September 24-25, 2005, Selected

DIVINE DESIGN!
DESIGNED TO DELIGHT!

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE CAN BE SUMMED UP IN TWO WORDS: LOVE AFFAIR!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN KNOW IN LIFE IS
THAT GOD LOVES YOU!
AND MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU CAN DO IN LIFE IS
TO LOVE GOD BACK!

*** Matt. 22:37-38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." [NIV]

WORSHIP or MAGNIFICATION!
THE FIVE PURPOSES OF THE CHURCH!
CORE - EVANGELISM or MISSION!
COMMUNITY - FELLOWSHIP or MEMBERSHIP!
DEEPENING - DISCIPLESHIP or MATURITY!
DEMONSTRATING - SERVICE or MINISTRY!

*** Acts 2:42, 46-47a "They joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles' teaching sessions and at the Communion services and prayer meetings. They worshiped together regularly...praising God." [Living Bible]

PUBLIC WORSHIP!
1. TEACHING! 3. PRAYER!
2. COMMUNION! 4. PRAISE!

*** Romans 12:1-2 "So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect." [New Century Version]

PERSONAL WORSHIP!
WORSHIP IS ANYTHING WE DO TO EXPRESS OUR LOVE TO GOD!

WE TELL GOD WE LOVE HIM:
1. BY SINGING OUR PRAISE TO HIM!
*** Eph. 5:19 "When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart." [Contemporary English Version]

YOU NEED THE MESSAGE FOR YOUR HEAD AND THE MUSIC FOR YOUR HEART!

2. BY PRAYING TO HIM!
*** Psalm 116:1-2 "I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!" [New Living Translation]

THE KEY TO ANY RELATIONSHIP IS: COMMUNICATION!

IHOP – INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER!

3. BY HONORING HIM!
*** Mark 8:38 "If people are ashamed of me and what I say in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes with the holy angels in his Father's glory." [God’s Word for the Nations]
COMMUNION!
*** 1 Cor. 11:23-26 "Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord's Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me." After supper, he did the same thing with the cup: "This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember me." What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt." [Message]
GIVING!
***2 Cor. 8:7-8 "But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love...!" [NIV]

You spell love G-I-V-E!

4. BY RECOMMITTING TO HIM!
*** 2 Chron. 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." [NIV]

IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD AND WHAT GOD LOVES – THE CHURCH!
*** Rom. 12:1 "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him." [Msg]

GOD DESIGNED HIS CHURCH FOR:
WORSHIP or MAGNIFICATION!
EVANGELISM or MISSION!
FELLOWSHIP or MEMBERSHIP!
DISCIPLESHIP or MATURITY!
SERVICE or MINISTRY!

"To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen." -- Ephesians 3:20-21 (Today’s English Version)