Strategy Statement #1: Congregational Worship, p.1

Congregational worship why are we here.

Why don't we meet together like this and told to many folks is just because… What we do we make together and I'll say this again, but folks look this is God's idea, God ordained this meeting of us together. God ordained that we would have one another and we would meet together to worship him and honor him. So this latest addition of our congregational worship strategy statement goes like this to be on your screen.

The church assembled to worship how the Spirit empowered preaching of the word to strengthen the saved and convert the lost with singing that reinforces the faith and expresses praise to God, our audience, I believe that's the best biblical thoroughly biblical strategy statement for what were doing in a worship service that I can find it's really got tons of hours of my life in it, meditating, thinking Craig looking at it lists all of the first phrase I.

The church assembled. Why should we assemble you do understand there's a lot of folks around the world.

A lot of folks in the Shoals that believe that followers of Jesus Christ view a local church in assembling with the local church, something they may do if they get around to it. Something they might participate in if it fits their busy schedule our meeting of them that I have heard this so many times I'm just so close to God. What about your fishing, and I can just be just as close to God. What you might can be close to God, but you can't serve God and take care your brothers and sisters in Christ out there fish unless you're both really big and well with you that the role of fishing.

Certainly nothing wrong honey, but that's not the base of my service to God.

The church assembled Ellis talk about the Old Testament picture of this in the Old Testament we find that word assembly. The people gather together is used over 100 times, referring to the gathering of the congregation of Israel that was quite a feat you understand when the whole congregation of Israel was summons together but very often. That's exactly what God would do that. Of course they assembled in their synagogues town. The town city and city all over the known world. Deuteronomy 31 verse 12 assembled the people. The men and women and children and the alien who is in your town. Now why they assembled will get to this further in outline, but in order that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God and be careful to observe all the words of this law, God's people getting together learning the word of God together.

There's something special about there is a sanctity to congregational worship is not just a good idea for the meta-satellite.

Well, we could meet with the discipleship group on Thursday my big Fellowship Christian ethics for school on Monday and that's good enough.

No, that's not good enough. That's secondary. The congregation of the local church is required to meet together there's a sanctity a uniqueness to that that no other Christian group has or can claim the Mi-8 to the nest of the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding Meza had a nursery.

That's what that means. On the first day of the seventh month. Here they all come together so they could listen and understand what does God tell us as a people to be and to do eight times the Old Testament mentions the whole assembly, the place of the collective assembly around the world as the as Jews were scattered in all parts was called the synagogue and we even know our Lord as Jesus comes into usher in a new dispensation yet living under the old Bible says in Luke 416 he says and he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and asked was his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read that even though the synagogues had become at the end of of wickedness.

In many cases, Jesus because he was faithful to God's ordinance was faithful to the assembly of God's local congregation. At least in that context, the congregation, which was the synagogue.

Now this cross over to the New Testament we have the Greek equivalent of the old Hebrew word assembly used together, the congregation of local church believers. For example in James two to James Wright for for man comes into your assembly. It's understood you as a local church family will assembled together.

Matter fact, if you are you listening to me to to to belong to a local church to get let me say this to you and and for these kinds of thoughts are so ingrained in our downgraded spiritual climate of the day. That is, churches become the thing you to and where do you attend church. Where do you attend church here that all the time.

I know what they mean and I'm not going to go out reprove the next person who says that to me folks you can attend the church. Churches us is the body of Christ you can attend the church you can attend a church's worship service or whatever they call some of the shenanigans that are putting on which you can attend a church, a church is not where you attend. The church is what you belong to. It should be. Where do you belong in church to what are you a part of, to which church do you belong, not where do you attend church acts 512 shows us how they all assemble together at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico, they all came together is one great congregation. All those who were being saved. Acts 65 in the statement found approval with the whole congregation are talking about appointing the deacons who would oversee the serving of the food to the widows who were being neglected in this context, but again the whole congregation is together and the whole congregation heard the plan and the whole congregation said that sounds like a good plan. Let's go for dislike I've told the whole congregation of grace like this morning where God seems to be opening doors for us to anchoring transmissions and I hope the whole correlation here says let's go for this didn't happen overnight.

