WHEN YOU COME TO WORSHIP AT EASTSIDE

The church at Eastside would like for you to join us in worship. Our worship services are characterized by simplicity and faithfulness to God’s plan. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." This simply means that we need to be sure that we have the approval of Jesus for all that we do. We strive to be sure that everything that is done in our worship is done with the authority of Jesus Christ. We don’t try to please ourselves in our service to our Lord, but we try to please Him by following the pattern he has laid out. After all, doesn’t he know what is best for us?

In the New Testament, we find five acts of worship that were done by the church that was established by our Lord. These are the same things that we do in our worship. They are:

  • Observing the Lord’s Supper - When you visit the worship services at Eastside you will find that we remember our Lord’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. On the night that Jesus was betrayed He instituted the Lord’s Supper. He took bread and when he had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." So, we observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of the One who sacrificed His body and blood for us. We do this each first day of the week because we have the example of the church in Troas in Acts 20:7. "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight." Every week has a first day and so we do this every first day of the week.
  • Singing - We also sing. We simply sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs. In Ephesians 5:19 Paul instructs the church at Ephesus by writing, "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." He wrote to the chuch at Colossae and told them, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16) We have this instruction from the apostle Paul and that is what we do. You won’t find an organ or band or anything else, but simply doing what Paul instructed the churches to do. We sing.
  • Prayer - We have prayers in our worship services. In I Timothy 2:1 we read, "Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…" We pray to God thanking him for his many blessings and asking for his continued help. A Christian man is asked to lead the congregation in prayer and so this eliminates any confusion but allows us to pray together.
  • Preaching - Another thing that we do in our worship is spend time in study of God’s Word. We are led in that study by a preacher. Paul did this in Troas as mentioned earlier. When the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them. The study centers on God’s Word and God’s Word alone. The preacher is charged with the responsibility of presenting lessons that teach God’s Truth in it’s purity and it’s simplicity.
  • Giving - The only other act of worship that we can find authority for in the scriptures is giving back to the Lord a portion of what he has blessed us with. In I Corinthians 16:2, Paul writes, "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." We return to the Lord just as he has caused us to prosper. A collection is taken to support the work of the church. That money is used only as the Lord instructs in His Word.

    • God has given us a simple plan for our worship and we try to follow it faithfully. We believe that God’s plan is perfect in every way and provides for the most beautiful service that man can give to Him. Worship that comes out of a heart that loves Him and is truly obedient will please Him.

    We would invite you to visit us at Eastside.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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