Earlier this year I began this series of posts on Gathered Worship in the House of God, examining the role and responsibilities of the congregation in corporate worship. Part 1 of the series focused on how to prepare for times of worship. We now come to Part 2: Participating in Gathered Worship. How are we to join in the corporate worship of the church? The first point that must be made may be the most obvious, but it needs to be said: We must come and gather! We are to come apart from worldly distractions and normal daily pursuits and regularly and faithfully join together in fellowship and worship.
Earlier this year I began this series of posts on Gathered Worship in the House of God, examining the role and responsibilities of the congregation in corporate worship. Part 1 of the series focused on how to prepare for times of worship. We now come to Part 2: Participating in Gathered Worship. How are we to join in the corporate worship of the church?
The first point that must be made may be the most obvious, but it needs to be said: We must come and gather! We are to come apart from worldly distractions and normal daily pursuits and regularly and faithfully join together in fellowship and worship.
Although we must certainly worship God continually in our hearts:
rejoicing always (Philippians 4:4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16)
giving thanks always (Ephesians 5:20 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
We must not neglect assembling ourselves together as God’s people for worship (Hebrews 10:25).
Worship begins in our individual relationships with God when He saves us and places us in Christ. But God does not save us to leave us on our own. In His wisdom and mercy He takes us, as living stones—those who once were dead but now are alive by grace in the power of His Spirit—and He places us into His church and builds us together in one house (1 Peter 2:5).
Continue reading this post on the Founders Blog (originally posted 7/31/14)