The Service of Preparation commences with a Hymn, as the church has done for millennia whenever God comes to us with His gifts.

Then comes, equally in first place, the Invocation, which is a statement that all we do is done in the name of the God who is truly there, and has revealed Himself to us in His Holy Word. This is the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus even began His teaching in words with similar meaning, Luke 4:18-19.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In these words we have the reference to the Holy Spirit by which Jesus was anointed at His baptism, the Anointed One Himself (“Christ” means “anointed one”) and the One (the Father) Whose favor rests upon the people to whom the Christ is sent.

As was mentioned in Part 2, the main part of the preparation consists of the confession of sins.  There are several forms of public confession and absolution, each consisting of an acknowledgment of our sin, and each including God’s own words of forgiveness.  All of them remind us that because … “your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2), we cannot come to God as we are.  But also all of them bring God’s very own forgiveness to us in the words of the gospel.

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Churches are now doing the same thing.  In a time of declining membership and attendance, some churches are reaching out to the “consumers of religion” to meet their “felt needs.”  Such thinking might give rise to a survey like this:

On a scale of 1-10, with ten being best, please rate your experience at our church.

  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    Friendly People
  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    A Sense of Community
  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    Entertaining
  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    Upbeat Message
  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    Many Activities for All Ages
  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    Comfortable Auditorium

The key to such a survey is that it focuses on what people want or think they need.  Certainly we hope that a Christian church will exhibit many of these characteristics. But such an attitude can cause trouble, too, because without God guiding us through His word, we don’t know what we need. Paul warns Timothy in the strongest terms,

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
 

In the light of Scripture, what kinds of things should we look for to evaluate our visit to God’s house?  (Not forgetting the love, friendliness, and acceptance already talked about)  Here are some suggestions to think about:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    The Bible Is Taken Seriously
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    Sinfulness Is Treated as a Reality
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    I Go Home Knowing I am Forgiven
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    The Focus is on God
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    The Sermon Is Relevant to Me
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10    God’s Word, Not Man’s Opinion

Sadly, these things are less and less common in American churches today – and less and less sought after.  How important it is that we continue faithful in ministering to sinners such as ourselves, who would be lost without Christ, but with Christ and His word receive forgiveness and life everlasting.

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Please join us for our Fall Schedule Kick-Off on Sunday September 13.  There are a lot of great opportunities to better know your Savior!

Sunday Morning Bible Class & Sunday School

Something for all ages!  Kids have songs and crafts and Bible Stories.  Adults are studying the history behind the letters of the New Testament and the beginning of the church.  Sundays at 9:00 AM

Search the Scripture Hour

Classes meet Thursday evenings at 7 PM in a pleasant informal atmosphere in the Church library.  Classes start with an introductory session on Thursday, September 17, at 7pm.
 

Wednesday Bible Fellowship

Join us for an evening of good fellowship as we go over the key events in Biblical history that tell us how God promised the Savior, preserved the promise, fullfilled in, and brought the promise to the world.  Wednesdays at 7pm at the Parsonage, beginning September 16.

Youth Bible Fellowship

We gather for good fellowship and take some time to examine the challenges to our faith in the light of God’s word.  For high school and college students.

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Galatians 5:25-6:10

The Indicative and the Imperative of God’s Word

By guest preacher – Rev. Dr. A. Andrew Das.

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THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GIVES GLORIOUS LIFE

I.  It Centers on God, not Man
II.  It Is Of the Gospel, Not of the Law
III.  It Is the Gift of Life, Not Death

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