Worship

We are so thankful to be stepping into this church building and to have the opportunity to expand in our ability to minister to and reach our Shelbyville community. The location has changed, but our hearts and our desires remain the same. To worship in spirit and truth, continue to connect with one another in real/authentic relationships, and we will remain on mission together to impact the world around us for Christ.

In all of this, Jesus is central to everything that we do.

As Jesus said when prophesying of his crucifixion in, John 12:32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.””

As we recently stopped to acknowledge on Good Friday, Jesus was lifted up when he was placed on the cross - the greatest act of history which opened the way for all of us to be reconciled back into a right relationship with God.

We have no interest in good community, good music, or good times where Jesus is not present. But as we invite him into every part of our lives, he is revealed in us and through us to those in this city. He is in a sense “lifted up” as we come together in his name.

One of the ways that we acknowledge Jesus and lift him up is through our act of worship.

One of our values at TC.

This will be a house of worship.. where the name of Jesus is exalted.

Worship - Recognizing, thanking and praising God for Who He is.

story: Rachel Miller was at a service recently and said that she was raising her hand in worship and someone was asking if she needed something. Like she was raising her hand with a question or something.

While we may express our worship in different ways depending on our personalities or our upbringing or experiences in church; the Bible gives us some direction in this area:

Psalm 95:1–3 “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

Psalm 95:6 “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”

sing, make a joyful noise, thanksgiving, songs of praise, bow down, kneel

v18 “be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 5:19–20 “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

again, we see this idea of singing, giving thanks

A quick note - “making melody”, so there is some Biblical evidence that you can carry a tune. You don’t have to be a good singer to express yourself in praise and worship, that’s why we give some people the microphone in order that they can kind of drown out people with a voice like mine :)

But I’m not going to stop singing or breaking out in praise and thanksgiving because I don’t sing well. Because it’s not about me!

Ps 95 verse 3 “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

Worship is about acknowledging WHO God is, and WHAT he has done.

This is not just about understanding characteristics of an ancient deity. It’s about a living God who continues to reveal himself to us in the context of relationship.

The more that we get to know God, the more we realize how worthy he is to be worshipped.