Hope Sabbath School: Lesson 11-Unity In Worship (4th quarter 2018)

welcome to hope Sabbath School an in-depth interactive study of the word of God we are in the middle of an amazing series of studies on oneness in Christ not just a theory but something we can experience oneness with him and with each other and our topic today unity in worship you say Derrick how can we all worship in exactly the same way that's not what we're talking about we're talking about worshiping God United in him and I'm excited that one of our team members Sammy so is going to teach for us today so me so it's going to be a great topic I know God is going to bless us we're always happy that you're part of our hopes have a school family I've said many times we have at least a hundred and fifty countries represented in our global family and even here take a look at our team we've we represent many different parts of the world and we're just glad to be part of this miracle called Hope Sabbath school amen and here's just a few emails here's one Nicole we have someone from Jamaica Oh with the same name oh and Tricia Pete oh yeah well this one actually has the same name as you Nicole writes and says I must express my gratitude to Hope Sabbath school as you helped my brother O'Neal in his understanding of God's Word and by sharing your testimonies unfortunately O'Neal died recently at age 35 but he spent the majority of his last time watching Hope Sabbath school I know the Word of God blessed him amen amen we're going to see him again and we're looking forward to that glorious day Nicole when Jesus returns we'll see your brother O'Neal with those who are raised to life in the first resurrection Ephraim writes from Zambia Hope Sabbath School has changed me on how I approach the lesson I've learned a lot now I look forward to each Sabbath I grow in the Word of God and even when people visit me I would rather put on a hope service go and share with them what I've learned from the Word of God amen you know there's many ways you can be part of sharing God's Word you can download the outline from our website hope tv.org slash hope SS it's the same outline that Samiso will teach wrong today in fact it's the same outline that we all have as we study this in-depth interactive study together you can use that or you could just play the video or invite them to watch the program with you I want to thank you frame for doing that in Zambia here's a note from some donors in Florida they sent a gift for a hundred and five dollars now that must have some significance I don't know but they were blessed and they said praise God for what he's accomplishing through Hope Sabbath school program it is blessed our lives for many years we wish to thank the entire team we were excited to learn that we can directly support hope Sabbath School Programming and for those of you don't know we are a donor supported ministry these folks that you see here are all volunteers they drive in from a long way away the longest drove for about 16 hours should have been 18 but he's driving quickly but 16 hours to get here to film with us we're volunteers and we're it's just so thankful for your support this couple it's actually a couple rights on and says after praying about what God would have us do we believe we're led to give a financial gift every quarter to Hope Sabbath school as a result of this commitment we now consider ourselves part of the team and you know that's right we're all part of a great miracle of God we want to thank you for joining with us our dear friends from Florida you know who you are Rick writes from South Dakota anybody live in South Dakota or been to South Dakota Travis you used to work in South Dakota didn't you I just bend this out pick all just been to South together all right god bless you rights Rick from Rapid City I've been in the church for 30 years and I am still learning I enjoy your format and directions praise God Rick we're just glad it shows that we can always keep learning more about the Word of God and deepen our relationship with him one last note from oh I should ask Eric Eric because this person is from Kenya and the name is spelled Oh why ie why Oh Oh II oh that doesn't sound my claim oh why ie why oh oh yeah oh yeah oh I said it right hopes Abacos been a blessing to me of my family it has changed my life through spiritual inspiration I cannot go to bed before watching Hope Sabbath school on Friday evenings may God bless you as you bring more souls to Christ well oh yeah oh thank you so much and thank you Eric for helping me we're bleep we're glad that we're all part of a global family preparing for the soon coming of Jesus our theme song for this series is taken word-for-word from the New King James translation of the Bible Ephesians 4 verses 1 to 3 it's been a blessing to think about walking worthy of the calling not to earn God's favor certainly not to save ourselves but because we've been redeemed by the grace of God through Jesus our Savior and Lord and he says I want you to walk in newness of life and let the blessing flow to those around you let's sing the theme song together I therefore beseech you I therefore beseech you to walk worthy of the calling I therefore beseech you to walk worthy of the calling we relate you are with the holiness and gentleness bearing with one man suffering I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling either or beseech you to walk worthy of the call which you to the spirit in the I received you to walk worthy of the calling