Preparing for our time TOGETHER!

Preparing Your Heart for Worship - January 21, 2018

This Sunday, as we continue to look at what it means to BE the Body of Christ, we’ll be in Ephesians 5:1-21. 

As you look through the order of worship for our gathering tomorrow, pay attention to how everything flows together and leads us toward hearing from God through His Word in the sermon.  

One way of thinking about our worship service is an “hourglass” shape. We begin wide - with the distractions of the world and the past week in mind. Through the service, we tighten our focus on the cross, and then widen back out as we are commissioned to live out God’s Word in our daily lives. 

Call to Worship

We begin to turn from the distractions of the past week and focus our hearts, minds and actions on exalting Him. this is the “formal beginning” of our time together.

Worthy of Worship

We begin by declaring God’s worthiness together. 

Let It Be Said of Us

We concluded our service last Sunday with this song asking the Lord that we would be a Body that is marked by forgiveness, known by our love, ruled by God’s peace, and, joined as one body. We’re singing it again early in our service as a reminder that even in our worship, these things should be our goal. 

Prayer of Petition

Praying that we would be truly joined in unity during our time together. 

Testimony

This Sunday is “Sanctity of Human Life” Sunday. We’ll be hearing from Barb Hutchison about Choices Medical Services, a wonderful ministry here in Joplin that seeks to protect the lives of the unborn and help young parents among other things. 

Worship through Giving 

The giving of our resources to the Lord is an act of worship. It’s an acknowledgement that everything we have is a gift of God. Use this time, to reflect on all that He has blessed you with and the joy it is to give back to Him as we all strive to give faithfully, joyfully, and sacrificially. 

Prayer of Praise

I really do love being your pastor. This prayer of petition is a time to come to the Lord on behalf of the congregation as together we confess our sins, receive the assurance of pardon, and beseech the Lord to be actively at work in our lives. 

Meditating on God’s Word

1 Timothy 4:13 – devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. Each week, we select a passage of Scripture that helps to prepare us for the sermon. It is sometimes a parallel passage, and sometimes a complimentary passage. The goal is to simply hear God’s voice as we meditate on His Word. 

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

As we gather, what a joy it is to always sing of what Christ has done for US. This is truly the foundation of our unity, and something that we will spend eternity singing about. 

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Originally written as a communion hymn, this song is a beautiful expression of not just what Christ has done for us, but how we should respond when meditating on the cross.

Sermon: This Whole Church Thing... It’s About US!

While salvation and all of life is about the glory of God, there is a distinct “US” dynamic when we think about what it means to be the Body of Christ. Please be sure to read Ephesians 5:1-21 as we’ll be looking at what God calls us to be tomorrow.  

Speak, O Lord

We typically think of this song as a “just before the sermon” prayer, but most of this song is a wonderful expression of our desire for God to use His Word to bring about change in our hearts. Take a minute to read the lyrics and story of this song so that when we sing it together, it’s coming from the heart. Begin praying that the Lord would do this in our Body even now. 

Be in prayer for:

• Rex, the worship team, and choir as they prepare to lead us in singing.  

• Pray that we all come together on Sunday with hearts prepared to engage in intense, focused exaltation of God. 

• Pray that we are obedient to God’s commands and strive for the unity He has called us to. 

• Pray for me as I prepare to preach God’s inspired, inerrant, sufficient, authoritative Word in the morning. 

Rob