A PRAYER FOR THE GATHERING OF THE CHURCH

 

 

Introduction:

 

1.                  History: the meeting sets life right.

 

2.                  Scripture: the meeting exemplifies peoplehood.

a.                   Ex. 29:43 – “There I will meet with the people...”

b.                  Ps. 121:1 – “...Let us go up to the house of the Lord!”

c.                   1 Cor. 11:18 – “When you come together as a church...”

 

3.                  Experience: the meeting is subject to threats.

a.                   The individual may shape it instead of the other way around.

b.                  Weariness may lead to the habit of neglect.

 

4.                  Prayer: what is to happen when the whole church comes together in one place?

 

Discussion:

 

 

1.                  Let our Father be honored.

a.                   Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14; 3:21

i.                    Glory: be seen for who he is.

ii.                  Praise: make known what he has done.

b.                  Psalm 22:22, 23

c.                   Malachi 1:6, 8

i.                    Honored like a father.

ii.                  Respected like a master.

iii.                Pleased like a governor.

 

2.                  Let Christ be exalted.

a.                   John 5:22, 23

b.                  Colossians 3:17

i.                    Ascribing to him the place he occupies

ii.                  Remembering and proclaiming what he has done

iii.                Expecting what he will yet do

c.                   Revelation 5:9-14

 

3.                  Let the Holy Spirit be respected.

a.                   Spirituality requires both sincerity and understanding.

i.                    Matthew 15:8, 9 – “their heart is far from me”

ii.                  John 4:22-24 – “we worship what we know”

b.                  1 Corinthians 14:37

c.                   Galatians 5:22, 23

 

4.                  Let my brothers and sisters be built up.

a.                   1 Corinthians 14:26

b.                  Two things necessary for building up:

i.                    An intelligible message, v.5, 7f, 14f

ii.                  Order that expresses the character of God, v. 26f, 33, 40

c.                   God puts in the meeting activities that edify: prayer (1 Cor. 14:15-17), singing (14:15, 26), preaching to instruct or encourage (14:19, 26), the Lord’s Supper (11:17-34), and giving (1 Cor. 16:1,2).

 

5.                  Let our guests be properly impressed with God.

a.                   1 Corinthians 14:23-25

i.                    Outsiders or unbelievers are welcome in the meeting.

ii.                  Guests cannot determine the substance but may be a consideration in the manner.

b.                  A guest is properly impressed with the presence of God when:

i.                    Convicted

ii.                  Called to account

iii.                His heart disclosed

 

Conclusion:

 

 

1.                  Praying for the gathering of the church is assuming responsibility for it.

 

2.                  If I make this my prayer, may I then...

a.                   Be personally involved in its answer.

b.                  Be scriptural in what I expect from the meeting.

c.                   Be faithful in my conviction that God uses it for his purposes.

 

3.                  “We gather together to...”