Highview’s new vision statement declares that we exist “To glorify God and make disciples who are completely transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Additionally, our vision states that two of our core values are “the centrality of the gospel” and the “primacy of worship.” We were created to worship God, and we desire to keep the gospel central to everything we do. As we put this all together it brings up an important question: If the gospel should be central to everything that we do then how does the gospel shape the way we understand worship?
This is the question we will be exploring together as we enter 2019 and kick off a new sermon series called “Gospel-Shaped Worship.” What does it mean to worship God? What should we be doing when we meet together for “church” on Sundays? And how does that connect with what we do the rest of the week? This series will explore what worship is all about and will challenge us to worship God every day of the week, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.
But this will be more than just a sermon series; it will also be a church-wide small group series. We took a similar journey a couple of years ago when we did a sermon and small group series called “Gospel-Shaped Living.” During that series we explored how the gospel should shape our everyday lives and we had several small groups that met in homes and walked through an accompanying Bible study together. Our “Gospel-Shaped Worship” series will be quite similar. During the 7-week sermon series, we will have several small groups who will work through a parallel Bible study. Each week these groups will delve deeper into the topics I preach about on Sunday, providing a wonderful opportunity to grow in faith and apply these principles to our lives.
As this series approaches, there will be an opportunity to join one of these small groups, and I strongly encourage everyone to get involved. Small groups provide a unique environment where you can really dig into Scripture, ask questions, and grow in your faith. I once heard a pastor say: “I’ve never met a growing, vibrant Christian who isn’t in some sort of small group Bible study.” I tend to agree with that statement. Regardless of our age or stage of life, we all need a place beyond Sunday morning worship where we can study God’s word with others and grow together.
One example of this in the New Testament is the early Christian community in the book of Acts. Acts 2:46 says, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” What we see in this verse is that the earliest Christians met together both for large group worship and small group fellowship. They attended temple together, but also met together in their homes. I would suggest that this should continue to be a model for the church today. We should never neglect corporate worship on Sundays, but ultimately, we need more than that if we are going to grow. We also need smaller groups where we can study God’s word and pray for one another.
This is why I encourage you to take advantage of our “Gospel-Shaped Worship” series as we begin the year. Even if you’ve never been in a Bible study, this will be a great opportunity to try it out. The series will only last seven weeks so it is a short commitment, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Won’t you join us on this journey as we grow in our faith together?