Six Qualities of Authentic Worship 04/3/22

In st louis there's a plethora of churches one of the constant things that we kept hearing was new church why do we need a new church in this community we already got a bunch of them not doing nothing in this neighborhood I mean there is a lot of homelessness prostitution fatherless homes the world has changed sin is increased there's more crime there's more drugs are prevalent it's not a secret thing anymore my family and I bought a house in the community and we moved there in the community so the people that we wanted to reach we were living amongst and we would set up on a sunday bring our own church bring a barbecue pit some chips some hot dogs and we would have worship service in the neighborhood park and we just began to live their love there serve there and people started to come when we see people submitting to discipleship relationships when we see people surrender their heart to Jesus when we begin to see the neighborhood beginning to change around us like that's when we just know like we're doing this right and we wouldn't change it for the world but it's going to take all of us working together to ensure that lostness is being addressed in our communities it's the body of Christ there's someone in tennessee they may never come to the inner city of saint louis but they can give and contribute because they believe in what we're doing as a body as an entity to help us to get to that next level we just got to work together we can do more together than we can do a part everyone whoo started yelling there and it picked me up hey we've got it is good seeing you here at first baptist church my name is cody I'm the pastor here if you are new to our

Church if you could it's been a while since we've talked about this but if you haven't filled out one of these one of these new person cards fill one of these out also if you if you have prayer requests if you could fill one of these out as well if you have prayer requests specific things that I can pray for you about or our staff just drop these off in the different offering plates that are at the entrances that would be huge and us being able to connect with you to pray for you I have I have dozens of people every morning pastor cody can you pray about this for me and I try my best I really do but filling one of these out really does help and so I'm asking you to do that and we do have a lot of things to cover today we've got our annie armstrong easter offering that we're taking up next week our church goal is eight thousand dollars but you know guys I also want to point this out to you as well last week we have some missionaries that our church has sent out from our congregation josh and christie that are serving over in africa and as we said they their hospital was in such dire straits that they didn't even have formula to give to kids to newborn babies they didn't have tylenol to give for pain and your generous giving and it brought in 5 459 in just one week and so we thank the Lord for that and maybe you're here and you're just like you know I want to give you can give online you know and every single penny goes to them and equipping them for mission work remember that we're not just pro-birth we are pro-life from womb to tomb amen and hey speaking of fun things that are going on we got the joy

Group that's just older youth 55 and up they're going out to dowd's catfish and barbecue out in lebanon that's going to be april 12th and so we would encourage you to come and be a part of that they're gonna go out and eat and baptists are good at eating and maybe you're here and you wanna be a part of a potluck we got potluck right after service today you know if you didn't bring anything that's okay you know we want you to be there and we want you to feast with us as we just fellowship together that's the whole purpose of it is just to be together and to eat which is good amen we're excited about that tonight there is no evening service because we have a hoosier one evangelism training that's down in springfield at second baptist church the attend the event is free to attend but you do have to register if you're going tomorrow so if you say well I didn't register for tonight that's totally cool you don't have to register for tonight you can just show up and have a great time johnny hunt will be there for those of you who are familiar with southern baptist life you know that he is a man full of character he has served faithfully for many decades in the southern baptist convention he'll be preaching there tonight as well as awesome worship engaging worship and we have our dogwood festival that's coming up here that we're going to have 2 000 people right outside of our church all lined up and hungry and if you want to help us and making breakfast burritos that way we can pass them out to these hungry children these hungry families that have just rushed out the door to get to the parade if you want to help us in connecting with the community that the

Lord is bringing to our footsteps you can sign up on this table that's right out here in the fellowship hall and you can just put your name down and where you want to serve we need people to pack bags we need people to just pass out water to pass out food and just to connect with the community and so make sure that you sign up or you can go on to the church center app and sign up that way also this upcoming wednesday we have our final cow celebration night we're gonna have a pulled pork dinner and so if you don't come and be a part of that regularly even if you're don't have kids in cow that's church on wednesdays come and eat it's it's a good thing to do it's three dollars per plate or ten dollars for a family so if you've got four or more you're not going to be able to eat anywhere else for 10 bucks especially to get pulled pork and so it's going to be a great time church I love you so much and I want to encourage you to do something today as you guys know as has been our habit over the past several months we just start out our service just kind of quiet just asking the Lord to show us things in our lives things that maybe he needs to deal with us in maybe there's an area of disobedience or maybe there's an area where you just are in fear I talked this morning with several people who have ongoing health things they say cody can you pray about that absolutely but maybe right where you're at there's just something that's going on in your heart and your mind that you're just like cody I just need to take this before the Lord before I'm even ready to worship I want you to just bow your head and close your eyes

