Series: Action [#90]
A LETTER OF CONCERN- WHEN WE MEET TOGETHER
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Introduction:
Growing up, I remember asking my dad why we had to go to Church at least 3 times per week. He would tell us that it was important to be there, and why we should be there; but we wouldn’t really listen to him. Over time, I realized why we come together for worship; and that there are many things that we do in our worship of God.
1 Corinthians 11:17-22
When we come to Church to worship, what types of things do we do? What is the point of going to Church?
At Church…
1. We fellowship.
Fellowship is spending time with one another. Fellowship is much more than just eating and “goofing around”. We are God’s family, and we need to spend time together encouraging one another, sharing the good and bad, learning together, and worshipping God together. The Corinthian Christians had forgotten their point of meeting together. They had “clicks”. They had turned Church into a social gathering in which they invited who they wanted to invite. They turned the Lord’s Supper into a drunken party.
1 Corinthians 11:27-34
At Church…
2. We partake of the Lord’s Supper.
The Bible does not tell us how often we should take the Lord’s Supper, it just explains to us with what attitude we take the Lord’s Supper with. The early Church would come together and eat a meal together weekly. This was a great celebration and time of fellowship. This meal was considered to be a “Love Feast”. During this time of eating the meal, The Lord’s Supper would be observed in remembrance of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
Instead of coming together as a body of believers for the purpose of worship; they were divided, arguing, competing for power, and criticizing one another. These brothers and sisters in Christ would show up to worship with all sorts of sin going on within them. Paul told them it would be better not to even have a Worship Service than to show up with garbage in their lives and pollute the Worship Service. When divisiveness is in a congregation it will definitely affect the Worship Service negatively. If you are not here to worship God and to grow in your walk with Him, why bother? Playing the “Church” game will do you no good. This is a place of worship. When you come for any other purpose, it affects the worship of God.
Before we take the Lord’s Supper, you need to examine your life.
[Invitation]
[Lord’s Supper]
(Pass Bread & Cup)
1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NIV)
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
(Eat Bread)
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 (NIV)
“In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
After the Lord’s Supper, they would sing songs of praise and worship, read Scripture, and have preaching of the Word. Simply stated, they had a Worship Service.
At Church…
3. We watch new Christians get baptized.
Baptism is a symbol of what Christ has done in us. It shows that the person has died to the old self, been resurrected through Jesus, and walk with Him in a new life. Baptism does not save a person. Jesus was baptized to give us an example. We believe that baptism is through immersion.
At Church…
4. We pray.
We pray together, as one person usually prays; and we all listen and pray to ourselves. Not all congregations pray in this manner. At some Churches, many people are praying aloud, while one person is leading out. As long as people are not distracted, it does not matter.
At Church…
5. We read, hear, and study Scripture.
God uses His Word to convict us, grow us, teach us, and strengthen us so we can continue to serve Him.
At Church…
6. We sing.
The Bible says to make a joyful noise. You are to lift our voices to God in praise and worship. You are to think about the words you are singing and hearing. It is about much more than just notes and pitches.
[Sing]
At Church…
7. We give our tithes and offerings.
From the Old Testament and Hebrews 7, your tithe is 10% of your total income. In most of the New Testament, it tells us to give of all that we have. By definition, an offering is giving over your tithe. Everything that you have is from God. Giving of your money, possessions, and time is a part of Worship.
[Offering]
Conclusion:
Each time we come together to worship; we must be reminded that we come to worship and glorify Jesus Christ who died for us so that we might have salvation. We are to come with an open heart so that God can mold us and make us. If you don’t come prepared to let God change you, nothing will happen. We are to leave with the boldness and strength of The Holy Spirit ready to lead lost people to Jesus, looking forward to the next opportunity we have to meet together and worship The King of kings and Lord of lords.
