Study Worship

✅ Enroll in your first FREE theology of worship course by emailing me at caleb@studyworship.org. 🎥 Recent videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOJA4ZRIyk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNImoRWQE6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJdRVDmlzE

Show Notes

✅ Enroll in your first FREE theology of worship course by emailing me at caleb@studyworship.org.

🎥 Recent videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOJA4ZRIyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNImoRWQE6U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJdRVDmlzE

What is Study Worship?

"Let us offer to God acceptable worship."

Caleb:

How does Jesus change the way we worship? Well, Paul answers this in part in second Corinthians three eighteen, saying that between the old and the new covenants, Jesus changes who can draw near to god, what we see when we draw near to God, and then finally, what happens when we draw near to God. And I expound on these three points in the sermon that I preached this last Sunday at Kingstree Church, which is where I lead worship. And I want to make that sermon available to you now on this channel. Unfortunately, the livestream didn't end up going live.

Caleb:

So all I have is the audio, but I hope it encourages you nonetheless. And before we get into it, if you would like to study worship with me even more deeply, more thoroughly, I have a free course that I'd love to give you. It is almost done. I'm putting the final touches on it. I already have it recorded.

Caleb:

I'm just editing it, and then I'll make it available online. So if that's something you want to enroll in, just email me at Caleb@studyworship.org, and I'll get you into that right away. So without further ado, let's go ahead and listen in to how Jesus changes the way we worship. So last week, pastor Chad taught us from Hebrews 10 that Jesus, by his blood and through his flesh, made a new and living way for us to enter the holy places and draw near to God. But what exactly does that look like?

Caleb:

We know now that we can access God and draw near to him. But what does it look like for us mere mortals here on earth to actually draw near to the holy and invisible God? That's what we're going to consider today. And primarily, we're going to look at how Jesus changes worship from the old covenant to the new covenant. Because the way that we approach God is now through Jesus, and he changed everything for us.

Caleb:

So how through Jesus do we draw near to God, approach him, and worship him together? We're gonna ask three questions of the text. First, who now through Christ can draw near to God? What do we see when we draw near to God? And then what happens when we draw near to God?

Caleb:

Paul answers these questions in second Corinthians three by contrasting what that looks like for the Israelites in the old covenant, and then shows how Jesus made it better in the new covenant. So as we answer these questions, we're gonna start with the Old Testament and see when they drew near to God, who who could draw near to God, When they draw near, what they saw, and then what happened? And then for us, who can draw near to God now? What do we see when we draw near? And then what happens when we draw near?

Caleb:

This means that you're gonna have to have a bookmark. So we're gonna start in second Corinthians three, but then we're gonna go back to Exodus, and we're gonna start in verse or chapter three. So you're gonna wanna have one bookmark in second Corinthians three and then the other one in Exodus. For now, let me read second Corinthians three, and then I'll pray and we'll get started. So here we go.

Caleb:

Second Corinthians three verse 12. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. Not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted because only through Christ is it taken away.

Caleb:

Yes. To this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

Caleb:

For this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. Let me pray. Father, we come before you, and we are grateful that you've given us your word that we might know how to draw near to you together. I pray that as we come to your word and hear from your word, that you would help us see it afresh by your spirit, and that everything that I say would be pleasing in your sight, that it would build up these members who are here, and that ultimately, I pray you would give them the boldness and the confidence to know how to draw near to you and to receive the benefits that come from being in your presence. In Jesus Christ name, we pray.

Caleb:

Amen. Alright. So first question, who can draw near to God? Who can draw near to God under the old covenant? First, we see that Moses gets to draw near to God.

Caleb:

We see this in the first time, but actually Moses progressively draws near to God. He could not originally draw near to God when he first met God in Exodus three. So if you're go ahead and move to Exodus three, I'm gonna read verse four and five. This is when the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and we get to see what what they say here. So verse four, when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside, God called to him out of the bush.

Caleb:

Moses, Moses. And he said, here I am. Then God said, do not come near. Take your sandals off your feet for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. Alright.

