The Jesus Adventure series has established a pattern for our lives as followers of Jesus: Called → Equipped → Sent → Restored. To embed that pattern into our lives, requires consistent and persistent discipline of receiving God’s grace. This grace is poured out for us in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. From now until Easter we will explore the discipline of worship as a primary means by which God delivers his grace, his unlimited and undeserved love, into our lives. We come together regularly to praise, listen, pray, and to experience the real presence of God in our lives. In so doing, we become Worship FULL Followers of Jesus.
It is Good that we are Here
Sunday, March 3rd: The Transfiguration of Jesus sets the stage for learning, and relearning, the power of worship in our lives as followers of Jesus. In worship, God brings us into his presence to grow in our faith so we can go back into our everyday lives empowered to God’s beacons of hope in the world. The key that unlocks all our worship, is seeing Jesus as true God and learning to listen to him. “It is good that we are here” (Luke 9:33).
With You there is Forgiveness
Sunday, March 11th:The title of this series is Worship FULL Followers. In the opening part of our time together we empty ourselves by confessing our faults and our failures to God. It’s hard to be filled with God’s love when we are full of ourselves. The problem is, that such emptying is not very popular. We are more likely to make excuses and try to prove we are right, than to take responsibility for and admit our sins. The power to confess comes from the promise of God’s response: “with you there is forgiveness” (Psalm 130:4), which in turn, fills us with awe and wonder (that’s what the word “fear” means in this context) of his love.
Praise the Lord!
Sunday, March 17th:These words sometimes roll off the tongue as an exclamation of excitement, almost a cliche. Some may associate it with an emotional brand of Christianity. A brand that they either shy away from or wish their church had more of. But what is this praise and why are followers of Jesus commanded to do it? “Praise the Lord” is actually one word in Hebrew: “hallelujah.” It breaks down into two parts: “hallel”, which means “to boast;” and “jah,” which is the first syllable of God’s name: “Yahweh” (pronounced “ya-way” in English). In our worship the Hymn of Praise follows immediately after the Confession of Sins and the Absolution (pronouncement of forgiveness). God’s love for us in Christ, which continuously takes away all our wrongs and failures and hurt and shame, causes us to burst into shouts of praise, to boast in the Lord, who loved us enough to die for us. (Psalm 147)
Just Words?!
Sunday, March 24th: After confessing our sins and hearing God’s precious words of forgiveness, we break forth in praise. Now it’s time to listen. God speaks to us through the reading of Scripture and the sermon, which explains, expounds, and applies the Scripture to our lives. These are more than just words. They are the words of eternal life (John 6:68). The sermon is intended not only to teach, but to draw the listener into the very story of God’s love and share His plan for this world through the lives of each one of us. Learning to listen is one of the most challenging disciplines of The Jesus Adventure and it’s pattern in our lives (Called → Equipped → Sent → Restored).
Prayerful Generous Living
Sunday, March 31st: The Jesus Adventure pattern (Called → Equipped → Sent → Restored) is embedded in our lives through weekly worship. The order of our worship is designed to reinforce the pattern for the week ahead. Having heard God’s word, our joyful response is to offer ourselves to him as “living sacrifices”, (Romans 12:1) generously giving from the blessings he has poured out on us and boldly turning to him in prayer.
Pressing on Toward the Goal
Sunday, April 7th: The Jesus Adventure pattern for following Jesus (Called → Equipped → Sent → Restored) is embedded in our lives through weekly worship. The order of our worship is designed to reinforce the pattern for the week ahead. In sports it’s called muscle memory. By repeating the same movement over and over the athlete refines his or her skill. We call on God’s name, confess our failures, receive His word of forgiveness, break into songs of praise and then listen to what God has to say to us. Immediately after the sermon we stand and boldly confess our faith to each other using the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. Paul says it beautifully, “Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
Blessed is the King!
Sunday, April 14th: The historical events of this coming week—Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem followed by His arrest, trial, and execution—bring us to the climax of our Worship FULL Followers series. Learning and relearning daily to follow Jesus hinges on the certainty that Jesus is the King of creation who comes to sacrifice Himself to rescue us. The climax of our time in worship comes at the celebration of Lord’s Supper when we join the crowds and sing, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38)! In, with, and under the bread and wine of this meal Jesus comes to us. His real presence in the meal strengthens us to live “Called → Equipped → Sent → Restored” lives.
Blessed!
Sunday, April 21st: As We Gather – Easter is the climax of God’s work to rescue us from the mess of this world. Paul, who was an unwilling convert, was stopped in his tracks and turned around by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He never looked back. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20). Since January we’ve been learning and relearning what it means to follow Jesus and how our time together in worship embeds the pattern Called → Equipped → Sent → Restored into our everyday lives. Our worship concludes every week with the words of the Benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you.” Jesus’ resurrection delivers that blessing.
Please join us as we learn to become more Worship FULL Followers!