Worship Services

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#628 Worship – A Total Experience

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A total worship experience in a local congregation revolves around God and reflects both His love for us and our love for Him.  This total experience will also include our love and care for fellow believers as well as our love and burden for unbelievers to have a personal relationship with God.  These three ministries should feed off of each other, not being emphasized separately.  A church may emphasize and do a great job of worship primarily, or ministering to the needs of its church family primarily, or emphasizing, promoting, and leading all other local churches in missions and evangelization ministries; however, over emphasis in any of these ministries will probably result in the other two suffering through neglect.  God is honored and glorified when there is balance, showing genuine worship of Him, properly and adequately providing for the needs of the congregation, and reaching out in a concerted effort to bring the lost to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Examine your local church:  is it fulfilling all three ministries to the best of its ability, or is there too much emphasis on one area?

“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”   (I Peter 2:5 – ESV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Based on:  Allen, Ronald and Gordon Borror, Worship, Rediscovering the Missing Jewel,Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982.

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#627 Worship – sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ

 Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

An individual and church-wide commitment of genuine worship to God serves as a catalyst for the church showing their love for one another by being dedicated to edifying, encouraging, educating, and meeting the needs of the body of believers.  This same Godly love then extends to having such a love for unbelievers that we have a burden to see them come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, thus joining us in a love relationship with God as we worship together.  Our witness to unbelievers about the Good News of Jesus Christ should be to any that attend our worship services as well as to those in our community, city, and region.  In fact, this urgency will extend to each of us individually, as well as the church, being more mission-minded, looking to reach unbelievers in other cities, states, and countries.  What a wonderful joy it is to have a deep love for God, a godly love for our fellow believers, and an urgent love for unbelievers to come to salvation.

Demonstrate your love for unbelievers by always being ready to share your faith with them!

“Therefore said He unto them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few:  pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.’”   (Luke 10:2)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#624 Worship – A Heart Commitment

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When we previously defined worship as being active in our response to God, we emphasized the fact that it is not something that is passive but something that is an outward manifestation of our response as Christians to His worthiness.  Upon accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, the condition of our heart changes as we begin to mature spiritually.  Based on the sincerity of our heart we make a choice as to whether we are going to fully commit to the worship of God or just go through the motions of church hoping to please Him.  Sincerity of heart means our heart is set toward God, and when our heart is set toward God, it is also set toward worship of Him in our daily lives as our commitment to worship will be a continuing process with our lives becoming a worship service honoring and glorifying God.

Does the sincerity of your heart reflect your commitment to worship God?

“Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”   (Hebrews 10:22a – NASB)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#623 Worship – Commitment to Worship

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the great challenges we face in our churches today is having a full commitment to worship.  It is not whether the service is contemporary or traditional, singing praise songs or traditional hymns, or dressing casual or in suits; genuine worship is not experienced without the commitment to worship.  When Christians do not feel they are having a true worship experience they usually begin blaming someone or something, usually the Worship Minister and the music; however, they often will further blame things like the looks of the worship center not being conducive to worship, the switch to more modern media such as video screens taking away the reverence of the sanctuary, and the Pastor’s sermon being too deep theologically for some or maybe not deep enough for others making the worship during the sermon impossible.  Whereas some excuses may be legitimate, the problem may also need to be placed on the person’s attitude and commitment to worship.  Let’s continue these thoughts on commitment to worship.

Do you let the environment around you and/or your personal preferences affect the way you worship?

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”   (Hebrews 12:28-29 – ESV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#622 Worship – Interruptions and Inappropriate Timing

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We have examined individual aspects of a worship service; however, worshipping in all the aspects does not guarantee a service that is totally conducive to a genuine worship experience.  It is only when the service has been structured in a way that every phase and aspect is focused on the Lord and arrives at the common purpose of celebrating and worshipping Him.  A Worship Minister has the same importance as all other leaders and participants in the service, but he also has an added responsibility of designing a service that flows continuously in worship and celebration of the Lord.  Often services have a feature(s) that interrupts the atmosphere of worship; likewise, a humorous moment at an inappropriate time may also destroy the atmosphere, although there is nothing wrong with humor at the appropriate time.  The service that is most conducive to genuine worship will flow in a way that the entire service will be one continuous time of worship of our God.     

Do not allow interruptions within a worship service to interrupt your attitude of worship!

