“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15
There are two aspects of worship mentioned in Hebrews 13:15 – lips and service. They are both important as we look at living out worship in every aspect of life. Our lips are to praise the Lord – but “the fruit of lips that confess his name” will be lives that are continually lived for God’s glory in a “sacrifice of praise.” It is not an “either or” but a “both and.” Let me explain. Our lips delight in praising the Lord as we come together and worship. We corporately come together on a Sunday Morning and lift up the name of Jesus. It is a dynamic time of expressing how much God is worth to us. One of the early signs of revival is a worship that comes alive in the church. When the King makes his presence known, it’s only natural that his people will want to praise Him. According to our services, we are in the middle of revival. I enjoy coming and worshipping with our church. Our services are an inspiration and we are truly in the presence of the Lord. I always look forward to what the Lord is going to do with our time together. Even in the midst of a pastor’s feeble attempt to preach the Word, there is a spirit of excitement when we laugh together. There is also personal worship when you get caught up in a song or the presence of God when you are alone or with a couple of friends. No one can duplicate the sweet spirit of God that falls down on you when you least expect it. There is also a dynamic that takes place when we serve each and every day. There is an element of putting fruit to what we say and bringing glory to the name of Jesus. It is in the expression of our worship that serving opportunities arise. I mentioned on Sunday how our classes are growing, and how we needed to multiply classes and classroom space to create smaller groups. As a matter of fact, many of our classes from nursery to adults are growing. We are seeing new faces each week. A few people have responded and felt the Lord nudging them to serve as a teacher or an assistant. Our service is the overflow of our worship. There is still room for more to step forward. What better time to put fruit to our lips than Thanksgiving. We should always be a thankful people but especially when we gather with friends and family, around the table, sharing the many blessings God brings to our lives. What a great day to express the Lord’s goodness. During the Advent season, our theme is for everything we do will be “Journey to the Manger.” Each week we have family devotionals available in the foyer and we run out every week. Another supply will be here on Sunday. Speaking of Sunday, our building is looking amazing. Please look for all the things available to make this season joyous and purposeful. Many thanks for the people who decorated our church. My prayer is that the Lord will fill our church with the hope and love that will be life changing this Christmas. Invite a friend and let the church be the church. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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