Be the Church: The Kingdom Begins Today
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Usually read Mat 11:12
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
“The law and the prophets were until John; from that time on the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently pressed into it.
May be my most preached from passage in the bible!
Over and again we hear in God’s Word the admonition to fight, war, battle.
Blessed be the Lord my strength, Which teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight:
Yet even with all the admonitions to fight, very few ever figure out how to engage the enemy!
Blame attacks on circumstance.
Refuse to acknowledge that life is influenced by the spiritual and that the spiritual is influenced by life!
Somehow our whole “christian” experience is defined by what we do on Sunday.
Church has become a noun, rather than the verb it was in the book of Acts.
In Acts, church had no border, no constraints, no physical definition
Yet today it is confined to and defined by the walls of a building
Celebrated out of duty and even guilt on Sunday, forgotten for remainder of the week…
It has become a place you go, rather than a life that is lived!
It is described by the feeling you feel while you are in the building
Good church means:
the music was loud and fast
people were shouting and dancing
pastor was on fire
someone got the Holy Ghost
BUT when you study the Book of Acts, most of these things had nothing to do with defining what the church was!
I know that times change, people change, experiences are different.
But when I look at what the church is producing today and compare with what the church produced then, I am convicted!
Stages rather than pulpits and smoke machines and lights but not the Glory of God
Beautiful sounding choirs but no worship or praise
Programs but no purpose
Preaching but no power and demonstration
Because the church has become a place to go on Sunday, rather than life to live on Monday!
I have spoke a lot (and will much more) about being the church…
BUT I feel to redefine the concept of Sunday Church here today!
What is the event like?
We come in and sing, pray, listen, respond at some level and go home...
What should it look like?
The church: Inside the building
Can you have great “church” every time you come to church?
Big churches can…
With the right music...
With the right preacher...
WITH THE RIGHT preparation!
Aspects to a good service: I AM THE KEY!
Prepare yourself for God
Begins hours before each service
Set an alarm at 10am on Wednesday to remind yourself that tonight is Bible Study!
Set an alarm 1pm on Saturday that tomorrow is Church!
THE REASON WHY YOU DON’T LIKE CHURCH IS YOU DON’T PREPARE FOR IT!
Dress (what you see in physical is a representation of what is happening in the spiritual)
Pre service prayer
Most of you wonder why service is so hard when you have made NO effort to shift gears into praise and worship!
Praise and Worship to God - God’s favorite part
Praise is warfare (Worship is relationship)
This is why is generation wants warship songs…
Songs that want to make them want to cry and feel loved
This is a selfish generation!
Satan likes that too because as long as you are in “love” mode you can’t make war!
Not just adoration
Pushing back the darkness
Because preparation is not done before “church time” the battle is often lost before service begins
Distractions - phones
God to bed early!
YOUR KIDS NEED THE SLEEP
Preaching - correction, instruction
Respond!
EVERY TIME WE COME TO CHURCH, IT’S WAR!
The church: Outside the building
Prayer
Fasting
Giving
Miracles
SACRIFICIAL OFFERING