Lesson Six                                                                                                                      October 11,

Tucson                 IMPROVING CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP                                 1998

 

I.       What are the purposes of congregational worship? Congregational worship gives us a special opportunity to:

A.      Interact with God. Matthew 18:20; 26:29.

B.      Stir up love and good works in ourselves, our brethren, and all others who may be present. Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 14:26, 31B, 23-25.

II.      How do we accomplish the purposes of congregational worship? We must:

A.      Be holy. Psalm 29:2 (“in holy array,” NASB).

B.      Attend. Hebrews 10:24-25.

C.      Gladly attend. Psalm 122:1; Malachi 1:13A.

D.      Greet all. Philippians 4:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; Hebrews 13:24. Don’t be cliquish! Greet both before and after worship, but especially after worship. Before worship we need to take time to prepare ourselves and our families to worship God in spirit and truth.

E.      Be one. 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 29; Matthew 5:23-24; James 2:1-13. “Divisions” in 1 Corinthians 11:18 is the Greek word schisma. A schisma is a tear or tears. There can be schisma in a piece of cloth (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21) or a fishing net (John 21:11). There can be tears or divisions in a single group of people. John 7:40-43; 9:16; 10:19-21; Acts 14:4; 23:7-8. Like Jesus’ tunic (John 19:23-24), a group of Christians should be perfectly joined together. There should be no tears or divisions among them. 1 Corinthians 1:10; 12:25A. A group of Christians is torn or divided when its members do not have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26. Therefore, to accomplish the purposes of congregational worship the congregation must be one in regards to things that matter, and have the same care for one another regardless of the things that do not matter—economic differences, racial differences, personality differences, and the like. To this end, humility is absolutely essential. Luke 18:9-14.

F.      Be actively conscious of God and man. Psalm 89:7; Hebrews 10:24-25.

G.      Whole-heartedly participate. Matthew 15:8. Matthew 6:7; Ephesians 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Ecclesiastes 5:1. Note: participation is not an optional matter. We must participate!

H.      Let all things be done decently and in order and without confusion. 1 Corinthians 14:40, 33A. Some practical things we can do so that all things are done decently and in order without confusion.

1.      Get plenty of rest. Tired minds are poor listeners. Sleepers are distracting.

2.      Dress appropriately. Exodus 20:26; 1 Timothy 2:8-10. We should dress so do not distract other people by the way we dress. We should not over or under do it. Also, dress modestly!

3.      Write contribution check before worship.

4.      Be early, not late. “To Habitual Latecomers,” by Bill Hall.

5.      Sit up front and to the center of the aisles. This will aid singing and hearing (Zack’s comment), and it will help minimize the distractions caused by latecomers.

6.      Leaders, be prepared! 1 Corinthians 14:15-17. We have already talked about song leaders. Prayer leaders: think about what you are going to say, say prayers that are appropriate to their place in the order of worship, don’t use prayers as pulpits (especially as bully pulpits), come to the microphone and speak directly into the microphone, and watch your time.

7.      Leaders, prepare your followers. The order and purpose of worship should be clearly stated. The purpose of worship should be generally stated, and, when appropriate, specifically stated—for example, the theme of the songs, a short table talk prior to the Lord’s Supper, etc.

8.      Don’t leave the assembly unless it is absolutely necessary. Whenever possible, leave and return during breaks in the order of worship.

9.      Don’t talk during the assembly unless it is absolutely necessary.

10.    Be wise caretakers of children.

a.      Sit to the rear of the auditorium when children are infants or toddlers in training.

b.      Take children out promptly when they become noisy. Parents must be sensitive to how distracting children can be to other people. Train children so they have to be taken out of the assembly as little as possible.

c.      In the nursery, as much as possible, be as quiet and reverent as in the assembly. Teach children to sit quietly, don’t reward bad behavior by allowing children to play. In the nursery, as much as possible, continue to worship. Adults, as one nursery sign said, “If you must talk, talk with God!”

c.      Train children at a very early age to sit properly in their seat and not to stand up, get down on the floor, roam up and down the pew, or turn around and look at people behind them. Adults should resist the temptation to play eye games with children.

d.      Insist that children go to the bathroom or get a drink of water before worship and unless it is a real emergency, do not let them do so during worship.

e.      Be careful lest toys, colors and writing papers, food stuffs, etc. become distractions.

I.       After worship, whenever possible, be positive. Avoid, for example, “having the preacher for dinner.” Make sure criticism is necessary, and when so make it constructive, not destructive.