The Times of Worship

Intro: Last week we David and I taught on the heart and head of worship, the spirit and truth. We talked about how having the right heart is dependent on knowing the truth of God’s character.

John 4:23–24 CSB

23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

Public Worship

Today we are going to talk about two different forms of Public worship.

The Corporate Worship or Sunday Gathering.

For this we must ask a few questions

Why do we gather for worship?

We gather together because scripture both describes it and commands it.

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

What aspects of the gathering are worship?

or

What word(s) best defines corporate worship?

A. Preaching B. Singing C. Fellowship

A: all of the above

Trans:

So let’s dive into that this morning.

When we thing about the corporate gathering we our minds tend to believe that the worship begins with the countdown video begins and when the preaching and teaching stops.

But what If I told you the corporate worship begins as soon as we gather and continues until we are no longer together.

In other words our worship gathering begins with fellowship and ends with fellowship.

Since this is true wouldn’t you agree with me that fellowship is an important aspect of the worship gathering.

Now there are a couple of idea that we must infer from this concept.

If fellowship is part of corporate worship, am I doing it well?

When we realize that our fellowship with one another is part of the corporate gathering it should change the way we view our relationships to each other.

You see our relationship to Christ is vertical but that relationship with be expressed horizontally to one another.

You see our connections are not based upon or stage of life but our passion for Christ.

I am friends with out staff. I’m in a completely different life stage than them. I am friends with Tom . I am friends with John Snowden. What I have in common with these guys is love for Christ and love for our Church. What else do I need to fellowship then that?

When we realize that fellowship is part of the way we express our relationship to Jesus Christ then a few things happen.

We don’t wait for others to fellowship with us, we go out of our way to express our love of Christ by engaging in relationships.

Hear me say this, and I mean this as gently as I can say it. Those who isolate themselves are missing a key component of spiritual health.

Look I get it, I am an introvert by nature. Sometimes I’m introvert in nature. When I am in the woods the trees never pressure me for a conversation.

But you know what because I love Christ, I love his church. Because I love his church , I love to connect with His people.

If you don’t want to connect there is somewhere in that line a missing component.

When I hear someone mention their lack of relationships in the church, it generally means that person is putting the responsibility of relationships on the shoulders of other people instead of themselves.

they seldom invite people over, to eat out, to ball games, fishing etc. Instead they wait to be invited.

I’ve never met a person that continually seeks out relationships that doesn’t find them.

2. If our relationships with each other are to be an expression of our love for Christ then we will make loving each other well, a priority.

One of the biggest mistakes small churches make is looking at visitors as potential members instead of looking at them as potential friends.

When the church is a genuine family, you can’t keep people away. It’s something they want to be a part of. Especially families like mine who do not have family locally.

When we realize that how we fellowship with each other is an expression of How God fellowships with us, it changes the way we approach relationships and also how we treat one another.

So are you fellowshipping well?

Singing

Ephesians 5:18–19 CSB

18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,

Trans: Notice there is an aspect of fellowship in the expression of worship through music.

When we gather together to praise God. It is the one time in our week that we express to each other the Goodness of God. When we participate in the public singing. There is unity. We are in agreement together about the greatness of God and with one voice we praise Him for it.

Many of you have noticed that our music is primarily corporate. Why? Its not that special music is bad or listening to other people praise God cannot move us toward praise ,but we can listen to music anytime and anywhere during the week.

So in other words, the gathering is unique. When we gather together is the only time we can experience the fellowship of praising God together.

We have come not just to be ministered to but to lift up the name of Jesus together.

Sunday should be a day of celebrating the goodness of God.

We should be taking into account all the ways God has used used and blessed us during the week. This should cause us to overflow with praise and joy when we sing to the Lord.

Preaching & Teaching

Hebrews 4:12 CSB

12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

1 Corinthians 1:21 CSB

21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached.

The preaching and teaching of the word

The Everyday expression.

Matthew 5:16 CSB

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

When we speak about Jesus in the public arena it brings glory to God.

When we do good works in the public arena in the name of Jesus it causes other men to credit our Lord with them. In this way, we are worshipping in the public.

So then if our public lives are intended to point others toward worshipping our God and we realize this idea it changes the way we interact with the culture and the world around us.

Your life is to be a living sacrifice, an expression of worship.

So my question to you today is this.

Are you worshipping well?

Do you view your life as an expression of worship.

1 Corinthians 6:19 CSB

19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

What did they do at the temple? The worshipped......

Your body, your life is intended to be an expression of worship beyond the walls of the church.

Worship does not begin at 10:30am …It begins the moment you say Lord, I repent and believe the Gospel.