It is necessary to reemphasize that The Service of Worship and Instruction was built around a central theme, the purpose sentence, which was a capsule form of the sermon. The entire program was then coordinated to fit that theme.

The service contained three parts. First is The Approach to God in Worship, at which time we praised God for a specific attribute that related to the purpose sentence. The second part, God Speaking Through His Written Word, was an unfolding by many means, including preaching, of the main thrust. Finally, The Response of Obedience served to pin down that truth into the practical area of everyday living.

Final Considerations

To avoid leaving the impression that we were inflexible in this form, let me repeat that we had great freedom to change the order of service, including the three parts. We refused to be bound to a given pattern if something else would better facilitate our purpose.

There were times when no one preaches. Music might be a better conveyor of the truth. Or, there were times when Larry and the choir were given a rest, or where there was no music at all. There were even regular Sunday mornings when we encouraged those who were interested to meet in small home services.

When the church was small, intense intimacy was felt in shared experiences, such as communion or corporate worship. But, when growth occurred, it was easy for some people to lose the camaraderie of the sharing of worship when faced with so many unknown faces.

Therefore, we tried to provide enough occasions during the year for those who desired it to worship or observe communion on a more intimate level in their homes. Two Sunday evenings in advance were used for them to plan these times. Those who didn’t feel the need for such an experience would come to the Union Hall and participate in the regular service.

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Pastor, when “sermon prep day” rolls around each week, do you face the task of preparing another sermon with a frown on your face? If so, you’re not alone. Many pastors literally dread preparing their Sunday sermon. There just doesn’t seem to be an easy solution. The good news: David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.

For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

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Continuing my sermon on the master/slave relationship that Sunday at Circle Church, I said:

Those of you who know Him well realize that He has a loving sense of humor. Something I have come to appreciate about Him is that He isn’t temperamental. His basic personality doesn’t change from day to day. He is consistent. Our Master, unlike other masters, is good. In fact, His good is unsurpassed. He always does the appropriate thing. And, many times He goes beyond what we expect. Is that not correct?

He is trustworthy. If He gives His word, even to a slave, you can expect Him to keep it. I have never known Him to be sick, or to look a day older, or to take time off! Our Master is righteous and just in the way He operates. And yet, He loves us all.

So often He forgives us, and many times, as our Master, He goes that extra mile.

Then, He is wise and His wisdom guides us. He helps us bypass many pitfalls we do not even see. We are stewards—more than that, we are slaves. But, unlike the other masters, He doesn’t call us in these ways. Do you remember what He calls us? He calls us children and heirs! Maybe that is because He Himself has been a steward or servant. I guess this is partly why He loves and understands us so much—because He humbled Himself taking on the form of a slave.

He is the wealthiest of all the overlords, and He is the head of all the masters. He is the only one of a kind. Fellow stewards, let me present our unique Master, beyond description!

Let us stand and warmly express our appreciation to Him.

We stood, and we clapped, and with tears running down our faces awarded Him the response He so justly deserves.

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No matter what type of Sunday sermon you need to create, David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.

For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

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As I continued my sermon that Sunday at Circle Church, I said:

If I were to introduce my congregation to the Master they serve,” I thought, “if I were to remind them of all His true qualities, how is it I would want them to react? Did I want you to sing a hymn? No, that left me cold. Then I thought, “If we were all stewards and understood our Master, and He was actually here among us, and if God could be reduced to this simple master picture and could be properly introduced, what would we do?” I am convinced that we would all immediately stand and break out in spontaneous, warm, enthusiastic applause. expressing gratitude to the One we serve.

“That is what I want!” I thought. I will introduce our Master and although He will not make a physical appearance, I hope the introduction alone will make you enthusiastically say, “Yes, I am a steward! I am a steward of the most wonderful Master in the world!”…

In the Old Testament it speaks of the clapping of hands. Probably this is a rhythmic approach to God more in warship than applause. I don’t want us to respond as though the Master were an entertainer of some sort, but rather as members of an “in-group” we are attributing worth to Him in gratitude for our relationship. In a moment I will ask you to stand and applaud.

But now, fellow stewards, it is my privilege to introduce our Master, a man who is personally more interested in us as individuals than He is with His own projects. This is the One whose communication with His stewards is matchless. There is never a time we cannot immediately speak to Him and never a time when His work principles are not available to us…

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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about? Or, what will you preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon? David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.

For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

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The following illustration of the time for the Response of Obedience was employed the Sunday morning my purpose sentence stated, “Christians need to understand that they are stewards of God.” I suggested the use of applause as the response of obedience.

If you feel uncomfortable as you read, it may help to know that the staff was divided down the middle when I presented the possibility of using applause as response in a Tuesday meeting. Half were vehemently opposed to using it and the other half were adamantly certain of its validity.

We employed the method with exciting results. Many relate to that morning as one of the most moving of their experience, and the staff members who had been against the idea have since reversed their positions.

The sermon developed the historic master-steward relationship in some detail.

Fundamentally, that a steward is a slave, elevated to a position of responsibility in his or her master’s kingdom. Still a slave, but now with great responsibility, the steward thinks nothing of himself or herself. Rather, he or she seeks only what is in the very best interest of his or her master.

Then, this New Testament analogy was applied to two basic areas of life—money and vocation. What follows is taken directly from my notes of that morning.

Everyone serves some master, and the correct question to pose is, “What is your Master like?” That was always the great question in the mind of the literal slave. We are stewards, but the whole purpose sentence exclaims, “As Christians, we are stewards of God!”

This week I sought to discover a way to take this scriptural analogy of the master/steward and impose it upon our situation…I want to blot out all the normal ideas people hold of God the Father and the person of Christ and reduce everything to this simple symbol of the master/steward as used in the Bible…

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You can learn how to develop highly relevant Sunday sermons that grab the attention of your congregation and help your listeners respond effectively to the deep truths of God’s Word. David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.

For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.

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