Sermons
A Delightful Gathering
A DELIGHTFUL GATHERING
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / November 27, 2016
Last Sunday evening we had a delightful gathering for our annual ThankSinging.
We had an assembly of seventy, with a good turnout from our own church family.
In addition, we had about a dozen or so visitors from as far away as Lorain, Conneaut and Cuyahoga Falls.
This took place in the midst of some icy road conditions (a 43 car pile-up on the Rt. 711 Connector).
Rod Sheldon led us in worship and it was edifying in every way. Afterwards Rod wrote to our congregation:
Please express my deepest love and appreciation to all of those who gather at the Cortland Church.
You have such a wonderful spirit of compassion and hospitality, which is simply an expression of Christ in you.
I find it such a joy to be with you and I always walk away blessed…
I wanted you to hear Rod’s nice commentary (you can re-read in today’s FamilyMatters).
Although I may be a bit prejudiced in this matter, I think he is absolutely “spot on”, as they say in England.
Our Cortland congregation is indeed a very special place.
There is here a WONDERFUL SPIRIT … It is a JOY to be here … It is a place of BLESSINGS, received and given.
What can be said of last Sunday’s assembly should be also said of all of our gatherings.
We must never take this for granted.
When I was a teenager we moved from Pensacola to Ashtabula.
We moved from the West Hill church of Christ (about 400 strong) to the West Avenue church of Christ (150 strong).
Although it was less than half the size of the Pensacola, I came to love the Ashtabula congregation.
Perhaps I would have flourished just as well in the larger Pensacola congregation, but I do wonder.
I watched my shy father come out of his shell in Ashtabula. I’m not convinced that that would’ve happened in P-cola.
I used to think my dad had a measure of xenophobia (fear of strangers - - foreigners), but that wasn’t his hang up.
Agoraphobia is a fear of “wide open spaces” (the agora/open market). We joked that Dad frequently went to Conley’s.
To be more precise my dad probably had some degree of ochlophobia (fear of crowds).
I’ve told you before how we took my mom & dad to the Shaker Woods Festival in Columbiana for their 50th anniversary.
Had I told my dad in advance that there would be hundreds and thousands of people there, he would have balked.
So we had to hoodwink him. You should’ve seen his reaction when we parked in a big field overflowing with vehicles.
Suffice it to say, there is an attraction that sometimes comes with a smaller congregation.
Now, please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I long for us to GROW and enlarge our assemblies.
As they say, the more, the merrier. Yet, it’s worth noting that those who study how churches grow often emphasize that in order to grow big you must think small. They may not say it just that way, but that’s the upshot of their assessment.
Have you ever visited a large church and felt lost or somewhat un-welcomed?
This may also happen in smaller churches, but it is a challenge that continually confronts large assemblies.
Big churches often focus on how to make their gatherings more “homey” - - so that people don’t feel lost in the crowd.
There is something wrong when people find themselves going to church more but enjoying it less.
Let’s see, did I just say that we ought to ENJOY church. Yes, you heard me correctly.
In fact, I will be more explicit: if we do not enjoy the assembly of the saints, something is wrong with us.
We must strive to be fair and objective on this point. The “us” here may be the church as a whole.
Maybe our entire church needs to pay more attention to cultivating a sweet spirit. Sometimes that’s needed.
But in the interest of being fair, the “us” with whom something may be wrong, could be “me” and/or “you”.
Some of us might need to work on our attitudes.
When I was a teenager, I loved to go to church. Can each of you teens say the same?
As adults of all ages, can we say the same thing: “I love to go to church”?
At this juncture, I can’t help but think of our beloved sister Helen Rossi. She loved our assemblies with a deep passion.
She was fond of saying, “I don’t know why everybody doesn’t want to be in church all the time.”
Helen’s thoughts remind us of David’s words from Ps.122:1 - -
I was GLAD when they said to me, ‘Let us go up to the house of the Lord’.
The apostle Peter’s last recorded words are found in 2Pet.3:18 - -
Keep on growing in the grace in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
(f Rod’s critique is correct (and I think it is - - that we have a wonderful spirit), how do we keep on growing in this grace.
I was a little long-winded last Sunday morning so I will be a little briefer this morning.
HERE ARE A FEW ADMONITIONS THAT WILL HELP US HAVE DELIGHTFUL GATHERINGS.
SMILE A LOT!
Some need to work at this.
Prov.15:13 states, A joyful heart makes a cheerful face!
The gospels record Jesus saying to others, “Be of good cheer” (Mt.9:2 & 14:27; Mk.6:50 and Jn.16:33).
Our more modern translations often render these passages with the phrase, “take courage”.