Caleb:

So here, when Moses first meets God, he can't draw near because the ground on which he was where where he was at was holy. And then God gives him a task to go bring rescue his people out of Egypt. And he says specifically in verse 12, that he wants to do that so the Israelites can serve him on the very same mountain that he met Moses. So that they can worship him on that mountain. And it's not until then that we see Moses drawing near to God.

Caleb:

So let's go ahead and move forward to Exodus 19. Exodus 19. This is where God first meets his gathered people, and he does so on Mount Sinai. He gives Moses a ton of things to tell the people how to prepare themselves, consecrate themselves, the limits placed around the mountain, and then we get to verse 16 and chapter 19, the the moment when God actually arrives on Mount Sinai. And it says, on the morning of the third day, there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.

Caleb:

Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up.

Caleb:

Alright, so the first time Moses met God, God says, don't come near. But now, when God comes onto the mountain in devouring fire and lightnings and flashings and thick dark clouds, he says, alright, Moses, now you can draw near. And Moses actually does it. How bold Moses is. Now he goes up on the mountain.

Caleb:

A lot of things happen in between, and then he ends up coming down. And I want you to see this. Join me at Exodus 34 when Moses comes down from the mountain. After he comes from drawing near to the Lord, what has happened to him? So Exodus 34 starting in verse 29.

Caleb:

It says, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Alright. So Moses was not able to draw near and then he drew near to God on the mountain and he came down and his face was shining like the noonday sun, like the glory of God. So how awesome would it have been to be Moses? How awesome to see the glory of the Lord with your own eyes?

Caleb:

To have the boldness to walk right through the thick darkness to the top of the mountain where God was. And how awesome would it have been to have the freedom to speak to God directly. But not everyone had the same experience as Moses. The people did not get to draw near to God. The Israelites were said were told not to come near to God, and they actually progressively fall back further away from God's presence.

Caleb:

So let's go back to Exodus 19 and see what they did when they were approaching the Lord. So in verse 17 of chapter 19, we read now so your chapter yeah. Chapter 19 verse 17. It says, Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. So that's where they started.

Caleb:

They're at the bottom of the mountain looking up. But then they retreat out of fear. If you go to the next page, chapter 20 verse 18 through 19, It says, now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off. And they said to Moses, you speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, lest we die. So the people stood far off and Moses drew near.

Caleb:

And then eventually, they flee from the glory of God. So they stood far off, Moses went up, and then later when Moses comes down back to chapter 34, thank you for moving to all these passages with me. Starting in verse 30 of chapter 34. When Moses comes down from the mountain and his face is shining like like the sun, Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses and behold, the skin of his face shone and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him.

Caleb:

So it says, only Aaron and the leaders came to him and Moses talked with them. Afterward, after the people saw that the leaders didn't die, the people came near and Moses commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him at Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. So Moses gets to draw near, but the people do not. This is not the best way for all of us to engage with God.

Caleb:

And this is why Jesus came. Jesus came to make a better way so that everyone can engage with God and draw near. So now we're gonna go up to second Corinthians three and see what Paul has to say about how Jesus changes worship in this way. So, second Corinthians chapter three starting in verse seven, we see that Jesus makes worship better in three ways. The first way is that worship under the new covenant is more glorious.

Caleb:

So if you remember the glory of God came down in fire and lightning and flashing, and then Paul's gonna say, the the new covenant worship is more glorious. Here we go. Second Corinthians three verse seven. Now, if the ministry of death carved in letters on stones came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses's face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end. Will not the ministry of the spirit have even more glory?

Caleb:

For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness much far exceeded in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Alright. So that would have been awesome to see the the mountain and the fire.

Caleb:

But Paul says, that is no glory because of what we have in the new covenant. But that's not the only way Jesus makes worship better. He makes worship more bold. Continue in verse 12. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, and he's talking about himself and his companions.

Caleb:

Not like Moses who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted because only through Christ is it taken away. So Moses was bold to go through that thick darkness, but now under the new covenant, the ministers of the new covenant are even more bold because they don't put a veil to cover the glory of the Lord. And then the third reason that Jesus makes worship better is that he makes it more free.

