Every worship service, especially on the Lord’s day, should be a victory celebration. It is a celebration of the vic- tory Jesus claimed over sin, death and the grave, as well as the victory we can claim through His victory. If He had not come forth from the tomb in His glorified body, the first day of the week would have no more significance than any other day in the week. What a joy it is to meet with fellow saints as we engage in the worship of the Al- mighty. Faithful Christians can relate to the attitude of the Psalmist, ”I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Ps. 122:1) It truly is sad that some do not share in that gladness and joy, as worship is often mechanical, or they choose to do something else instead. How can we restore the joy of worship when it is lost?
We must realize the reasons why we worship. (1) Worship is obedience to a biblical command. (Ps. 29:2) (2) Worship is a means of nourishing our souls. (Matt, 4:4) (3) Worship promotes our spiritual growth. (II Pet. 3:18) Worship encourages and aids in the teaching of others. (Eph. 5:19) Worship is one means of demonstrating our priorities. (Matt. 6:33) Worship is one means of showing our love for God and praising His name. (Ps. 95:6,7) Worship expresses our desire for holiness. (Ps, 29:2) Worship is a means of singing praise and giving thanks to our God. (Ps. 30:12) Worship is an opportunity for communion with God and His Son. (I Cor. 10:16; Matt. 26:29)
We must realize the effort and discipline required in worship. (1) Stay alert. Our worship must be “in spirit.” (John 4:24) Worship is with the mind, involving both thought and emotion, Sit up straight, listen, pay atten- tion and participate. Do not allow yourself to doze off to sleep. The alert worshipper will not become bored. When you look around, watch or entertain a nearby child, yawn, check the time, read unrelated material, look at pic- tures, go to sleep, look back to see who just came in, etc. people around you notice it and are disturbed (2) Stay seated. Isle trotters disturb other worshippers, as well as their own worship. Do not leave before the service ends unless it is absolutely necessary. (3) Stay quiet. Do not rattle paper, car keys, change, etc. Clipping finger nails can be heard by dozens of people all around you. Sometimes we forget, but make it a habit to turn off the cell phone. The ring is embarrassing and disturbing to everyone. Do not talk, whisper or pass notes to your neighbor. Chewing and popping gum is distracting too.
We must realize the implications of our misconduct in worship. (1) It shows grave disrespect for God. (2) Worship is done in an unworthy manner. ( I Cor. 11:27) (3) It shows lack of consideration for others. (4) It shows a lack of respect and appreciation for the preacher, or anyone else in a leadership position. (5) It shows a lack in sincerity in what one is doing (6) It can discourage visitors in returning, Nothing is more rewarding and fulfilling to our spiritual lives than our worship. Let’s put more effort into it.
-Richard
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