Gather To Commission – Craig Cabaniss
WorshipGod 11
Morning, 8/13/11

“9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” – 1 Peter 2:9-12

The gathering is not a break from our mission. We gather in part for mission, and then we scatter, in part, for mission.

Our mission is “go and tell” and “come and see”.

2 things that will help us understand our mission for gathering:
1. Who we are. v9
- We are a chosen race.
- We are a royal priesthood. Special access to God. v5
- We are not spectators at an event.
- We are a Holy nation
- We are His possession

2. What we do. vv9-12
- Proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Proclaim: to declare, to tell, to recount His all that God has done.
- It is possible to praise and get others caught up in what you are praising.
- The praise of God is vertical, but with horizontal invitation. Psalm 96, Psalm 105

“Doxological evangelism” – Sharing who God is to others through praising Him.

We should be showing up to the gathering knowing God is worthy.

Let the testimony of the unbelievers who gather with you be, at the very least ‘I’m not sure if I believe in Jesus, or see the significance of the cross, but they do.’

We are commissioned to gather.

Our gathering is not the pause button for mission.

“Our gospel witness is amplified when the people of God gather in the presence of God to proclaim the excellencies of God.”

Praying Through Scripture – Donald Whitney
WorshipGod 11
Afternoon, 8/12/11

2 most important spiritual disciplines:
1. Intake of the Word of God
2. Prayer

This will be a focus on prayer.

The universal problem with prayer: We say the same old things about the same old things every time.

Those whom have the spirit of God dwelling within in them want to pray. Although this is true, our methods and flesh fight that desire with distractions and disinterest.

To pray about the same old things is normal. The problem is that we say the same old things.
- family
- future
- finances
- work or school
- church or ministry
- “current crisis”
These are the things that your life is comprised of.

What is the solution?
Whatever it is, it must be simple. If it were not simple, then those who live in very simple and non-priveliged society’s would never be able to pray in a meaningful, satisfying way.

Solution: Pray through a passage of scripture, particularly a Psalm.
Try using the “Psalms of the Day” method.
- Scan 5 Psalms, and pray through one of them:
- Add 30 to the day of the month to find the 5 you will scan through each day.
- As you read through the Psalm, line by line, pray about what comes to mind. This is not a method that should be used in a group, corporate, or teaching setting. That will cause for misinterpretations and false, out of context, teaching of the Scriptures.
- In the Psalms, God reveals to us how He wants us to praise Him.

God gave us the Psalms so that we can give them back to Him.

“The is a Psalm for every sigh of the soul.”

2nd best place to pray through Scripture is the letters to the churches, because you have so much compacted in each verse.

3rd best place: narrative passage

If ever teaching this method:
- Have those you are teaching try this immediately, and it will stick.
- Get feedback after they try it.

Biblical examples:
- Jesus in Matthew 27:46
- Jesus in Luke 23:46
- The church in Acts 4:23-26

“We should pray when we feel like it, because we should not miss such an opportunity. We also should pray when we don’t feel like it, because it would be awful to stay in that state of being.”

Gather To Build Around the Word – Thabiti Anyabwile
WorshipGod 11
Evening, 8/11/11

“11Command and teach these things. 12Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” – 1 Timothy 4:11-16

Paul’s address to Timothy in the public ministry: Give yourself to the ministry of the Word. v13

The Word of God must be the substance of our private counsel.

“There is no way to make disciples unless you deliver the Word of God.”

Our gatherings are to look like we know what Jesus said was the truth.

3 inadequate answers to how singing relates to the ministry of the Word:
1- Singing should not compete with the ministry of the word
2- Singing should be balanced with the ministry of Word
3- Singing should setting up for the ministry of the Word

Adequate: The singing is to be on the same page with the ministry of the Word.

This means the focus of the singing should be on the meditation on the Word. The prosper of our singing should be teaching others.

We should strive to push the Word deeper into the congregations hearts.

When we come to lead, we are not perfected, but it is part of our progress towards perfection in eternity.