John 19
JC Ryle said, ”a religion that costs nothing is worth nothing. A cheap Christianity, without a cross, will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown.”
We enter into the gospel of John’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Here the suffering of Christ is highlighted, that suffering will be used to challenge the followers of Jesus to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Paul will use the crucifixion as the point of identification with Christ: ”I have been crucified with Christ…I bear on my body the brand marks of Jesus.”
Worship puts us in contact with the suffering of Christ which in turn motivates us to live a “rich” Christianity, a Christianity that costs us something, everything. A Christ worth worshiping is a Christ worth copying.
Billy Graham said “the highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.” A Sunday morning worship service should propel us to service and proclamation. Our exposure to the story of Jesus in song and Word move us to participate in His suffering, that is the cost of discipleship.
Our prayer together today is: Spirit lead us into the Truth; help us to worship in Spirit and Truth. Create in us the image of Jesus Christ.
