An aha moment that liberates

The divine service in Berne-Ostermundigen in Switzerland on 22 September 2024 was based on Psalm 138: 2: “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”

“Why should we worship God?” Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider asked. “Certainly not because it is an obligation. Nor do we need to flatter God in order to be loved by Him. He loves us anyway, no matter what we do.” Rather, “Worship serves for our benefit.”

The Chief Apostle explained that we worship God the Father, who is

• the Creator of all things. The more we know and discover, the more we realise that we do not know anything. What God created is infinitely great and so perfect.
• the eternal God. He is not bound by time. The present, but also the past and the future, are equally present for Him.
• the omniscient God. Jesus clearly said that the very hairs of our head are all numbered. This may make us smile, he said, but this is not intended as an image. It is a reality. “God really knows everything.”
• the God of love. He created human beings in His image so that they can love one another and love Him. And even though human beings turned away from God, He continues to love them unconditionally.
• the perfect God. There is no difference between His will and His work. He does what He wants to do. Nor is there a difference between His word and His actions. He does exactly what He says and nobody can stop Him.
• the faithful God. He has given human beings the opportunity to make free decisions. “God said it once and that settles it: you are and remain free.”

In addition, God is near and demonstrates solidarity with us. God the Son became human to show humankind: you left Me, but I came to you. I will be like you to show you that I am close to you. I will suffer and die like you to show you that I am with you. I am on your side, solidly united.

“We worship Jesus Christ,” God the Son, the Chief Apostle continued.

• He remained without sin. He was human like you and me, but His relationship with God was perfect.
• He loved God perfectly. Everything He did was good. He only did the will of God. He trusted His Father to the end.
• Jesus’ love for human beings was perfect. He loved those who left Him and those who betrayed Him. He even prayed for those who killed Him.
• He does not demand heroic actions. All He asks is that we believe in Him and follow Him.
• He grants grace. We will not manage to become perfect, but Jesus forgives us and by grace we can be saved.

And finally, there is God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit came to earth as a power and authority,” the Chief Apostle explained. He made it possible for the first Christians, who were mostly ordinary people, to spread the gospel despite persecution. And this made it possible for the gospel to survive all the turmoil of world history and the imperfections of Christians. Above all, the Chief Apostle said, this power can “make a new creation out of very weak human beings and make us into the likeness of God”.

“And how can this now become a blessing?“ the Chief Apostle asked.

• Suddenly, fear disappears because we realise who God is, who the Father is, who the Son is, who the Holy Spirit is. Why should we then be afraid of the future?
• We trust in God’s omnipotence and love. Our worship of Him here today brings peace.“
• Once we become aware again of who God is there is only one decision to make: this is the path I want to take. This strengthens our will to follow.
• Another benefit is that we also have the right attitude towards God and are humble and accept that we cannot understand everything.
• Worshipping God properly strengthens our longing for fellowship with Him. And that is the solution: to be with Him forever, with the perfect, almighty, loving, and merciful God. This is where we want to be. That is our goal.”

“This is our blessing,” Chief Apostle Schneider emphasised in conclusion. The more we worship God and allow this Spirit-inspired worship to work within us, the more blessings we can receive.”