Thursday, September 27, 2012

Defining Worship, part 4

This is part 4 of 4. To start at the beginning of the series, read this first.


Christian Worship results in Re-creation
The great author and apologetic C.S. Lewis once wrote, “It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to man.” I have found this to be absolutely true. Our response to God results in His revelation of Himself to us. As we seek Him, He speaks to us; as we hear Him, we know Him more; and as we know Him more, we are moved to act accordingly.

One way to look at the worship service is as a series of directions/arrows:


Through Christ, we approach the heavenly throne of the King of Kings, much the way the Israelites gathered at the Tabernacle or Temple, drawing near to God to worship Him. At New Cov, this is a time of “Singing to God.”



God speaks to us, through His Word and His Spirit. We call this “Hearing God’s Word.”




We respond to the revelation of God in a number of ways, but the most intimate response is in Communion. At New Cov we also observe “Responding Through Giving.”



Finally, having communed with God, we are empowered and sent into the world, to be salt, to be light, to bring Christ to the nations. At New Cov we call this time "Sent Into the World."



Several times in the Gospels, Jesus sends his disciples into the world to proclaim the Kingdom of God. They have heard his teachings, they have lived life with him, and they are thus sent to proclaim Jesus to the world. And when he sent them, he sent them with authority to do amazing things (Matthew 10). I once heard a speaker say that we, the body of Christ in the world, are God’s plan to redeem creation. There is no “Plan B.” Nor need there be. Christ will come again, and until then He has ordained the Church to spread the word. 

Rejoice! Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)! May we show the world the grace and love that the Father has shown us!

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