Slideshow image

 “LET’S GO TO CHURCH,” dad said just moments before the family left their home and headed to their choice location for worship.  No one objected, but no one got excited.  It was another outing, like going to the store, going to the game, going to the picnic.  It was yet another place to go in the midst of a hectic schedule.   But yet what they were doing was never meant to be just another thing to do.   They were headed to have an encounter with the Creator of the Universe.

WORSHIP HAS COME A LONG WAY in recent years.  Bobbie Jamieson wrote, “Ever since God’s people were banished from his presence after the fall in Genesis 3, God has been at work gathering them back to himself.  So when Israel suffered in chains in Egypt, God rescued them not just so that they would be free from oppression, but so that they would worship him in his presence.”  Over and over again, the Bible is clear that God desires and even demands the worship of His people.   He never called them to “go to church”, but He called them to assemble and worship.

AS YOU STUDY WORSHIP in the Bible you’ll find many elements of worship.  But one commonality is that the people came together and worshipped together.  Worship included music, instruments, singing, reading, praying, kneeling, shouting, dancing, praying, giving and more.  But, one commonality is that they people came together and they did  those things together.

THE QUESTION MUST BE ASKED:  has the modern church devalued worship?  Churches, including our own, has done everything to make worship pleasing and convenient for those in attendance.  We’ve created nurseries so that parents can be undisturbed. We’ve created children’s church so that children have age-appropriate content.  We’ve added TVs and visual aids to help keep your attention.   We’ve added air conditioning to keep you comfortable.  We’ve considered the songs you want to hear so that you enjoy the worship. And we’ve considered what you don’t want to hear when we prepare the messages.  But aren’t we supposed to come in response to an Almighty God with concern for what He wants from us?  Isn’t worship supposed to be all about Him?

WHEN THE WORSHIP OF GOD becomes “let’s go to church”, then it’s easy to “let’s go….” Somewhere else.  I recently asked a friend to join us for worship.  He used to attend church regularly, but doesn’t attend much anymore.  He replied, “No, my son has baseball this Sunday.”     And it begs the question:  “Why does God get told “I have baseball this Sunday” instead of the church being told, “Sorry I can’t make it to practice, but we’re worshipping on Sunday.”   Another person explained, “I paid a lot of money to have my child play basketball.  He  really needs to go to those games.”  I wondered (and wish I would have asked), “Well, don’ you have a lot of money invested spiritually, too?”

IN A RECENT BLOG posted on our website the author posted six reasons to attend church in person: (1)    It edifies you (2)    It provides an opportunity to serve others (3)    It quietly testifies to the lost. (4)    It provides a natural evangelistic opportunity. (5)    It encourages other believers a.       And I’ll add it discourages others when the church is empty (6)    God commands it.

IVE STREAM IS GREAT.  It serves a purpose for emergency situations. But it’s not worship. It’s not gathering together.  It’s not edifying.  It doesn’t serve others.  It doesn’t help evangelize others.  It doesn’t encourage others.  And it doesn’t meet the expectation set forth by our Savior to worship.

THIS SUNDAY, DON’T GATHER the family and say, “Lets to go chuirch”, show up in the building and put in your time, checking off another box on your busy schedule. This Sunday, take your family to a divine appointment to worship Almighty God.  Scripture does not call us to “go to church”, but it does call the assembly together to worship.  Don’t show up in some building some place; but instead join those of like faith in expressing adoration to Almighty God.   Don’t put “going to church” on the calendar only when there is a slot open, but instead make worship the priority it is supposed to be.

“LET US CONSIDER HOW we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)