Caleb:

Continuing in verse 15. Yes. To this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Caleb:

Alright. So if worship under the new covenant is more glorious, more bold, and more free, what does it look like then? How can it be that good? And we see this in verse 18, and this is where the rest of the sermon stems from. And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to the to another.

Caleb:

For this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. So right there at the beginning of the verse, that's what makes worship in the New Testament and the New Covenant way better than the Old Covenant. We all are Moses. We all get to walk into the glory of God with an unveiled face. We get to be transformed into the same image just as Moses came down from the mountain and his face was shining like the sun.

Caleb:

So we get to experience that same transformation in our lives. So this is great news, but you may notice something's missing. What's missing? What's missing here? The fire, the lightning, the cloud.

Caleb:

I mean, when was the last time that you chose to come to Kingstree Church because from afar, you saw a devouring fire come out of heaven and burn the the ceiling apart? I've I've never done that. When was the last time when you walked through the front doors, you had to pierce through thick dark clouds to get to your seat. And when was the last time that you left church and your face was literally shining brighter than the snow outside? So if we don't see the glory of God here, maybe we should take our church budget and buy all of us tickets to fly to the the Sinai Peninsula.

Caleb:

And we take our our seat right at the mountain where where God was before. We all move there. We send Christopher up the mountain, and then we wait for him to come down and tell us what God said, or we all get to go up in the mountain ourselves. Alright. No.

Caleb:

Clearly, that is not how we then see the glory of the Lord. So this begs the question, what is the glory of the Lord? And how do we see it now under the new covenant? So two things to note. The glory of the Lord, when we hear that, it's distinct from the Lord himself.

Caleb:

So when we read in second Corinthians three, it says, we behold the glory of the Lord. We don't behold the Lord, we behold his glory. Surely, we are beholding the Lord when we behold his glory, but they are two distinct things. This is important. So the glory of the Lord comes from him, but it's not him, and it's always from him.

Caleb:

God is always met with his glory, but they're distinct. Alright? And then second, the glory of the lord refers to two different concepts in both of these passages. First, it refers to what god looks like, his radiance, his splendor, but then also what god is like, his character, and his virtues. So let's look at what the glory of God looks like under the old covenant.

Caleb:

So we're gonna go back to Exodus 24. Hopefully, you kept your bookmark there. Exodus 24 and starting in or it's just verse 17. What does the glory of the Lord look like? And we've already heard it.

Caleb:

Verse 17 says, now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. So when they beheld the glory of the Lord, what that means is they're seeing this giant fire on the mountain. But Moses gets to approach that glory, and apparently for him, it's not enough. It's not enough. And we see that in chapter 33.

Caleb:

Alright? So when Moses actually gets up to the mountain, he's speaking with the Lord. In chapter 30 chapter 33 starting in verse 18, Moses says, please show me your glory. But does he not is this not enough for him? Can God not make a bigger fire?

Caleb:

Does he need to eliminate the entire peninsula for him to be satisfied? Well, that's not what Moses is talking about here. And God understands that because God responds in verse 19. God said, I will make what? All my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you my name, the Lord.

Caleb:

Did the Lord mishear Moses? Moses like, I wanna see your glory. And God says, I'll show you my goodness. He didn't misunderstand him. God is saying his goodness is his glory.

Caleb:

So God's glory is not just what he looks like, it's what he is like. God is good. And then when God actually passes by Moses and shows him his goodness, Let's move down to chapter 34 verse six. We read, the lord passed before him and proclaimed. So, this is or here we go.

Caleb:

Let's start in verse five. So chapter 34 verse five. The Lord descended in the cloud. Alright. So there's his glory that what he looks like and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord.

Caleb:

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. This is the glory of God. It is his steadfast love and faithfulness. In fact, that phrase throughout the Psalms is used to kind of summarize this glory that God has revealed to Moses. It's always talking about how God's steadfast love and faithfulness follows Israel or saves Israel and so on and so forth.

