Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

Worship and Welcome
by Tom Goodman
January 21, 2009

Together @ 10!

We begin a new chapter in our church!
This Sunday, January 25, we meet for worship together at 10 a.m.

God intends Hillcrest to be a worshipping church and a welcoming church. He wants us busy worshipping him and welcoming those who seek him.

And Jesus reacts forcefully against those who would divert his church's attention from his Father's intention. That's the lesson we learn from the famous account of Jesus "cleansing" the Temple.

I distinctly remember how unsettling it was to first discover this story from the life of Jesus. As a small boy, I remember flipping through my Bible and coming across a full-color painting of an angry Jesus in the Temple. His left hand powerfully gripped a table he was flipping over; his right hand brandished a whip raised over his head. In the portrait, people scrambled to escape his anger, scattering coins and startling animals as they ran.

The picture didn't frighten me. I just remember wanting to know what made Jesus so angry since I had been taught that he was so gentle and approachable.

What made Jesus so angry was seeing how far the Jerusalem Temple had come from God's intentions. "Is it not written," he said, quoting Scripture, "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?" (Mark 11:17)

There's a lesson here for our congregation. God intends us to be "a house of prayer... for all the nations." The first phrase speaks of worship, while the second phrase speaks of welcome.

First, Hillcrest is to be a place of worship. The purpose of our Sunday morning gatherings is nothing less than to have an encounter with the Lord of life. Our music, our Bible studies, even our offering and fellowship time, are all designed with the expectation that God will meet with us.

Second, Hillcrest is to be a place of welcome. When Jesus explained his violent actions in the Temple, he quoted from Isaiah 56, and the whole chapter is about God's aim of bringing in those who were still outside. In the center of the chapter God said, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations," and then added, "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered" (verses 7-8).

Let's make sure that what we want church to be matches what God wants church to be. This Sunday, we'll look at this story as it appears in Matthew 21. Join us together @ 10!

--Tom

Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored." Some things to look for...

Song of the Week, posted every Sunday.
Links to Your World, interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday.

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Winning Ways - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas	Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
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Worship and Welcome by Tom Goodman January 21, 2009 Together @ 10! We begin a new chapter in our church! This Sunday, January 25, we meet for worship together at 10 a.m. God intends Hillcrest to be a worshipping church and a welcoming church. He wants us busy worshipping him and welcoming those who seek him. And Jesus reacts forcefully against those who would divert his church's attention from his Father's intention. That's the lesson we learn from the famous account of Jesus "cleansing" the Temple. I distinctly remember how unsettling it was to first discover this story from the life of Jesus. As a small boy, I remember flipping through my Bible and coming across a full-color painting of an angry Jesus in the Temple. His left hand powerfully gripped a table he was flipping over; his right hand brandished a whip raised over his head. In the portrait, people scrambled to escape his anger, scattering coins and startling animals as they ran. The picture didn't frighten me. I just remember wanting to know what made Jesus so angry since I had been taught that he was so gentle and approachable. What made Jesus so angry was seeing how far the Jerusalem Temple had come from God's intentions. "Is it not written," he said, quoting Scripture, "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?" (Mark 11:17) There's a lesson here for our congregation. God intends us to be "a house of prayer... for all the nations." The first phrase speaks of worship, while the second phrase speaks of welcome. First, Hillcrest is to be a place of worship. The purpose of our Sunday morning gatherings is nothing less than to have an encounter with the Lord of life. Our music, our Bible studies, even our offering and fellowship time, are all designed with the expectation that God will meet with us. Second, Hillcrest is to be a place of welcome. When Jesus explained his violent actions in the Temple, he quoted from Isaiah 56, and the whole chapter is about God's aim of bringing in those who were still outside. In the center of the chapter God said, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations," and then added, "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered" (verses 7-8). Let's make sure that what we want church to be matches what God wants church to be. This Sunday, we'll look at this story as it appears in Matthew 21. Join us together @ 10! --Tom Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored." Some things to look for... Song of the Week, posted every Sunday. Links to Your World, interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.