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Monday 13 August 2012

Sunday Sermon - Worshipping Alone

Sunday Sermon Review - August 12, 2012  " Worshipping Alone"

This is a sermon review from my home church that I attend regulary.
The service began with singing several songs - "Pharoah Pharoah", and "How Deep the Father's Love for Us".
The worship leader came up and read Ephesians 3:14-21
This was followed by a two short videos on Worship - what it is and what it is not - again reminding us that it is not the entertainment by the music group that leads in the singing. The second video had young children explaining that to worship God by yourself you can pray, read the Bible and sing.

Pastor Frank came up to preach. The topic listed in the bulletin was entitled "Worship in Family" but Pastor Frank changed it to Worshipping Alone.



He began by reading Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Here is more of what Pastor Frank said:
You live your life in your head - that is in your mind. Our life consists of what we think about in our mind throughout the day. Our mind thoughts should be a continual awareness of God's presence.
Often times we spend most of our headspace either regretting the past or worrying about the future.
Instead of these regrets and worry, we need to learn to consider Scripture.
Phillipians 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Regarding our future, the Bible tells us to not worry about tomorrow.
Matthew 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Pastor Frank continued - Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight.
We need to keep a continual awareness of the presence of God in our every moment and keep in converstaion with Him. He is the vine and we are the branches, so we need to keep connected with the vine.
John 15:5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
The time of our day that we spend in which God is not in our thoughts, we are living as athiests.
The question we should ask is not - did I surrender my life to Christ years ago?" but we should rather be asking - Am I living a surrendered life in this moment?
Practical Ways
- when the phone rings or while driving you come to a stop sign - quote Scripture.
-when you speak with another person, think about how much Jesus loves that person.
-with every breath, breathe in Jesus love and exhale compassion.
- use fridge magnets to remind yourself of Scripture verses.
The Battle is for your Mind
You are in charge of what is in your mind, in your thoughts.
"the dog you feed is the dog that grows bigger"
The closing song was " Mighty to Save".

Next Sunday the topic will be Worship in Relationships.
Note from me: I would just like to add a few thoughts of my own here. Pastor Frank spoke about the battle for our minds. It is important to remember to keep our eyes focused on the Lord Jesus and His coming for us - His bride. When we take our minds and thoughts off the pleasures and things of this world, and set our minds on Christ and His returning and our being with Him - we lose all interest in thinking lustful, worldly thoughts. Our interest are now with Christ and we long to please Him and to be with Him. The things of this earth ( even non sin type things) lose  their color and "grow strangely dim", just like the old song says.
Titus 2:13-14 says:
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

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