Irreverence In Worship Series

IRREVERENCE IN WORSHIP

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

INTRODUCTION: Beginning here and continuing through Chapter 14, Paul deals with issues regarding public worship. This is an important point – what Paul has to say he says in the context of public worship. Simply put, worship is aligning ourselves with God. Worship is all about God, not us! So, as Paul instructs the church concerning worship, he is in reality, instructing the church to be more God centered, and less self centered. To achieve worship that is God centered, we must deal with our own attitude, and conduct while worshipping. Here in this passage, Paul is teaching that in order to have God centered worship, we need to accept and understand the issue of authority. Paul lays out 6 principles to help us understand the issue of authority in worship

I Principle #1 – Partnership and Order in the Universe – 1 Cor 11:3

A The church at Corinth seemed to misunderstand the issue of Authority, and we seem to misunderstand the issue of authority

B Submission is a mutual co-operation and commitment that avoids chaos

C Christ is the head or authority of EVERY man.

1 Man is subordinate to Christ

D In turn, man has an authority over woman

1 Not an issues of superiority

2 Both man and woman are equal in God’s sight

3 Man and woman are an essential partnership

a Both have an interdependent relationship

b God ordained the relationship between man and woman

c God does not se “sexes”

Galatians 3:28 (NIV) Gal 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

4 Issue has NEVER been

a Ability and worth

b Competence and value

c Brilliance and advantage

5 Issue has always been function and order

a Christ submitted himself to God the Father

b Christ was equal with God

c For the purpose of Salvation God the son (co-equal) submitted himself to God the Father

E We serve God by submitting

1 Submitting to Him

2 Submitting to each other

II Principle #2 – Avoiding Embarrassment and Dishonor to each other – 1 Cor 11:4-6

A Men with covered heads

1 Issue in question is rebellion instead of worship

2 Men in the Old Testament followed the example of Moses

a Moses covered his head because of the glory of God

b OT men covered their heads when they thought they were in the presence of God

3 Men in the church came uncovered, signifying that they had regained the image of God, lost through sin, yet restored through Christ

2 Corinthians 3:13-18 (NIV) 2Co 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

4 Some believers were adopting to cover their heads in rebellion

REBELLION AFFECTS EVERYBODY

REBELLION RESTRAINS WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP

B Women without the veil

1 Issue here was exposing ones self and thereby attracting attention

2 Women would normally have been veil in society.

3 Since EVERY woman was veiled, no one took particular notice.

4 When a woman was unveiled, it was a sign of a loose woman outside the church

5 The issue inside the church was

a Exposing self in such a way as to attract attention from others

1) Attention that was directed towards God

2) Attention that should have been directed towards God

b Bringing or permitting the custom and attitude of the world to find its way into the church

The issues of rebellion and worldliness are detrimental to the church from their very roots!

WHY WE REBEL …

We rebel because we perceive personal injustice.

We rebel because we perceive personal prejudice

We rebel because we perceive personal requirements

WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY SAYING IS THAT WE REBEL BECAUSE WE DO NOT LIKE THE WAY SOMETHING IS GOING. IN OTHER WORDS – WHAT IS HAPPENING DOES NOT FIT MY LIFESTYLE – IT’S NOT THE WAY I THINK, IT’S NOT THE WAY I DO THINGS

PROBLEM WITH REBELLION IS THAT SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS IN AREAS WE THINK JUST THE OPPOSITE OF!