The idea is don’t be so downcast and down in the dumps - - don’t worry be happy (Bobby McFerrin).
Abe Miller, a gospel preacher converted from the Amish) used to chide his congregation saying:
Some of you look like you were baptized in vinegar and weaned on a dill pickle.
It’s not that hard to smile. Researchers say that it takes significantly more muscular effort to frown than to smile.
Some of you need to hit the hay a little earlier so that you don’t wake up grumpy.
We’re glad that all of you are here, but we’d rather you smile than be grumpy.
SING HEARTILY!
Ps.98:4 exhorts us to shout joyfully to the Lord…break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Some versions state, “make a loud noise” instead of shout joyfully.
The Scriptures never admonish us to whisper to the Lord. They never say mumble to the Lord.
Some of you might counter by saying, “If you heard me sing loudly, you would urge me to turn down the volume.”
My favorite Christmas movie is Prancer. The star of the show is a young girl named Jessica (played by Rebecca Harrell). At church, when she sings with the congregation (I think it was “Silent Night”), she does so loudly and off key,
and with considerable animation, but not a person present doubts that young Jessie is singing with all of her heart.
In Eph.5:19 Paul urges those in the church at Ephesus to engage in - -
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
I enjoy hearing tough guys sing - - Mark Lombardi … Shawn Wood … Keith Chopic. It encourages me greatly.
Which is the greater compliment?
That church has a few really well-trained singers…or…That church is filled with members who love to sing.
I want to urge our song leaders to stop us on occasion and make us do it right.
By “doing it right” I do not mean to sing it with musical perfection, but rather to sing with gusto and with our heart.
BE ENGAGING!
We all have an obligation to take part. We are not assemble here at passive spectators, but as active participants.
Someone has given a very wise reminder that
the assembled church is not an “audience”, God is the audience and we are the “performers”.
Jesus said (Mt.18:20) - - where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.
Does our worship warrant the applause of heaven?
Engaging does not just speak to singing.
It applies to praying. We someone leads us in prayer are you engaged?
While an out-loud “amen” is not necessary it can be affirming and indicative that we are involved in the prayer.
When we commune together in The Supper and we taking part in a meaningless ritual or are we participating?
Is our mind wandering all over the place or are we meditating on the word of the cross and the glory of the church?
When we give our offering, is it a pre-meditated and sacrificial gift or is it a last-minute left-over?
When we receive the Word (listen to the sermon), are we listening with all three ears.
Theodore Reich speaks of “listening with the third ear” (our heart). i.e,, being a “doer of the Word” (Js.1:22)
Feedback comes in a wide variety of forms. It could be our simple presence in the assembly.
It might be a verbal “Amen”. It might be words of encouragement spoken to the preacher after the sermon.
It might be eye contact during the sermon. It might be a nodding head (i.e., nodding in approval, not
nodding as in sleeping). Although there one story that provides precedence for sleeping in church.
Acts 20:9-10 tells of a man named Eutychus who was sitting on a window sill in an upper-room gathering of Christians.
Sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor,
And was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said,
‘Do not be trouble (be of good cheer), for his life is back in him.
Another measure of our engagement is how willing are we to lend a helping hand.
Flag contributions … Custodial duties … Various work projects … Caroling … Picking up pizza … Doing kitchen duty …
Cleaning out someone’s garage … Visiting others … Making phone calls to the sick and downcast …
I want to be a worker for the Lord!
EMBRACE ONE ANOTHER!
The apostle Paul tells us in Rom.16:16 to - - greet one another with a holy kiss. All of the churches of Christ greet you.
If you are reticence about giving others a holy kiss, you might consider offering a holy hug or at least a holy handshake.
Acts 20:1 tells of how called for the elders from Miletus and exhorted (embraced) them.
Embracing does not come just in the form of a kiss or a hug or a handshake.
Sometimes it is just a posture, a simple word spoken.
Jeannie told me a few weeks ago: Ed Phillips spoke to me and he was so warm and affectionate.
Embracing comes when we truly know one another. We will close today by singing “How Sweet, How Heavenly”.
When each can feel his brother’s sigh, And with him bear a part; When sorrow flows from eye to eye, and joy from heart to heart. When free envy, scorn and pride, our wishes all above, Each can his brother’s failing hide, a show a brother’s love.
When love in one delightful stream thru every bosom flows; When union sweet and dear esteem in every action glows.
Embracing one another does not require that we all agree on every single piece of doctrine.
It does however demand that we all hold Christ to be our Lord and that we all seek earnestly to do His will.
After all, if the truth be known and affirmed honestly, who among us is not in a perpetual state of learning and growing.
While these four points are neither exhaustive nor definitive, they will hopefully help in pointing us in the right direction.
