What does the service at Acts Fellowship look like?
At Acts Fellowship, in all that we do, we want to give God glory in it. From the songs we sing, and the messages preached, to the setting up of chairs and brewing of coffee. All of life for all of Christ! Think of it as “theological maximalism”. That’s your $5.00 words for the day. But what it means is that you are trying to apply Biblical principles to every aspect of your life so that every aspect can give glory to God. I like the terms “practical Christianity” and “applied theology”. Simply put, walk in the Light as He is in the light.
In trying to bring glory to God, we know that God is a God of order. When you look at the Bible, you see His order in everything. From creation to salvation, God has an order for everything. In creation, He didn’t create the fish before He had water to put them in. In our salvation, He must bring what is dead to life before we can follow.
So, what does that have to do with Acts Fellowship’s Liturgy or Order of Service on Sundays? Well, if in everything we do, we are trying to give God glory, then that would also apply to our order of service. Every part of our time together is a significant part of this goal.
WHAT DOES THE SERVICE AT ACTS FELLOWSHIP LOOK LIKE?
God made a covenant with His people to save them. We see that in the Old Testament and in the New. The Old Testament covenant was marked by sacrifice and limited in term. The New covenant with Christ is also marked by one sacrifice but now is forever. In both of those covenants, Old and New, God placed order. Deal with the sin, dedicate all to God and then commune with God.
At Acts Fellowship, we would describe our service with the phrase “Covenant Renewal.” By this we do not mean that our covenant with God is temporary and might expire like a lease if we do not renew it. God’s covenant with us is eternal and will never expire. But it is also living and dynamic; by God’s design, it is intended to grow and flourish. Just as a meal renews the body, so also the worship of God renews our covenant relationship with Him. It’s nothing magical or secret. It is in fact refreshing and filling.
So, this is why our worship services contain these elements: First, there is a call to come and worship. Just like we hear God calling on our hearts for salvation, we are called to come before the Lord with praise and thanksgiving. Then, we confess our sins and receive the assurance of pardon. Third, we dedicate ourselves to God (Scripture reading, sermon, discussion, etc.) Once that is all done, we receive the benediction and go out into a lost world that needs to hear about Jesus Christ.
OUR LITURGY / ORDER OF SERVICE
Let’s look a little deeper on some of the elements of our Covenant Worship.
God Calls Us
Our worship is always a response to God’s summons (Psa. 100). He takes the initiative, and we draw near only because He first invites us into His presence (Psa. 65:4). Therefore, our service begins each week with an opening salutation and call to worship.
God Cleanses Us
The moment we engage with God, we recognize our need for cleansing. Although the sacrifice of Christ has already made us clean (Heb. 10:14), each of us continues to sin and must be washed anew. Scripture teaches us that we must confess those sins and He will be faithful to forgive them. (Jn. 13:9-10; 1 Jn. 1:7-9). For this reason, we take a moment to confess our sins, both individually and/or corporately, and then to hear the promise of forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ. This is our assurance of pardon.
God Consecrates Us
Having confessed our sins and received forgiveness from God, we are ready for greater sanctification. Singing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs is our offering and preparation of our hearts to receive His Word by the preaching and exposition of Scripture. (Ep. 5:19 Jn. 17:17). Since we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Only then can we prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:1-2)
God Communes with Us
Just as when the covenant was renewed with Joshua (Josh. 3:7–5:12) and Josiah (2 Kgs. 23:1-23) and was sealed by a celebration of the Passover, so each month our covenant renewal worship service is sealed by a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Once a month, we are faithful to observe the Lord’s Supper. This was not an option for the Christian church but a command from the Lord. He said, “Do this.” So, we take a full Sunday at the end of each month and devote it to a communion study and the Lord’s Supper.
God Commissions Us
As the service draws to a close, God commissions us with His benediction. As Aaron raised his hands and blessed the people as he dismissed them (Num. 6:22-27), so the Pastor dismisses the congregation in God’s name and with God’s blessing (e.g. 2 Thes. 3:16). Our job is to go back into the world, as salt and light, to spread the Gospel, disciple the nations, and advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Mt. 28:19-20).