Don’t Make Church About You

It’s Not Simply About You

I work as a nurse. At our month-to-month workers assembly, we assessment our hospital’s imaginative and prescient assertion. It will probably really feel rote, but it surely truly reminds us how every worker contributes to the bigger purpose. Imaginative and prescient statements maintain first issues first. If you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, then you definately’re higher geared up to decide on the precise actions to fulfill that purpose.

The Bible offers native church buildings a “imaginative and prescient” for what they need to prioritize, significantly in company worship. Sadly, too many Christians develop their very own private imaginative and prescient statements after which impose them on the native church. We expect the church exists to cater to our preferences or to present us a sure “feeling” or “expertise” of worship. However company worship isn’t meant to cater to our needs.

It’s simply not about us.

Our church’s gatherings are in the end about God. We worship in response to his needs, not ours. Once we collect we ought to be ruled by God’s phrase, not our preferences.

The Bible signifies that there are two methods you possibly can commit the sin of idolatry. The primary method is to worship one thing aside from God: Molech, Marduk, a statue, your magnificence, cash, success, a cheerful household, or every other factor, good or unhealthy, that’s not God. The second solution to commit idolatry—one we regrettably give far much less consideration to—is to worship God the flawed method. Many Christians are cautious to keep away from the primary path to idolatry however are sometimes unaware of this second path.

Because of this, we let leisure tradition, custom, or private preferences dictate what we do in church. However orchestrating our company worship round custom, what we “like,” or what makes us “really feel” near God isn’t simply untrue, it’s self-destructive. It’s like just a little child who pulls a stool as much as the range, turns the vary on excessive warmth, and proceeds to throw a Cadbury sweet creme egg into the pan in an try to make scrambled eggs in response to his method and by “hisself.” It’s simply plain silly, to not point out harmful and messy!

So the very first thing you should do to profit from the Sunday service is acknowledge that it isn’t about you. It’s about worshiping God in the way in which he instructions and in response to his needs. Let’s get this level down. Company worship isn’t about having a souped-up quiet time within the firm of different Christians. It’s about gathering with God’s folks, checking our preferences on the door, and worshiping the one true God in the way in which he instructions.

Company Worship, Not Leisure Weekly

We are able to profit from company worship if we perceive why we’re there within the first place. And reward God, he hasn’t left us alone to determine it out!

Scripture repeatedly exhibits us that God assembles his folks for the categorical function of exalting him and edifying each other. Earlier than the approaching of Christ, Israel—God’s folks below the Previous Covenant—gathered on the tent of assembly (Ex. 40:34) or the tabernacle within the wilderness (Num. 9:15) to worship him. They assemble to worship on the temple (1 Kings 8:1–11). In addition they assembled to reward God for the rebuilding of the partitions of Jerusalem (Ezra 3:10–13). They listened to God’s phrase being publicly learn (Luke 4:16). Within the new covenant, the church continued this sample of gathering to worship God corporately. They assembled collectively in native church buildings to commit themselves to the apostles instructing, to hope, to sing, and to rejoice the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42–47). God has all the time gathered his folks in order that they’d exalt him collectively.

Why does God collect his folks to worship him? Contemplate these two causes.

1. We Collect to Edify

First, gathering encourages and edifies the saints. Once we’re collectively doing what God has referred to as us to do, we construct each other up in our most holy religion (Jude 20).

When God saves us, he saves us into the church—the household of God. Like a household, every individual contributes to the welfare of the house. The identical is true for the church. As members of the identical household, we collect every week to assist each other and contribute to the well-being of the church. But many view company worship as shoppers, not suppliers. However when the Bible talks concerning the church, it doesn’t discuss “me” and “them” however about “we.” The church is an “us”—a household gathered to worship and serve.

Once we collect we ought to be ruled by God’s phrase, not our preferences.

As Paul taught, the church is one physique with many elements (1 Cor. 12:20). You may need a extra public position otherwise you would possibly serve in quiet, unseen methods like making espresso or restocking the toilet paper towels. Otherwise you would possibly merely serve by a devoted ministry of presence, singing gospel songs to these round you, praying for a brother or sister after the service, or encouraging others by being an attentive listener to God’s phrase.

Company worship is rarely a spectator sport. We collect to worship God and encourage each other—and that takes work. We don’t merely “attend” church in the identical method we “attend” a live performance or a baseball sport. We’re the church, and every one in every of us has a task to play! We honor and exalt the Lord Jesus once we come to company worship able to serve others.

good friend in our church suffers with a persistent sickness. She usually can’t make it to company worship. However when she’s in a position to come, her bodily presence fills the room. She praises the Lord along with her fragile arms turned as much as God, sitting in her seat with a glance of pleasure on her face. Seeing her religion and perseverance 12 months after 12 months strengthens our entire congregation. She edifies us all simply by her presence.

Your devoted attendance and repair does the identical. As fellow members contemplate your life, your afflictions, your joys, and your obedience to Jesus, they’re edified by your ministry of presence. They’re inspired by listening to you sing. They’re heartened by having a dialog with you after the service. We are able to’t edify each other if we by no means see one another.

We collect to edify.

2. We Collect to Evangelize

Second, gathering with the saints for worship not directly acts as a method of evangelism. The apostle Paul makes this level in 1 Corinthians 14:24–25, saying that if “an unbeliever or outsider enters, he’s convicted by all, he’s referred to as to account by all, the secrets and techniques of his coronary heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he’ll worship God and declare that God is admittedly amongst you.”

Company worship isn’t designed for unbelievers—the first function is to edify the saints. On the identical time, an unbeliever would possibly present up. We hope they do! And after they do, Paul says they need to acknowledge by way of the church’s company worship that God is admittedly amongst us! Company worship pulls again the curtain and provides unbelievers a backstage move to the lifetime of the church. They get to see what the Christian life is about: exalting God, celebrating the excellent news of the gospel, and edifying each other.

This text is customized from How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Companies? by Erin Wheeler.

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