On February 6th, 2011, Pillar Community Church held a “soft opening” (as we called it), welcoming friends and family and opening our doors to the Vero Community.
We met at the Majestic Theater, where we were for 18 months, in Theater #5. When I happen to be movie-watching in that theater, memories of Pillar’s earliest days come flooding back.
While I don’t have pictures to share, I do have our original order of worship and my message notes or outline.
If you were with us, I hope you enjoy reminiscing for a bit. Thank you for helping us follow Christ into this community.
If you’ve remained with us – bless you. Your part in this story is worth remembering, celebrating, and sharing.
If you’ve joined us along the way – I am humbled to have you with us and thankful for how you’ve shaped us.
And to our Lord, I give thanks! Your care over us is humbling, Lord, and we rest in the goodness of your love and seek to share the greatness of your name!
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Pillar Community Church
Order of Service
2/06/2011
Pre Service Preparation
“Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”
– St. Augustine
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Isaiah 6: 1 – 5
Oh God, teach me to seek You, and reveal Yourself to me when I seek You.
For I cannot seek You unless You first teach me,
Nor find You unless You first reveal Yourself to me.
Let me seek You in longing, and long for You in seeking.
Let me find You in love, and love You in finding.
-Ambrose of Milan, 339-397
Call to Worship, Psalm 148
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.
4For behold, the kings assembled;
they came on together.
5As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman in labor.
7By the east wind you shattered
the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.
Selah
9We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10As your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
12Walk about Zion, go around her,
number her towers,
13consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.
Invocation
Songs/Hymns of Adoration/Praise
Awesome is the Lord Most High
Holy is the Lord
A Moment of Fellowship and Welcome
(Children Dismissed with Team leaders – gather at the ‘landing’ during our time of ‘welcome’)
Prayers of Humility and Cleansing, Psalm 24:1 – 6
1 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
2for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob –Selah
Songs/Hymns of Cleansing and Grace
Give Us Clean Hands
Amazing Grace
Corporate Affirmation of Faith, The Earliest Creed, I Corinthians 15: 3 – 7
(Stand together and recite in unison)
We Believe . . .
3The Apostle, Paul, delivered to us as of first importance what He also received:
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostle, Amen.
Reading of the Text, I Timothy 3:14 – 16
Prayer of Illumination and Conviction
(Light the Candle)
Sermon, “The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth”
Communion
(Elements will be distributed by ushers, we will receive the bread and the cup together after prayers over both – Background Music Played Through CD)
Offertory
The Stand
Benediction, Hebrews 13:20 – 21
20Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
MESSAGE OUTLINE NOTES
Sermon Notes 2/6/2011
I Timothy 3:14 – 16, The Pillar and Support of the Truth
The Magnificence, Message and Mission of the Local Church!
Main Idea: In these two verses, Paul lays down, what I believe to be, the most important statement and description about the church, specifically our magnificence, message, and mission
The Magnificence of the Local Church
- The magnificence as a ‘household’ of THE ‘living’ God
- We have a place and purpose. Eph. 2:19 -22
- We ‘reflect’ His image, I Peter 5:12
- We experience His Presence, II Cor. 6:16 – 18
- The magnificence as the chosen people to be a Pillar and Support of the Truth.
- The phrase means to ‘protect’ the truth – guard it!
- The phrase means to ‘promote’ the truth – proclaim it!
The church ceases to perform its function when its pillars crumble and can no longer be part of and aid in the proclamation of the truth, Mounce
(The magnificence of the Church is, however, secondary to the preeminence of the truth – the Gospel)
The Message of the Local Church
- The message we promote is called the ‘truth’ which is, for Paul another way of saying ‘the Gospel.’ I Tim. 2:4
- The Gospel is ‘Great Indeed.’
- The statement could be read as ‘Undeniably Great, confessedly so, is the mystery of Godliness.
The Mission of the Local Church
- Proclaim the Gospel.
- People come to Faith.
- God is Glorified.
Pillar 2022
I realize that if you weren’t with us on that morning this material will have little connection to you. It does, at least, need to be contextualized for you.
If you were with us, and/or have joined us since then, perhaps this moment can serve as a “thank you, Lord” moment for yourself and your family.
In what way(s) has God used Pillar to draw you closer to Him?
Grace and peace,
Biz