And ask the Lord just to just to reveal those areas today we're going to talk about worship in our in our service and maybe you're here and you're just worship is the farthest thing from your mind why don't you ask the Lord to help you in that perhaps there's a an area of disobedience that you've just held on to and maybe right now you're just you're ready to just hand that over to the Lord won't you ask the Lord to help you in that to surrender whatever it might be to him Lord we do we come before you today to ask you to help us to worship you Lord we know that it is it's your desire that we would bring glory to you that's what we were made for and Lord we know that we can only worship by the power of the cross Lord we ask that you would help us with that this morning God remind us of the Gospel of Jesus who lived a perfect life on our behalf who died a painful death and bore the wrath that we deserved Lord let that inform our worship God help us to cast off everything that would distract us this morning and instead to focus completely on who you are it's in Jesus name that we pray amen please stand and join me as we sing psalm 136 the first few verses it says this give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever give thanks to the God of gods for his steadfast love endures forever give thanks to the Lord of lords for his steadfast love endures forever [Music] give thanks to the Lord our God in king his love endures forever

For he is good he is above all things his love endures forever [Music] for the life that's been reborn endures [Music] sing forever forever God is faithful forever God is strong forever God is with us forever forever God is faithful forever God is strong forever God is with us [Music] from the rising to the setting sun as love enters forever and by the grace of God we will carry on [Music] sing praise forever God is faithful forever God is strong forever God is with us forever forever God is faithful forever God is strong forever God is with us [Music] forever he is faithful amen he's faithful today he will be faithful for all of eternity let's continue to sing to praise our God and Savior this morning with come praise and glorify our God come praise and glorify our God the father of our Lord in Christ he has in heavenly realms his blessings on us more for pure and blameless in his sight he us to me and now we've been adopted through his son eternally to the praise of your glory to the praise of your mercy and grace to the praise of your glory you are who saves come praise and glorify

Our God who gives his grace in [Music] our Christ are washed away redeems his sacrifice [Applause] in him God has made known to us the mystery of his will that Christ should be the head of all his purpose to the praise of your glory to the praise of your mercy and grace to the praise of your glory you are the God who saves come praise and glorify our God for we believe the word and through our faith we have a seal the spirit of the Lord the spirit guarantees our hope until redemption's done until we join in endless grace to God the three in one to the praise of your glory to the praise of your mercy and grace to the praise of your glory you are the God who saved to the praise of your glory to the praise of your mercy and grace to the praise of your glory you are the God who saves he is the God who saves as we continue to worship this morning I it doesn't bother me if you stand or you sit or you kneel and pray I just ask that you would keep your heart would be engaged in the worship of our Lord and Savior today because that's what we're called to do that's who we are we are the worshipers isn't it a glorious thing that we get to be called that well we are unworthy to be called on our own but because of the grace that God showed us with Christ on the cross that becomes our name this next one we'll sing it's all glory be to Christ whatever happens in this life

Whether good or bad it's all for the glory of God should nothing of our efforts stand no legacy survive [Music] unless the Lord does raise the house in vain it's builders strife to you [Music] tell me what is [Music] at dawn all glory be to Christ all glory be to Christ our king the glory be to Christ [Music] israel and reigns he'll ever sing all glory be to his will be done his kingdom come on earth as is above who is himself our daily bread praise him the Lord of love [Music] the thirsty without price we'll take a cup of kindness yet all glory be [Music] glory be to Christ his ruling and reign will never sing all glory be to Christ [Music] when on the day the great I am the faithful and the true the lamb who was for sinner slain is making all things new behold our God shall live with us and be our steadfast light and we shall let his people be all glory be to [Music] Christ glory be to Christ our king [Music] his rule and reign will ever sing all glory be to Christ

