Worship - Chapter 11 - #2

INTRODUCTION:    Review what we looked at two weeks ago.

Three Questions

1.      Who is worship for?                   Worship has always been for the worshiper and for God

2.      What is worship about?             Worship is about God and my/our right response to Him

3.      Who sets the boundaries /criteria for our meeting with God?         God Does

Two Principles

1.      Worship recognizes and accepts God’s order of things.

2.      Worship both honors and looks beyond cultural boundaries. 

PROPOSITION:        Corporate worship can be a beautiful and powerful part of our Christian journey.

TRANSITION:     Paul identifies four choices that we need to make regarding corporate worship.

OUTLINE:

1.      Choose to let go of things that divide us.             Vs. 17-19

A.     It is difficult to worship together when we are at odds with each other.

·         Look at him/her – We start to criticize and pick at anything they do, looking for the hidden motives.

·         It is sad how quickly we can degenerate to living by the flesh instead of living in the spirit.

·         Grace Fellowship Covenant

B.     Let Pride Die          11:19; Proverbs 11:2, 16:18, 21:4

·         There is an attempt to prove why I am right & you are wrong, and an attempt to prove why I have God’s

      blessing and you don’t.  The reality is that there is a lot more gray than we may like and God’s blessing appears

      to rest on a much broader range of Christendom.   (EX. 1 Corinthians 12:4-27  {4-6} not on slide - read)

      (More than one person/group can be right & more than one person/group can experience God’s approval.)

C.     When your body fights against itself, what do you call it?   Cancer 

      We need to work hard to defeat cancer that surfaces in the body of Christ.

2.      Choose to practice common courtesy and the basic one-another’s with each other.          Vs. 20-21

A.     It is difficult to worship when we do not practice common courtesy and the basic one-another’s with each other.

B.     1 Corinthians 11 does not look like Acts 4:32-33

C.     Clearly the Church was having difficulty living in light of what Paul was about to address in 1 Corinthians 13. review

3.      Personally/Corporately, choose to honor what God has commanded.   Vs. 21 (last 3 words)

A.     We can’t worship if we are intentionally (corporately) disregarding what God has commanded.

B.     Sin is an absolute block to our intimacy with God and our worship of God!

C.     Drunkenness, Pride and Disregarding the Body of Christ are sin.

4.      Choose to begin your preparation for corporate worship at home.            Vs. 33-34

CONCLUSION:  

Corporate worship can be a beautiful and powerful part of our Christian journey.

1 Corinthians 11:17-19 (NIV)

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.

1 Corinthians 11:19 (NIV)

No doubt there have to be differences (factions – NAS) among you to show which of you have God’s approval.

Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

18 Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 21:4 (NIV)

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

the lamp of the wicked, are sin!

1 Corinthians 11:20-21 (NIV)

20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.

Acts 4:32-34 (NIV)

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales

1 Corinthians 11:21 (NIV)

for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.

1 Corinthians 11:33-34 (NIV)

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come I will give further directions.