I have for beseech you to walk worthy of the car with you I'm excited about today's study and submissive lead us in prayer as we begin let's pray graces Laura thank you so much for this privilege to open up your word and share the prescriptions you have for us and how we can be united in worship may you increase as we decrease we'll be careful to give you all the praise the glory and honor amen amen lesson study is about unity in worship what comes to your mind when you think about warship what words come to your mind war sit watch it Jason I think of celebration celebration okay celebration singing singing okay singing anyone else what comes to mind yes Laurel praise to God praise to God praise to God Kent happiness happiness okay great so what is worship well I think it comes from an old English word worth-ship in other words it's recognizing and the Bible says worship God right right recognizing that God is worthy in fact in Revelation worthy worthy yes so recognizing he's worthy and then acting upon that right in worship yes thank you so it's it's an expression of our appreciation let's look at the Bible and see see see what it says about worship let's let's open up our study Laura if you might open up for us in slums 29 this one and two all right I'll be reading from the new American Standard Bible ascribe to the Lord o sons of the mighty ascribed to the Lord God in stone to the Lord glory and strength ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name worshipped the Lord and holy array so the Bible invites us to worship that's an invitation what a privilege that God still wants to Tabernacle with fallen man and he wants to restore he wants to unite us and so he's inviting us to worship let's see what else it says still in the book of slums Gabourey if you can read Psalms 95 the six and seven all right Psalms 95 verse six and seven and I'm reading from the New King James Version oh come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the Sheep of his hand today if you will hear his voice a man and now the invitation to come and wash it every time I read these warship texts I just feel like worshiping myself I just an expression of adoration for what Christ has done for me personally in my life and and that unity that comes in worship in that one christ who united us on the cross let's look at what else the Bible says now let's go to the Book of Revelations 4 verse 11 trishal II if you could read that for us revelations has a lot of scenes that depict warship in gellick beings worshiping God's the throne here the throne room of Christ of God just full of worship worship water Trisha Lee the New King James Version reads you are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created mm-hmm everything exists because of him because into you worthy of water a man now something else happens in the book of Revelation so revelations 5 verse 9 to 14 Travis if you could read that just to lay the background of this it sounds like there's something going on in heaven and John is is taken in vision and to see something that looks like chaos they seem disappointed no one is worthy to open a scroll with seven seals on it no one on heaven or on the earth below and so he's disappointed and his weepin and the man comes in touched him and say stop weeping one is worthy to open the scroll the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy the lamb slain before the foundation of the world and so after they announced that Christ is worthy of opening the soul heaven erupts in praise please answer that when are we reading from the New King James Version and they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals where you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on earth on the earth then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne the living creatures and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them I heard them saying blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb for ever and ever amen so Oh heaven erupts in praise and worship and adoration to live up to the king may I ask you a question when you think about worship the do you feel worship is restricted to a specific to the church no not restricted to the church so have you experienced worship out of a church building Gabriel just you share experience of well very personal experience for me in particular and for my family I was in the military now we were overseas in Korea yeah and you know there was a very big language barrier trying to attend church through the local churches they're very beautiful people very loving people but it was still very difficult to be able to engage in and in worship that way so we took to staying home a lot and and in a way it was a blessing because it forced us to look at worship very differently and so we actually dove into his word more and found different ways and creative ways to be able to worship and study and and and give him praise not just Sabbath in particular but even in other you know days of the week and it was beautiful it opened our minds to a new way of approaching him yeah Jason so one of the most exciting experiences for me was many years ago I was with a group and we went up to a high mountain we're probably like 4,000 feet above sea level and is just wonderful we spent the day out there hiking had a lunch and we had Church up there on the mountain overlooking all that beautiful scenery we had a guitar we just sang some songs we shared some testimonies and we just had our own church right