Decently And In Order

 "Let all things be done decently and in order." 1Cor.14:40

There is, or there ought to be, an order and a structure to our church services. It is not a place for people, moved by the Spirit, to run around out of control. It is not a place for interruptions or outbursts. A church service has a beginning, a high point, and a conclusion.

Pastor Mitchell used to have one of his 4x6 index cards with the order of the service written on it. Welcome all! was at the top of the list. It had prayer requests or announcements or other points of reference to follow. There was an acceptable time for exercising the gifts of the Spirit. And there was and still is an acceptable time to end the service.

Worship is a time to honor and glorify God, not a time to flaunt your talent or to put on a show. The sermon is usually the high point of the service. The sermon also must be orderly and have a structure so as to get to the point without wearing out the church. I can tell if a preacher has notes or if he is winging it. Pastor Mitchell used an outline. He did not write out the whole sermon. He did not always finish his sermon.

The word decently is a word that means like a gentleman. It means gracefully or  with dignity. A church service should be well behaved, not a riot of confusion. The sermon also ought to be full of grace and truth. It ought to be the aim of every Fellowship pastor to learn how to preach like a gentleman and not like a wild man. You do not need a college degree to be a great preacher. You do not need a cathedral to have a dignified church service. You just have to want it. You can grow into it.

Revival that is wild and out of control will not last long.