Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Marks of True Worship – Individual Fear of God Confession of Sin Faith in God Confidence in prayer The Fruit of Righteousness

The Marks of True Worship – Individual Verbal Praise Content Hearts Suffering without Complaint A Clear Witness

The Marks of True Worship - Congregational God is Glorified Believers are Purified The Church is Edified The Lost are Evangelized

Worship That Pleases God, Part 2 Selected Scriptures Knowing the marks of true worship is important, but you also need to know how to develop them Psalm 42:1-2 - the craving for God begins by recognizing He is your creator and you exist for His purposes There is no meaning and purpose to your life apart from God

Worship That Pleases God, Part 2 Selected Scriptures Recognizing your sinfulness produces a quest to deal with the guilt - man’s self efforts all ultimately fail Sin & guilt can only successfully be removed by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of Christ Forgiveness ➔ love for Christ ➔ holiness ➔ recognize sin ➔ Forgiveness ➔ love for Christ ➔ holiness ➔ etc.

Worship That Pleases God, Part 2 Selected Scriptures With God at the center at life, everything is sacred, and true worship takes place in everything When individuals who truly worship God gather together, there is true corporate worship of God

Church Growth Movement (CGM) Pro & Con No one tries to be seeker unfriendly, for we want unbelievers to become Christians A CGM positive is awareness of things that could be unnecessarily hindrances to ministry

Church Growth Movement (CGM) Pro & Con A CGM positive is sensitivity to clearly communicate to all who come The focus is stimulating believers to worship God, but we want unbelievers to understand what we are doing

Church Growth Movement (CGM) Pro & Con A CGM negative is that they design their service to focus on man, not God Isaiah 29:13 - man centered worship services have been a problem since ancient times Matthew 15:7-9 - the traditions of men replace the doctrine of God, and so it is not true worship

Church Growth Movement (CGM) Pro & Con A CGM negative is their inevitable degeneration into marginal and even false worship John 5:44 - There cannot be true worship when you seek the approval of men instead of God

The Goal of Grace Bible Church This church exists and I preach for one goal - the glory of God We evangelize because the salvation of sinners brings glory to God We edify one another because lives lived in increasing holiness brings glory to God

The Goal of Grace Bible Church We fellowship with one another because expressing Christian love brings glory to God We conduct corporate worship because hearts and voices lifted in unity of belief bring glory to God We welcome everyone, but our concern is the glory of God and not trying to please people

The Goal of Grace Bible Church Whether you like the service is irrelevant, our concern is your growth in the knowledge and service of God We will not risk offending God in the effort to not offend you - and those practicing sin should be offended We proclaim the gospel without compromise knowing its offense will cause some never to return

The Goal of Grace Bible Church We welcome all who desire to know and serve our Lord Those who want to play church, act as theater critics or want personal desires filled are invited elsewhere We gather to worship and please God, not people

How We Strive to Corporately Worship God We want to transition you from your hectic life to focus on God Family business lets us know what God is doing and what opportunities are coming up The Call to Worship directs your attention to the God we have come to worship

How We Strive to Corporately Worship God Music is only a part of worship Congregational singing uses Psalm, Hymns and Spiritual Songs to teach, encourage and give praise Special music is a ministry that seeks to cause you to think and reflect about God and His work Music is used to prepare you mentally and emotionally to pray, praise and hear God’s word

How We Strive to Corporately Worship God The Pastoral prayer joins us in praise to God for what He has done and petition Him for His grace & mercy Testimonies and missions reports declare God’s glory in His past and current actions in individual lives

How We Strive to Corporately Worship God Proclaiming God’s word is our focal point for proper worship is dependent on knowing God & His will Putting your offerings in the “Faith Box” is a personal act of worship of thanksgiving and trust

How We Strive to Corporately Worship God Baptism proclaims your conversion and personal identification with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection In Communion you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes - 1 Corinthians 11:26 Living in obedience to God is worship for that reflects Jesus Christ living in you

Conclusion The best worship you can offer is living your life for the Lord day by day, moment by moment Those who truly worship God as individuals enhance the worship of all when they join together

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