there on the mountain uh-huh very beautiful Eric and growing up as a child I remember after Sabbath in the afternoon wood I grew up in a in a in a small Adventist school primary school in Kenya and we would go for nature walks in the in the afternoon and once we are out there in the jungle it was closer to Mount Akina we would sit down and just sing and just the music the worship you know that as we I don't know how you have to say this closing out the Sabbath and it was beautiful it was a teenager and you're able to see and feel God's God's grace and his creation you just worship Him in in that and in an environment Wow beautiful thanks for sharing and you've all shared an aspect of corporate worship so how can we prepare for corporate worship to make it less that to make it more many food than just a religious Rachael Tracy Lee well it's been said that the best form of praise is imitation you can insert the best form of worship is imitation or that it's something that you reflecting you more often and so I think that if we worship God we want to be like him we want to think about him we want to do the things that we know please him and so preparing for corporate worship means as individuals that we had those our own private moments of worship we're also living a life that's worshipful yes and they can be seen and reflected in what we do every day so when we show up in church together we've all been walking the same walk all week long yeah it's easy for us to be united now and raising our voices or in reading and studying together amen and so as we worship collectively and individually who are we worshiping God God so we are worshiping the same bang oh yeah they's unity when were worshiping the same thing but if you're worshiping a specific speaker oh no preference in music Oh worshipping something else other than the Christ the maker the one who is worthy of praise so what unites us in worship partly is worshiping the same Christ who has died for all of us to say hi to rest in that true amen so that temptations as much as as God invites us to worship basic counterfeit mm-hmm the devil wants that same worship right and so easy he's asking us to worship Him as well so let's let's let's let's look at the Bible and see what what God tells us in advance to knowing the end from the beginning and how we can equip ourselves we're gonna read Exodus 2 verse 2 and 3 can't if you could read Exodus to 20 verse 2 and 3 and so we're talking about the precious willed experience for worshipping someone else other than the one and true God so Exodus 20 verse 2 & 3 reading from the New International Version I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt out of the land of slavery you shall have no other gods before me you shall have no other gods before me you know when I read this verse many times I've thought about people in a distant land taking some images or having idol worship and so forth but many times we as Christians when we make something else' priority over God we're having that another God over us right I have an example of yes being in this area there are so many dynamic speakers powerful preachers that preach here and one preacher in particular congregation he was upset with the members and he said stop calling the church office to find out if I'm speaking this morning and then deciding you're not going to come because there's somebody else and so he was basically raising that if we're gonna worship we're gonna worship not depending on who the person is delivering the word if it's the word it's the word but there were some people who only were interested in being in the building serious man was speaking and then that way it was it's hard to know what's motivation but the trend made it seem as though they're putting the emphasis not on the word and the message but on the individual and it's subtle but it's still along the same lines of being distracted from truly being receiving from God and focusing on the the messenger and not the message yes thanks for sharing that actually reminds me that a renowned preacher came to town and one preacher was sharing that he's uncle he just wanted his uncle to be to learn more about Christ and he said when he found out that this renowned preacher was coming he invited them and nothing happened he didn't didn't accept the co2 Christ and then another renowned preacher came and he said surely surely this preacher is going to get to my uncle nothing happened and then one Sabbath his uncle accidentally just stumbled into church and one of the elders was speaking not a very eloquent elder he was just taking his time not so much energy he was reading out of magazine it's Christian magazine and half the church was bored but he made the outer core and guess who stood up and so God reaches his people yes he does yeah in his time all right now let's look at how Christ himself was tested to worship someone someone the devil himself so Matthew 4 verse 8 and 9 Alex if you don't mind reading that that would be reading from the King James Version Matthew 4 verses 8 and 9 again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and saith unto him all these things will I give thee if thou will fall down and worship Me so the devil wants worship even from Christ himself and is trying to draw attention away from from from Christ so can you share of an experience where you have been tempted into false worship tempted into false worship as you're thinking about this I wrote this down idolatry is trust in people possessions