Caleb:

So if that's the glory of the lord that the Israelites saw and Moses saw, what do we see under the new covenant? How do we see the glory of the lord? Well, back to second Corinthians four. I didn't put my bookmark there. Here we go.

Caleb:

Paul answers this for us in second Corinthians four, which is a little bit after our passage. In verse, let me find it for us here. Verse six. So, chapter four verse six. For god who said, let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God where?

Caleb:

In the face of Jesus Christ. So under the new covenant, we see the glory of the Lord. What God looks like, what God is like in the face of Jesus Christ. It is interesting because when Moses was up on the mountain and God passed by him, he said, you'll only see my back. You won't see my face.

Caleb:

But Jesus changes everything because now we get to see the face of God, the fullness of his glory in Jesus Christ. So then, what does Jesus look like? What is his outer self, his radiance, his splendor? We see that in Philippians two, which you don't have to turn there if you don't want. That what Jesus looks like when he comes is a cursed servant.

Caleb:

Philippians two five says, Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, that is though he looked like God, he had that glory, what God looked like, his radiance, his splendor. Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself. Not that he emptied himself of his full divinity, but he emptied himself of that splendor that comes with being God. And doing so, he takes on the form that is the glory of a servant. And what does a servant look like?

Caleb:

While being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. And we know it is a curse to be murdered on a cross. So Jesus looks like a cursed servant. Why?

Caleb:

Why why do we why does our God look like that when Moses got to see this brilliant splendor, fire, and so on and so forth? Well, it's because that would be that's the only way we can penetrate into the glory of who God is because we are sinful. So Jesus still has the fullness of the glory of God's inner self, his character, his virtues. In John one, it says, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father.

Caleb:

And what did we see? Full of grace and truth. And this in in the Greek, full of grace and truth is very very similar. Almost the same words as steadfast love and faithfulness. So, when we see Jesus, we see the god of the Old Testament in him and then in verse 17, for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Caleb:

No one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the father's side, he has made him known. So Jesus is what under the new covenant we look at. We see his his glory as a cursed servant who is full of the grace and truth of God. So then, where is Jesus that we might behold him?

Caleb:

Well, the Bible teaches that he's at the right hand of the father in heaven. So then, I'd say, let's go ahead and take our church budget, and let's blow out the ceiling, and let's put glass up here so we can look up into heaven and see Christ seated there on the throne. Will that work? No. Clearly not.

Caleb:

I mean, Stephen got to see that when when he was martyred. But Jesus is now invisible to us because he is in heaven at the right hand of the father. So how do we see the glory of Christ here now? Well, it's in two ways. First, we get to behold Christ in scripture, and we we see this in first John one in a powerful way.

Caleb:

First John one starts, that which was from the beginning, speaking of Christ, which we have heard, this is John speaking, John and his companions have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, we proclaim also to you. So that you too may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the father and with his son, Jesus Christ. So John says, we saw Jesus. We touched Jesus. We got to look at him with our own eyes, and we proclaim him to you.

Caleb:

And apparently, in the proclamation of Christ, we have it the the proclamation of Christ, facilitates a true, real fellowship with Jesus Christ. So when when we look at the scriptures, we do look at Christ. And that's why we don't spend our budget on religious escapades or skylights or even flashing lights and smoke machines. The majority of our budget is spent to support the ministry of the word because it is through the proclamation of the word that facilitates real fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ. But we also get to see Christ in another way, not just in scripture, but scripture teaches us that we also see Christ in the church.

Caleb:

Paul says in first Corinthians 12, for just as the body is one and has many members and all of the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. This means you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. So just as my body is one and has many members, so Christ's body is one and has many members. So I can look at my hand, and this is my hand, a member of my body, and see Caleb. This is me right here.

Caleb:

Or I can look at my foot, and I can say, well, that's that's still me down there. That's Caleb. Now it's a part of me, but it's still me. In the same way, I can look at Richard and see Christ because he's a member of the body of Christ. I can look at Pam and see Christ even when she's here because she is a member to with Christ.

