The Rock Church Worship Service

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Paul

Hosanna
Sing Sing Sing
O Praise Him
Forever Reign
The Stand

Stephen

Lord’s Prayer
Paul used to be the pianist for a “black gospel choir”

Paul

Chris Hiransomboon was in that choir too…”black gospel choir” was really a style description…mostly whites and Asians
2010 was heartbreaking
2011 is what now
Church has decisions to make
A lot of people are asking “What now?”
Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers build in vain
Had 10 points
1. He speaks to us through Scripture
Almost didn’t add this one because I thought it was obvious
How many times do people lock themselves in a prayer closet waiting to hear God when we’ve got His Word?
Hebrews 4:12
2 Timothy – God-breathed
Waiting For Lightning – Steven Curtis Chapman
Ever had a moment where a verse pops in your head?
Can’t happen unless you read the Bible in the first place
2. God speaks into our hearts
Individually, collectively
How does He speak to mine?
There is a massive competition in my life
Wife wants 10% of my attention, TV, radio, Internet
Not can I hear, can I distinguish
Transcripts of a running spiritual dialogue
Enemy, memories and God all in there
In this technological age we are setting ourselves up to be the most vulnerable old people
Can you imagine Charles Ingalls walking into the house and saying, “Hey Half Pint can you come out here and show me how to hook this horse up?” and Half Pint rolls her eyes?
I don’t know what my wife’s handwriting looks like
Dated in email age
Parents know their children’s voices
1 John 4 God is love
1 Corinthians 13

What is love?[/sing]

If the voice is not loving, patient or kind, it’s not God
When God speaks to our conscience, it’s through the Holy Spirit
Solomon says in Proverbs, God candle provides light
John 16:8
Define conviction

Determination of guilt; convinces you are wrong

Different from condemnation

That says, “You are terrible; God is never going to use you”
A curse

The enemy is a roving lion wanting to steal, kill, and destroy
John 16:7
Comforter will convict you of sin

What you’re doing is wrong. Stop please.

Advocate, counselor
God wants relationship with us
1 Thessalonians – pray unceasingly
Charles Spurgeon

“Pray without ceasing,” is, if I read it aright, a most sweet and precious permit to the believer to pour out his heart at all times before the Lord. I hear it’s still, small voice saying, “Come to the mercy seat, O my child, whenever thou wilt; come to the treasury of grace whenever thou desirest”
“The happy gates of gospel grace; Stand open night and day.”
The doors of the temple of divine love shall not be shut. Nothing, can set a barrier between a praying soul and its God. The road of angels and of prayers is ever open. Let us but send out the dove of prayer and we may be certain that she will return unto us with an olive branch of peace in her mouth. Evermore the Lord hath regard unto the pleadings of his servants, and waiteth to be gracious unto them.

I’m not the best at having quiet devotional times, but I’m good at taking God with me
A lot of times it’s forgiveness
Guy cuts me off; I’ll say something and then say, “Sorry God, he’s your kid too”
Not formal, not pretty, just real
Watched a special on JFK the other day

They had lots of cameras – didn’t work for Nixon later
Bay of Pigs, race relations
Integration of University of Alabama
Finally decide to send in the National Guard
Robert Kennedy on the phone with head of National Guard
Right before he hangs up he says, “Okeydokey”
There’s a guy that understands the relationship he’s in
They are friends and talk like friends

Once we get out of the throne room, I don’t want you to hear me say okeydokey
Spurgeon – while your hands are busy in the world…
He who praises without ceasing uses many darts and arrows
Trying to leave a party with your wife, just visual signals work
Wife of mine it’s time to go – not so much
Speak from His character when talking to others
They brought in a lady to pray for the band (gospel choir)

Bass player is like David
Drummer will beat out the rhythm of war
Came to Paul – Slapping leather of the demons wings

If you receive a word from a friend – perfectly ok to check with someone else to see if it’s valid
You have a responsibility to check everything against Scripture
Final thing – especially to people making big decisions
Sometimes He speaks by not speaking
Made it this far without a Lakers analogy, but I’ve got to
Send a fish to get your paper it’s going to come back wet
Lakers slipping back in 4th quarter and coach just sits there instead of calling a TO and telling the team what to do

He wants them to work it out as a team and to rely on what he’s already given them

When I became a man I put away childish things and God’s going to let you make a decision
Sometimes it’s not bad vs. good, it’s good vs. good – Adam and Eve had lots of other trees to pick from
Joshua 1:9
Recognize the peace in God’s voice
Spurgeon

Never give up praying, not even though Satan should suggest to you that it is in vain for you to cry unto God. Pray in his teeth; “pray without ceasing.” If for awhile the heavens are as brass and your prayer only echoes in thunder above your head, pray on; if month after month your prayer appears to have miscarried, and no reply has been vouchsafed to you, yet still continue to draw nigh unto the Lord. Do not abandon the mercy-seat for any reason whatever. If it be a good thing that you have been asking for, and you are sure it is according to the divine will, if the vision tarry wait for it, pray, weep, entreat, wrestle, agonise till you get that which you are praying for. If your heart be cold in prayer, do not restrain prayer until your heart warms, but pray your soul unto heat by the help of the everblessed Spirit who helpeth our infirmities. If the iron be hot then hammer it, and if it be cold hammer it till you heat it. Never cease prayer for any sort of reason or argument. If the philosopher should tell you that every event is fixed, and, therefore, prayer cannot possibly change anything, and, consequently, must be folly; still, if you cannot answer him and are somewhat puzzled, go on with your supplications notwithstanding all. No difficult problem concerning digestion would prevent your eating, for the result justifies the practice, and so no quibble should make us cease prayer, for the assured success of it commends it to us. You know what your God has told you, and if you cannot reply to every difficulty which man can suggest, resolve to be obedient to the divine will, and still “Pray without ceasing.” Never, never, never renounce the habit of prayer, or your confidence in its power.

God does speak – let’s just learn to recognize His voice

† Spurgeon quotes from Spurgeon.org

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