LEAD THE WAY
3. Worship

CONNECT

• Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous “I will …” statements

DISCOVER

• Work through Be The Way - Worship (now or previously).

• Let’s start with worshipping our Creator and Savior.

Revelation 4:11 (NIV)

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Revelation 5:8-14 (NIV)

8 The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Take some time and worship our Creator and Savior by completing this sentence, “You are worthy …”

• What is your reaction to this definition of worship?

Worth-ship is praying, praising and prioritizing Jesus in everything because He is worthy of it.

• Why is prioritizing Jesus in everything (all of life) so important to a full definition of worship? Why is worship more than just an event or activity but a whole life response or lifestyle?

• Why can our relationship with Jesus defined by worship (worth-ship)?

• Why is the command to flee idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) and keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21) still relevant today? Why might a MicroChurch be particularly suited to help us sort out our actual priorities and then prioritize Jesus in everything?

• You can praise through spoken prayers, instrumental worship or worship videos. Usually, you can find a worship video with the lyrics. You could also spend time waiting on the Lord and inviting the Holy Spirit through “soaking worship.”

• This is one priority where it may seem that BIG church has an advantage over MicroChurch. How can MicroChurch still create deep moments of significant praise and worship?

• Repentance can be done personally and privately or out loud as a group.

• If someone confesses publicly and with deep vulnerability make sure you “throw them a towel”. Cover them with grace. Speak over them God’s love and forgiveness. Remind the gathering that what’s shared here stays here. Pray for them as a family. Then personally pick up any follow-up ministry necessary. In other words, pastor this important moment for the person and your MicroChurch.

Worship and Kids

• Kids love to worship. This is definitely one priority of your gathering that you can include the kids in. And don’t forget to sing some “kid songs”. Adults love these songs too. We’re all kids at heart.

Gathering Guide

• Note the Gathering Guide on Worship.

Meal and The Meal

• Work through Meal and The Meal.

• Any questions or comments?

Guidelines for Tongues

1 Corinthians 12:27-30 (NIV)

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 (NIV)

1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

1 Corinthians 14:12-19 (NIV)

12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.

13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:26-33 (NET)

26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

We (along with the Vineyard) don’t consider tongues THE gift that marks the Spirit-filled Christian. Instead, the Spirit-filled Christian is to be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, especially love, and any gift that the Spirit determines to give them. However, tongues is one of those gifts that the Spirit gives and Paul wished that everyone would speak in tongues.

We need to make a distinction between speaking in tongues and praying or singing in tongues. When a tongue is spoken in the context of a MicroChurch that needs an interpretation. Praying and singing in tongues doesn’t necessarily need an interpretation.

If you are discussing tongues, feel free to ask someone to give a demonstration. Some people may never have heard a tongue. If you are demonstrating the gift that doesn’t necessarily need an interpretation.

You can certainly pray for the gift of tongues and you can pray over those who wish to receive this gift. And it’s okay to explore and experiment with this gift. For example, since the gift of tongues is in control of the person with the gift (it's not out of control ecstatic utterance) when someone is seeking the gift they may need to try it on for size. In other words, they may need to open their mouth and try saying something. If something comes and continues, that’s probably the gift. If something comes but doesn’t continue, well, maybe not. Once again, it’s okay to explore and experiment. And why can’t we ask for this gift more than once? Just don’t manipulate or manufacture it. And never make anyone feel second class for not speaking in tongues, including yourself. The gift of tongues is just one of the many good gifts the Spirit gives as He wills. We need to celebrate any and every gift the Spirit gives.

If a tongue in prayer or song is heard by the group, that doesn’t necessarily need an interpretation. However, it might be best for that person moving forward to pray or sing in their tongue silently or under their breath. The point is you don’t want the gift of tongues in prayer and song to call attention to itself.

There may be times when you ask everyone to pray and praise out loud altogether. People may want to speak in English or Spanish or in a tongue. The idea is everyone is praying at the same time and if there are tongues, once again, those don’t necessarily need an interpretation.

If a tongue is spoken, however with the intention that the whole group listens, that needs an interpretation. Pause the group, pray and ask the Lord to give your group an interpretation. The person who gave the tongue or another may give the interpretation. Often this interpretation is not a word for word sort of thing, but a general sense or drift. In other words, the interpretation may take less or more time to say than the tongue itself. This interpretation is to be tested by the same ABC Test used for the gift of prophecy.