THE PRIVILEGE OF CORPORATE WORSHIP
“Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:2)
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:2)
The greatest gift ever given was the gift of Jesus Christ. He freely gave His life so that we could inherit eternal life and enjoy a personal relationship with Him. God also blessed us with His Word, an incredible resource which assists us in getting to know Him and understanding who He is and how we should live. A third blessing available for us is the church, the opportunity to assemble together with other believers, a family we can belong to.
The church has a three-fold purpose: To exalt God, to edify the church and to evangelize the world.
Thinking about exaltation, Psalm 95 is one of many great examples we have been given that encourages us to come into the presence of the Lord together with other believers and give thanks, praise and worship God.
Thinking about edification, 2 Timothy 2:15 and 3:16 – 17, encourage us to study the word of God. It is amazing to realize that we can study freely God’s Word in a variety of ways, privately, in small groups, and, as men of God faithfully bring exhortation to us from God’s word.
Thinking about evangelism, Matthew 28:19 – 20 is the passage we refer to frequently when we talk about evangelism. It seems only natural that if we are God focused in our worship, and faithfully studying and reading His word, it will be our desire to live a life of obedience. Evangelism should be our natural response when we reflect on all we have been given in Christ.
While exaltation, edification and evangelism are the purpose of the church, Worshipping God is our reason for existence. Psalm 29:2 says “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” As I contemplate the privilege we have been given to worship God together with our church families, worship should be all about who God is and what He is doing. It’s not about a religion – it’s about a relationship; It’s not about a program – it’s about us being a part of what God is doing; It’s not about me or my agenda, or having my need met – it’s about meeting with God to worship Him. Ironically as we meet with Him, He meets the needs of His people as only He can do. We are so blessed! – Robert Hayes is the Director of Program Ministries at America’s Keswick and a student of worship.
Compass Pointers: To acknowledge you were wrong yesterday is to acknowledge you are wiser today. Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 9:10-11; Level 2: Proverbs 9:7-12
Anchored to the Rock: Most commit the same mistake with God that they do with their friends; they do all the talking!
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