This is what we been praying and working toward for decades, and that is indeed the truth.

Of course, the Bible clearly commands us not to miss these assemblies.

Hebrews 1024 and 25 instead of neglecting them are thinking the light of them were to be working today what to let us consider if you're to be thinking on how what you're going to do when you get together with one another on Sunday. Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good knee, not forsaking our own assembling together, you should be there the week praying and thinking how can I help God's people this week cannot be an instrument or an agent to start them on to biblically defined love and good works one toward the. The other knowing that this is the centerpiece of my life.

I may do other things. I make all the places on a blonde other birds, and that's okay this is my primary and first obligation in service to God, his local church assembly and not the one that fits the flavor of the week for you not being a church hopper finding the one that fits you. Finding one that suits you best. Who cares what suits you. Your reprobate weekend Laos depraved unregenerate center.

Apart from God's grace. How do you know what's best yards total foolishness.

You better go to the book and find out what the book says is the best church find that one and belong to it. If they'll take you, and I'm sure if you're humble and genuine will take you, which certainly would. He said don't forsake the sibling of yourself together as the habit of some early church is just going and already some are laying out but encourage one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. So we see all through the Old Testament and I'm only scratching the surface, but also the New Testament faithfulness to the sacred ordinance of God, the assembling of yourselves for corporate worship is expected and commanded old and New Testament.

Be careful in your thinking that to some degree parachurch ministries and parachurch Christian organizations do not take the place of your devotion. Your energy you're giving to your local church. Other things are good to be involved in understand that.

I applaud that as long crowd out or diminish your devotion to the assembly of God. Now that when I say assembly here. I really mean the correlational worship assembly, but it does go further means all we do together small groups, missions, etc. but it all flows out of the scope of the wheel, which is congregational worship in the spirit of hard preaching of the word.

The word necklace. See you as I remind you often is the word that is translated church in the New Testament that word literally means called out once in the final and true definition and understanding. You don't choose a church that God chooses it. God calls you out of blogging to other entities to other collectivities or to other siblings not to just abandon all those completely removes your heart for your primary purpose and commitment and belonging is the local assembly of God's believers, the church, so it is both our divine privilege to be a part of this called outgroup and it is our duty to be faithful and assemble with them so the church assembled Jalisco step further. II to worship we gathered in here to worship and immediately would say worship ever thinks about singing and playing music that's wonderfully good. As a part of our worship.

That's not the primary part of our worship in the certain not all that has to do with worship. So what is worship limit backup just a little bit and remind you that worship. Worship entails the totality of our lives when we obey God we worship God when you take God's word, anything on the situation at work in this situation at school.

Look at the young people by the situation at school. I want to do this I would tell her what would it is. I would tell this counselor know you go God's word and say here's what God says so. I will obey him. That shows that honor and reverence him more than me. That's worship. When you obey God worship when you serve God. It's worship is a part of our worship in the totality of our lives. Now there's one modifier that must be put in here when you obey God and serve God according to his word.

You worship him. If you quote obey "God, if you quote serve"" to worship God really what you're doing your obeying and worshiping yourself is not according to his word got God has not lift you how you feel about worshiping him. He said a lot of really enjoy the way y'all worship well find a more biblical pattern and show me in which any. The goal is because God's changed. Your heart is to learn to worship God according to how he wants to be worship that becomes your joy that becomes what excites you and you have to grinder that that's part of what sanctification is and pastors need to quit catering to the carnal and the immature and the lease sanctified to keep them excited and coming to church. We need to keep pushing them and exhorting them in growing them to where they reached for the higher, more biblical concepts of what worship.

We worship him in the totality of our lives when we obey God worship him. We serve God we worship him. Remember when Saul came back from disobeying God about not killing all them accounts. Saul built a big altar and sacrifice to the Lord and thought maybe I'll just do this big elaborate service to God. Here in this might got happy and God said to Saul, Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice.

