Introduction:

Author: Paul     Date & Place: 61-62 AD,  Rome
Theme:  To refute an early form of "Gnosticism" that caused a doubt to be cast on the Deity and Sufficiency of Christ
The City: Colossae, in the Lycus River Valley

Ministry begins in who we are, not in what we do!

The Subject of Ministry is Service -- 4:17 ‘take heed to the ministry’

The term – ‘diakonos’ -- servanthood

Examples of servants:

1. Tychicus – v. 7
2. Onesimus – v. 9
3. Aristiarchus, Mark, and Justus – vs. 10-11
4. Epaphras – vs. 12-13
5. Archippus – v. 17

What must one receive before they can serve?

1. A specific call -- Salvation
2. A specific gift -- 1 Cor. 12:11

These men were gifted men to the church at Colossae.

The two aspects of a dynamic growing NT church:

1. A warm fellowship of men and women who are committed to Christ and one another.
2. Exciting worship and a consistent witness to the world.

I.  Introduction

“No longer merely an economic system, consumerism has become the American worldwiew – the framework through which we interpret everything else, including God, the gospel, and the church.”
        Peter Ward

O.T. “shachah” – to bow down in reverence or awe.  (Gen. 18:2)

N.T. “proskuneo” – to come towards to kiss. (Jn. 4:21-24)

“worth-ship” – to attribute value on a person/object.

Worship:  a response of all that we are to all that God is/does.

Worship is all about God; not about me.

      a) we were made to worship!
          Worship is rooted in an event:

          O.T. – the Exodus event, N.T. – the Christ event

           1) God reveals himself. (Ex. 3:12, Lk. 1:46-55)

           2) God redeems his people. (Ex. 3:7, Deut. 5:15, Lk. 2:11, Mk.10:45)

           3)   God creates a community for himself.

                 The purpose - worship!  (Ex. 7:16, 8:1, 8:20, 1 Pet. 2:9, Eph. 1:11-12)

       b)  we all worship something.  (Ps. 115)

I.   Introduction

      Webber’s 4 observations:
      1) Much of the worship service is dominated by the pastor.
      2) The congregation is little more than an audience.
      3) "Free Worship" is not necessarily free.
      4) The mystery is worship is gone.

II.  Worship Celebrates Christ!

      We focus on the Christ-event through:

Retelling  (Neh. 8, Acts 2:22-39)
Reenactment (Ex. 12, Matt. 26:26-30)

IV. Worship follows a Script (Acts 2:42)

      Tragedy vs. Comedy

      Elements of the script:    Assembly
                                           Word
                                           Table (or Response)
                                           Dismissal

I.   Realizing Who We Worship

      we worship God for:

1) who He is:
    awesome (Ps. 90:2, Rom. 11:33-36, Acts 17:25)
    approachable (Ps. 113:5-6, Jas. 4:8)

2) what He’s done  (Ex. 15:1-21, Col. 1:12-13)

      songs, prayers, passing the peace, the Word, the Table

III. Reacting Naturally

IV. Remembering that God Requires as a Response Ourselves (Rom. 12:1)