Small (Eternal) Things
Renew
April 26, 2020
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
The sermon urges Christians to reclaim corporate worship—as modeled in Ezra 3 with altar, offerings, praise, and thanksgiving—arguing that communal gatherings (made sacred by Christ's sacrifice and the Spirit) are essential for the church's flourishing after the ‘exile’ of COVID.
Summary
Beginning with a personal anecdote about illness and our fallen tendency toward individualism, the sermon insists that followers of Christ must prioritize corporate worship under the New Covenant. Using Ezra 3 as the example, the exiles first rebuilt the altar and resumed gatherings and offerings, then began rebuilding the temple; their celebration with trumpets and cymbals highlights both praise (God’s person and glory) and thanksgiving (God’s covenant faithfulness). The preacher warns that the modern church has minimized the importance of meeting places, but when believers gather invoking Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice and the Spirit, ordinary space is made sacred—so the church must reengage corporate worship for its communal flourishing.
Key Points
- Personal anecdote: dad's hospitalization illustrates our fallen predisposition to prioritize the individual and withdraw from community.
- Core claim: under the New Covenant our first priority is corporate worship; flourishing as God's people depends on devoted gatherings.
- Ezra 3 example: exiles rebuilt the altar, offered burnt offerings, and held the nation's first post-exile gatherings—then began rebuilding the temple.
- COVID as exile: the pandemic interrupted corporate worship; the church must now return to the rhythms that mark us as God's people.
- Foundation celebration: trumpets and cymbals symbolize praise (reflecting on God's person and glory) and thanksgiving (dwelling on covenant faithfulness).
- Challenge to the modern church: we have trivialized the house of God and risk minimizing the importance of place.
- Theological point: when believers gather invoking Christ's sacrifice, God’s Spirit gathers in a special, sacred way and the place is sanctified.
- Call to action: reengage and recommit to corporate gatherings of worship for the health and flourishing of the church.
- Closing: prayerful encouragement invoking Christ, hope, joy, and peace as the congregation commits to worship together.
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