This was an impressive array of worship before me, but I don't care because your heart's not in it. You can do it you can do what I told you I said kill everybody X bowls from the war for the battle so striving to be obedient is so important now obeying God's is worship him serving God's word to worship him. If it's according this word but enjoying God's worshiping enjoying God as I know him better as I study his troops as I purpose to obey what he says I begin to realize the glory, the wonder of the wealth, the privilege of knowing his wisdom, and I begin to enjoy him. That's worship. All of these components come together now is come to the coronation assembly little more directly now belonging to and worshiping with a local church family once again is a primary duty and a primary joy of the child of God. Psalm 122 one. I was glad when they said to me let us go to the house of the Lord, something in me has grown somewhere that's not a necessary drudgery.

That's become a joy in my heart. I remember after I was converted before I even came on your staff how I look forward to Sunday morning and I look forward to Sunday night and how I look forward to Wednesday night. I was so different for me because I did look forward to a needy church before I was converted. It became my joy III church assembled to worship through the Spirit empowered preaching. Let's talk about spirit empowerment that is so vitally ported Southern apostle Paul talks to the Corinthians about the difference in his preaching ministry compared to the teachers and philosophers of the Greek culture of the day. He says in first Corinthians to four my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, what he saying is you.

Corinthians. You have this high esteem for great oratory skills you have this high esteem for men they can get up and sway the audience with their grandiose language and the way they can speak and enunciate you have the highest esteem for men who are persuasive in their speech pulses laterally. I didn't come to you in any way to compete with the eloquence caressing the persuasiveness of the philosophers and teachers of your age because you see man's power is in persuasion process here.

I came to you in demonstration of power. Man's power is in persuasion God's powers in demonstration.

I'm not here to wow you with my antics in my delivery and my charisma, not by yelling or whatever it is I just know what I do at the end of the day. Are you affected are you changed by the Spirit of God marks the authenticity of this pulpit.

If lives are tainted marriages are changed.

If young people are not change.

Paul says when I preached to you, Corinthians, you guys changed. You love Christ. Now your gathered as assembly of believers. Now you let the preaching of the word.

Now you begin retentive your fornication's and your daughters and your wickedness in your lives that they were finished products yet but it's clear the power of God change them. Paul says listen to your persuasive arbiters of your culture all you want my preaching change your life.

My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and empower that's the kind of preaching, we must have people are broken, overseeing what people see the weight of the depravity of their wanting before a holy God.

When people begin to embrace the glories the wonders, the realities of this Christ saves us, and they begin to treasure him and love him changed and is demonstrated in their lives as you have the true church conference is demonstrated when the people come in and just mingle with you and learn what your hearts about persuasion was the Corinthian passion. All he is such a powerful persuasive speaker persuasion was the Corinthians passion demonstration was Paul's passion. He said I want to show you changed people who used to love seeing himself a builder, not through sending their still repentance. But now they love God and his son Jesus Christ used to made at the Temple Diana Ross, fornication for temple prostitutes. They no longer go there they meet with the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and renewed their vows to their own wives made on Paul says with just great speakers, powerful impacting sermons are our lights and sound enduring trauma and multimedia is not all bad, but here's my question posed a two keywords for pastors.

You want your preaching change lives two keywords go together believing prayer do you pray pastor. The only thing God's going to use this word, by the power of the spirit to change lives small group leader who you pray going in the Sunday morning meal waving God is going to use the teaching of his word impact lives for his glory.

This week belief. I'm not believing Tom plays excellent music ministries go to build the kingdom of God. I'm not believing Jeff not blitz pulpit abilities are going up to the kingdom of God.

I'm not believing that a beautiful new mall area with carpet without wrinkles is going to build the kingdom of God. I pray believing God will take his word.

Sometimes when I met my most feeble and weakest use. The truth, to change lives so that it the end of the day. Tom played more Jeff not Blake nor anyone else gets the glory.

God must get way.

This church must be a demonstration God change his life. His way or his glory. Some of you sitting at the right now.

This morning you're changing some of you sitting at the right now. This will shock many of you used to not like me. I got news for you. I don't I like a lot about me is why the continual repent or what I've seen your countenance change I've seen your interest in the preached word changed God by changing your heart, not for me personally that can come or go for the truth.