or position for something that only God can do you know sue me so I want to relate to what Trisha Lee said as a young Christian I remember someone that I'd really looked up to kind of took another road mm-hmm and at that time you know if you're following a person huh you might take that road too yeah yeah and I remember very clearly walking and just saying you know I will I worship Jesus yes I know that sounds very simplistic but we're called jesus said follow me yeah follow me yeah and I think if we if we see Jesus I've come to worship you you know worthy worthy is the Lamb that was slain that's a safeguard against Satan Satan doesn't care who we worship as long as we don't worship God yeah it's a safeguard that will keep us from wandering off on false God paths absolutely Nicole I don't know if it's worship so much is being distracted from what I should be doing and so I find myself in the mornings especially grabbing my phone before I grab my devotional book yeah and I've had to put myself in balance and say my day should not start with looking at the phone and what happened last night in the news when I was asleep it should start with Christ and what he's gonna do for me today and then I'll get around to all that stuff because it's gonna happen anyway but I have to start with Christ first and so I found myself having to juggle that even in my daily my daily walk Eric and unfortunately I think just - I don't what she said once once you grab that phone the distraction sometimes may be so overwhelming that you forget to what you were what you what your intention was to begin with to wake up and you know spend that some time in devotion yeah officially we don't have like temples and shrines like it is here like here in the West so much but I think we do it in our own way through social media I think that culture tells you there are certain celebrities or icons to follow and you literally know every word they say every outfit you know they eat you know everything every move they make you know and you're supposed to respond and react to that when I think what we're supposed to do is we're supposed to be hungry for what did God say what God tell me what did God do so I can do what he did how do I get dressed like him his glove leather righteousness and I think if we have that same mentality if we weren't as faithful in keeping up with the Word of God in Jesus as we are some of the celebrities our lives would look very different hmm but it's something because it's it's it's fascinating it's intriguing yeah yeah yeah yeah Nicole please read for us Daniel 3 verse 13 and 15 the Old Testaments those also many experiences this happened on the plane of jira and Saturn man I in exile and they have a conflict whether to worship God or the dictate of the king which is asking them to worship something else so Daniel 3 verse 13 and 15 13 through 15 the New International Version says furious with rage nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach Meshach and Abednego so these men were brought before the king and Nebuchadnezzar said to them is it true Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that you do not serve my gods or worship the image that of gold that I have set up now when you hear the sound of the horn flute zither lyre harp pipe and all kinds of music if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made very good but if you do not worship it you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace then what God will be able to rescue you from my hands so they're forced to worship a different God rather than the true God so what happens after that travis well i would just like to say that we see a real clear distinction between two types of worship yeah do this and you live and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego said no we're gonna live by grace and faith yeah we're not gonna this is we're not going to choose this this salvation by works thing we're gonna choose to stay faithful to the evening God ain't just to pick up what Travis said it's the false worship was forced or it was like coercion yeah it wasn't out of love or freedom it was with this terrible punishment and I think that's you know that's not what God is inviting us to do it's freewill it's voluntary it's an expression of how we feel a response to love yeah not to a threat right right beautiful let's go to revelations 13 revelation 13 verse school look at what the test is in the last days revelation 13 and eric' revelation 13 verse 4 and I'll be reading from the New King James Version and it says so they worship the dragon who gave authority to the Beast and they worship the Beast saying who is like the Beast who is able to make war with him verse 11 and so they something else a beast which is and the dragon is given powers worship something else other than Christ so everything it's a distraction worship something else let's let's read on to 11 to 15 st. st. st. book revelations 13 verse 11 to 15 then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon and he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the ad and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed he performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the add in the side of men and he deceives those who dwell on the earth by this but by those signs which he had granted to do in the sight of the Beast telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image the Beast who was wounded by the sword and lived he was granted power to give breath to