Caleb:

I can look at pastor Chad, and I can see Christ because he is a member of Christ's body. So when we look at one another, when we use our gifts to encourage one another, we see Christ in the inner workings. We see it both if we look back and see just how the whole church functions, and we can see it when we look at one member and see the glory of the gift that God has given to that particular member. Alright. This brings us to our final question.

Caleb:

If we all can draw near to Christ, behold him in the scripture and in the gathered body, what happens? What happens when we do that? Well, we learned under the old covenant, if the Israelites drew near to God, they would have been transformed back into dust. God would have killed them all, made them all perish. Exodus 19, you're not gonna turn back there.

Caleb:

It says, the Lord said to Moses, go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord and look, and many of them perish. Don't let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest, what happens, He breaks out against them. God says, I will kill them if they come near me. That's a terrifying reality. But even Moses, when he drew near to God, only his outer self was transformed.

Caleb:

So when he came down, his face was shining, but his heart was still not clean. For later, he eventually sinned against God to the extent that God kept him from entering the promised land. But Jesus changes this. He changes this by enacting a new covenant, which says, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel with the in the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, my covenant that they broke. This is the covenant that I will make with them.

Caleb:

I will put my law within them, and I will write it on my heart on on their hearts. So that's what we see in second Corinthians three, that when we behold the glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord transforms us. So I'm just gonna read this one more time. Join me at second Corinthians three eighteen. It says, and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

Caleb:

There are three things to see here. First, god transforms you. So it says, when you behold the glory of the lord, you are being transformed. It's not as though you have to look at the glory of the lord and then get a mirror and start painting yourself to look like that image. No.

Caleb:

God says, you just look at me and I will make you look like me. That's all you have to do. Just look at me. The second thing we get to know is what we get transformed into. We get transformed into the glory of God.

Caleb:

We get transformed into the image of Christ. So this very glorious image that you love and love to see is what you become if you look at it. And then third, and in conclusion, God transforms you into the image of Christ with patience by his spirit. It says, we are transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. So what does this mean?

Caleb:

What does this one degree of glory to another? It means that God knows you're not there yet. God knows that you fall short of his glory. And he's going to take you from that glory to another, that you can go from where you are now to looking more and more like him. This means that God knows you are not merciful like Christ.

Caleb:

He knows that you are not gracious like Christ. God knows you are quick to anger and slow to love. God knows your faith dwindles and your sin abounds. God knows your lowly body is wasting away to death. But this one degree of glory where you're at, he's going to take it and bring you to the glory of Christ.

Caleb:

So you who are not merciful, look to Christ who patiently endures the wickedness of all men, and he will make you merciful. You who are not gracious, look to Christ who gave his life to save yours, and he will make you gracious like him. You who are quick to anger, look to Christ who did not open his mouth when he was falsely accused, and he will make you patient and gentle like himself. You who are slow to love, look to Christ who loved his enemies and did good to those who hated him, and he will make you love with all your heart. You who are unfaithful, look to Christ who is obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, and he will make you faithful to the end.

Caleb:

You who are sinful, look to Christ who knew no sin, but became sin for us, and he will make you the righteousness of God. And finally, you whose body is wasting away to death, look to Christ who died and rose again, and he will resurrect you on the last day. Let's pray. Father, we come before you grateful that you have shown us your glory in the face of Jesus Christ because without him, we would have no hope. We would be like the Israelites who want to see you, but if we were to draw near, we would perish, we would die.

Caleb:

So Father, I pray that as we continue to draw near, not just today, but next week and a week after, as we continue to look at your scripture and gather together as your body, would you show us more of Christ and transform us into the same image that we might look like him now and forevermore. In Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. Well, thank you for listening to this message. I really, really hope that it encouraged you.

Caleb:

And again, if you want to study worship more with me, just email me at calobstudyworship dot org, and I'll get you enrolled in my first course free of charge. Other than that, I hope to see you back at the channel next week. See you then.