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Sermon Title: Closing Thoughts
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:26

I. 4 Observations about Paul’s instruction to the church:

  1. The church is a family.
  2. Everybody has a part to play.
  3. Everyone comes ready.
  4. Everybody contributes.

II. 2 Hurdles we have to overcome to make that vision of church a reality:

  1. Consumerism.
  2. Control

“The elephant in the living room of contemporary christianity is people’s ability to simply sit in church, to consume the experience, the way one would a great sporting event, a thrilling movie or an exciting theme park ride and then to dispose of it totally unchanged at the soul level as they leave the sanctuary. Sure they might feel challenged, encouraged or even moved but the horizontal self simply feels the experience and then moves on. At a consumer based church, this is what happens. The worship service becomes a pseudo-media event, the church building becomes the theme park, the leader becomes a celebrity, teaching becomes entertainment, salvation becomes self-help, discipleship becomes lifestyle enhancement, the soul becomes self, church becomes brand and the church becomes a slogan.” “The Vertical Self” - Mark Sayers

III. Moving Forward

We have to move from theology to practice to culture

  1. We have to learn who the Spirit and the gifts He’s given us.

  2. We have to use our gifts. We’re after progress, not perfection.

  3. We have to do this enough for it to become second nature; the culture of EBCC.

IV. The obstacles that can keep this from happening.

Skepticism

Apathy

Theology

Busyness

Unbelief

Respectability

Pride

Fear

1 Corinthians 14:26
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.”