Intentional Worship: Centering Community Around Christ
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor emphasizing the significance of Jesus' sacrifice in making believers righteous before God. Through Christ Jesus, God declares believers righteous and frees them from the penalty of their sins. The pastor then transitions to discussing how to keep Jesus at the center of worship as a community. One idea suggested is to have at least one song in musical worship that clearly focuses on Jesus and who He is. This allows both believers and those who may not know Jesus to understand and experience Him. The pastor also mentions the importance of personal interactions, where believers can reflect Jesus and share His name explicitly when necessary.
The pastor then discusses the importance of being intentional in worshiping God. They acknowledge that being intentional does not mean being perfect, but rather doing the best one can out of love for God. The pastor expresses excitement about the potential for the community to be intentional both individually and collectively in their worship. They highlight the need for worship to be more than just a routine or a checkbox, but a meaningful and intentional experience.
The pastor introduces the concept of collective worship and expresses their passion for it. They explain that the community is embarking on something new and different, as they feel called to create a culture where everyone engages and participates. The pastor describes a shift in their collective gatherings, where they encourage discussion, pass the mic around, ask questions, and pray for each other. They express the desire to extend this value of engagement to their times of musical worship as well, finding ways for everyone present to contribute and be a part of the worship experience.
The pastor emphasizes the importance of being spirit-led and intentional in their faith. They explain that the community wants to focus on being centered on Jesus, and one practical way to achieve this is by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them. They want to create an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can move freely, while also being intentional in their actions and plans. The pastor uses the analogy of cooking to illustrate the need for intentionality in achieving excellence. Just as one cannot become a skilled chef without practice and training, one cannot be filled with the Spirit without intentionally seeking to know Jesus' heart through spending time with Him and reading the Bible.
The pastor concludes by reflecting on the transition to House Church and how it was a growth experience for them. They emphasize the importance of being open and expressing their thoughts. However, the pastor also acknowledges the challenge of not having musical worship in the House Church setting, as it was a significant way for them to connect with Jesus. Despite this, they have learned to focus on other aspects of their faith and not rely solely on one aspect. The pastor mentions that they are now entering a new season where they hope to have more consistent musical worship times in their Collective Gatherings and House Church.
Key Takeaways:
- Jesus' sacrifice is significant in making believers righteous before God. Through Christ Jesus, God declares believers righteous and frees them from the penalty of their sins. This is the foundation of our relationship and communion with God. [01:15]
- Worship should be intentional and not just a routine or a checkbox. It should be a meaningful and intentional experience, done out of love for God. This requires both individual and collective effort from the community. [15:30]
- Collective worship is a new and different approach that encourages everyone to engage and participate. This involves creating a culture where everyone contributes and is a part of the worship experience, extending this value of engagement to times of musical worship as well. [25:45]
- Being spirit-led and intentional in faith is crucial. This involves allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us while also being intentional in our actions and plans. Just as one cannot become a skilled chef without practice and training, one cannot be filled with the Spirit without intentionally seeking to know Jesus' heart through spending time with Him and reading the Bible. [35:20]
- Transitioning to House Church was a growth experience that emphasized the importance of being open and expressing thoughts. Despite the challenge of not having musical worship, it taught the importance of focusing on other aspects of faith and not relying solely on one aspect. This has led to a new season where there is hope for more consistent musical worship times in Collective Gatherings and House Church. [45:55]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 3:21-26: "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
2. John 4:24: "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
Observation Questions:
1. What does Romans 3:21-26 say about the righteousness of God and how it is obtained?
2. According to John 4:24, what is the nature of God and how should He be worshiped?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, as described in Romans 3:21-26, relate to the idea of being declared righteous and freed from the penalty of sins?
2. In light of John 4:24, how can the idea of worshiping in the Spirit and in truth be understood in the context of being spirit-led and intentional in faith?
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent time when you felt you fell short of God's glory. How can the understanding of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, as described in Romans 3:21-26, bring comfort or change your perspective on that situation?
2. What is one specific way you can intentionally seek to know Jesus' heart this week, as a means of being filled with the Spirit?