the image of the Beast that the image of the Beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the Beast to be killed so in the last days there's the struggle of worship where am I gonna worship so how can we be prepared for temptation and pressure to engage in false worship how can we creep ourselves to be prepared for that temptation Jason well one sort of quick easy thing is just knowing what's gonna happen being familiar with the word studying the word and so by knowing at least from God's Word what's gonna happen it'll least help us be prepared by having the the knowledge in the Word of God yeah beautiful beautiful it's Travis I think the answer is found in John 15:5 I am the vine you are the branches without me you can do nothing stay connected to the light they connected stay connected to the vine beautiful beautiful yes Gabriel and you have to know what is truth because the whole point of deception is that the devil is cunning and he uses true sprinkled with some lies and if we're not careful to know what those truths really are we won't even be able to see the deception coming and will fall into that trap you know I think of a saying people have told me at times in the past how can so many people be wrong but if you'd said that on the plain of Dura yeah oh yeah everybody was wrong only a few Shadrach Meshach and Abednego stood and and as Jason said in preparation for the end time test if we're thinking that we just go with the majority because how can so many people be wrong in that mercy we trouble yeah we need to say what has the Lord asked me to do yeah and the answer is worship only him yes so I guess part of my warning is don't just think the majority will automatically be doing what's right correct thing a man to stand Nicole well just like you said pastor the Bible tells us broad is the way to destruction and so clearly the majority are on that larger path and are going toward away from what Christ once a narrow is the way for those who are going to him so just because everyone's doing doesn't mean that it's right oh yeah so he calls us to worship the Creator in the last day in Revelation 14 verse 6 Selena don't whine Drina networks revelations 14 verse 6 and 7 I will be reading from the new international version then I saw another angel flying in midair and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth to every nation tribe language and people he said in a loud voice fear God and give Him glory because the hour of his judgment has come worship Him who has made the heavens the earth the sea and the springs of water so an angel is flying in the midst of it in the midst of heaven and whatwhat's an angel a messenger so there is a messenger flying with an urgent message why is this message so urgent yes there's so much ap ISM and so many people that just don't believe that there even is a God and there's this message going out saying God does exist and this is your last chance to come to his side he wants to save you but you have to choose it you have to choose this beautiful Travis when I was studying this I looked in the Greek and and how this was and this message the first met angels messages he has glad tidings to tell the world and as I and as I contemplated this I thought God is just being merciful to the world the first message is I love you I love you and I will redeem you just come to me yeah and this would Angeles or messenger you know it could be like an angel from heaven but it's also used speaking of a human messenger and I really believe that the messenger here is God's people in the last days yes and if that's true then hope Sabbath school is part of this message yeah yeah in fact everyone who is a follower of Jesus is part of the messenger to tell the world that we're not here by accident right you know that there is a creator God and that he's worthy of our worship yeah beautiful and they specific language used in that the specific language that the first angel says worship Him who made the where else do we find that right ech dot we find that almost verbatim the repetition of from exodus chapter 20 where it's the the call to remember the Sabbath day there in the law of God so remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and is saying worship Him the same same language worship Him who made the heavens the earth and the Fountains of waters as we carry on how do we prepare now so that's when we come and worship together collectively we are worshipping in oneness it's tough you you had a very different experience throughout the week right very different from my experience I had a very rough experience I step into the house of the Lord and I'm robbed the wrong way and how do you experience that oneness worshipping with people with so many press not different personalities different pressures different experiences how do you experience that oneness hmm Jason well it helps if you're studying the same thing so if you're all in the same Word of God the same Bible that's very helpful yeah the the same authoritative source that's one place to start mm-hmm very nice very nice I like that you say the same authoritative source that's a good segue to the next portion which is experiencing oneness in worship through group Bible study all right so did this happen in the Bible let's read about it x2 verse 42 x2 verse 42 Heidi if you don't mind reading that for us and you know what well they're looking that up old gospel song came to my mind when you said how do we do the focus and it said turn your eyes upon