Oh glory be to Christ our king oh his rule and reign [Music] isn't it good to hear the voice of believers singing the praises of our God amen this next one that we're going to sing is called come o sinner and who does that refer to but you and I you know we are in this strange place where we are absolutely those of us who believe we are absolutely justified by the blood of Christ on the cross but we are also absolutely still struggling daily with our sin nature that thing that separates us from God and so that's what we're we're singing about we're recognizing that we are without Christ we are sinners we are hopeless but he makes a way for us in the text of this song it talks about Jesus on the cross and what that's about and as we prepare our hearts and minds for the easter season where we celebrate the death and the resurrection of Christ in our stead I felt this was an appropriate song for us to sing together so if you know it sing along if you don't let these words sink in really listen and yeah just let the power of the cross affect you as we sing together [Music] come on and see Christ the Lord upon a tree see the crown of thorns adorn the king who labors to breathe in agony come o sinner come and see what our God became to set us free come o sinner come and more for he calls your sin is own do you feel the weight of justice served

[Music] o suffers come and born [Music] of this awesome scene where our Savior [Music] the bleeds of the love of God come and stand in all [Music] mercy fills this place of sword for he dies to save his enemies that all who draw near may know his peace [Music] [Applause] is [Music] of this awesome scene where I save your bleeds [Music] of the love of God come and stand in all [Music] and Lord today we rejoice Lord we rejoice for the mercy shown on the cross that you bore the punishment that we deserved God let us let us not leave here without that changing us God even those of us who can already claim you Lord let it profoundly change us Lord we are marked by your grace and God I pray that we would live like it I pray that we would worship like it's in Jesus name that we pray amen well if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to acts chapter 2. Acts chapter two we're gonna be in verses 42-47 today is the last week that we are in this series the marks of a healthy church we've had some really amazing weeks last sunday

Was really just it was a it was a sunday where I just left with my cup full and it was just full all week anybody else tracking with me after last week it was just awesome and there were some weeks in this series that were pretty difficult too you know when we talked about church leadership we talked about church membership and church discipline and you know for us at first baptist church you know we don't we don't follow pastor cody we follow pastor Jesus and he has clearly written in his word what he desires for his bride that means his church and so when we read the Bible we say we believe it amen and so we conform ourselves to what Scripture alone says solo scriptura it is the only in the highest authority that we can appeal to honestly though I am really excited about getting into the book of Daniel too I love just being able to take a passage and preach it and be able to go through it as you guys have seen we've been in here for 12 weeks we took that one week break there in january to talk about Biblical sexuality and what all that means and so but today we're talking about worship that's what we're talking about many people that you know what we've talked about over the last several weeks a lot of them might be a reviewer for you they might be a refresher some of them they might be might be new for you that we've talked about but for us we're talking about worship today what we just got to do was an aspect of worship not in and of itself being worship but it was just simply worship through congregational

Singing and oftentimes we think of worship through that lens of what just happens for those 30 minutes or so on sunday morning which is such an insufficient definition of what Biblical worship is and so if you have your pen pencil lipstick mascara or whatever you got to write this down we're going to have a working definition here of what worship is worship is heartfelt life-conforming devotion to someone or something that's just a working definition it's not all encompassing but it does deal with two things it deals with our heart and our life because that's what Biblical worship deals with it deals with you and I right where we're at how we live what we actually believe and our lives in view of those beliefs and so y'all pray for me today as I share with you this passage and we apply God's word to our lives as we talk about six qualities for authentic worship as we read acts chapter 2 verses 42 through 43 if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read this passage God's word says this and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and all came upon every soul and every and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles and all who believed were together and had all things in common and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need and day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes they received their food with glad and

Generous hearts praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day those who are being saved let's pray our Lord God we do thank you for calling us to worship you God you are the chiefest and highest and most supreme of anything that we could ever think or fathom God you're the highest and you're the best and help our lives to be like that like we live like you are the best help us as believers to stop living for ourselves and our own kingdoms and our own wants and our own desires and to seek out your will God and Lord as we talk about worship today help us to look at your word of what worship is that we might be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ we love you and we thank you for this day in Jesus name amen well our passage today picks up after sermons after Peter's sermon on pentecost Peter has just preached the Gospel message God has just done awesome work where now they're they went from this church of about 120 to about 3 120 people and now there's this awesome-sized church there in jerusalem and you see men you see women you see children they were joining the church and I want you to notice this first quality this first characteristic of worship is devotion that word devoted in the greek is eemi and it means to be it's the same phrase that Jesus used when he said egoimi it meant I am but this wordy me means it has a lot of different uses in the greek it could mean to be like something

