tatwo Posted April 18 Group: Senior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 576 Content Per Day: 0.67 Reputation: 124 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/18/2021 Status: Offline Share Posted April 18 On 4/16/2024 at 2:46 AM, Neighbor said: I think that my own mind has a negative reaction to the word sermon. Sermon to me is I think more quickly thought of as that second definition a tedious and stern lecture of scoldings. While it seems to me the reading of the word of God is nothing at all like that. I can relate...however when these hirelings read from the scriptures it is the same as sermonizing to me because…one…most of them are not called nor qualified to divide the words of righteousness. Two…they typically are not living the life as described by the Lord on the mount that day. He bore the “Image and likeness of God”…the typical sermonizer does not…this bodes poorly for its hearers. Tatwo...:) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatwo Posted April 18 Group: Senior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 576 Content Per Day: 0.67 Reputation: 124 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/18/2021 Status: Offline Share Posted April 18 On 4/16/2024 at 2:46 AM, Neighbor said: Worship to me is singing praise of God, prayer is also praise and a crying out for one another before God, while a teaching or reading of the word is for edification through the understanding of it perhaps by the Holy Spirit's influence. Neighbor…this “worship” you speak of here and I am including your prior descriptions as you have stated “weekly corporate worship service”…“Worship is…as…serious business” is really “Judaistic” or perhaps “Catholic/Protestant/Evangelical/Pagan” as your description appears in my mind. I mean no offence…the picture your painting as I am seeing it…from your words in this post…looks like a “form of” typical ancient/modern temple worship…right? Think of worshippers going to the “temple/church/synagogue/building/edifice” and engaging in whatever and however they worship typically. How relevant to this discussion is Paul’s writing in Romans 12:1 for example where he explains “service of worship”…as they are translated from the same Greek word G2999 “latreia” defined as “divine service of worship”…let’s see what Paul wrote here…I think it fits…and may be helpful to us as we proceed in this endeavor? “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Here the apostle Paul describes the “spiritual service of worship”…some of the very things you have brought forth here Neighbor…as “presenting your bodies as a living holy sacrifice.” What is that but a consecrated to God…week by week, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, breath by breath, thought by thought lifestyle…of sacrificing ones “personal desire” for their life…to the Holy Spirit…that He may “live His eternal life through us?” Which incidentally…would be the only way that our “living sacrifice” would be “accepted by God.” Typically people think of “sacrifice” as in the case of something that dies…however this speaks of one who is yet “alive…living…who’s existence is upon the alter in the most holy place in the temple of God…right? In Paul’s depiction of our “spiritual service of worship” we are to lay down our personal desires and ambitions…there’s the death required in sacrifice…receive our “unique call” from God in Christ…and in this allow the Holy Spirit to transform our mindsets from the “kingdom of darkness” to the “Kingdom of God” so that we may be able to “prove” what the “good acceptable and perfect will of God is”…agreed? This proving would be through our living and lifestyle…all of it. Which is what the Lord did prior to His delivery of that amazing picture on the mountain that day…no? Now we can see why you so passionately stated…oh yeh I felt you bro…“If my Lord's talk at the Mount is indeed a sermon, I don't think I have heard another from any pastor preacher priest in my lifetime that is anything like it.” I am not saying that corporate assemblies or gatherings are unacceptable…no I do not see them as such…however neither can they be defined as “spiritual service of worship”…to the Lord…in and of themselves. There is so much more to this…I’ll leave it here for now. Tatwo...:) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatwo Posted April 18 Group: Senior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 576 Content Per Day: 0.67 Reputation: 124 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/18/2021 Status: Offline Share Posted April 18 18 hours ago, Neighbor said: Humans receive information with all five senses (Plus one). To not utilize knowledge of that ability to reach humans with communication by utilizing all five is to miss the mark by far. Everything absolutely everything is important in gaining attention and keeping it, including the temperature of a room. This is one of those cases where I really cannot discern the nature of your intent...are you saying the Lord requires people to be comfortable so HE can get some "word" in them...or are you being facetious? Tatwo...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted April 18 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 956 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,614 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 9,070 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/03/1885 Author Share Posted April 18 4 hours ago, tatwo said: By my standards…”sermonizers” as you Neighbor have defined them…that is if…I understand you I would agree…they are wolves in sheep’s clothing opposing the Kingdom and the people of God. Hi, No I do not agree, nor do I find pastors teachers to be hirelings nor ravenous wolves. What I do think is that today perhaps even more than just a very few years ago, most everyone is saturated with input that reaches all five senses. To try to give a sermon of old in a world reduced to seven second bits of information is beyond what most minds will stand up to or perhaps even can take in without moving on the brain wandering away from the topic at hand altogether. I absolutely love and utilize Rev. Charles Hadden Spurgeon's "sermons" of old, to read, to analyze, and to study and pray over. Could I sit in a pew today and listen to him make a full presentation? I doubt it, for my mind too is saturated, wanting to move on, to take in all the additional competing affects hitting my five senses plus one. I do think a presenter of information today needs be ready to utilize all effects that will affect those five senses, and hopefully plus one, in order to get through all the clutter and chatter and "noise". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Adrien Posted April 19 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 463 Content Per Day: 4.63 Reputation: 392 Days Won: 1 Joined: 01/22/2024 Status: Offline Share Posted April 19 You may find presentations by Dr. Hugh Ross, Christian, Astrophysicist and autistic fascinating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted April 19 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,259 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,866 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted April 19 10 hours ago, tatwo said: What is that but a consecrated to God…week by week, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, breath by breath, thought by thought lifestyle…of sacrificing ones “personal desire” for their life…to the Holy Spirit…that He may “live His eternal life through us?” “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” "Be still, and know that I am God" I agree tatwo. God says if I love him, I will keep his commandments. I also believe and try to practice the presence of God throughout my day. Getting cleaned up and assembling together is very important. And God tells us to do that. But I can't get 'revved up' at the worship service. I see my brothers and sisters, clay like me. Pretty on the outside. But how does it appear to God, who see's my inside, my heart? I remember what God said about the man who cried, "Be merciful to me a sinner". "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom" "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee" “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted April 19 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 956 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,614 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 9,070 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/03/1885 Author Share Posted April 19 2 hours ago, Sower said: But I can't get 'revved up' at the worship service. Hi Don't know what revved up might manifest as; but I do get revved, or recharged anyway, by the presence in the gathering together in Jesus' name for God the Holy Spirit is felt so deeply. Whether it be in worship (Music) prayer praise or reading of the word of God and fellowship of those gathered. I am lifted in joy I am brought to tearing in worship I am encouraged in fellowship and blessed in prayer as well as knowing God is blessed by His own. No matter the impurity, the fault, the trial at hand, God can fix it. Take it all to God. Yes I do get revved I guess. Revved, a good word, sure I do, I get really revved at the gathering of the saints in Christ Jesus as often as we meet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farouk Posted yesterday at 10:22 AM Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 26 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 6,469 Content Per Day: 12.21 Reputation: 3,299 Days Won: 31 Joined: 11/18/2022 Status: Offline Share Posted yesterday at 10:22 AM On 4/18/2024 at 2:57 PM, tatwo said: I can relate...however when these hirelings read from the scriptures it is the same as sermonizing to me because…one…most of them are not called nor qualified to divide the words of righteousness. Two…they typically are not living the life as described by the Lord on the mount that day. He bore the “Image and likeness of God”…the typical sermonizer does not…this bodes poorly for its hearers. Tatwo...:) Hi @tatwo The Lord indeed is looking for sanctified vessels. In the end, we are all fallible, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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