The first three messages all went longer than I like. I try to keep sermons around 45 minutes, shorter if I can, because, well, we don't have time and attention spans for long messages. As I went into Ephesians however, the times began creeping into the 50 to 55 minute ranges. Why am I going on about all of this? Because this morning as I prayed I began to understand a couple of things that I went through yesterday evening, and that they are issues that concern us all.
I spent a lot of time trying to get my notes to the point where I could keep last night's message at 40 minutes or less. Then, when I went to transfer the notes from my computer to my tablet I discovered that my tablet had no charge. I mean no charge. It wouldn't even power on, 0% battery. I began to stress. I needed the notes. Without them it takes me longer because I have to talk my way through transitions between segments of the message while trying to remember where the message is going. That may sound strange, but that's how it works for me. I don't write out my sermons like speeches or practice and memorize them like I did with public speaking contests in high school. I fill my head and heart with the information and a general idea/message, pray that the Spirit guides me and begin to share on the topic. If I have notes, I can be more precise with and between the points and therefore take less time saying it all.
I say that, but the week before I had notes and still went 51 minutes. So maybe I'm totally wrong. Doesn't matter. I felt like I needed the notes and didn't have them. So I tried to get it all straight and sorted in my mind. Then we got to the church and the time came to enter into to worship and begin the most important part of the service, and instead of doing what I was there to do I was stressing over self-imposed time constraints.
The most important part of a church service is not the preacher standing at the pulpit or lectern and doing his thing. The most important part is where each individual enters into worship. That's why they're called worship services. The point of church is not to give or hear a sermon. It's not to fellowship with other believers. It's certainly not to earn brownie points for attendance with God or people. And it's not to make us look good or make social and business connections with the right people by showing that we are like-minded and religious. The point, the purpose, of church is worship. We've come to worship Him, or at least we should have come to worship Him. Fellowship is good and important, but it is not more important than our hearts responding to Daddy and getting close to Him and recognizing Him, who He is and His nature and love for us. Hopefully the sermon is full of truth that transforms and feeds the soul, but hearing and receiving the word should be a part of our worship, not more important, less important or separate.
Our lives should be worship, and cooperate worship service is simply when our lives that are already acts of worship come into proximity with others and we worship together as an assembly or group. That's the ideal anyway. And I forgot that for a little while. It is a grave responsibility to preach the word, and I take it seriously. But it isn't only less important than entering in to worship, it isn't possible to do it in and by the Spirit without it being an act of and a part of worship. I don't start worshiping with the music portion of the service and then stop and preach when worship is over. I am worshiping God as I preach, and I pray that others are worshiping Him as they listen. Otherwise we're all wasting our time.
I messed up and began trying to put everything in this nice box and worried more about the structure and time constraints than simply worshiping Daddy, listening to Him and sharing what He gave me. I had to repent of that, and I did so before I began to preach. I prayed that I would share what He would have me share, no more and no less, and then began. No one had that look that said you're losing them, better wrap this thing up, you're going too long. It felt right. It felt like it went OK. It felt like about 45 minutes to me. I closed and stopped the recording. It was the longest message yet, An hour and a minute. I nearly cried. I nearly laughed. This morning I let the time thing go. Now that I'm not making it the crucial aspect of my prep, who knows, maybe the Spirit will guide me into a shorter sermon. But my time issue is not going to be the guiding factor. It's not the most significant thing.
That may seem like it doesn't have anything to do with you, Dear Reader, but it does. You may not be concerned with what message you're bringing or giving or whatever, but maybe what I went through can be an illustration and reminder for us all. Our lives are to be acts of worship. Worship is not the music that frames a sermon. It is not even only what happens in a church building. We worship with our entire lives. And that means that any time we are with another believer we are worshiping together. Part of that worship is to edify and encourage each other. Part of it is to lift up and care for one another. We are there to serve one another, to help. But most of all, we are there to increase our conscious awareness of the presence of Daddy, to come together to reflect His love, His glory and who He is.
Where? When I say we are there, where is there? Wherever the assembly is. In our home. In a car. At the store. In a park as our children play. At work. And yes, in a building at a set time. Wherever two or more who believe gather, it should be in His name, because wherever we are alone, we should be doing whatever we are doing in a way that takes us closer to Him, that reflects who He is, His love, His power, His way of life and His glory. Work, chores, play. They are all part of the worship service of our lives, as much as church. So any time we are doing anything with another disciple of Jesus it is an assembly of the saints. The first priority is to worship Him. The second is to serve one another and build each other up. Love God. Love others. Then comes the rest, whether that means, putting a fishing line in the water, or completing the assignment at work, or making sure you're getting everything you need to at the store, or singing and listening to a message or even sharing a message. Whatever we do, we do it unto Him, by Him, through Him, as His.
This has already getting long, so I'll save the second point for tomorrow and close with a scripture. Have a blessed day, Dear Reader, and my your day be a reflection of His love and an act of worship.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
- Romans 12:1
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