Or to be ready or to be able or to be necessary and here it's translated as to be the king James it translates this word devotion to mean continues steadfastly endurance the wycliffe Bible says to last stably so you have this idea of endurance you have this idea of longevity some might use the word long-suffering but that is what the word devotion means when we think of devotion we ought to be thinking of loyalty motivated by love loyalty to who is the question and to what well what was the early church devoted to well they were devoted to the preaching of God's word first and foremost you look at the passage they were devoted to if you're taking down notes right this in the apostles teaching they were devoted to the apostles teaching when we read the new testament we read the very word of God in Scripture when we read the old testament we read the very word of God in Scripture and so what it says in romans is just as authoritative as what Jesus says in the red letters just as authoritative and this should cause many Christians to stop and maybe consider how devoted we myself included how devoted we really are to the preaching of God's word do we like to hear it expounded upon and explained do we regularly gather to hear God's word preached is it a priority or is it something that you squeeze in when there's nothing else on the calendar the early church was also devoted to the fellowship now it doesn't say just fellowship it says the fellowship there's that article there and

I want you to notice that it's the word coinonia in the greek it means to be participants of you see when we say go to church this is just an aspect of what we do as a church the gathering of for worship through song and worship through the preaching of his word we have so many service groups so many Bible studies so many prayer groups people gather throughout the week and yet we only give sunday maybe a little bit of special attention but worship is intended to be a lifestyle in our community group someone said that we would live the other six days of the week as we do on this one that word fellowship it's not just limited to fun and to food and things like that it literally means to be together to be joined together look around you just real quick look at your neighbors to your left and your right okay some of those people you might know others of those people you might not know and that's okay we are called to be together in this it's okay to have strangers sitting next to you because God is the person that you sat next to it's not a coincidence that they're next to you okay we believe that God he has led you here for this reason to hear this sermon for whatever reason we also believe that the Lord has brought people who have brought food for a reason for us to partake of in a little bit where we're gonna go and we're gonna sit next to other people together to be together it's divine appointments

And God has a reason for that but fellowship it's not just limited to fun into meals and things like that it's also the result of life on life it's the result of being in the trenches of ministry it's found in those two hour meetings it's found in those hard conversations it's found by enduring with one another when people go through the valleys of the shadows of death the church was also devoted to the breaking of bread now this has two different meanings here that we could apply the first is in reference to eating together we talked a lot about eating together that's probably because I skipped breakfast this morning but we are if we look the early church in first corinthians actually when they had a meal together they would also celebrate the Lord's supper as part of their supper it was a very great historical part and that's why we have to be intentional about having meals together when wednesday's suppers are a great opportunity for you to gather together it takes an hour of your everybody's got to eat though you know everyone's got to eat dinner and so if you have time make it a priority but the second meaning rather than just getting together and having a meal with Christians is obviously in reference to the Lord's supper the reason for this devotion why we ought to be devoted to it is because the Lord commands us to make his supper a priority that's why we partake of it regularly as a church it's why on

The thursday before we call it monday thursday before easter we will have a special service just to take communion on that thursday night as a memorial of the Lord's supper when our church partakes of communion it's a it's a call for believers to prioritize that time whether it is a sunday or something like that to be at the table because it's at that table where everyone is equal and in Christ he beckons us to partake of the bread and the wine and remember the Lord's supper the final way that the church was devoted was to the prayers now one of the ways that we could view this is through that lens of fellowship that it seems like the Lord is pointing out here being together and it being reflected in the way that we pray they actually gathered together to pray and sometimes that was all that happened was prayer as we saw a couple of weeks ago the early church understood the importance of these different holy things and so they were devoted to things like the preaching of God's word to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer and this church had incredible power because the Holy Spirit was there among them it wasn't a perfect church by any means but it was a powerful church and I would take the power of the Holy Spirit over a perfect church any day amen a second quality for authentic worship is reverence this passage it says that all came upon every soul that word aw it's the greek word phobos which is where we get like phobias from but this fear it's not like a fear of punishment or death I know some people that are just scared to death of snakes and so I know that you love the warmer

