WHERE CAN I SERVE?
Jesus told us, (his disciples), to make disciples of all nations. One of the most important values of The House of Christ Church is our mission to the world. It begins in our own community, and spreads overseas to every nation. House of Christ members are involved in a variety of ministries from things as simple as cleaning the church, preparing the Sunday church bulletins or manning the prayer ministry.
MISSION OUTREACH
The House of Christ is thrilled to be part of spreading God’s kingdom around the world. We are active in supporting these missionaries with our money and with our prayers. We encourage all of our people to respond to God’s call for laborers, but ministry begins at home, let us minister in our own community and go from there.
MUSIC - MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY
Become a part of the music ministry today, get involved and use your voice or instrument to glorify Christ today.
Using media to spread the gospel is a part of the House of Christ Church. In an age of widespread technology, we use these tools as best as possible for kingdom. All of our weekly sermons are available for you to purchase and give as witnessing tools. We also maintain an active Facebook church communication.
USHERS
The usher team at House of Christ Church fills an important role. They are involved in directing attendees to their seats, ensuring the safety of the building during services, guiding traffic, helping visitors, answering questions, providing direction, unlocking doors, locking doors, and generally ensuring that the service can proceed problem-free. The usher team is a servant-heart group of men and women whose ministry is integral to church life.
MARRIAGE COUNSELING
Marriage can be difficult to maintain. Misunderstanding, confusion, resentment, and anger can flare up in any marriage. Several couples at House of Christ Church serve other families as marriage counselors. Their role in listening, understanding, helping, and encouraging struggling couples has, by God’s grace, saved marriages, and repaired relationships. Couples have found fresh hope and new joy in a warm and fulfilling relationship with their spouse.
PRAYER WARRIORS
Prayer cannot be overestimated. Prayer moves the hand of God. The House of Christ is a body of believers dependent upon prayer, and committed to God’s sovereignty. Each Sunday, during the morning service, a team of volunteers is praying for the ministry of the Word. Throughout the week, volunteers and Prayer Warriors, pray for their pastor, church members, special requests, and missionary prayer needs. Each Week, the church comes together for a special time of prayer and Bible study.
how do you make people worship?
The short answer is, you can’t. It is humanly impossible to make people worship. Regardless of the talent of the musician, the mood of the worship service, the expertise of the worship media, or the volume of the music, nobody can make another person truly worship. That being said, a worship leader or worship pastor should strive to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to worship. A better issue to consider is that of helping people worship. How do you do it?
Leading worship is a task fraught with pitfalls. You must prayerfully navigate away from false forms of worship, like self-worship, empty worship, worship for show, and so on. Helping people worship is not about making people worship, as mentioned above. What is it then?
Is it about atmosphere? Surely, if you have the right atmosphere, people will be compelled to worship, right? No. The right “worship atmosphere” isn’t something you can somehow manipulate, like you would adjust the thermostate in a climate-controlled building. It’s not about musical talent, either. Sure, it will be distracting if your voice cracks while trying to hit the high “e,” but this does not prevent or compel worship. In order to answer the question, “how do you help people worship,” it will be helpful to look at some basic biblical facts.
Worship is about ascribing to God His worth (1 Chronicles 16:27-29; 2 Kings 17:36). First off, worship is not even about us to begin with. Worship is about God. It sounds simplistic, I know, but think about how easy it is to slide in and out of a worship service, giving scant attention to the Very One for whom the worship service exists. At the very least, such a truth should humble us and knock us off our high horses if we think we can somehow manipulate or coerce people into a worshipful attitude.
Worship is ultimately for God, not us.
