Meaningful Worship

 MEANINGFUL WORSHIP

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” - Psalm 95:6

The late Adrian Rogers once posed a question to his audience: “Have you ever been in a boring worship service?” That's a great question, isn't it? The right answer, of course, is no. You may have been in a boring church service, but you've never been in a boring worship service. When worship occurs, the worshiper is never bored. Instead, he or she is fixated on the object of worship, our Lord Jesus Christ.

One reason why people find church boring is because they have fallen into a consumer mindset. They attend church to be encouraged, educated and entertained. Many treat church like a movie theater. They get a seat and expect to be captivated by an experience that originates on the stage. They want an active experience in spite of a passive attitude. They don't to get involved or participate in any way. It is the choir's job to inspire them. They think the soloist should encourage them. They believe it is the preacher's job to motivate them.

The fact is that worship is not passive. You can't just sit idly in a seat and worship. You will never be an apathetic worshiper. You can't just go through the motions and expect worship to arise. Worship is a deliberate activity that engages your mind, heart and soul.

I am writing about seven pillars of a healthy church. Last week, I wrote about the need for Biblical leadership. Today, we are looking at meaningful worship. For a church to be healthy and strong, there needs to be meaningful worship offered on a regular basis.

Many American Christians make the mistake of thinking that worship is all about a particular branch of music. In fact, most refer to the music portion of a service as, “a time of worship.” Yet a person can sing Christian songs and never worship. It is possible to worship without singing songs. Worship is often expressed through music, but it goes deeper than that. Worship is the adoration of God. Worship is the holy reverence of God. Worship may consist of different components such as prayer, praise, contemplation and silence. A person may worship as he listens to a sermon.

Worship is a matter of the heart. While we use our thoughts, words and actions to express our worship, the real epicenter of worship is the heart of a believer. There is no such thing as heartless worship.

Let me be clear about something. Some have been guilty of pretending to be spiritual or faking worship just to impress others. God is not impressed at all. He looks beyond the superficial activity and sees the essence of the person's motives. The Lord looks on the heart.

Worship may occur in numerous places. Every believer should be a private, personal worshiper. Yet the local church has been dedicated for the purpose of expressing public worship. Private and public worship are meant to go hand in hand. It is wrong to neglect either.

Genuine worship requires:

FAITH

In Hebrews 11:6, the Bible says, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” We can only approach God from a position of faith. Without faith, we cannot worship. Worship and faith are dependent upon each other. A genuine faith in the Lord fuels worship. Genuine worship deepens our faith.

FOCUS

Secondly, when we worship, we focus our attention on the object of our focus, the Lord Jesus. We tune out the world and look solely to our Lord. In worship, we are captivated with Him.

FERVENCY

Lukewarm church members never worship. They may attend a church service, but their heart is not in it. Worship requires a hot heart. When a person worships, he desires the Lord and delights in Him. Worship is an act of spiritual passion.

We see examples of worldly worship every day. Many young people worship musicians. They will purchase their recordings. They will travel hundreds of miles, pay a lot of money and sit in a crowded, loud auditorium so they can hear their favorite musician perform. The same can be said of those who worship sports teams and actors. Yet shouldn't our worship exceed all these examples? We have a greater Person to worship. We have greater reasons to worship.

Be assured of this. Worship is one thing we can do on earth that we will do in heaven.

Worship the Lord. He is worthy.

Biblical Leadership

BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP

“And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” - Matthew 20:27

There is a huge difference between a large church and a healthy church. Numerical growth may produce a large church, but not necessarily a healthy church. It is possible to have a large congregation, impressive buildings and a paved parking lot, yet be an unhealthy church. There are some pastors who believe that success in ministry is all about numerical growth. While numerical growth is important, it isn't the real acid test of spiritual health. Cancer grows, but it isn't a healthy growth. When there is spiritual health, growth will be a product of this health.

I believe that there are seven important aspects of church health. They are pillars that give support to the church. Christ is the foundation of the church, but these pillars are built on this foundation. They are vital for the church's health, growth and future. Today, we will focus on the first of these pillars.

Biblical leadership is a key to a congregation's vitality. John Maxwell is famous for saying, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This is true in every facet of life. Good leadership elevates an organization while poor leadership may destroy it. When it comes to the church, poor leadership has brought irreversible harm to many congregations. It is one thing to be a famous teacher, it is another thing to be a godly leader.