Jesus mm-hmm because if I look at you or someone else I could either get discouraged fridge door feel critical or the things of Earth will grow strangely dim eeeh so I think the key when I come is to remember who I came to worship you know came to worship Jesus Jesus Christ scented water beautiful all right acts 2 verse 42 and I'll be reading from the New King James Version and it says and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers they continued steadfastly breaking bread and in prayers right so they kept reading the word the Word of God was central let's go to X 17 verse 10 and 11 there's a different church they had a specific Hobbit after yearing the Word of God let's let's let's find out what they did john x 17 verse 10 and 11 all right acts 17 verses 10 and 11 from the New King James Version says then the Brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea when they arrived they went into the synagogue of the Jews these were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so beautiful so they just deemed here and take whatever they heard they went back and looked to the Word of God and say does this match up to what the word of the Lord says that a beautiful practice 2nd Timothy 3 verse 14 and 17 Jason if you could read that I'll be reading from the New King James Version 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verses 14 through 17 but you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of knowing from whom you have learned them and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith with in Christ Jesus all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work beautiful beautiful so let's talk how is hope Sabbath school helped you experience this oneness instead in the Word of God Heidi well many years ago before I ever had the privilege of sitting here in one of these chairs I was going through a struggle despite being born and raised in a Christian home I was struggling with the existence of God and I was spiraling into a very deep dark place spiritually and through some words of encouragement from my brother who I opened up and shared this about shared this with and especially through hopes out of school the Lord brought me back he brought me out of that whole race guys I can't even express how thankful I am for this the more than time that I spent watching this and opening up like they did I didn't just listen I would open up with my Bible and and read along the more I studied the more I put the Word of God into my mind and into my heart that verse faith comes through hearing and hearing through the Word of God that came to life in me amen amen and now you're part of the team and wow that's beautiful that's beautiful you know that testimony see me so so powerful because we have you know hundreds of thousands of people watching and some might say my journey isn't like yours I've gone through some difficult places and so I just want to thank Haiti for sharing because someone out there said Oh Lord could you do that for me as well not only to come to faith but to actually become a powerful witness for God yeah Travis I had the privilege of writing and answering questions to our hopes Abba school family and I get to study with people from all different denominations all around the world and this last year's just been a huge blessing to me and you know sometimes you you can get to thinking well I have a lot to share but you know I learned so much from others as well just sharing the Word of God back and forth and it's it's been an amazing blessing to me it just has yeah and I think to me so when we fill our hearts with the Word of God as Haiti was talking about that guides our worship yeah in fact it guides our prayers to hey guards our songs we've been singing Scripture sighs word it says the word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path so I think a person that says well I like to worship but I'm not interested in the Bible that's gonna lead you into false worship because the Word of God will guide us into true worship yeah and wars have been a spirit and in truth yes and there's a lot of counterfeit worship which is being introduced worship that does not result in any transformation one pasta once shared is said more people will be lost over false religion than those lost for no religion at all so many times you feel like you're worshiping something but it's a counterfeit of the one and true God he wants you to worship Gabriel and I think that's one of the beautiful things about being able to study in a group format because you're able to study together and when you share experiences or or even you know interpretations of what you're studying you see things through different perceptions than what you might have yourself and learn from that even though we're studying the same thing and we're studying the same truth and sharing the same truth being able to see it through different eyes other than your own helps open up a whole new world of learning absolutely absolutely beautiful moving on to a different aspect of that that that reinforces this oneness and worship Christ left something for us and and let's let's read the special gift and ordinance he left for us to participate in to share and enjoy Matthew 26 verse 26 John if you could start us out with Matthew 26 verse 26 and can't if you can go to first Corinthians 11 verse 23 to 26 all right Matthew 26 verse 26 says and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body can't me an IV for I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said