3. Can you think of a specific situation in your life where you can apply the principle of worshiping in the Spirit and in truth, as described in John 4:24?
4. What is one change you can make in your personal or collective worship to make it more intentional and not just a routine or a checkbox?
5. Think of a person in your community who may not know Jesus. How can you reflect Jesus and share His name explicitly in your interaction with them this week?
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Righteousness Through Christ's Sacrifice
Through Christ's sacrifice, believers are declared righteous and freed from the penalty of their sins. This profound act of love forms the foundation of our relationship and communion with God. It is a reminder of the significance of Jesus' sacrifice and the transformative power it holds in our lives. [01:15]
Romans 5:19 - "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
Reflection: How does understanding Jesus' sacrifice deepen your sense of gratitude and commitment to live righteously? Can you identify one area in your life where you can better reflect this righteousness?
Day 2: Cultivating Intentionality in Worship
Worship should not be a mere routine or a checkbox. It should be a meaningful and intentional experience, done out of love for God. This requires both individual and collective effort from the community. [15:30]
Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
Reflection: How can you make your worship more intentional and meaningful? Can you think of one specific action you can take today to deepen your worship experience?
Day 3: Engaging in Collective Worship
Collective worship encourages everyone to engage and participate, creating a culture where everyone contributes and is a part of the worship experience. This extends to times of musical worship as well. [25:45]
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another."
Reflection: How can you contribute to a culture of collective worship in your community? Can you think of one way you can encourage others to engage more deeply in worship?
Day 4: Being Spirit-Led and Intentional in Faith
Being spirit-led and intentional in faith involves allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us while also being intentional in our actions and plans. Just like a skilled chef needs practice and training, we need to intentionally seek to know Jesus' heart through spending time with Him and reading the Bible. [35:20]
Galatians 5:25 - "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."
Reflection: How can you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you more in your daily life? Can you identify one specific way you can be more intentional in seeking to know Jesus' heart?
Day 5: Embracing Growth and Openness in House Church
Transitioning to House Church was a growth experience that emphasized the importance of being open and expressing thoughts. Despite the challenge of not having musical worship, it taught the importance of focusing on other aspects of faith and not relying solely on one aspect. This has led to a new season where there is hope for more consistent musical worship times. [45:55]
1 Peter 2:2 - "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
Reflection: How has your experience in House Church helped you grow in your faith? Can you think of one specific way you can contribute to creating a more consistent worship experience in your House Church?
Quotes
1. "If I'm going to be someone that worships God in spirit and truth, I have to be intentional. It doesn't mean I'm going to be perfect, but I have to be intentional because of how much I love God." [44:09]
2. "How can we be intentional individually in our lives and then collectively when we come together to worship? How can this be more than just checking off the box or another worship experience?" [44:43]
3. "We felt like it was really crucial that we don't just go back to what we were doing before. We're trying to create a culture where we all engage, where we encourage discussion, ask questions, and pray for each other." [45:13]
4. "We feel the Holy Spirit calling us to help us stay focused on being Jesus-centered, and this is one practical way of doing that." [41:17]
5. "We want to be spirit-led and have an environment and atmosphere where we're allowing the Holy Spirit to move." [41:49]
6. "It's hard to be Spirit-filled if I don't know Jesus's heart, and that's through spending time with Jesus and reading the Bible." [43:03]
7. "As we worship in our personal lives, we then come together, bringing the personal worship journeys we've all been on and merging them together to collectively worship. God's going to put things on our hearts that are for the body, and we want to create space for those things to be shared and edify the body." [47:25]
8. "How is God inviting you to share what He's putting in your heart? Beyond just what He's putting on your heart right now, how can you bring that to this time of worship? Let's break the barrier between the stage and congregants and talk about what it looks like for us all collectively to contribute to the worship time." [47:52]
9. "You might have something on your heart that God is leading you to share that might really help somebody else. I've been there where God's put a lot of things in my heart to share with other people, and I haven't done it. It almost feels like carrying a burden until you speak it." [48:24]
10. "When I do things that God has put on my heart, it's a different feeling. It's a feeling of hey, you know, like almost like a lightness, yeah, but just something being taken off your shoulders because you just obeyed." [48:55]
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