I proclaim shows God changing you know what happens when God gets the change in you, you're hooked. You won't leave it better and cocaine is better than anything else on this like I've got to have that I got Jeff Napoli but I got have that preaching of the word empower the spirit in another verse first Corinthians 419 and 20 apostle Paul arrived in the same church process.

I'll come to you soon. If the Lord wills and I still find out the words you got a bunch of false teachers coming in there that will put Paul down St. Paul when the true man of God. He said when I show up in Corinth. I'm not looking for their fancy speech in persuasive speech.

I wonder about their power for the kingdom of God is not consistent words but empower. He goes on to say no when I show up in my ability to bring a rod power really took around about teams with lipstick record, I straighten some go out I had to into a fit state wafted around her while I slid on not make consummately silly. That's what the Bible says of course it was figurative language. Paul knew he was God's man in God's place, doing God's will for God's glory. He should bring on all those fancy impressive guys that are stealing your hearts away. I want to see if their teachings changed you to love God and grow you in godliness is what you find when you start listening to a false teacher when you start listening to a slick whizbang God who can really sway you and really draw you in.

Here's what you find out over time become more sensual, more fleshly and more worldly versus being more of a repent or more humble and more godly. That's the power of God. The last so the Corinthians gloried in the power of discourse, but not in godliness, and Paul confronted it head on, saying preaching must be spirit and power. Now let's go to the preaching of the word. The church assembled to worship the first part of worship, Spirit empowered preaching of the word of God.

That's our greatest form of worship, Spirit empowered preaching never talk about preaching the word. I'm not talking about using the Bible to scratch your carnal each massaging and manipulating the text so that it kinda makes you where you and your carnal pursuits are right now. I expect preaching this word faithfully, are you listening to me. I expect preaching this word faithfully will sometimes rattle your world shake things up trouble you know about him to go back there were going to have to church you might find yourself in hell. One day you better develop a love for the truth even if it rattles your cage even it didn't fit what you enjoy. Because of your safe list to be. There's at least the German you.

This is I want the truth least the German… I want the truth. Why because I needed it helps me so not using the Bible to scratch. I carnal each but preaching the word to meet the spiritual need. When Martin Luther broke off the Roman Catholic Church with his 95 theses the 95 un-biblical things he saw in the church centered in Rome. Martin Luther said this preaching the word is the first mark of the church. Whatever else the church must assembling together that my God, and exhort and preach, reprove, rebuke, exhort, instruct, encourage from the word of God is the first mark. The primary mark of the church. He went on to say God's word cannot exist without God's people is where you find God's people pray so will get somebody to preach to these adjusted to preach the word to God's people get together. This begins to happen then it's also said, and God's people cannot be without God's word you put out the truth of the word of God. You throw out the truth of the word of God you know to find your fun. The sheep that start coming to the sheep food problem with a lot of us pastors is we, like how to much goats in there because what the numbers up what I've learned my lesson.

I decide you have the goats there a lot of trouble. Sheep want sheep food. Albert Mohler, the Presidents of the Meadows theological seminary's. Is this the early church leaders did not just dabble in a little bit of preaching the Lord. It was the mainstay of what were about one of the Old Testament. This is so vividly and clearly tall.

Exodus 35 one then Moses assembled all the carcass of the sons of Israel said to them, these are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do God's people meeting together the word of God preach to the people.

Nehemiah the governor Nehemiah 8133 wrote this and all the people gathered as one man in the square, which is in from the Watergate and they asked Esther the scribe, the priest to bring the book of the law of Moses. The Bible which the Lord had given Israel.

Now they've returned from exile.

Lesson number one God's people together.

Let's get the bootless project verse two than as of the priest brought the law for the assembly of men and women in all who could listen with an understanding of the first day of the seventh month and he read from it. Before the square, which is in front of the Watergate from early morning until midday in the presence of men and women.

Those who could understand and all the people were intended to the book of the law. The first thing they did getting back from pagan captivity was this get together this get the Bible.