“But everything must be done decently and in order.”   (I Corinthians 14:40)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#621 Worship – Our Blessed Hope

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For many years thousands of people would visit Milan,Italy to spend fifteen minutes viewing Leonardo da Vinci’s mural, “The Last Supper” in Santa Maria delle Grazie.  Then came the blockbuster fiction novel and movie, “The Da Vinci Code,” and those visiting the painting grew enormously, everyone desiring to see for themselves the supposed conspiracy theories involving not only the painting but also the biblical “Last Supper.”  Visitors view the mural for its artistic value, which is tremendous, but we wonder how many think of or realize the reality of emotions flowing through the Upper Room depicted and the sacrifice Jesus Christ was about to make.  As true worshippers of the Lord partake of the Lord’s Table, our hearts should be touched by the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us.  But it should also cause us to focus our hearts and minds on the hope and certainty we have as believers that the very same Jesus Christ will be coming again someday for His children.  That is a blessed hope that encourages us as Christians to live a life that pleases Him, that enables us to continue to grow spiritually, and that gives us a desire to present all our worship and devotion to Him and Him only. 

The next time you partake of the Lord’s Table or look at “The Last Supper,” thank the Lord for His great sacrifice for you and the hope you have of spending eternity with Him in Heaven!

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come.”   (I Corinthians 11:26)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#620 Worship – Worthiness at the Lord’s Table

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Observance of the Lord’s Supper is an act of worship that should have a very special meaning for all Christians, that meaning being our salvation that is represented by the Table.  As we partake of the loaf and juice, we are remembering the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; the body broken and the blood shed when Christ died on the cross, taking on our sins, thus enabling us to have a right relationship with God the Father and eternal life through acceptance by faith of His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord.  But we must question ourselves as to whether we come to the Lord’s Table in a worthy or unworthy manner.  We cannot worship the Lord by coming to the Table with unconfessed sin in our lives or by holding a grudge against one of our fellow believers.  Before we partake of the elements, we should open our hearts to the Lord, asking His forgiveness of any sin in our lives and righting any fractured relationships.  Only then are we worthy of the elements and able to worship Christ through the Lord’s Supper.

If you have unconfessed sin in your life or a fractured relationship or relationships, do not wait until the next serving at the Lord’s Table to confess your sin before God and righting any wrong between yourself and a fellow Christian!

“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”   (I Corinthians 11:29)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#618 Worship – Holy Spirit Led Sermons

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we continue to observe different aspects of genuine worship in our local congregation services, it is necessary to examine how we worship regarding the sermon presented.  It all begins when we first enter the church, spending the time before the service in quiet prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts in a way that would allow us to worship our God throughout the service and to be receptive as His Word is preached.  When the sermon is preached, we should be focused on God’s Word as delivered by the minister, not being distracted by every noise or motion in the church or constantly looking at our watches to see how much longer the service is to continue.  We should be open to receiving the Word, seeking ways we can apply it to our own lives and in our daily walk with the Lord.  When the sermon has been well prepared, theologically sound, and presented in a manner that is directed by the Holy Spirit, it is in itself an act of worship allowing all of us to be blessed as we celebrate and worship God together.

At your next worship service, make it a point to prepare your heart before the sermon and accept God’s Word as His Word directly to you!   

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”   (Ephesians 1:13 – NASB)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#615 Worship – Joyous Giving

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christians often forget, or maybe have the desire to forget, that giving is a part of worship.  First and foremost we need to recognize and acknowledge that everything we possess has come from and belongs to the Lord, having been entrusted to us by God as His steward to be used as He directs.  When we do recognize and acknowledge that as the case, we develop the right attitude toward our material possessions, making the giving of offerings an act of gratitude to the Lord for what He has entrusted to us.  Having the right attitude enables us to worship God by giving joyously, not grudgingly, back to Him a portion of what He has so generously bestowed upon us.  Giving willfully and cheerfully is an act of obedience, celebration, and worship toward God, another aspect of our church service that makes it a genuine worship experience.

Enhance your worship experience by giving joyously as the Lord has provided for you!

“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”   (II Corinthians 8:12)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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#614 Worship – Mobile Phone Bible

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today’s technology is amazing, and the sources from which we can access a copy of the Bible are numerous.  Years ago, everyone brought a King James Version Bible to church, many bringing a Bible from the same publisher resulting with the noise of pages turning at the same time when the Bible was read responsively or the pastor was reading a passage.  But times have changed as there are now numerous translations, publishers, and Study Bibles available.  Technology also has changed as there are large screens in many churches displaying the Bible passages being read and even applications for mobile phones and other electronic devices; therefore, fewer and fewer people are taking their Bible to church.  Do these changes affect the way we worship and celebrate God?  They should not; however, they can if we allow them to distract us from focusing on God’s Word and worshipping Him.

If you use your mobile phone Bible application at church, avoid the temptation to check your messages, text your friend, or do anything else that would distract you from worshipping and celebrating God!

“Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.” (I Corinthians 7:35 – HCSB)

May God Richly Bless You Today