Worship is a beautiful, sacred, spiritual discipline that God expects all of His people to exercise and fulfill. It is God’s will that we worship Him (Matt 4:10; John 4:23-24; Rev 22:9). Worship, in reality, is a precious privilege that is given to Christians (Heb 4:14-16). It is an opportunity to come before the Creator of the universe, Yahweh Almighty, and render adoration and praise to Him for what He has done for us (Ps 45:11, 138:2). It is what we were created for (Ecc 12:13) and will be doing in heaven (Rev 4-5). So, why then, would anyone want to miss out on an opportunity to worship?
As a minister (and really, anyone who is spiritually mature), it baffles me why people who call themselves Christians will make excuses, or try to justify why they don’t attend all services, or will flat out dismiss church attendance as being an important part of faith. I attribute such attitudes as simply a lack of Biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity, as well as, a deeper heart issue. There really is no acceptable excuse for the average, able-bodied Christian to miss worship services. (Notice the qualifiers – those who are handicapped by physical, medical, or age restrictions, and the like, are the exception). We also understand that jobs can sometimes interfere with one’s attendance, but the point here is about those who are capable of attending and choose not to. Here are some things to consider concerning our worship attendance:
Attending worship services is indicative of your obedience to God’s will.
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). What is a “true worshiper”? It is one who desires to worship God out of obedience, gratitude, and love! That is the kind of person God is seeking. Consider also Hebrews 10:25-26, which says “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some … For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth … ” That verse means exactly what it says! There have been many who try to minimize, or dismiss this verse as a mandate for attendance. Do not be deceived! Yes, the context is about faith, hope, and encouraging one another, yet, it is also about gathering together with the church. Why does the church come together? To worship! (cf. 1 Cor 11:18-20) It is disobedience to neglect worship!
Also, Hebrews 13:7,17 instructs Christians to submit to the eldership of their congregation because they look out for our souls. One of the ways they guard our souls is by providing opportunities for spiritual nourishment and worship. Our elders have decided Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening are convenient, acceptable times to gather the assembly – for the purpose of worship. Being obedient to God includes following our elder’s decisions.
Attending worship services is indicative of your priorities.
Sadly, many people will skip worship, not for some handicap or hardship, but instead, for some secular reason. Here is a simple question: Is missing worship for some secular reason acceptable to God? Is it God’s will that you purposely choose a worldly reason over adoration to Him? What does that say about your priorities? It says “God isn’t important.”
Lastly, we also need to understand that having a live-stream is a blessing, but it is not a substitute for worship! It can be used for those times we might be prevented from attending, or to review a message. But, watching an online broadcast of worship – instead of attending – is not joint participation in praise and adoration, nor does it meet the Biblical definition of “assembling with the saints.” God expects His people to physically assemble together (that is literally what the word “church” means) to worship Him. Watching on live-stream is NOT assembling together. Those who regularly attend Sunday evening and Wednesdays, in addition to Sunday morning, are those who truly understand what worship means. (cf. Hosea 4:6)
0 Comments