Let's preach the word, the congregation in the Old Testament was assembled God man brought God's people. God's word to God's people is what we see throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. I can only run through this quickly.

Paul instructing Timothy Byrd second Timothy 314 through 45 you Timothy. However, continue in all things you have learned to become convinced of, knowing from whom you've learned them that from childhood you've known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ, all Scripture is inspired by God. It's God speaking out to God's breath. So all Scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, the Pentagon may be adequate, equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who should judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season. Timothy, keep reproving, rebuking, exhorting with great patience and instructions while Paul, why do I keep on keeping on with the right patient for the time will come, and they will not endure sound doctrine can about is that you you were these flighty little thinking fickle backbone like a jellyfish Christian I got I think only brace live.

I think I'll go works fun on Sunday New England if you do that first week, so just never say second is Pope next week. No reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.

Next week I'll do it again the next week or two. Again, because if you're one of the sheep, though the church is out there that I know you go to and serve God, not many of there's other severe got sheep you can come back looking for God sheep in God. Sheep food, we gotta be faithful put that out there so when the sheep come in they recognize you know what I told the people join our church. We got some John this morning. Least they were before the sermon I've said you know what you probably found when you came to grace life church you came home to a place you've never been before the site. That's right. It feels like home trauma to the suck I fit this out to be in on this sheep want that sheep food choices. Timothy, keep all reproving rebuke, and exhort a great pace instruction for the time will come. Can you put that back atomic time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. There does not have the discipline to sit under Sam preaching exam.

Is there anything new. Is there anything different. Is there anything unique out there other than this stuff wanted to have their ears tickled, they will Kulik for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and they will turn away their ears from the truth.

They will turn aside to myths. To be sober in all things, endure hardship really means is endure that hardship.

That's not easy to deal with when they don't really want sound preaching the sound truth any longer endure that hardship to the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, on top of that phrase, fulfill your ministry for just a second, fulfill your ministry to what it means is leave nothing undone when saying is if you will faithfully preach the word of God, the way you know to preach it.

You're filling your ministry full you are fulfilling your ministry that is your responsibility. True discipleship requires one to be faithful to Congress assemblies to be equipped of the biblical preaching of the pastor. If anyone is ever told you like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and serve the Lord in without the local church without the preaching know you cannot God's ordained, you must as it is wiser than you are. And it's needful for some of you and you are sharp and you do know the Bible and you do have insights and you can lay great discipleship which I can give you all that God has ordained that you require the humbling of sitting under the preaching of a failed week preacher is that's what he doesn't. So much so that took it to the Corinthians. He said it's the foolishness of preaching was at the world says this is exposed so many other ways to communicate more effectively. Today they would call it, it's foolish. The center all your lives on Gov., the Carnation in hearing this men exegete and preach the word of God within. He goes on to say that what the world calls foolishness foolishness we call the wisdom of God, the highest form of worship is the preaching and the receiving of the preaching of the word of God. When we built this auditorium something how long it's been, and what 20 years at Somerset close 20 years ago when I laid out the design I put this pulpit front center and prominent I patterned it after Charles Haddon Spurgeon's pulpit. I patterned after the Puritan and Baptist pulpits of former centuries, because unlike the Catholic pulpit, which is over the side because the center of their worship is the sacraments with the priest gives you juice, and the priest gives you a waiver and they teach that Jesus dies for you again when you get that and you get saving grace. But you gotta keep coming back to get more Jesus and saving grace. Aren't you glad the will and the word of God is preached in Christ is revealed in you. You place your faith in him, and once for all your done. You'd only just now that her knees priest with some silly party had on the administer anything to you there pulpits over here because the center of their worship is what sacraments the center of the old Protestant Puritan evangelical prep Presbyterian and Baptist is the preaching of the word.