Weather yeah there's a couple of you out there okay but the power of God was so awe-inspiring that it led to reverence among the people of God it led to people being so shocked and awed and inspired by the very power and the presence of God among the people and so the people they were devoted to these things and then all came among the people but for many people they have it all backwards that they want they want the awe and then the devotion you show me the presence of God and then I'll be devoted but that's not the process God he's he is totally in control of revival and I pray every single day for God to revive our church to give us a concern for the lost to conform us to the image of Christ to give us a passion and let us experience the hagio pneuma the Holy Spirit and his fullness but revival happens when our personal lives are reflected upon and we invite God into the picture and we say God am I am I living according to your word here if not God can you just can you help me with that can you bring someone else that's been there into my life that can show me how to do this because I've been down this road so many times and I'm I'm tired of doing it my own strength God can you help me and when we bring God into the picture he will work and it won't lead to God to it won't lead to viewing God as this small insignificant being but as being totally bigger than we could ever think or imagine and he might send trials and he might send tribulations your way but as

You draw close to God listen you will have greater faith and he will be able to deliver you from the hands of terrible things that come your way when we conform our lives to him and not to say they won't do that like if you're walking in an area but listen God does not bless sin he doesn't the church saw wonders and signs done through the apostles and you know we've son we've seen signs and wonders done too you know we last week I'm sure that many of y'all have heard we had a situation arise in our church where we were able through the faithful prayer and we got to see God deliver a baby from the very hands of death and we thank the Lord for that and we continue to pray for that family and I ask that you pray for the garten family as they navigate this and they just seek God's will they don't know what the future has in store but you know who does have the future in store for them it's God and so we can take all those needs and those those desires and we can say God can you help them what are ways that you were calling me as a as a Christian brother and sister to come alongside of this family to be a blessing to them we don't just ask for God to be a blessing to them God uses his people also to answer his prayers amen we've seen God restore marriages we've seen God deliver people from sicknesses and cancers we've seen God bring people back into fellowship with him and this should lead us to be in awe of what God is doing the third quality is unity the Scripture here it says that all who

Believed were together and had all things in common and this all who believed is the whosoevers of John 3 16. This is a characteristic of the church is that if you believe you're together that we're together in the greek it's epitos which means among the same it means that if you're in cr if you're in Christ we're on the same level we're brothers and sisters in Christ have you ever noticed how you go to some churches and they call each other brother so-and-so or sister so and so have you ever been in a church like that the reason why they do that is because it's the truth you see like I'm a pastor doesn't mean that I'm some sort of like holier-than-thou kind of person I love meeting new people in my neighborhood I hate bringing up my topic of what I do at work because what happens is everyone all of a sudden changes their in moment you know I'm at a party and you know there's there's some people having some beers and things like that and so I'm standing there I'm a I'm a chocolate milk kind of guy myself [Laughter] and you know the topic of work always comes up so what do you do cody well I'm a pastor they're like oh I'm just holding this for my friend never even seen this before that people change but you know as we are in Christ okay you might be sitting here and you are a brother brother so-and-so a sister so and so we are united in Christ because we are his children in God but those who do not know Christ are not brother so and so or sister so and so and maybe you're here and you don't know Jesus

I pray that today that you would know that life-changing power that you could be united with us in Christ that you would know what it means to be taken from death to life from darkness to light to be an enemy of God to being a child of God and that's my prayer for you today and this is why our church is also fiercely committed to God's word if we are faithful to what God's word says and we just point people to God's word listen it's when error starts getting into a church that's where division arises when people start seeking out their own kingdom and their own will and their own traditions and their own hopes and their dreams what would happen if we all conformed ourselves to the picture of what Scripture says you look at the early church they had the Gospel of Jesus Christ that people told yet they had the apostles teachings they had the old testament this unity wasn't just arbitrary they were unified in the truth it's interesting when Jesus taught on worship in John chapter 4 he said this but the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father is seeking such people to worship him God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth what's interesting here is that Jesus he doesn't compare or contrast the spirit with like the physical realm like we would think that those would be the contrasts but do you know why he compares the spirit with truth he does that because if we aren't worshiping the God of what Scripture says God is who Scripture says God is if we're not if we're not conforming our worship to

