn't celebrate your victory over sin - our triumphs through Christ.
=== III ===
Revelation 19:11-16
Brokenness is appropriate response to sin because our sin is an affront to a holy God.
"People don't know that they're bad. They watch the nightly news and think that _those_ people are bad." Compare this to Rick Warren telling preachers that people already know they're sinners.
We need to be done with this image of Christ as a weak, needy, feeble guy. Revelation 19:11-16. He is a God capable of great wrath.
He demonstrates his own wrath when he poured it out on his own son! How dare we think that he would do that to his own son, but because we're "not that bad" he could never be that wrathful against us!
Unbiblical: "He wants you. He needs you. He's desperate for you. You're breaking his heart."
Biblical: "He's going to break you."
People come into church looking to be appeased, thinking they're owed something. Preachers are guilty of "trampling [his] courts" (Isaiah 1:10-18) when they hold these services that "target" sinners, gearing them towards a man-centric goal. These people say things like "_I_ prayed a prayer. _I_ have changed my ways." No. Preach the word!
=== IV ===
Brokenness is an appropriate response to sin because sin is a hindrance to the true worship of a holy God.
Ps. 51:7-10.
Worship is an outward expression of brokenness.
In some churches, they say brokenness is an inappropriate response to sin. They say "you're a Christian - you're forgiven." May it never be that we forget the weight of our sin. Brokenness is the _only_ appropriate response to sin. It's not to wallow and indulge in self-pitty (that would be just as wrong); it's not to make you feel bad. It's to get you in the place where you realize God's grace and glorify HIM.
In an of myself, all that I can do is continue to crumble under the weight of my own sin.
Notes from 2-19-2009 Sermon – Radical Depravity
Romans 3:9
=== I ===
There is no difference between ministers past and present, here or there. All are under sin. Compare Romans 3 to Genesis - a moral change took place in their beings; same today.
=== II ===
Romans 8:7 - People fall under two categories. Those whom are saved (the Spirit has fallen) and those in whom the Spirit has not worked (the unrepentant).
The unrepentant, unsaved: (a reminder) Hostile to God. Enemies of God. May be religious. May be church going people who worship a god of their own making. For example, may worship a god who doesn't mind that they are living in sin; a god who "tickles them" in the midst of their sin. Romans 8:8 - they _cannot_ please God.
=== III ===
Romans 3:10-18 is what God says about self-righteous Israel.
Human beings are in a state of mutiny.
Anecdote: We are like individuals who are blind and arguing about whether there is a sun or not, yet the very reason we are having this discussion is because we feel the suns rays! We can not see the full glory of God's face, but we certainly should recognize that he is there.
=== IV ===
It is to people in this state of rebellion that believers are called to preach - "repent or perish."
IMPORTANT: Why? We just said that they _can't_ turn from their sins. They can't please God. They are dead in their sin, and spiritual enemies against their God.
Truth: they _can't_ turn from their sins, this is to the glory of our God - it is his grace redeems them. So that when anyone repents and turns from sin, it can be entirely to the glory of God. This also demonstrates that God is not a passive savior of the past, but he is an active savior in the present, reaching out to sinners. It is in this goodness of God that is our hope. God knows who are his and, through the preaching of the gospel, will bring them to himself.
Related to the anecdote above: "It is in this pitch black darkness of depravity that God is saving souls."
=== V ===
Let us fill the church with unconverted pagans. God, let them hear the Word, and God be glorified.
Twitter Updates for 2009-02-18
- @loic Hi. Where can we tweet Twirl bugs to? I have a repeatable one. The most recently saved search re-checks 'add to home' on open. Thx. :) in reply to loic #
- @loic ... Send them to @askseesmic. Got it. Thanks! :) #
- @askseesmic Bug: v.0.9. Repeatable. The most recently saved search re-checks the "add to home" box on open. (Ignores unchecking.) Thx. :) #
- @nsstcweather Thanks for the replies and info! Interesting distinctions. Now I know. in reply to nsstcweather #
- Pretty sure I just ticked off a Huntsville lady who was working for LG. But so be it, she was "being the company" reading policy - faceless. #
- @LoriMiller_WHNT On the phone. My LG tv was defective from purchase, and I tried to do right by talking to LG instead of BestBuy. LG failed. #
- @LoriMiller_WHNT I told her as much and I believe she knew, but she only read from a script - a manager that can be replaced with recording. in reply to LoriMiller_WHNT #
- So likewise, I recommend people avoid LG products if you want any degree of _actual_ customer support. Full manufacturer's warranty? Bogus. #
- LG is another corporation that clearly isn't on "the cluetrain." Markets are conversations. Your lawyer'ed up fine print is costing you $$. #
Twitter Updates for 2009-02-17
- @KakieF The latest version of Twirl can include Twitter Search in your timeline (Home) feed. Lets you follow hash tags easily in real time. #
- @heroespodcast Where was the address to? Before that, people were speculating that Luke might be Sylar's dad with an appearance ability. #
- @twirl Unchecking "add to home" on the search isn't "sticking" as a setting after quit/relaunch. It re-checks itself. Thanks :) #
- @nsstcweather Admitting ignorance. What's the diff, if any, btwn freezing rain, sleet, and 1mm hail? We had 1 of those at 10:30 for 10 min. in reply to nsstcweather #
Twitter Updates for 2009-02-16
- @lizziekeiper My old Powerbook G4 power cord used to get hot too. I figured it was tied to a battery/charging issue. I'd unplug until cool. in reply to lizziekeiper #
Notes from 2-15-2009 Sermon – Seek the Lord
Media link: Video - Starts at 3:43 mark.
My thought: today, we behold the bare cross as a sight of hope and somber remembrance. In glory, we will behold the actual countenance of God in complete satisfaction.
Speaker: Conrad Mbewe - pastor from Zambia.
Psalms 2:1-12.
Psalms chapter 1 and 2 serve as introduction to Psalms. They weren't written first.
Psalms 1:1 starts with "Blessed."
Psalms 2:12 ends with "Blessed."
Because true human happiness is only found in God.
Psalms 1: Microscopic view.
Psalms 2: Macroscopic view.
Psalms 2 is divided like scenes from a play; 3 verses per scene.
* Psalms 2:1-3: (Video @ 48:59) God empowered David. David acted boldly because he knew that it was only by God's permission that he was empowered at all.
* Psalms 2:4-6: (Video @ 56:35) God laughed. Consider: Parents walking down hallway, listening to their children in their rooms plotting an overthrow. The parents can't help but laugh- they are plotting the overthrow of the their parents who own the house, bought the clothes, and paid the electric bill. It is laughable their desire to overthrow. The parents further realize that this behavior is wrong and sinful, and ground the children.
* Psalms 2:7-9: (Video @ 67:19) "Son" is talking. Compare these verses to Acts 13 talking about the resurrection. Don't attempt to judge God by the church or by the weaponry of the Gospel.
* Psalms 2:10-12: (Video @ 78:31) Listening to a town crier who is decreeing the news of the King so the people can relate appropriately. Message: "stop - you are headed to destruction."
Twitter Updates for 2009-02-13
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