'It Became Very Clear.'
John 6:52.
a) Then the Jews debated among themselves,
b) Asking,
c) How can this man give us His flesh to eat?
(Through this QT question I know about the answer: It Became Very Clear)
PRAYER: For non-Believers to come to Church and clearly understand the Message of the Gospel.
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'Gathering Together To Glorify God.'
Psalm 40:9.
a) I have told the Glad News of Righteousness
b) In the great congregation,
c) Behold, I have not restrained my lips,
d) As you well know,
e) Oh Lord.
(This Second one reminds me of the Joy of Gathering Together To Glorify God in a Biblical way)
PRAYER: That each Lord's Day, if we can gather together, we are Gathering Together To Glorify God.
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Chris.
Some religious people so often prefer debate and chatter more than simple Worship. They assume that they 'already know' more than the preacher, and often decry or belittle his sermon. There are times that God actually wants our preachers to be somewhat 'repetitive', so that we really get the Message. We get what God is trying to say to us and we hide it in our hearts. Through this QT, I think of the various ways in which the Churches should be able to respond to the Word of the Lord that they hear. The non-Believers in the Church should be able to question, be convinced and be convicted by the Word. The 'secular-minded Christians' should be revived by the Word. The faithful Believers who are in fellowship with the Lord and each other should be edified by the Word that they hear.
I believe the Working of the Holy Spirit in the Church ceases, albeit temporarily, when debate and chatter take over the Worship service. (They have their place in fellowship times but not in the Worship service.) We need to get back to the basic purposes of the Church: to Worship and Praise God; to learn the Bible from another person's perspective (usually the Preacher, but also in small group from one another); and corporate prayer.
Evangelism should be spontaneous, 'organized' evangelism never occurred in the New Testament Church - it usually does not produce lasting results, and incurs unnecessary expense and time.
