By David Shead
What is the “shape” of the corporate worship gathering?
Why don’t we just sing, and nothing else, when we gather for corporate worship?
We need to be careful that, in seeking to understand the importance of corporate singing, we don’t end up distorting our gatherings.
The unthinkable is distressingly real: Christians continue helplessly to sin. But our continued acceptance by God is not secured by trying harder to be good, but in the same way that we were made acceptable to God in the first place: through faith in the sin-bearing sacrifice of God’s Son in our place. Therefore there is now no condemnation, not for those who try harder, but for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 7:7-8:4
– Dave Swan
By David Shead
Why sing?
What is the place of singing in corporate worship?
Of all the things we normally do when we gather together for corporate worship (singing, prayer, Bible readings, teaching, etc.), singing is not more worship or more “worshipful” than the other elements. All are equally acts of corporate worship. This is why it’s theologically misleading to refer to the song leader as the “worship leader”.
However, there is a particular and important contribution that singing makes to our corporate worship (just as there is a particular and important contribution that our corporate prayers make, or our instruction from God’s word makes, etc.). What is singing’s particular contribution? Why sing?
There are a number of important reasons:
The gospel of free grace – justification by faith apart from works – is not a licence to sin. Our old life of sin was put to death by Jesus’ cross, and we have been given a new life of righteousness by his resurrection. That means we are no longer slaves of sin, yet slaves of God, and so we are to live out our new life, by grace not law. It is unthinkable that a Christian should continue to sin – is that possible?
Read the Bible Text – Romans 6:1-7:6
– David Shead
By David Shead
What is corporate worship?
“Worship” is the word that sums up the whole of life.
“Worship” describes the entire orientation of your life; your attitude of humble submission and service towards the thing or person that you most value in all of existence, whether that’s yourself (or another part of the creation like money, or leisure, etc.), or the true and living God.
Hope is a funny word. It’s such a positive thing, and yet it can seem so fragile.
Psychologists tell us that hope is crucial for healthy functioning. People without hope die, while people with hope thrive. We all want something to look forward to; something to live for; a ‘destination’ in life.
And yet, who can predict the future? Life can often seem like little more than a wrecking yard of dashed hopes. What do we really have to live for? Can anyone have any certainty about what’s to come?
The fantastic message of the Bible’s letter to the Romans is that we can! – and not just a vague sense of wishful thinking, but real, grounded, impregnable confidence! – not just for now, but for all eternity!
Read the Bible Text – Romans 5:1-21
– Ken Noakes
Consider Colossians 4:2-6
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:2-6)
This is a call to do evangelism, that is, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
From time to time there is a little bit of discussion among Christian folk about what Paul means here. Is every Christian called to be an ‘evangelist’?
What does scripture say?
‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’ (Genesis 15:6)
When the apostle Paul cites this verse in Roman 4:3 he uses it to make the claim that a person is justified by faith alone.
James in his epistle also cites this verse in James 2:23 yet he used it to suggest that ‘a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
It appears the Paul and James are at odds.
It is one thing to say that you believe in what Jesus had done to save you – it is another step to act on that belief.
James 2:14 asks the question: ‘What good is it brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such a faith save them?’.
This third talk on the topic of ‘faith’ looks at faith in action.
Read the Bible Text – Hebrews 12:1-3 James 2:14-26
Talk Outline – Hebrews 12 and James 2
– Ken Noakes
‘Faith’ is the Christian calling. And one could ask: ‘How do I know my faith is real?’ or ‘Does doubt mean I have a shallow faith?’. Yet, you don’t need to be Christian to have questions about ‘faith’: ‘How do I get faith?’ or ‘What does faith achieve?’.
This talk, the second in a series on ‘Faith’, looks how faith comes to a person.
Read the Bible Text – Hebrews 11:1-39 Joshua 2:1-24
Talk Outline – Hebrews 11 and Acts 10
– Ken Noakes
churchcentralonline.com 