Lesson4-Day 3 Devoted to Transforming Worship

They devoted themselves to. . . the breaking of bread. . . (Acts 2;42)

The Jerusalem believers gathered together in their homes and shared meals together. The meal would culminate in a sacred celebration, where Christ was remembered by breaking bread and sharing a common cup. This "breaking of bread" celebration stood at the heart of New Testament worship.

True worship is meant to be a tranforming encounter with Christ. It is both awesome and intimate. We glorify and enjoy an awesome God through an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus.

As we look at the Jerusalem believers we see that they worshiped in large assembly in the temple courts and also in smaller gatherings at homes. In the homes were the more intimate times of breaking of bread and ministering to one another.

Two highlights stand out of worship life in the Jerusalem church. First, their consistency of participation. The same should be true of us today. Are we making worship an occasional practice or a devoted one? Do you make both large-group worship and small-group fellowship a priority on a weekly basis? I challenge you to make worship central to the Holy Spirit's work in your life.

Secondly, we can not help but be impressed by the spirit of their worship. Luke in Acts 2:42-47 says they where filled with awe, had glad and sincere hearts and they where praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

We worship the Lord in spirit and truth when the Holy Spirit opens our spirits to repsond to God. We sense his glorious might and respond with awe. We experience his love and mercy and respond with glad and sincere hearts. We gather in worship with sinners saved by grace and together we praise God. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out by revealing God's glory and enabling us to respond by giving him the worship he is due. As we worship the Lord, we reflect his beauty and bring his winsome spirit into our relatioinships.