Getting the Most Out of Sunday Morning

In Acts 20:7-12 we are introduced to a guy who started something that still effects the church today.  He is one of the “lesser known” people of the Bible, but his impact is huge!  In Acts 20:7-12, we meet Eutychus – The first guy to ever fall asleep in church!!

Now here is what is interesting – Eutychus falls asleep listening to Paul preach, in the process falls out a window, and dies!  So Biblically speaking – Falling Asleep in Church Leads to Death!!

While many of us do not attend churches with open window seating a few stories up, we can fall into the trap of spiritually and mentally snoozing during Church on Sunday Morning.  So here are a few tips that will help each of us get the most out of Sunday Morning:

1.  Be Intentional With Your Saturday - While you may have never thought about this, what you do Saturday Night impacts your worship on Sunday Morning.  What you put in your  mind, the amount of rest you get, and your emotional condition all directly impact your ability to fully Worship God on Sunday Morning.  Use your Saturday Evening to begin to prepare your heart,  make sure you get plenty of rest, and intentionally use your Saturday to evaluate your heart, your relationship with God and your relationship with others.

2. Be on Time- Frantically rushing out the door trying not to forget anyone, driving like a NASCAR Driver down the road, and watching the minutes tick by as you try not to miss the entire worship segment sounds exhausting, frustrating and distracting.  Walking in the church doors does not have to resemble a small windstorm on Sunday Mornings.  By being on time you have  the opportunity to cut back your stress levels, have a chance to build relationships before the service, enter worship calmly, and you don’t miss anything!

3. Be Prepared- To get the best out of anything takes some preparation.  Behind the scenes hours of prayer, work ,and planning go into every Sunday Morning.  Here are a few things you can do ahead of time to Be Prepared on Sunday Morning:

a. Develop a daily quiet time: Worship, Bible Study and Prayer are not intended to be weekly activities.  By developing a daily quiet time, reading through the scriptures, spending time in prayer, and worshiping God through obedience in our actions and verbal praise, we begin to develop and grow our relationship with God – taking our personal walks to a Whole Notha Level !

b. Prepare Your Heart For Worship : “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  Proverbs 4:23

Solomon- arguably the wisest man to ever live says above all else, do this one thing – GAURD YOUR HEART!!  The daily grind of life can allow some “junk” to get into our hearts.  Bad Attitudes, Bitterness/Resentment, Unforgivness, Pride……..etc….. make their way into our hearts, and if they are not dealt with can really mess us up and prevent us for worship.

Take an inventory of your heart, and take time to “take out the trash”!!

c. Bring Your Bible- I say again – BRING YOUR BIBLE.  We are so passionate about people getting into the Word of God that we even provide Bibles!  Here’s the deal, you need your Bible so you can read it for yourself and examine what is being said.  You should never just trust what is being preached on Sunday Morning.  Examine what is being said, read the verses for yourself !  99% of Pastors appreciate it when you approach them with a question about a verse or something that was said in Church!  If your questions are met with anger, or are unanswered, that is something to think about – and you may want top reconsider where you go to church!

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

d. Take Notes- Many Churches provide sermon outlines or places to take notes on the back of the bulletin.  While this may be appealing doodle space or a convenient place to continue your weekly game of  hangman, use the provided space to jot down things that strike you, or record something you have never heard before, or something that sparks your interest.  Taking notes allows you to come back to you thoughts, the scriptures, or an idea later on in the week!!

“Pay attention and listen to the saying of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.” Proverbs 22:17-18

e. Take Action- Each week as you listen to your Pastor’s sermon and follow along in the scripture ask yourself this question:

“What steps can I take to grow in this area?”

After you have answered that question - Do it!!

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

3.  Be The Church- One of my biggest fears for the the Church is that we as individuals “Go to church”  and that is where it stops.  We as Christ Followers are called to “BE The Church”!!  As we build our relationship with God we are also supposed to build relationships with others!!  I could write about 7 pages on this – but won’t – for now anyway!  Stop going to church and be the church!!

a. Serve – Join a ministry team that fits your giftedness.  In other words get off the sidelines and get in the game!!

b. Build- Sunday Mornings are not just about building our relationship with God, it is also about building our relationships with others!

c.  Invest- Begin investing your time, energy, and efforts (this includes tithing) to advance the kingdom of God through your local church!

You don’t have to go to the “1st Church of Eutychus” anymore!  It’s time to wake up and get the most out of Sunday Morning!