Essentials VII - Worship

Christians participate in true worship to God

This may seem overly simplistic, but it's very important. For years, I have been struggling in our worship services trying to figure out what we are really doing. Our worship services should be a time where we as individuals and as a group of Christians communicate with God, praise him and acknowledge all that he is. For too long, I have watched stifled praise, scripted and rote prayers, worship services that feel more like funerals (and songs that work better as dirges) and worship services that have a severe disconnect between those that lead them and the rest of us. We sing, pray and perform the Lord's Supper all in preparation for the lesson. The center of the service, the meat of the day, what we all came to see. Participation in services is not only NOT encouraged, it is practically discouraged.

Essentials VI - Elders

The body is lead by a group of forward-thinking, spirit-filled men of prayer and character that foster personal and collective growth.

1 Timothy 3:1-7

"Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an
overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the
husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not
quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see
that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to
manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a
recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will
not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap."

The elders of the first century were pioneers, they were men that were not afraid to walk in faith. They were imperfect, God-seeking, prayerful men. Too long, I have watched elders speak of faith, yet afraid to practice it.

Essentials V - "The Great Commission" (Outreach)

We, as Christians, have a duty to reach out to the lost of this world and share the message of Christ with them where they are and however we can.

Mark 1615,16

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all
creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not
believe will be condemned."

1 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke
and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction."

Read John 4 and the account of Jesus ministering to the woman at the well. This is one of my favorite accounts in the Bible. It's a model of how we should minister to those around us. This may not seem like a big deal to us, but it HUGE! Just read it...

Essentials IV - The Bible

The Bible is the word of God recorded through inspired men and is infallible and incontrovertible.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Essentials III - The Lord's Supper

We are commanded to remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the first day of the week by participating in the Lord's Supper.

Acts 2:42

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

1 Corinthians 10:16,17 "

"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."

Mark 14:22-24

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many..."