While it is popular for many pastors to think of themselves as CEO's of their church, that is a worldly and fatal mistake. While there may be some things to be learned from business, the church is not a business. We need more than secular leadership in our churches. We need Biblical leadership.

The Bible gives us specific standards for spiritual leadership. The Apostle Paul gave specific instruction to Titus and Timothy about the necessary criteria for leadership. When we fail to follow the Bible's instruction about church leadership, we go down the path of compromise and ruin.

Biblical leadership is needed in churches today. Here are the traits required for those to be considered for leadership in the church.

CHARACTER

First of all, Biblical leaders need to have godly character. When Paul outlined qualifications for elders, most of these traits dealt with character. Even though there are many gifted men who have business savvy, these talents aren't considered as important as the man's character. A leader should live a clean, blameless life. This is reflected in his home-life as well as his treatment of others. He cannot allow greed, lust or fame to wreck his testimony and ruin his influence.

Character is more important than competence. I am not suggesting that competence is unimportant, but rather, it is less important than a man's character. If a man lacks competence, he can grow to achieve this. However, if he doesn't have character, no amount of competence will ever make up for this flaw.

CONVICTION

Secondly, a leader must have conviction. Conviction is defined as the firm assurance that something is true. A Christian leader must get his convictions from the Word of God. Lester Roloff used to say, “We need to have Biblical convictions rather than a bunch of sorry opinions.” A leader must know the truth and never waver from it. He must know what it is important. He must know what hills are worth dying on. He must make decisions based upon truth, not tradition or temptation. As someone once said, “Stop wearing a wishbone where your backbone ought to be.”

COMPASSION

A Christian leader should be committed, yet compassionate. He needs to remember that he is not selling a product. He is working with people. Rather than seeking his own success, he should be focused on pleasing his Lord and serving his people. Being compassionate should never cause a leader to dilute the truth. A man can firmly stand on the Word and love the people at the same time. Love is a vital component of Christian leadership.

The ultimate leader was Jesus Christ. He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. A shepherd does not push sheep along. Instead, he leads them. He is in front, the first to face any danger. Ultimately, Jesus died for His sheep. He loves His own. Jesus was not a dictatorial bully. Instead, He was a servant-leader.

A good leader would be wise to follow our Lord's example.

Strong, Stable and Sturdy

 STRONG, STABLE AND STURDY

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18

The American church seems to be in a crisis right now. By and large our society considers the church to be of no importance. Even worse, many professing believers claim that there is little benefit in attending church. In 2019, over 4,500 Protestant churches closed their doors in America. Only 3,000 new churches were opened. You can do that math. Something is seriously wrong.

The fact is that churches across the globe are not in a crisis. Even in areas where Christians are severely persecuted, the underground church is alive and well. Although Christians are being mistreated and martyred in these countries, the Christian church is going forward. But here in America, the church has problems.

One of our problems is a lack of focus. The American Church is heavily invested in programs, personalities and politics. Some pastors have implemented programs designed to achieve worldly success and fame. Obviously, they have been enriched in the process. Here in America, we celebrate quick results. For many, numerical growth is the ultimate goal and they celebrate nearly any means to achieve this.

The American church needs to get back to her roots. The Church did not begin with a slick marketing program. Instead, it began in a prayer meeting. The phenomenal growth of the Church in the book of Acts was not the result of entertainment, but the preaching of the Word. The impact of the Church in the first century was felt because believers were convinced of the truth and were willing to risk their lives to share the Gospel message. We need to return to this.

The reason that churches are thriving in other countries is because they have not sunk to the level of American Christianity. They refuse to compromise. Instead, they are focusing on Jesus, not a polished preacher.

THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH

Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Some erroneously believe that the Church was built upon Peter. That is NOT the case. The nickname, “Peter,” was given to Simon by our Lord. The name, “Peter,” means little stone. In contrast to the little stone, Jesus said His Church would be built upon a rock. That rock is the Rock of Ages. The foundation of the Church is not a denomination, slick preacher or some music style. The Church is anchored on the Rock, Jesus Christ.

Contractors spend more time on the foundation than they do the super-structure. They know that the longevity and sturdiness of the building is dependent on this foundation. Buildings must be constructed to endure sturdy winds and severe storms. This is true of the church. The Church must have a foundation that is strong, stable and sturdy. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

The main reason that churches die is because they have built on a wrong foundation. When churches concentrate on tradition, a popular pastor or personal preferences, they are building on a flimsy foundation.