this is my body which is which is for you do this in remembrance of me in the same way after supper he took the cup saying this cup is the New Covenant in my blood do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me Matt so this Holy Communion Holy Communion how many of you have a dissipated in Holy Communion oh yeah about all of us right have you felt the oneness in worship share share that experience of how you've experienced that oneness in worship Alex and it's it's a solemn moment I kind of remember the one of the first experiences of community I started coming back to church and and just listen to the pastor read from the same scripture right here and just thinking back to Jesus said this is an example for us to follow and and sharing that with with my fellow brothers and sisters and and and assuming that this is what the disciples did and this is what he wanted us to do to remember him and to prepare for his coming it's just great camp at my school we had a Vespers and sometimes they will do a communion afterwards and being in a room with sofas you meet on Friday nights and you just get together oh god I've been vegan a room without a hundred other students and being able to see people who you've known and seeing who will open up and be vulnerable and share their experiences after taking part in this glorious commitment to God it makes you be closer to your friends seeing how and how they share about how their lives have been touched by God and how this this action really makes people open up and show how broken they are and how they want God to help them yeah you know I misunderstood communion growing up I actually felt it was time to be separate and and and isolated and there's a specific scripture which I did not understand well and and let's just read it first Corinthians 11:27 234 Lauro fress Corinthians 11:27 234 okay I'll be reading from the new American Standard Bible therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord but a man must examine himself and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly for this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep but if we judge ourselves rightly we would not be judged but but when we are judged we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world so then my brethren when you come together to eat wait for one another if anyone is hungry let him eat at home so that you will not come together for judgment the remaining matters I will arrange when I come you know so he says-- examine yourself there's a little bit of background there something was going on John it looks like you do exactly what was going on and why this was included well it appears here that there were some in the church and Corinth that had failed to examine themselves and perhaps had allowed themselves to get distracted in their worship and had become sidetracked and yet were participating in the breaking of the bread yeah it is no longer focused on Christ it was now a gluttonous exercise where they were hidden and others were not getting anything to eat I had a student some years ago who also misunderstood this text and she said I I've not been to communion for five years because I don't feel worthy that's not what this text are talking about none of us is worth it yeah only Jesus is worthy right yeah but but but what the text is talking about is coming with an unworthy attitude mm-hmm-hmm not not feeling like I'm not worthy coming carelessly or as you said just to eat all of the food and drink all of the juice you know that is something that Paul warns against you know after I shared that with her I says that's why we come because we're not worthy right she came some weeks later to me and she said I just went and shared communion like kent talked about with with a group of students she said I was so blessed you know God loves me yeah he wants me to come and and just say yes again thank you Jesus for saving me and I just think there may be some people even who watch hope service school some people stay away of communion yeah that's what we should come yeah because it's a special time of blessing and a time to say thank you again to Jesus you're saving us yeah beautiful so how about just breaking bread together which is not convenient but just eating and fellowship and together how has that experience strengthened your oneness and and unity in worship yes Gabriel so I think it's a beautiful thing where it helps to break down barriers that you might not even realize are there people are able to open up more become more comfortable which other with unites you more as as a church group in a church family and empowers you to do so much more because you're doing it in in an environment where it's not as formal perhaps as at church itself in the middle of the congregation or otherwise and you're able to open up and be more personal and more real with each other yeah fearful I preached it a little church last weekend in Tennessee just a little church and every Sabbath they have a friendship meal every Sabbath yeah now that takes work someone had to cook the food right I know they cooked it ahead but someone had to do that work why do they do that because as Gabriel said they want to provide a place where fellowship can happen and where we can talk about Jesus and maybe even like Ken said I could talk about some of my struggles yeah and how I need Jesus to forgive my sins so I think as with the early Christians because they broke bread daily I don't think necessarily