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Share SERIES: SO, I AM A CHURCH MEMBER. NOW WHAT? -- JOINING IN WORSHIP -- Psalm 96:1-9 ; John 4:22-24
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SERIES: SO, I AM A CHURCH MEMBER. NOW WHAT? -- JOINING IN WORSHIP -- Psalm 96:1-9 ; John 4:22-24
Many people today, church members included, attend church only because they regard it a duty. When they are present, these may: 1) Sit passively and remain silent in the song service; 2) Let their minds wander during prayer; 3) Doze through the sermon. Such attitudes have caused pastors to say things like: 1) “The clock struck noon, and the church gave up her dead;” 2) “We will go first in the rapture, because the Scripture says the dead in Christ shall rise first.” How much does meeting together mean to us? How much does it mean to YOU? I thought I found out when last year we couldn’t meet for a while due to Covid. People were commenting how much they missed meeting together and the fellowship. Apparently, for some, they didn’t miss it as much as they said they did. Do we, do you truly enjoy coming together on Sunday and Wednesday to worship the Lord “in spirit and in truth?” Do you anticipate Sunday with pleasure? (Or with a bit of dread?) Does the sight of a sanctuary filled with people who are worshipping God thrill you? There are those who simply seek to defy the truth presented from God’s Word and without Scriptural reason forsake assembling together with their brothers and sisters in Christ for worship. There are real reasons for being absent from the worship. The “ox is in the ditch.” (The Law provided for “rescuing” an animal in distress on the Sabbath.) That is what we call a “providential hinderance” (work, illness, physical restrictions, emergencies, etc). However, many people “push” the ox in the ditch. They plan things to interfere with their attendance for worship. Some plan things for Sunday that could be done on Saturday. Some simply make excuses for not attending – tired, overslept, “too busy” (too busy to worship God? You need to let some things go). By the way, “tired” is not an excuse. All of us are tired. So we must ask, “Is my worship pleasing to God, or am I just going through the motions of some traditional ritual?” As we go through this message we will see:
I. THE MEANING OF WORSHIP.
II. THE MANNER OF WORSHIP.
III. THE MINISTRY OF WORSHIP.
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By JWHMany people today, church members included, attend church only because they regard it a duty. When they are present, these may: 1) Sit passively and remain silent in the song service; 2) Let their minds wander during prayer; 3) Doze through the sermon. Such attitudes have caused pastors to say things like: 1) “The clock struck noon, and the church gave up her dead;” 2) “We will go first in the rapture, because the Scripture says the dead in Christ shall rise first.” How much does meeting together mean to us? How much does it mean to YOU? I thought I found out when last year we couldn’t meet for a while due to Covid. People were commenting how much they missed meeting together and the fellowship. Apparently, for some, they didn’t miss it as much as they said they did. Do we, do you truly enjoy coming together on Sunday and Wednesday to worship the Lord “in spirit and in truth?” Do you anticipate Sunday with pleasure? (Or with a bit of dread?) Does the sight of a sanctuary filled with people who are worshipping God thrill you? There are those who simply seek to defy the truth presented from God’s Word and without Scriptural reason forsake assembling together with their brothers and sisters in Christ for worship. There are real reasons for being absent from the worship. The “ox is in the ditch.” (The Law provided for “rescuing” an animal in distress on the Sabbath.) That is what we call a “providential hinderance” (work, illness, physical restrictions, emergencies, etc). However, many people “push” the ox in the ditch. They plan things to interfere with their attendance for worship. Some plan things for Sunday that could be done on Saturday. Some simply make excuses for not attending – tired, overslept, “too busy” (too busy to worship God? You need to let some things go). By the way, “tired” is not an excuse. All of us are tired. So we must ask, “Is my worship pleasing to God, or am I just going through the motions of some traditional ritual?” As we go through this message we will see:
I. THE MEANING OF WORSHIP.
II. THE MANNER OF WORSHIP.
III. THE MINISTRY OF WORSHIP.