The object of the Biblical God then we are worshiping a God of our own design if we worship a God of only love and only acceptance and only joy that's not God that's why as believers we have to be educated in studying the whole counsel of God and applying God's word rightly to our lives when we forsake truth it leads to division it always does and so I would ask that you devote yourself to these big four things that we've talked about the apostles teaching to the fellowship to the breaking of bread to the prayers devote yourself to those things and it will lead to unity and commonality but the fourth quality here is love what good is truth without love didn't didn't someone famous like first corinthians 13 say something like that didn't Paul the apostle say that and since Paul said it in Scripture it's ultimately God saying it to us in Scripture it says and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need for a couple of things real quick a lot of folks they look at this and they say this means that they were endorsing socialism that the early church they were socialists that is not what this passage means that is not here's one thing they were never commanded to do this you don't see any government saying you have to do this you don't see any church leader coming up and saying you have to do this in fact this later on bites them in the butt they had all these other wealthier churches had to take up a big offering to help out these believers who were living in destitute poverty second thing is that this is descriptive and not prescriptive in other words no

Pastor no leader can ask you to sell your goods sell your home sell your property et cetera they can't do it so what was the motivator why were these people doing this it was because of love it was because of love it's because of love that our church takes up offerings to help out missionaries it's because of love and concern for the lost that we continue to support the annie armstrong easter offering because we care about north american missions we care about international missions it's why our church gives to the pregnancy help center because we care we love newborn babies it's why our church gives and gives and gives to what of 24 different missions and organizations every single month we do that because we're not called to build a bigger bank account we're not called to have the nicest things we're not called you know to give the pastor a great salary we're called to love the lost and we're called to do it in a tangible way where people can look at a church and say that's where the Holy Spirit of God is because the people of God that are there love him love it has to be the main motor of any church and not just like a oh that person is very kind or that person's very generous kind of love in first John chapter 4 verse 7 it says beloved let us love one another for love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God and this flies in the face of our modern philosophy of well I love God but I really don't care for other Christians this verse it proves that mentality cannot exist rather we must love our brothers and sisters

Especially those that are in the same congregation that are devoted to the same mission there should be a special love let's say only love but the fifth quality of authentic worship is gathering gathered the esv says day by day but it's easier to understand this to mean every day or daily what they were doing what were they doing every day the greek word is proscartario which doesn't just mean to attend but it means to be unified together so they were going to church together they were worshiping the Lord together they were eaten in their homes together daily there was a joy there was a generosity that could only be described as a God-sent revival of the people this is why we talk about gathering together on the Lord's day that's why we talk about gathering together in community groups if you're not a part of a community group let me tell you something you are selling yourself short there are so many brothers and sisters here that are so wise that are going to be some of your greatest prayer warriors and friends but if you come to church and you just attend service you're missing out on so much more that the church has to offer amen all right there's like a dozen of you guys like you got amen you see we see the church here they were gathering by the thousands on at this point saturdays they were gathering for prayer daily they were also meeting in small groups we call them community groups they were gathering outside the church as well because they just like being together so you know at just pastorally if your

Church if you're a part of a community group think about doing a picnic together think about doing a service project together think about going and visiting someone that hasn't been in your group in a long time because that's what it means to do to like be worshippers of God is to do life on life together now you might be thinking well cody that's that's really not worship it's just how you live to which I would say yeah that's the point even in first corinthians 14 26 when we see this principle in worship we see what them brothers when you come together each one has a hymn a lesson a revelation a tongue or an interpretation let all things be done for building up and so what is what is the principle for an actual worship service it's to be that everything that's a part of the worship service should be done to build up the congregation to edify the church through the right preaching of God's word through the songs that we sing by smiling and caring for someone that's near you there's someone that's hurting reaching out to them don't go I wonder what's wrong with them go and ask them show them that you care be the hands and feet of Jesus and so things that don't build up things that actually tear down those are the things that we should avoid in service and Paul he writes this attitude that we should have in Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 through 4 he says so if there's any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit

