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FocusTrue Worship
by J. Ross Greer of The Place of Grace Ministries (about the ministry)
[Note: If you'd like to read more from J. Ross Greer, be sure to subscribe to his daily e-mail list A Word For The Church.]
3“You shall have no other gods before Me. 4“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
What does God require from our worship? Where does He want our focus to be?
Think of the last worship service you attended at your church. If you are average, the length was somewhere between sixty and seventy-five minutes. How much time was spent in actual worship?
What portion of your service was devoted to announcements? How long did you greet, welcome, or fellowship with one another? Did either of those enhance your worship of he Father?
Truthfully, churches generally spend too much time on “housekeeping” matters that distract from the true purpose for which we are to be gathering. God, as we see in our text, is jealous. He shares the stage with no one. He desires to be preeminent in our minds, our hearts, our lives, and our worship services.
So, how do we redirect the ship? How do we change the “way we have always done” church? If our services contain that which feeds the flesh and does not promote the worship of God, then it has to go. God has to be preeminent!
Print the announcements, or schedule them before the service. Fellowship should occur in our small groups, and before and after the service. We ought to be friendly with one another, but not during God's time. His time is holy, and we must guard and protect it. We need time to exalt the Father, and if we truly lift Him up in reverence, even the lost among us will be impacted by the power of His presence.
Copyright 2002, The Place of Grace Ministries. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About The Place of Grace Ministries: In 1992, God interrupted the well-organized life of J. Ross Greer through a study called "Experiencing God". This encounter birthed a passionate vision for local churches that has become The Place of Grace Ministries. Through teaching, music, and writing, we call believers to return to the basic principles of God's Word and participate in the work of God. For questions or scheduling information, please contact us at: theplaceofgrace@att.net Or visit our web site at: http://home.att.net/~theplaceofgrace/theplaceofgrace.html |
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