On The Lord's Day

KATECHEIN 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.

Begins March 2, 2008. Find out more here.

MORNING WORSHIP 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Our morning worship service is our most formal time together where we worship God in godly fear and reverence (Hebrews 12:28). The Scripture informs us that all true worship is offered to God in heaven itself (Hebrews 12:22-24). When we come together to worship, we join the heavenly crowd already surrounding the throne of God praising Him. It is indeed a transcendent time for God’s people who still reside here on earth.

The Scripture says that, in Christ, God’s people have a seat in heaven (Ephesians 2:6). In order to worship God truly, we must do so before His throne, and thankfully, that is exactly where we come as we gather in the name of Christ. Hebrews 8:2 informs us that Jesus Christ is the “minister of the sanctuary.” This means that all our worship is mediated by Christ Himself. This is what it means to pray and worship in Christ’s name. Hebrews 2:12, in quoting Psalm 22 (which we know is speaking about the Lord Jesus), reveals to us that it is Jesus Himself who leads our singing and who is the true preacher during our corporate worship. So when we gather for corporate worship, we experience a foretaste of the glory that is to come.

This time is to be carefully guarded against frivolity and carelessness in how we worship, so the Scripture of Hebrews 12:28 is rightly observed, “ . . ..let us have grace, whereby we may serve [worship] God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” If our worship of God is not acceptable to Him, then what good is it to us?

Our morning worship is the time where God’s people gather together, in the name of Jesus Christ, to corporately praise God and renew our covenant commitment with Him. Corporate worship with God is a dialog between God and His people. When God’s Word is sung, read, prayed and preached, we hear God address His people and we respond to God’s grace and goodness to us. Our morning service is the time where we corporately come together as God’s people to meet with our God to hear Him freshly pronounce His promises and will to us, and we in turn, recommit our lives to our Lord and King, in confession of sins, in praise and prayer, with thanksgiving and a renewed trust in what our Lord has provided, and with a commitment to obey what is revealed by the grace of God. In this sense then, our service is a covenant renewal ceremony.

Music - The music we sing at Legacy is a blend of old and new. We love the doctrinally rich hymns of the sixteenth century and we find blessing in the choruses of the twenty-first. Most of us who are comfortable with one particular style have discovered, while at Legacy, that we have come to enjoy other genres of music we had not previously encountered. We strongly prefer congregational singing, which emphasizes the gathered body singing praise to God with one voice, over performed music, which tends to spotlight the abilities of some while encouraging passivity in the rest. Yet, we periodically utilize solos, ensembles, and choirs.

Body of Service - Our worship service is led most often by our elder and pastoral staff members. During this time, we sing several songs, offer prayers of praise and confession to God, hear Scripture read, and give our offerings and tithes.

Sermons - Preaching at Legacy is expositional, meaning that it seeks to declare the point of a particular Biblical passage. Sermons usually last between 45-60 minutes and are packed with material for reflection. All preaching is gospel-driven.

During the morning worship service, we enjoy having our faith strengthened and our lives, both individually and corporately, sanctified as we utilize the means of grace that God has given His Church for this very reason. It is the time when we most enjoy the presence of God, and therefore, a taste of glory.

LUNCH 12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Since the church is a covenant community of God’s people, it is appropriate that we share our lives together. Our Lord’s Day lunch is one occasion where we spend time informally, eating and enjoying one another’s company and fellowship. The Scripture reveals that the early church continued in such fellowship (Acts 2:42). When we sit down at the table each Lord’s Day, we not only share our food and fellowship with one another, but our lives. This is a potluck style lunch and we provide enough for our weekly guests to participate as well.

THE EVENINGS

After our afternoon gathering, our formal time together is concluded. This does not, however, mean that the Christian Sabbath has come to an end. The whole day is set aside by God for our good and pleasurable enjoyment of Himself. Therefore, as fitting for the Sabbath, the rest of our day is spent in private devotion, family worship, rest, informal gatherings in homes of God’s people, evangelism, or works of mercy and ministry.

THE RATIONALE FOR OUR SCHEDULE

There are several reasons why we schedule our Lord’s Day this way. First of all, it provides better use of our time. Some folks will save an extra hour of driving time by traveling to the meeting house only once. Secondly, it provides a more conducive environment for building community among God’s covenant people as we eat and fellowship together. Thirdly, it provides cohesion and continuity in what we do with our time together. From our corporate prayer to morning worship to discussion over lunch and ending with an interactive time of learning and application, our day is not divided up into two separate worship services separated by the afternoon, but is focused, deliberate, and continuous. Fourthly, this schedule frees up our evenings from formal gathering to spend time in unique informal settings in one another’s homes. Finally, by making the most of our time together, we feel we are better equipped and have time to spend in personal evangelism throughout the week as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those in whom we come in contact.

* Adapted from Christ Reformed Church in Lawrenceville, GA.