Biblical guide for a "church service"

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Of course NOT maam..... he is telling the people that God is not on a clock.. it doesnt matter to God if it is before or during service.. the message from God will be the same.... gather before the service in a prayer room... as you pray should God have a message for the church let it be spoken in tongues... let it be interpreted and then those messages can be brought before the people.. without confusing the visitors... else they would think we were all mad according to Paul

How do you know it doesn't matter to God? He created time. And I would seriously question anyone that thought the service in they're church was more important than God speaking to His people. And yes I know what the Word says about edification. Visitors or not, if God wants to speak through tongues and interpretation he will. And I think that this reasoning might fall under quenching the Spirit. God just might have a word for the visitors as well.

Grasshopper.. it is indeed one of my giftings.

[DanielR]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Paul obviously wasn't against tongues being used during personal devotions and times of prayer before or after the church service. First off...the early church met in homes not in big buildings. Second...these gatherings were intimate and rather close and small, typically no more than 15 to 20 people on average. They also didn't "order" services like we do. There was normally a full meal where bread and wine was offered after they had eaten. This meal was typically before or after the teaching portion of the meeting. In addition the teaching wasn't in Greek fashion with one speaker "preaching". The word "preached" used in Acts where Paul preached until midnight is the same word we get our word, "dialogue", from. You see they most likely ate, sat down, one of them opened the scroll of an OT book and Paul or the preacher began to teach. Then a dialogue began and teaching and discussion continued often late into the evening as in our case in point. During these times everyone was allowed to bring a song, a teaching, and if there were an interpreter a prophetic utterance in tongues. However, Paul never advocated that the forbid speaking in tongues...especially if it were during times of prayer or private devotions before or after the preaching.

I have been to services like this, and in my opinion it's better than the typical church service. I learn alot more in this early church structure than today's modern structure.

Originally Posted by cneasttx

How do you know it doesn't matter to God? He created time. And I would seriously question anyone that thought the service in they're church was more important than God speaking to His people. And yes I know what the Word says about edification. Visitors or not, if God wants to speak through tongues and interpretation he will. And I think that this reasoning might fall under quenching the Spirit. God just might have a word for the visitors as well.

Then don't you believe that in his Soverienty he would know before the service that this visitor would be there? Must he wait to see who all shows up and be taken by surprise????? I believe he orders that visitors steps and he is a big enough God to give a Word about that coming visitor BEFORE the SERVICE

DanielR.. that's my point exactly... the early church (which is supposed to be our example) was about instruction.. and learning... it looked nothing like the modern day Pentecostal church services

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Then don't you believe that in his Soverienty he would know before the service that this visitor would be there? Must he wait to see who all shows up and be taken by surprise????? I believe he orders that visitors steps and he is a big enough God to give a Word about that coming visitor BEFORE the SERVICE

Why didn't it ever work???????????????????????????????

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Then don't you believe that in his Soverienty he would know before the service that this visitor would be there? Must he wait to see who all shows up and be taken by surprise????? I believe he orders that visitors steps and he is a big enough God to give a Word about that coming visitor BEFORE the SERVICE

Yes I do believe He knows, He is God. He might like to surprise us.

Originally Posted by cneasttx

Yes I do believe He knows, He is God. He might like to surprise us.

Oh heres a surprise.. before the service... people are gathered in prayer.. tongues goes forth.. someone interprets and God says

"tonight there will be a visitor amoung you,, she needs to know that I love her etc, etc... now theres a GOD SURPRISE

[DanielR]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Oh heres a surprise.. before the service... people are gathered in prayer.. tongues goes forth.. someone interprets and God says

"tonight there will be a visitor amoung you,, she needs to know that I love her etc, etc... now theres a GOD SURPRISE

I don't see how that would be a suprise, that's pretty much a given for most church services.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Oh heres a surprise.. before the service... people are gathered in prayer.. tongues goes forth.. someone interprets and God says

"tonight there will be a visitor amoung you,, she needs to know that I love her etc, etc... now theres a GOD SURPRISE

Honestly have you ever known that to happen???????

The church order NEVER worked at the Tabernacle.