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Williamsburg Christian Church
The WITH--Ness of Worship
God has always wanted to form a worshipping people, a peculiar and holy people, set apart for God’s good and glory— for God’s mission—so that God’s segullah may demonstrate to the world what it looks like to be loved by God, to love God and love others as the people of God.
Locations & Times
Williamsburg Christian Church
200 John Tyler Ln, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Isaiah 1:10-20
Hear the Lord’s word, you leaders of Sodom. Listen to our God’s teaching, people of Gomorrah!
11 What should I think about all your sacrifices? says the Lord. I’m fed up with entirely burned offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts. I don’t want the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from you, this trampling of my temple’s courts?
13 Stop bringing worthless offerings. Your incense repulses me.
New moon, sabbath, and the calling of an assembly—I can’t stand wickedness with celebration!
14 I hate your new moons and your festivals. They’ve become a burden that I’m tired of bearing.
15 When you extend your hands, I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even when you pray for a long time, I won’t listen. Your hands are stained with blood.
16 Wash! Be clean! Remove your ugly deeds from my sight. Put an end to such evil; 17 learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool.
19 If you agree and obey, you will eat the best food of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. The Lord has said this.
Hear the Lord’s word, you leaders of Sodom. Listen to our God’s teaching, people of Gomorrah!
11 What should I think about all your sacrifices? says the Lord. I’m fed up with entirely burned offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts. I don’t want the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from you, this trampling of my temple’s courts?
13 Stop bringing worthless offerings. Your incense repulses me.
New moon, sabbath, and the calling of an assembly—I can’t stand wickedness with celebration!
14 I hate your new moons and your festivals. They’ve become a burden that I’m tired of bearing.
15 When you extend your hands, I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even when you pray for a long time, I won’t listen. Your hands are stained with blood.
16 Wash! Be clean! Remove your ugly deeds from my sight. Put an end to such evil; 17 learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool.
19 If you agree and obey, you will eat the best food of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. The Lord has said this.
The Hebrew Scriptures teach that a worshipper of Yahweh could not disconnect how they lived their life from their worship of Yahweh. How they lived their lives was directly connected to their worship of Yahweh. Their way of understanding the world did not allow for false divisions between the “secular” and “sacred” life of Yahweh’s people. All of life was sacred and how one lived was an expression of worship evidenced by the outworking of love for God and neighbor.
We have created false divisions between secular and sacred resulting in a disconnected understanding of worship resulting in false distinctions between life on Sunday and life on Monday - Saturday. You hear it in our language. We call this time “worship.” Just like some often call a space like this a “sanctuary.” Both seem innocent, don’t they? They aren’t. They’ve created a way of thinking that has created a pattern of living that suggests that worship is an event and the sanctuary is a place.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.
What is the sanctuary? Our bodies. Why? Because that is where God has chosen to make God's dwelling place as God's Spirit lives within each of us. What are the implications?
In the Hebrew Covenant what was the sanctuary? The temple. Why? Because that was where God chose to make God’s dwelling place. Then a worshipper could only come into the presence of God through the High Priest. Now all of God’s children are priests—a royal priesthood—through Jesus Christ. We come to Holy God through the High Priest, Jesus the Lord who is always with us. There is no place we walk where Christ is not present because Christ is within us by the Spirit. We were bought—redeemed and liberated from the reign of sin and death—at a price.
In the Hebrew Covenant what was the sanctuary? The temple. Why? Because that was where God chose to make God’s dwelling place. Then a worshipper could only come into the presence of God through the High Priest. Now all of God’s children are priests—a royal priesthood—through Jesus Christ. We come to Holy God through the High Priest, Jesus the Lord who is always with us. There is no place we walk where Christ is not present because Christ is within us by the Spirit. We were bought—redeemed and liberated from the reign of sin and death—at a price.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Hebrews 10:19-25
Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable. 24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.
Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable. 24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.
There is a beautiful ancient word that expresses all of this. It is the word, Segullah.
Deuteronomy 14:1-2
“You are sons of the Lord your God; do not cut yourselves or make a bald spot on your head on behalf of the dead, for you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be segullah (His own possession) out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.”
