Worship Preview November 7, 2010

The fourth installment in our sermon series on the six great ends of the church is "The Maintenance of Divine Worship." In life, we have to maintain certain things. Our cars wear out faster if we don't change the oil and put air in the tires periodically. Without maintenance our homes will eventually get leaky roofs, cracked walls and plumbing problems. Relationships need to be maintained too. A marriage or a friendship will begin to fall apart if they don't get the attention they need and deserve. All of these things, without maintenance, get damaged by neglect or improper use. As I pondered this fourth great end of the church, it occurred to me that our call as a church isn't just to worship God. It isn't even just to worship God in spirit and in truth. Although we are called to do those things, we are also called to maintain divine worship. We have been entrusted to care for it, keep it pure, and see that it is doesn't devolve into something that God never intended. One of the very first lessons Jesus learned after his baptism was what it means to maintain divine worship. As you prepare for worship on Sunday please read Matthew 4:8-10 and Romans 12:1-2 and ponder the following questions. In your understanding, what is worship? What distortion was Satan trying to introduce into Jesus' worship? What distortion of worship is most tempting to you? Why is it such a temptation? A couple of things to remember: ·         We will begin our new round of adult classes this Sunday. Classes run from 9:45 – 10:45, and you may choose from:                -- Going Deeper : an in-depth exploration of the Bible                    passage for that Sunday's sermon                -- Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts                 --The Presbyterian Story                 --The Letters of Paul ·         Fall back – Daylight saving time ends on Sunday morning. Don't forget to set your clocks BACK one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night.