05/02/21 POINTS TO PONDER CONCERNING SHARING DURING SERVICES

05/02/21 POINTS TO PONDER CONCERNING SHARING DURING SERVICES

Preaching, teaching, exhortation, admonition, adoration, testimony, praise, thanksgiving, prayer, confession of faith are parts of a worship service. Let each one share, minister in his/her own gifting and calling. Keep this acrostic (ACTED) in mind, as an outline of a complete worship service:
Adoration (of God through Scripture Reading, Song).
Confession (of faith in & dependence on God, through Creeds and prepared testimony and prayer).
Thanksgiving (with song, testimony, giving).
Exhortation (through preaching and teaching).
Dedication (by invitation, altar, prayer, benediction).

Preaching and teaching are different from other gifts and ministries, which I mentioned because preaching and teaching ministries are intended by God to be instructional as well as encouraging.
Be eager to declare the glory of God, but be precise and concise. Don't rush, let me repeat, don't rush, but say it from the heart then sit back, giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to use it.
Remember to give others the time they need to share as well.
Silence in a service can be a great Divine experience, because sometimes God speaks more loudly to us in our quiet time.
However, it should be the norm for folks to come to service all stirred up about God, His goodness, His faithfulness, His leading, His provision, His mercy.

As a pastor I want my people to share. More often I give them opportunity to speak before I do. I sometimes adjust my preaching time because the Holy Spirit sent a special anointing through the ministry of a large number of the congregation sharing. Sometimes, occasionally the message is the moving of the Holy Spirit through the ministries of others.

While others may not always notice it, I preach and then shut up, not because I can't say more, but because I have said what God wanted me to say. As pastor I want my people to share with others and I want others to receive what is being shared. I want God to be glorified in each part of the service, whether spoken, sung or silent.

Aside from being the preacher, through the years I have often gone to services with a heart filled with joy, love, praise, enlightenment, yet God did not lead me to speak at that time.
Usually He did lead me, but I was careful not to just pour out more than God wanted. I realized I was part of a larger body and I also realized that God would speak to folks through my precise and concise words.
An invitation to speak is not an invitation to impose ourselves on others or an invitation to infringe on someone else's time. Even in my preaching I usually preach a shorter message when invited to another church because I know that most folks are use to shorter services.

Romans 12:4-8
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.