South Texas Bible Ministry Training Center n

Transcription

1 South Texas Bible Ministry Training Center n THE. 311 Prayer and Worship Week 7 Ricky Joseph, Ph.D.

2 Decently and in Order 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 34 Let your [a] women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. 36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. [b] 39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

3 Church Order Decently and in Order Leading Others in Worship The dilemma facing the Church at Corinth was not in its exercise of the gifts of the Spirit but in its ignorance of knowing how to fit things together in a service so that its worship would be edifying Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 points the way toward establishing a climate of open worship, disciplined by a governing mentality, rooted in a golden rule for church worship gathering

4 Decently & in Order Decently: Paul calls us to a standard of conduct to principles that balance the involvement of the congregation in response to God s presence, under the leadership of elders who are conscientious to keep a focus on both edifying values and evangelistic sensitivity Order: Sequence of occurrence, underlining that each thing has its proper place according to its nature Decently and in Order: Sense the Holy Spirit, and to govern with enlightened hearts as we seek to offer our corporate worship as a congregation led in wisdom and with humility

5 Motivating Concept Willing to discern An event planned for celebrating God with quality music and up beat praise or A gathering intended or encountering God with effective musical support, praise as an entry into His presence, and worship as an exposure to His person What degree of worship, or full exposure to the presence and power of God do your want to plan toward leading those you serve?

6 Order and Decorum It is possible to Welcome a liberating presence of the Holy Spirit Embrace a generous hospitality toward visitors and others present Celebrate openly and boldly the glories of the King Humbly and with sensitive reverence and availability to God s awesome presence, give place to order and God s power. All at the same time. Decorum is important to avoid distressing people by our shoddiness; to avoid distraction and to help those present focus their attention the real goals of the service

7 Condition of Church Facilities and Exercise of Gifts of the Holy Spirit Upkeep and general appearance If the facilities are untidy, neglected or even occasionally dirty, they can be a distraction Atmosphere will not be determined by how elegant a gathering place, but by how excellent the preparation and use of what you do have are cared for and prepped for each gathering Learn how to govern by the Holy Spirit s rules just as they are revealed in the Bible. His rule confronts human exaggeration or unnecessary display gentle, well-explained correction secures order, but loving and pastoral ways of doing so preserve the spirit of a holy liberty for members to minister gifts as the Spirit chooses to distribute them on some occasion of public gathering

8 Worship Problems in the Bible It takes preparation to move a service towards form, order, dignity, decorum and loveliness Human slowness and resistance to change Satanic opposition or a manifest spirit of religious confusion Cain resistance to worship and unwillingness to accept the divine order Tower of Babel human attempt to use architecture rather than humility in worship as access to an effective approach to God Nadab and Abihu attempt to offer profane fire before the Lord, instead of God s prescribed formula for the incense that was to be offered in Israel s worship Aaron s mishandling of his priestly assignment erected the golden calf because of the demands of the congregation

9 Avoiding Deadening Rituals There is no merit in any activity if we do not understand what we are doing and why we are doing it. Without careful teaching, practices become meaningless, habitual responses no longer energized with life. These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me Matt. 15:8 A wise leader will consistently assist and alert his people to help them avoid yielding to the syndrome of lip worship without heart worship

10 Sensitivity to the Seasons Think beyond the this particular service mind-set Sensitivity to the seasons The congregation s larger formation To what Christ is doing in His Church in your city, your fellowship of churches, your nation, our world is essential, and each worship service deserves to be held in that larger context as a leader sees it. In the ongoing life of a congregation, things that shape the life of that church usually happen over periods of time during which the Holy Spirit speaks, moves, leads and ministers. A leader s sensitivity to Him is essential Holidays are potential spiritual opportunities to correlate human readiness at a natural level with spiritual realities at the eternal plane. God knows that different season on earth take on different points of emotional, physical, mental reference

11 Leadership Pointers 1. Sensitive, Spiritually Discerning Variety in Approach 2. A Practical Sensibility in the Selection of Worship Music 1. Are we singing a song frequently right now because it is fortifying something the Holy Spirit is saying to the church? 3. Servant-Hearted partnership with Worship Singers and Musicians 4. Increasing Congregational Participation

12 Thy Kingdom Come Your Kingdom come! You Kingdom come! In Jesus mighty Name, Your Kingdom come! O God above all time and space, In power come and fill this place, With great forgiveness, love and grace: Your Kingdom come!

13 Questions when Preparing for a Service 1. What is the Lord saying that this service is to be about? 2. What is the Lord doing at this time in our church? 3. What pattern of use (or undue repetition) have we made of any particular piece of music or expression of praise?

14 A Meeting at His Throne The Finale of Worship A desire that each believer would be open to the Spirit s call to do more than move upon us separately more than to renew us in worship separately Psalm 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. A passion that the whole Church come together in worship NOW!

15 An Age-Long Heart-Cry Before our Lord Jesus was crucified He uttered these words in prayer toe the Father Father, I pray that they be one.... In John 17 He spoke these words five times A relentless insistence exist that fight this unity Insisting on precise liturgical requirements Pressing nuances of doctrinal opinion Rehearsing ancient arguments against brothers Criticizing various worship and ministry styles

16 An Age-Long Heart-Cry Humility and eventual unity are within reach is you and I are willing to acknowledge The folly of believing that anyone or any group holds the ultimate and conclusively perfect understanding of all God s Word and all God s ways, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9

17 An Age-Long Heart-Cry Humility and eventual unity are within reach is you and I are willing to acknowledge The folly of believing that any invitation to or any realization of some expression of manifest unity among all believers in Jesus Christ requires a concession of private conviction or a convergence of doctrinal positions, liturgical practices or uniformity in style, ministry or emphasis The Bible doesn t ever require that!

18 An Age-Long Heart-Cry The biblical grounds for unity are not conformity or uniformity; they are proposed on the basis of willingness to permit the Holy Spirit to bring us together at the feet of Jesus: Where we all agree to and submit to His Lordship Where we all are fixated on His worthiness rather than our own Where we all might be rinsed of any residue of selfrighteousness; and Where we all embrace Him as the Truth, more than our personal beliefs.

19 An Age-Long Heart-Cry Ephesians 4:13-16 targets our unity of faith as focused in knowing Jesus and speaking the truth in love At some point, honest and humble souls will come to acknowledge that Christ Himself is more important than any of our systems or circles of fellowship Honesty and humility will bring us together

20 An Age-Long Heart-Cry Elton Trueblood said: He who begins with loving his own view of truth more than the truth itself, will end in loving his own denomination more than Christ, and ultimately in loving himself most of all.

21 A Passion for Fullness Ephesian 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. It is not only clear in Scripture but mandated of all Jesus disciples that we commit to one another on the basis of our choice to love, not our position of truth

22 An Expected Commitment God s Word as final and authoritative Jesus Christ as the only Savior of humankind verified by his atoning death on the cross, His literal resurrection and His glorious ascension to the Father s right hand as exalted Lord of the Church This is enough to bring us into His presence to worship together; to worship as one with God s Word as our foundation of faith and God s Son as the Chief Cornerstone of His Church, which He longs to see build together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit Ephesian 2:22

23 The Call to Worship We are being called to more than worship we are being called to let our worship shape us unto a manner of persons who are willing to be bonded together in the presence of God and to become banded together for the extending of His Kingdom