How is a church built on a firm foundation? By preaching the Gospel and worshiping Jesus Christ alone. Everything should be about Him. We need to divert our attention away from this world and its influences and focus solely on Jesus.

THE FRUITFULNESS OF THE CHURCH

Most pastors think that is their job to grow a church. Sometimes a Christian talk-show host will introduce a pastor by saying, “He has built a church that has thousands of members.” If the pastor built the church, they are in trouble. It isn't the pastor's job to build the church. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” When He is the foundation of the church, the Lord takes care of the growth. In Acts 2:47 the Bible says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Finally, Jesus said of the church, “... the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” While some local congregations may close their doors, overall, the Church of the Lord Jesus is still marching forward. Despite the efforts of a wicked world, the Church will continue to thrive. There will be times of pain, problems and persecution. A church that stands for the truth will endure great afflictions. The devil is out to destroy every congregation that exalts Jesus Christ. The enemy will try to stop any effort to evangelize a lost world. The future of a church is only as strong as its foundation. With Christ as the foundation, a church will be victorious.

There is a glorious future for the Church. Our Lord will soon come for His Bride, the Church. He will take us home to heaven where the marriage supper of the Lamb will be held. Things may look rather bleak here on earth, but our future is elsewhere. This world is not our home. Just like the old song says, “Anywhere is home as long as Christ, my Lord, is there!”

The Church And You

THE CHURCH & YOU

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” - Colossians 3:16

Here in America, there is a spiritual attack being conducted on the Christian church. Certainly, there is pressure and persecution from outside the church. During the Covid crisis, many wanted to keep churches closed. In California, for instance, more than one church faced huge fines because they continued having Sunday services in defiance of the government's order to stay closed. Pastor John MacArthur's church sued the state of California over these fines and won the case. Nevertheless, there is still an overt effort to silence and stop the American church.

Worst of all, there are problems within the church. Varying forms of carnality and sin act like cancer, eating away at the life of local congregations. One form of carnality that has infiltrated lives is the popular lie that the church is unimportant. There are “Christians” who use their social platforms to criticize the church. Those who criticize the church are usually the ones who rarely, if ever, attend a church. They even encourage others to stay away from church.

Let me be abundantly clear. The church is not man's idea. God is the One who started the church. The Bible states that the Lord loves the church and gave His life for her. If Jesus loves the church that much, shouldn't we? If we claim to be followers of Jesus, shouldn't we love what Jesus loves?

It is rather common for Christians to say, “We are not called to go to church, we are called to BE the church.” While this sounds good, it also undermines what Scripture teaches. It is true that we are to be the church, but part of this work is expressed through the ministry of a local church. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find direct or indirect instructions to avoid or neglect a local assembly of believers. To the contrary, believers were expected to be part of a local Bible believing church.

I know that many have been hurt by past experiences. Many have been injured by gossip, manipulation, and treated unfairly at church. Some have even been victims of abuse. I don't mean to belittle the pain that others have caused. I am sympathetic toward such victims. While I am sensitive to the pain some have endured, don't let pain blur your vision of God's plan.

God intends for His people to gather locally as a church. The Bible refers to the church as being a body. The human body has many parts. We have eyes, ears, a nose, arms, legs, etc. In a similar fashion, the church has many members. Each Christian is important and has much to contribute to the church. A missing member hinders a church and limits the church's impact. Thus, if you've been hurt by a church in the past, don't let that experience rob you of fellowship that God intends for you to enjoy. Find a good church and serve as a faithful member.

The American church is facing tough times. The enemy has strategically and successfully led many away from church. Church attendance is considered “optional,” by many professing believers. It is time for Christians to return to church. Faithfully attend. Pray for the church. Give to the church. Serve in the church. Pray for your pastor. Invite others to attend.

A good church may be difficult for you to find in your area. Keep looking. Don't look for a perfect church. Each church consists of imperfect people, thus the church itself is imperfect. You're not perfect either, so don't expect others to be.

If you are having a hard time finding a church, don't give up. It may be that a good church is a few miles away. I believe that a good church is worth the effort. Even if you have to drive a little further than you'd prefer, keep searching until you find the right place.

Quit making excuses. Find a good church & go regularly.

Start this Sunday!