True Acts of Worship

1. True Acts of Worship Isaiah 58

2. Integrated faith • Through Isaiah, God says faith yields justice as well as religious expression. Work Marriage or Single Family Enter-tain-ment Finances Finances Geo-politics Sex Spiritual Concerns Jesus Christ the Precious Cornerstone

3. WHO IS ‘YOU’? • Isa 58:4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. • Collective identity • Family or married couple (we, not me) • The Church is a big Family! • Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail • “Lamentably,… groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but… groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.”

4. Isaiah 58:2,5 • 2 Yet they seek me dailyand delight to know my ways,as if they were a nation that did righteousnessand did not forsake the judgment of their God;they ask of me righteous judgments;they delight to draw near to God. • 5 Is such the fast that I choose,a day for a person to humble himself?Is it to bow down his head like a reed,and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?Will you call this a fast,and a day acceptable to the Lord?

5. A. False worship • Sarcasm in vs 2,5: Going through the motions • False worship can be fasting or sacrifice or any kind of hypocrisy. • I fast, I pray, I read the Bible, I… • Pride about doctrine • Luke 11:39-41 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.”

6. False worship • Isa 58:3b Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. • Oppress workers • Impressions in China • Interviewees

7. False worship • Isa 58:4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fightand to hit with a wicked fist.Fasting like yours this daywill not make your voice to be heard on high. • Isa 58:9b If you take away the yoke from your midst,the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness • Contention • Ramadan

8. B. True worship • Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I choose:to loose the bonds of wickedness,to undo the straps of the yoke,to let the oppressed go free,and to break every yoke?Isa 58:7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungryand bring the homeless poor into your house;when you see the naked, to cover him,and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?Isa 58:10 if you pour yourself out for the hungryand satisfy the desire of the afflicted,then shall your light rise in the darknessand your gloom be as the noonday.

9. True worship • Break chains of injustice (vs 6,9) • Oppression of workers • Abject poverty • Crime unpunished and innocence punished James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. • Take care of the poor (vs 7,10) • Food (starving & afflicting themselves, but not caring for the involuntarily afflicted—J.Piper) • Shelter—what about risk to my family? • Clothing Matthew 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ • Keep the Sabbath holy (vs 13)

10. god’s love for the poor as biblical theme • Isaiah • Justice 30x • Poor 13x • 41:17 The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. • Law of Moses • Prophets (Hosea, Amos, Jeremiah, Zechariah…) • Jesus • Luke • James

11. Priorities and stewardship • American dream = entitlement • I worked hard • I earned it • It’s mine to enjoy • Bible—entrusted • All I have is a gift from God • I’m blessed in order to bless others (Gen 12:3) • Ephesians 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. • Jesus is Lord Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt (Multnomah, 2010)

12. captivating http://www.captivating.org/ • Seng Children’s Home: Hope for Tibetan girls in Qinghai, China

13. http://www.casunshine.org/projects.asp Sunshine school • God’s work collectively through the international church of Shenzhen

14. Promised land • Autistic children in Shenzhen, China • Huang Li Shen • Before arrival • Parents unable to care for him • 8 years old; looks like 4 or 5 years old. • Wouldn’t wear pants, wouldn’t sit down • Couldn’t feed himself, wouldn’t walk… • Grandma': "Luo Laoshi, if my grandson is willing to wear pants in two weeks time, I will be very grateful". • Wearing pants from Day 1. • Within 1 week: Feeds himself sitting at the table. He is in class with other children. This is all a first for him. • Praise the LORD!

15. Morocco earthquake rebuilding • Mercy Hill teams made a powerful statement for Christ (Willie)

16. C. Your light will shine • Isa 58:8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,and your healing shall spring up speedily;your righteousness shall go before you;the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. • Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

17. Evangelism or social justice? AND — • The two work together (like 2 legs). • God Loves the poor. • Words and deeds are complementary • Words are the truth that brings freedom • Actions are evidence that the Holy Spirit has power • Pave the way and make our words acceptable to the world • Silence the enemy

18. Your light will shine • One sows, another reaps: China • Church growth 4M (1949)  85M (2010) believers: 20x in 60 years • Chinese response to believers: “You must be a good person.” • Driver’s response to the Gospel, knowing what Captivating does • Kids Club • Served in community events • Cleaned up the school • Opened up an opportunity for the Gospel

19. Your light will shine • Isa 58:9-10 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’If you take away the yoke from your midst,the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,if you pour yourself out for the hungryand satisfy the desire of the afflicted,then shall your light rise in the darknessand your gloom be as the noonday. • God will answer your prayers • God will meet your needs

20. Your light will shine • Isa 58:11 And the Lord will guide you continuallyand satisfy your desire in scorched placesand make your bones strong;and you shall be like a watered garden,like a spring of water,whose waters do not fail. • God will lead you and give you strength • Do you want to know God’s will for your life? • Then obey (Rom 12:1). • He who gives up his life for Jesus will gain it (Luke 9:23-27) • Isa 58:14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,for the mouth of the Lord has spoken • You’ll delight in the Lord

21. You’ll delight in the lord • Love the world • Comfort • Safety • Security • Love God • Willing to give all for the Kingdom of God • Including money • “I trust God.” How do I know if I don’t step out in faith? • Sow  reap the reward of God Himself!

22. Total market value is total investment by people. People put confidence in other people. Stock Market

23. Is your confidence in God? Then invest in His Kingdom. Infinite return on investment Don’t keep one foot in each kingdom Kingdom of God Kingdom of God ∞ Kingdom of the world

24. II. What does it mean for us today? A. Do I have to give up everything (Luke 18:18-30)? • Giving under grace • “Have to” is meaningless. • We reap what we sow (reward in this age and eternal life). • Where is my heart? • Jesus said money is a yardstick to measure my faith (Mat 6:19-24). • What do I spend on? • How do I spend leisure time? • What do we talk about? • Jesus is Lord. What does He care about?

25. B. True fasting today • Churchgoers in Bay Area: 5% (Sparky) • We have to lay groundwork as well as proclaim the Gospel. • Youth for Christ counsels children of divorce, neglect, drugs,… • Can you volunteer? • Paul & Karen’s Thanksgiving CityTeam food drive • Chris and Ryan invest their time with the homeless.

26. Arms of Love • Giving homeless kids a family in Philippines & Nicaragua • Founded by Robert Benson from this church

27. Dire need • There is a deeper level of poverty • The Church has to allocate resource to these needs

28. C. Power of the whole body • Our effort is not insignificant • 10 Say you help 10 people • 1000 Mercy Hill helps 1000 people • 600 million U.S. churches help 600 million • 9 million annual deaths from starvation and preventable diseases Already cut in half since 1960 • $1,300 One U.S. believer’s share of $65B to lift >1B poorest out of hunger

29. III. The challenge • Act on your love for God • How to give under grace • Give to local church and organizations that represent Jesus Christ • OT guidelines, John Wesley’s example, or somewhere in the middle • Set aside the American Dream for the Kingdom of God • Share with one another • Volunteer • Work with established ministries and always with other believers • The reward is awesome!

30. Necessities? • Typical budget • House • Mortgage • Property tax • Utilities • 2 cars • Vacation • Pets • Food • II Tim 6:8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. • Health insurance • Telecommunication • Cable TV • Phone • Cell phone • Internet • Movies • Video games Credit card debt