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Southside Sunday
"Southside Sunday." The title is very descriptive. It says something of the people assembling here.
Southside – Some of the New Testament epistles were written to groups of Christians who assembled at different locations. "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae" (Colossians 1:2). "To the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons" (Philippians 1:1), and "To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1) are just a few examples. The first two chapters in the book of Revelation list seven different locations where churches met. Can you name them?
Sunday – The first day of the week. We have examples of brethren meeting on the first day of the week to engage in activities as a group. When Paul was at Troas, he met with the Christians there (on the first day of the week) to "break bread," or partake of the Lord’s Supper. He also spoke to them a message from God (Acts 20:7). The churches which met in Galatia and the church at Corinth leave us the example of taking up a contribution or collection on Sunday in I Corinthians 16:1,2.
So if you put them together, you have the location of where we’re meeting and the day assigned on which to meet: Southside (location) + Sunday (time).
If you are visiting with this group of saints and faithful brethren on this first day of the week, we want to welcome you! We believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word and we seek to emulate what the churches did in the New Testament. We believe God wants to be worshiped in certain prescribed ways. Not what we think might be good or what we would prefer to do, but what God has revealed to us through the Bible. We have examples of people worshiping God in a way other than what He commanded and the consequences were not good. Do you remember what happened to Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10?
Here is what you can expect to see on a Sunday at Southside:
Prayer (I Timothy 2:1-4). We believe in the power of prayer. There is no One who is more powerful, more loving and more willing to do what we need, if we but ask Him. There will be several prayers with different purposes offered during the worship service.
Singing (Ephesians 5:19). We have examples of the New Testament Christians singing. When we sing, we speak to each other in song to encourage and exhort. We sing songs that praise our Creator for who He is and what He has done. Some songs we sing are actually prayers to God. The songs we sing are based on Scripture. When you sing today, think about the words you are singing and not just the melody and harmony. Try smiling when you sing, if it is appropriate with the thought being expressed in the song. Be careful, you might cause someone else to smile.
Observance of the Lord’s Supper (I Corinthians 11:23-34). Time is devoted to the remembrance of our Savior, Jesus the Christ. The unleavened bread and fruit of the vine are used as He instructed so that we may remember His death until He comes. This is not a common meal or refreshments, but a memorial instituted by Jesus for his disciples (Matthew 26:26).
A collection (I Corinthians 16:1,2). Apart from the Lord’s Supper, trays will be passed around for those who have purposed in their hearts what they will give. This is not a solicitation for the visitors. We are not "charging" you a fee to be here. The money collected is used for only the specific purposes we see in the New Testament. This church supports several men who preach the gospel in different places. You can read a report about the work those men are doing and where they preach on the board in the hallway towards the classrooms. The collection is a way to have fellowship in spreading the gospel to all the world.
A message from God’s word (Acts 20:7). You will hear a preacher speak from the word of God today. Follow along in your Bible. If you need to borrow one, ask the person sitting beside you. If you hear something that doesn’t make sense or challenges your present thinking, compare it to what the Bible says. The preacher would welcome a further discussion or study with you. We want to make sure what is said originated with God and not man. If the Scriptures and what is said do not agree, you would be our friend if you it out to us.
Christians (Acts 11:26). The people who regularly worship and work at this location are simply Christians. They are some of the best people you will ever meet. The Christians at Southside believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to this old world and gave His innocent life so that He could save us from our sins. We try our best to pattern our lives after what He taught. We are privileged to wear the name of Christ. We are Christ-ians.
We’re glad you’re here. We invite you to participate with us, as we worship God in the way He has instructed. May all we do, in word and in deed, be all in the name of the Lord Jesus!
Welcome to Southside.