“You are sons of the Lord your God; do not cut yourselves or make a bald spot on your head on behalf of the dead, for you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be segullah (His own possession) out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.”
Segullah is defined as a noun referring to the “valued property or peculiar treasure,” particularly of a King.
The word segullah is always in the context of a royal treasure, or more specifically, the treasure of the king. Both metaphorically and literally, the King and Lord of the world, who is King Jesus Christ in God our Father and we are His covenant people—God's treasured possession; God's segullah.
The word segullah is always in the context of a royal treasure, or more specifically, the treasure of the king. Both metaphorically and literally, the King and Lord of the world, who is King Jesus Christ in God our Father and we are His covenant people—God's treasured possession; God's segullah.
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His treasured possession [segullah], so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His treasured possession [segullah], so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
God has always wanted to form a worshipping people, a peculiar and holy people, set apart for God’s good and glory— for God’s mission—so that God’s segullah may demonstrate to the world what it looks like to be loved by God, to love God and love others as the people of God.
Giving to God: Four Ways
Online via Bank Routing Number // Text by Phone to 844-221-3092 // PayPal Giving // Bill Pay Online with Your Bank // Mail to 200 John Tyler Lane, Williamsburg VA 23185
Explore how your gifts and experiences can lead you into deeper faith and participation in God's mission.
Ministry Leader Discernment & Equipping Lab - Nov. 19th, 2922, 9-4. Lunch is $10. Childcare provided at no cost.
It is for all current ministry leaders, future ministry leaders, and anyone who wants to discern what God may be calling them to as His children participating in His mission.
What is It? - It is an all day event where we will talk theology, mission, the Church, cultivating discipling cultures as disciples, and the practice(s) of faithful presence as cultural engagement. It will be highly practical, discussion driven and deeply theological.
Why an All Day Gathering? - We are taking the approach of a leadership equipping gathering for three reasons. One, we want to be sure that as leaders we are all faithfully living into Ephesians 4:11-16. Two, we need to create intentional gatherings to be together so we can reflect theologically as servants and leaders in the church family (that includes you!). Finally, we need to get together to actively discern the Spirit's movement in us, among us and out ahead of us in our city if we are to call the rest of the congregation to faithfully participate in God's life and mission. As leaders we cannot ask of others what we are unwilling to do. If this is to happen, we need to know our own strengths and weaknesses and understand that leading God's kingdom is not like leading in business or sports. A different posture and witness is required, one of hospitality where laboring, listening, learning and loving happens before we attempt to lead or bear witness to the presence of Christ among us. We do not want to settle for facilitating and tending to church programs. We want to learn how to facilitate and tend to Christ's presence among us.
We will work through this understanding of leadership and witness together in the gathering.For more information, or to sign up, please email Jon@WilliamsburgChristianChurch.org
Ministry Leader Discernment & Equipping Lab - Nov. 19th, 2922, 9-4. Lunch is $10. Childcare provided at no cost.
It is for all current ministry leaders, future ministry leaders, and anyone who wants to discern what God may be calling them to as His children participating in His mission.
What is It? - It is an all day event where we will talk theology, mission, the Church, cultivating discipling cultures as disciples, and the practice(s) of faithful presence as cultural engagement. It will be highly practical, discussion driven and deeply theological.
Why an All Day Gathering? - We are taking the approach of a leadership equipping gathering for three reasons. One, we want to be sure that as leaders we are all faithfully living into Ephesians 4:11-16. Two, we need to create intentional gatherings to be together so we can reflect theologically as servants and leaders in the church family (that includes you!). Finally, we need to get together to actively discern the Spirit's movement in us, among us and out ahead of us in our city if we are to call the rest of the congregation to faithfully participate in God's life and mission. As leaders we cannot ask of others what we are unwilling to do. If this is to happen, we need to know our own strengths and weaknesses and understand that leading God's kingdom is not like leading in business or sports. A different posture and witness is required, one of hospitality where laboring, listening, learning and loving happens before we attempt to lead or bear witness to the presence of Christ among us. We do not want to settle for facilitating and tending to church programs. We want to learn how to facilitate and tend to Christ's presence among us.
We will work through this understanding of leadership and witness together in the gathering.For more information, or to sign up, please email Jon@WilliamsburgChristianChurch.org