Growing Worship Part Two

Review Knowing, Growing, Understanding, Living, Giving God’s plans work best Bible Study, Prayer Stewardship

Worship Review Two things necessary for worship Spirit—the emotional from the heart devotion and mental ascent focusing upon spiritual things Truth—the physical actions that our behavior is according to God’s word. Must come from the heart to be effective.

Public Assembly Worship Purpose: Is to glorify God Is to focus upon God Is to help us do that: In a meaningful way In a heartfelt way In a spiritual way

Public Assembly Worship Problem: Doing the same things over and over cause us to fall into a rut. We must find ways to keep ourselves in the proper frame of mind. Others try all sorts of new innovations just to spice up the service or to make changes for the sake of making changes.

Public Assembly Worship New is not the answer. Most everything new is unauthorized by scripture. Our minds must be renewed each day. Our minds must focus upon spiritual matters more that we take the time to do. How do we get out of the rut? With diligence.

Public Assembly Worship Prayers offered on behalf of the congregation or those in attendance. Proper subjects for all people. Teaching is involved in prayer. Addressing the object of our worship. Requesting favors from God.

Public Assembly Worship Singing: From the heart and with understanding Scriptural songs Meant to teach, edify, and admonish each other. Meant to glorify God Build up our spirituality.

Public Assembly Worship The observance of the Lord’s Supper, also called a memorial feast. To remember the Lord’s death– the sacrifice offered to God for our sins. To do this on a regular basis—so we don’t forget. To commune with each other in a spiritual action.

Public Assembly Worship Giving of our means Collection for the church Not per se an act of worship, but a contribution to the work of the church. To apply the principles of stewardship. In the end, God sees any sacrifices we make for others and the local church.

Public Assembly Worship Public preaching (reading of Scripture) Evangelism, Edification, Positive, Negative,-- balanced. Informative, reproving and rebuking if necessary, exhortation. To help people cope with this life and the problems people make of it.

Public Assembly Worship The people involved in each part of our worship can make or break the rhythm or impact of the service. Song leaders, Those who lead prayers Doing the Lord’s supper Preachers How to collect funds

Public Assembly Worship How each of these are done, and the order of each activity, is up to the individual congregations. Each of these (five) items are a form of worship. But our assembly is not limited to these five things—most of the time we only do three of these things in our assembly. Sometimes we do additional things.

Conclusion Public assembly worship is commanded. We have examples from scripture how it was done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the apostles. That serves as a pattern. The five acts of worship. Next lesson: realize that worship is not limited to the public assembly. Invitation.