So they always built their buildings centered on the pulpit with the word of God is preached and had to be made faithful God called preacher of the word I want you to notice Paul's writing to Timothy in Corinth as enrollment of the places theater was a big thing the arena and fantastic spectacles that you could see in the arena was a great event of the day, but there's not the tiniest notion of bringing any of that into the church to help the church to be more effective is no mention of any of those things is no mention of music style. There's no mention doing dramas, there's no mention of lighting are smoker special effects are great screens to put all kind of fanciful things on no mention of any event you know why is why do we need to put on something when you can just demonstrate the reality of what were about this marriage is saved this man's return home to his wife. We got one of those it's happening right now. This lady overhears gotten over gossiping bitter spirit and on and on and on we could go in demonstration of the reaction I don't need to put all the drama. I just show you the real thing.

Amen.

It's the world. Look at Hollywood. Hollywood puts on all this garbage today. I've I've seen my last movie where the superhero saves the world and she's 110 pound woman beaten all these, 200 pound guys of all the time. It's alive to fantasy.

The world puts on dramas because they don't have the truth that have either reality we got the real thing. I got got in my notes here that when I preach this the last time we had 13 marriages in biblical counseling.

I don't know if that all been lost, but I do know that time they'd all been saved 13 marriages. I'm not saying it's all wrong or we could not misunderstand me, but instead of flying the banner out front that says divorce care church of Jesus Christ should be applied to better assist divorce prevention.

Sometimes that happens. I understand that there's repentance and there's new beginnings understand that not condemning anybody on that point.

I'm just saying why don't we embrace the world. We have the word of God and the power of God. Now, finally, the church is a living organism in the church has to breeze is a church faithfully preaches the word of God and the power of the spirit and strives to live out the word of God and the church breeze breeze in the oxygen of the truly converted. She and it brings breeds out the carbon the oxide of the false professor in the unconverted and that's a process that happens not in my early days the pastorate we had a lot of carbon dioxide going out not so much oxygen but as a church matures that becomes less and less and less forwarded is this way in second Corinthians chapter 2 verses 14 through 17 he said. But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifest through us. The sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in every place that he's talking to people who knew what to try out once in a Roman Friday up the general would bring his troops back in and as he's marking those trips to Rolla whatever major city brought them into they would be burning incense and they would have in chains all the captives that taken in conquering their enemy. And so as I walk along this is aroma aroma that the Romans would cheer and yell and shout victory for every victory. We don't have to worry Mark Babcock at macadam. Their leaders are in change coming back to the spine. CNC is always going up. We can all spell it is a sweet savor of life and be verse 15, Paul using the now desist for we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. When people smell lies they smell the work of Jesus Christ and how he gets men to God.

Get something of the smell of the wisdom and the power and the love of God not go further restrict 16 to the one and aroma from death to death to the other and aroma from life to life as the Greek Roman general brought his triumphal entry into the city. The incidents were going up and for the Romans they smell that incense dread that follow where safe. We conquered look at in their change for those in the change. Walking along when they smelled the incense of the truculent pre-I know that soon I'll be there in prison are executed to them. The incense was not a fragrance of life fragrance and toss it everywhere I go, you listen unless doing to sober. He got into this correctly pulse it everywhere I go I'm not changing my method to get better results.

I'm not capitulating to the clever junk of the world to make Jesus look better. I will stay with what I'm supposed to go to Harold and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some smells like Hayden tested they don't affect other tips like price, God, I found God and found my Savior and found sins forgiven and found life eternal pulse is everywhere I go it's that is both summits and aroma of life, others fragrance is your sitting in the service this morning and I'm preaching God's truth in God's word about God's way in the church is or something in you that grass that is drawn to that. It seems like that's life. That's what I need to be part of something you'd says, oh dear God, get me out of here then you're in death.

Your and spiritual death. You are spiritually dead, and the judgment of God awaits you, sir, ma'am young person, you must repent and embrace Christ before it's too late because right now you're in chains.

If you wait too long to be spiritually executed at the judgment bar God, which is the truth of God's word in the gospel of Jesus Christ joy to your spirit certainly rebukes as it does me humbles us does Mel need to do better. Yes, absolutely. There's a parting with this is all yes praise be to my God and Savior. It's an aroma of life of life is for you to come full circle. You need to pray is in North Africa South America several points across America would teach preachers. These truths have to leave them out in the churches of the glory of God