But in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others how many of the same themes are in this passage that are in the passage in acts chapter 2. I mean you get this there's love there's unity there's gathering there's devotion in fact this is the mentality that you and I are to have towards our brothers and sisters that are right here right now right next to you know what happens when we look out not only to our own interests but also the interests of others it leads to glad and generous hearts people that are encouraged people that are joyful ready to praise God in spirit and in truth with a genuine love for brothers and sisters and because of that God will grant us favor to our neighbors around us and this will lead to the final quality that we're going to talk about today growth the Scripture it says that the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved now this is an exceptional movement of God but it's true that when the Lord work moves in worship like how we live our lives not just on sundays but every day when the Lord moves people take notice of that amen my heart it's it's full when saints dwell together in unity when love reigns supreme in our lives and people stand on truth and fellowship abounds in the hearts of people it's when we see it's when we see the hand of God doing what he does best in restoring lives so what's the best way to grow a church is by living a life of worship it's by devotion to one another it's a

It's a reverence for the Lord God it's by being united together and lovingly joined together when our hearts and our lives are a reflection of this Biblical model you know what we will see we will see a truly healthy church when we examine those those 12 marks of a healthy church you know we've spent the last three months talking about it begins with the preaching of God's word and it ultimately ends by people living empowered by the word of God we've talked about theology we talked about the Gospel we talked about conversion we talked about so many big things but we end on worship because this is the essence of the Christian life romans chapter 12 verse 1 I appeal to you therefore brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship so what does all this mean well it means that as a church we must commit ourselves to these marks all of them are essential in the direction that I want to lead our church when we move forward in unity conforming our lives to God's word we can have a great and tremendous impact not just on camdenton which is our jerusalem not just our judea and samaria which is camden county in missouri but ultimately to the great greatest most furthest parts of the earth because there are people that need to hear the Gospel head hand heart head I want you to know that worship is the lifestyle of these qualities it's a lifestyle of these qualities you know if there's areas that maybe you and I are struggling in as we look at these like I haven't perfected all of these just so you

Know and I'm sure that you haven't either but worship it's just a lifestyle growing in it conforming ourselves to the image of what Jesus wants for us and I want you to identify which one of these qualities you wrestle with and then ask the Lord say God can you grow me in this is there is there maybe an area that I'm just really maybe I'm maybe I'm not committed to the preaching of God's word or maybe I'm not committed to the prayers or just fellowshipping together God can you can you help me grow in this area he will answer that prayer I believe with all my heart and heart I want you to believe that authentic worship will grow the church authentic worship will grow the church [Music] John piper he's a guy that I've often read and listened to one of his quotes says missions exist because worship in other words if Christians just lived on mission like as worshipers of God it would spread naturally like we see in the early church and so my question to you is are you committed to worshiping the Lord in your lifestyle not just on sunday mornings for those 30 minutes or even as we stand and respond yes we should respond in that way but are you ready to worship the Lord with your whole life today and so God we do thank you so much for this great day that you've given to us as we've wrestled through this passage as best as we can God we just pray that you would just meet us where we're at [Music]

God deal with our hearts that are maybe full of anxieties and burdens God help us as there's just different areas that maybe have been illuminated this morning and maybe we don't like the dark corners that we see God help us to surrender those to you that we might be conformed into your image we love you and we thank you for all that you've done and all that you're going to do in Jesus name amen let's stand and let's worship together splendor of the king clothed in majesty [Music] let all the earth rejoice he wraps himself in light and darkness tries to hide and trembles at his voice how great is our God sing with me how great is our God and oh see how great great is our God engaged [Music] and time is in his hands beginning and the end the God had three in one [Music] father spirit son the lion and the lamb the lion and the lamb how great is our God sing with me how great is our God and oh we'll see how great is our God name above all names you our name above all names

Worthy of all praise my heart will sing how great is our God sing it again you are name above all names you are worthy Lord worthy of all praise and my heart will sing how great is our God lift up your voices this morning how great is our God sing with me how great is our God and oh we'll see how great is our God our hearts today you are great you are good and Lord as we leave this place today help us to leave empowered with your spirit that we would see your hand at work in our lives giving us different divine appointments that we could just minister to the people that are around us God build relationships that we would live authentic lives of worship behind closed doors at home whether we're at work or at play God help us to abide in you we surrender ourselves to you today and ask for you to be with us we ask a blessing over this food and just ask that you would just let us enjoy fellowship