Maximizing the Meeting - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Maximizing the Meeting

Getting the Most Out of Every Church Service

2 Chronicles 6, 7 with emphasis on 7:10

2 Chronicles 7:10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

Intro: I want to take an Old Testament passage and preach a message that is applicable to the New Testament church.

For those that don’t believe the Old Testament congregation counts as “church”, here’s a verse for you to learn:

·       Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Every time I preach on the church, or post about the church, people crawl out of the woodwork telling me that the church is not a “building” it is the people.

I have never said it is the building.

I have always said it is the ASSEMBLING OF PEOPLE TOGETHER.

If your “church” is you in your deer stand or on your bass boat on Sunday:

·       Who is the pastor? Every church is to have ordained, qualified elders. (Titus 1:5)

·       Who are the deacons?

·       Who administers the Lord’s Supper?

·       Who baptizes new converts?

·       Who performs church discipline?

·       Who is on the membership roll?

Paul clearly differentiated the homes of the people, and the place where they had church.

·       1 Corinthians 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God…?

Furthermore, he expounded on the church as a place.

·       17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

·       18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church,

·       20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

We were talking around the table yesterday and my son, Spencer asked me to preach a message sometime on how to get the most out of a church service.

I got to thinking about it and here it is.

I make it a point to never waste a single church service.

I do everything I know to do to maximize every opportunity to gather together with God’s people.

MAXIMIZE:

1: to increase to a maximum

maximize profits

2: to make the most of

3: to find a maximum value of

This statement in verse 10 got my attention: “…he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart…”

The average Christian will go to church and leave just like they came.

Nothing happens. They leave unchanged; unconvicted; unmoved; unfazed.

What a tragedy!!

In order to get the maximum benefit from a church service…

I. The Atmosphere must be Primed

·       the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

·       2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.

We need a church where the atmosphere has been primed and made ready by:

A. The Preparation of the Leadership – 6:12-18

·       By his recognition – 6:1-2 (that God could not be contained in a building)

·       By his remembrance – 6:3-11 (the performances and the promises of God)

·       By his reverence – 6:12-14 (kneeled down upon his knees before the congregation)

·       By his request – 6:17, 18 (but will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth…?)

B. The Prayers to the Lord – vs. 1

·       1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying,

What did Solomon pray for? He prayed for their prayers to be heard!! (see chapter 6:14-42)

Look at how many times Solomon referred to prayer, supplication and asked God to HEAR them!

We need to stop asking for THINGS and start asking for HIM!!!

C. The Power of the Lord – 7:1 “…and the fire came down from heaven…”

I can hear you now – Pastor! That is Old Testament!!

What about Acts 2? Is that Old Testament?

·       2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

·       3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

What about Acts 4:31: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

D. The Presenting to the Lord – 7:1 burnt offerings and sacrifices had been made

The more people put into a service, the more they will get out of it.

If you show up cold turkey, walk in, sit on your pew, wait for church to start, sit through it like a knot on a log and leave, don’t expect to get much out it.

The ones that works the hardest and sacrifices the most are the ones that get more out of it.

God honors effort, desire, sacrifice, service, worship, - not a deadhead and a deadbeat.

E. The Presence of the Lord – it says it twice – vs. 1 and 2

As the songwriter said, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down!”

I wouldn’t go to a church for a million dollars where the Glory of God was never evident!

F. The Praises to the Lord – 7:3 they bowed, worshiped and praised

·       Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

II. The Attendees must be Participating

They were all Sacrificing – vs. 4, 5 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.

They were all Sanctifying – vs. 5b so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

They were all Serving - 6 And the priests waited on their offices: (we are ALL priests in the New Testament!)

They were all Singing – vs. 6 the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD,

They were all Standing - and all Israel stood.

They were all Savoring – vs. 8, 9 Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him,

On the eighth day, it was all Sobering – vs. 9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly:

After seven days of feasting, they made a solemn assembly on the eighth day.

A sober mindset is crucial to getting everything God wants you to get.

·       Make it a point to not GET distracted, and don’t BE a distraction.

·       Refrain from getting up and going out unless it is absolutely necessary.

·       Don’t watch people get up and go out. It’s not that interesting.

·       Turn your phone off and put it away. LEAVE IT ALONE! Meet with God!!

·       Allow the gravity of what is happening to have its full effect.

·       Don’t talk to people around you in church.

·       Don’t sleep in church. You’re missing everything!

·       Don’t make jokes and laugh about holy and serious things.

·       Don’t have a running commentary to those around you while the preacher is preaching.

·       Keep your children close or in front of you. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM.

·       Once church starts, this is the business of Heaven.

·       The God of Heaven is working; the Holy Spirit is working; the man of God is working; DON’T INTERFERE!

·       Souls are in the balance; including possibly your own or one of your family members.

·       Take every message personal. Take every challenge personal. Take all instruction personal.

·       Take every rebuke and reproof personal. Make a personal application to everything you hear.

·       Have enough maturity to realize that God might be using this service to change your life.

III. The Assembly must be Perceptive

The key to getting the most out of a church service is to grasp just how good God has been.

·       10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

If you come to church focused on you, you’ll miss it.

If come to church thinking about your bills, your problems, your health issues, your needs, you’ll miss it.

If you come to church and look FOR Him, and look AT Him, you’ll leave glad and merry in heart.

·       The key is not how good the preaching is.

·       The key is not how good the singing is.

·       The key is not how good the youth group is.

·       The key is not how good the nursery or junior church or Patch clubs are.

·       The key is now how good the members are.

The key to getting the most out of every service is walking away with an immense understanding and grasp of how good God is!!

The goodness that He has shown to the people.

The goodness He has shown to our children.