What goes into a church service? There are debates, to be sure, but we can find several common components. There is likely some singing (we call it "worship" even though genuine worship is much larger than a few songs on Sunday morning). There is probably an opportunity to give to the financial needs of the church. There is a sermon, of course. There may be other things. Perhaps there are announcements or maybe your church likes to have an "altar call" or whatever other trappings there might be, but I think those three basic components are found just about everywhere. Sometimes the singing is accompanied by instruments and in a few places those instruments are considered "evil" and kept out. Maybe the giving part is in the middle and others might just put boxes at the doors to let people do it on the way out. Perhaps the sermon is an hour and a half long or, more likely these days, just a brief soliloquy.
Most common these days is to "drum up" warm feelings toward God with lots of cool singing in the favorite mode of the day. You know, maybe it's hand-clapping, foot-stomping music or maybe it's something that warms your heart, but the aim is to encourage us to "be in love" with God. This may go on for a half hour if it's really "spiritual", you know, because your "personal worship time" is the primary point of church, right? I mean, no one wants to sit for hours on end listening to someone explain the meaning of Bible verses to us. Sure, sure, we all want to hear a brief explanation about how God loves us or how to be happy in the Lord, but let's not do this stuff too long, okay? I mean, worship is about how I feel toward God, not about what some guy has to say about the Bible, right?
Funny thing. When I look at gatherings of believers in the Bible, I see a somewhat different construct. Now, to be clear, they have the same three components. It just seems that they're in a different priority structure. Take, for instance, the gathering of the disciples in the upper room on the night of Jesus's arrest. John's account starts in chapter 13 and ends in chapter 17 ... and most of it is in red. That is Jesus was talking most of the time. Matthew and Mark mention that they sang a hymn and went out. One song and a couple of hours of sermon. In Acts 20, Paul preached his Sunday sermon until midnight. Oh, sure, it was fatal to Eutychus, but it came out okay for him. (If that was vague, just go read the account. It's short.) Scripture speaks of the need for hymns and spiritual songs. Of that there is no doubt. But what the Bible really emphasizes is the power of the Word of God. That is the most important thing.
Worship is much more than "warm feelings toward God". It is an accurate reflection of His character. It is a recognition of His goodness. It is a daily lifestyle that bears itself out in good works (Matt 5:16), self-sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2), and living in the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). This kind of worship is best fed on the truth of the Word that brings about the renewal of the mind, supported (as opposed to powered) by a new set of emotions toward God.
As you gather with other believers today, I hope you get a good dose of the Word covered in prayer with some fine trappings of music and giving. It is the real source of worship and the best medicine for worldliness. The Word is the power of God that works in His people. Songs are nice. Giving is good. But when we shortchange the Word, we will be losing a lot.
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