REEDER: ​​I believe that you were created to worship.
Secondly, you were saved to worship. And thirdly, you are providentially sustained to worship.
When God made humanity, he had a creation mandate, but it was to be done for the glory of God.
And so that whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.
Then when He saves you, He saves you for his glory. One of the great text of Scripture is the
doxological statement in Ephesians 1:3-14. It's Trinitarian versus 1 through 6 is the father has
predestined or authored your salvation. Versus 7 through 12 is the son of God has accomplished your
salvation. And verses 13 and 14 is the Holy Spirit has applied that salvation. What's interesting is
even though it's clearly the three persons of the Trinity, there's two things that are astonishing.
First of all, it's one sentence, 228 words, one sentence. Secondly,
it is Trinitarian. It is a Trinitarian doxology: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And then each one of
those sections ends with the same phrase: "To the praise of His glorious grace." We have a
Trinitarian gospel and each one of the Trinity are to be praised because of God's saving work. So,
He created us for worship, He saves us for worship, and thirdly, He sustains us.
We have life and breath because of him. Let everything that have breath praise the Lord.
Now, so we're saved that's why our fore bears in the catechism begin question one. What is the
end of man? The purpose of man? Purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Now,
notice those are two statements, but it's only one purpose. What is the purpose singular of man?
What is it? Glorify and enjoy. Well, that would be two purposes. Wouldn't it? No,
it's two sides of the same coin. The more you enjoy them, the more you praise Him,
the more you praise Him, the more you enjoy Him. You are created redeemed and sustained
to praise the Lord. How? Through two venues. Number one is the gathered assembly of God's
people. So at [Briarwood 00:02:44], we have the large group on Sunday morning and Sunday night,
we have the congregational community, Sunday schools. We have small groups. Just like Jesus
had the multitudes, the 70, the 12, and the three, you create ways for people to assemble
together to build relationships for worship to give praise to God as you serve the Lord
together. Then in your personal life, you are to live as an act of worship.
So in the book of Romans, after giving 11 chapters to explain the gospel and with a doxology, God,
you are too much. Everything is from you to you and unto you, who has been your counselor. Next
verse. Therefore, I urge you. I appeal to you. I urge you that you present your bodies as a
living sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the focus was on dead sacrifices. New Testament,
it's living sacrifice because our sacrifice lives and he brings life to us. So you are to
be living sacrifices sanctified by his power, his presence, and his redeeming grace, sanctified so
that you are holy and without blame as you give the praise to the Lord. Now, how do you do that
personal worship that feeds corporate worship? Here's how you do it: Don't be conformed to the
world. Don't be pressed in the mold of the world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Hey,
that may sound familiar to the Ligonier Ministry, be transformed into the renewing of your mind
so that you may manifest that which is good and acceptable. So, in other words, life is worship,
what you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, that in all things Christ is to have preeminence.
So, God has saved you, so that personally, we who fell short of the glory of God now have our
greatest delight to live lives to the glory of God and everything we do think, feel and say,
and we're on that trajectory of being perfected in sanctification. And then we gather together
with the redeemed to praise the Lord. And Lord's day gathered worship becomes the template for
everyday personal worship. And that's the way I think the text at Romans 12 is to be embraced.