Application Time!

By Christopher Mentzer

Last week was our Spring Gospel Meeting with brother Tim Jennings. The majority of his lessons focused on how to have a healthy church (congregation). Each lesson was enriched with scripture from God’s Word. And although the meeting is over, our work is just beginning.

This week it’s time to look over our notes from the meeting and make application to our daily lives and ‘put into play’ what we have learned. From his series of lessons, there are many things we can do to improve the worship service.

First and foremost, SHOW UP. Believe or not simply attending services is a great way to improve and enhance the worship service. With your presence there, it will encourage others in the congregation to be there. As the writer of Hebrews states, “24. and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; 25. not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting `one another'; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.” (Heb. 10: 24-25) If you’re not there, you can’t encourage others to be there.

Secondly, PARTICIPATION. Being in the worship service doesn’t make you a member an audience member watching other people “perform”. Besides your presence, your voice needs to be heard through singing, the “Amen” of prayer, as well as the sound of pages turning as you follow along in your bible. Don’t always believe what the preacher says to be a part of God’s Word (Acts 17: 11). Follow along to make sure he isn’t preaching the doctrines of men (Matt. 15: 9).

Another part of participation is that of giving. Not just the monetary side but that of your time and dedication to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:5). As stated, showing up is giving of your time and showing your desire to worship God.

Thirdly, APPLY all that you have learned in the service to your own life. It’s not enough to sit there and agree with everything the preacher says and reference the scriptures for confirmation. You have to take it to heart and try to live it everyday.

Another part of apply is to take it to others who haven’t heard it yet. Just because the service is over doesn’t mean your worship of God is. And don’t hoard the news all to yourself. Let others know about the gospel of Jesus Christ! The apostle Paul wrote, “14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15. and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things! 16. But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17. So belief `cometh' of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:14-17)

Those ‘beautiful feet’ Paul refers to are those of Christians who bring the message of God to others; those that haven’t heard it (Rom. 3: 29), those who fell away (Gal. 5:4), and even those who are babes in Christ (1 Pet. 2: 2).

Finally, one might ask: “Do I really have to do all of these things?” The answer is ‘No.’ However, Paul said this about the matter, “But this `I say,' He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (2 Cor. 9:6). Simply put: what you put into your service to God is what you will get out of it. If you don’t bother to put anything in and then you won’t reap anything. This will make you equal with the one talent man in which Jesus will say, “…Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 25: 26, 30)

The choice is entirely up to you. As for myself, I plan to utilize all that I have learned and share it with others.