they were celebrating the communion every day but they were eating it right and every meal became a sacred time when they invited the Lord's presence and their conversation was about spiritual thing Heidi in a church that we attended years ago we got to experience this because a group of us had gone to someone's house and had lunch together and it bonded us so much that then somebody said oh well in two weeks come to my house and we did it and then somebody said in two weeks come to my house and it became a tradition that every other week we would get together and we would eat together and we just became so close typically the people that you eat with are your family yeah when you think about it and we became like family and to this day we can still text each other weekly we're communicating with each other and we say pray for me for this and vice versa or pray for my neighbor my coworker and we're just like we love each other we really love you too beautiful beautiful let's move on to experience an experience and unity through prayer through prayer X 1 verse 14 tricia lee x 1 verse 14 and john x 4 verse 23 and 21 reading for the New King James Version these all continued with one Accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers in verses 23 through 31 of chapter 4 and being let go they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them so when they had heard that they raised their voice to God with one Accord and said Lord you are God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them who by the mouth of your servant David have said why did the nation's rage and the people plot vain things the kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for truly against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done now Lord look on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word by stretching out your hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus and when they had prayed the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness beautiful beautiful any thoughts on that you know I can just give my testimony that time of Prayer has been some of the most special time of worship yes we have a House of Prayer in my home mm-hm and I sometimes you've been there and last Wednesday my wife and I were the only two who came you say well that didn't work but the Holy Spirit impressed us to call someone who was actually part of our larger hope Sabbath school team and she was driving to a crucial appointment and she said God knew I needed someone to call me and pray with me and my heart was just filled with joy because when we gathered together even two or three the Lord promises to be in the medicine and I I think that prayer is part of worship is such a precious gift and it strengthens our faith as we see God work yeah yeah it's it's strengthens our faith it strengthens our oneness how many of you are married here is is it is it easy to have have a big fight after praying together sometimes you need to pray together after you have many many times in our relationships when we pray together it strengthens it strengthens this could be siblings church members which is praying together it's a gift free of charge calling upon the name of the Lord may be cold but it's also empowering the house one pray for you yes you know I have a partner that I pray with every every week and it's just it just does something when she calls out my name and her prayers and says strengthen the call do things from the cold just it just it almost just makes my day just go so much better yeah no there's someone praying for me somewhere to help me with my walk with Christ so it's very empowering for two just to hear your name and someone else calling prayer beautiful Lord is inviting us to worship Him in spirit and in truth that we can pray together break bread together and worship in unity to the one and true God well I'm just so thankful and I've learned that worship doesn't just happen once a week and it doesn't happen just in a church that we worship God every moment of the day but then we are prepared to come and worship together with joyful hearts well I pray you've been blessed by our study today and love to hear a time of worship that was especially meaningful to you you can write to us at SS hope at hope TV org because those times strengthen us for the challenges we may face on our journey let's pray right now that as we come to times of worship we'd come recognizing how much God wants to bless us and to commune with us let's pray father in heaven sometimes people fight wars about worship when what we should be doing is worshiping you and rejoicing that you accept us all for my different walks of life and our different experiences coming with a desire to focus on you to worship you in spirit and in truth and I pray from the lessons we've learned today whether we're studying your word or breaking bread or praying that our focus would be upon you to be taught of you and that our worship would bring joy to your heart and blessing to fellow worshipers we thank you in the name of Jesus amen well thanks for joining us for hope Sabbath school garden worship any day especially blessings on the Sabbath day lift our hearts in praise to God

Channel: HopeSabbathSchool

Views: 17,691

Rating: 4.702857 out of 5

Keywords: seventh-day adventist, hope sabbath school, hopesabbathschool, gospel, religion, Bible study, christianity, worship

Id: lB9P2RU_9Sw

Length: 58min 29sec (3509 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 09 2018