People can get really worked up about worship styles. For many people, having the right sound in the worship music is the Big Deciding Factor over whether a church is good for them or not—or maybe even deciding whether those other people with that worship style are good Christians or not. The term worship style came about in part, due to the errant notion that worship is about us and about what pleases us–the type of music, or the choice of instruments, or the time period in which the songs were written. Obviously, there are some types of worship that may be so distracting to some people that they simply have a very hard time worshipping in such a setting. Their minds, culture, conscience, or upbringing make it impossible for them to tolerate certain manners of worship. Other times, a certain form of worship may indeed have negative qualities or actions, contrary to what the Bible teaches. The point here is to assert that worship is not about what pleases us, what we like, or even what we’re comfortable with. You may have been very uncomfortable with the worship music of Israel, or even some of their worship practices (2 Samuel 6:13-23). Petty personal preferences aside, worship is about God. Worship is a response of humility, gratitude, and joy to His greatness (Psalm 100; Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 51:11). We are often so concerned with what people will think about our worship, that we construct a barrier to true worship. Our attempts at a good worship experience morph into an insipid self-worship. “Should I raise my hands at this point in the song?” “Is this a good time to break out in ‘spontaneous’ prayer?” “What will they think if I ask the people to sing the chorus again?” “Is closing my eyes through the refrain a good idea?” When these types of questions become our preoccupation, we start worshiping not God, but ourselves. God severely warns against anything but God-worship, admitting that our hearts can be deceived away from Himself (Deuteronomy 8:19; Deuteronomy 11:6).
In order to worship, people must see God.
A study of “worship” throughout the Bible will confront you with a powerful truth. Praise or worship occurs as a response to who God is. For example, God is king; we must worship (Psalm 22:27). God made us; we must worship (Psalm 95:6). God is holy; we must worship (Psalm 96:9). God chose us and justified us (Romans chs. 1-11); we must worship (Romans 12:1). God is holy and righteous; we must worship (Revelation 15:4). Worship is a response to who God is. Therefore, true worship is about considering God. People don’t need to see you in order for worship to take place. They need to see God. The question is not so much, “how can I help people worship,” but rather, “how can I get out of the way so people can see God and worship Him?” We “worship with reverence and awe,” because of the character and person of God (Hebrews 12:28). God has revealed Himself in Scripture. Therefore, meditation upon Scripture should be a major part of our worship. God has commanded that we pray without ceasing to Him. Prayer is a means of ascribing to God His worth. Therefore, reverent and meaningful prayer should be part of worship.
We haven’t exactly answered our original question, “how to help people worship.” But we have provided some observations about worship that may correct some of our misconceptions. Perhaps the best way to help people worship is by understanding worship ourselves, and then living and teaching that truth to those around us.
1
The Lord Jesus expects and requires us to give. Jesus said to His disciples, “when you give” not “if you give”
(Matthew 6:2)! Hence, Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential.
We often hear folks say: “in the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New — now we only give if we want to.”
This is clearly not Jesus’ teaching. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give. Are you giving?
Matthew 6:3-4
But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
2
The Lord Jesus wants us to give for the right reasons. Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them,” He said (Matthew 6:1). When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people.
Are you giving for God’s praise or man’s?
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him wouldn’t perish,
but would have eternal life.
Mark 12:41-44
And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
3
The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving. Jesus said “When you give to the poor . . . .” (Matthew 6:2,3). Jesus is specifically teaching about “alms” in this passage: aid, charity, or benevolent
offerings for the needy. Do you give amply enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?
Proverbs 28:27
He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.
Deuteronomy 15:10
Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
4
The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said “When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4). When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give “as unto the Lord.” Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?
Matthew 6:2-4
Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. We see this truth stressed in another way in Paul’s word’s “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord’s Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a “collection for the saints” – this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you?
1 Chronicles 29:9
Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.
5
The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: “For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12). Put another way Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2, “each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper.” This means at least two things: (1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and (2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given?
Deuteronomy 16:17
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.
6
The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving. 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion.” True Christian giving is voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?
1 Chronicles 29:9
Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.
7
The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says “God loves a cheerful giver.” This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers. Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a “cheerful giver?”
2 Corinthians 9:6
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.