Thought for the day
I read recently about a congregation that decided to have four worship services each Sunday.
There was one for those new to the faith. Another for those who liked traditional worship. One for those who'd lost their faith and would like to get it back. And another for those who had bad experiences with churches and were complaining about it.
They have names for each of the services: FINDERS, KEEPERS, LOSERS, WEEPERS.
The joke does remind me that we all have a different idea of what worship should be like. There are some who would like to have a more celebratory nature to our worship. There are others who would prefer to take a more reverent approach. There are many who are concerned about what they get out of worship.
The truth is that there is some validity to each of those concerns. Worship should be a time of celebration: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before his presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:1). It should also be a time of reverence. “...Serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:28-29).
And while worship will make an impact on our hearts and lives, ultimately worship is not about what we “get out of it”, but what we “put into in it.” It is a time for us to bow down before the heavenly throne and pour out our praise for who God is and all that He has done for us.
Verses
2 Corinthians 4:13
Now since I have the same spirit of faith as he who said in the Scriptures, "I believed, and so I spoke," I too believe, and so I speak,
John 8:31-32
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
2 Corinthians 5:15
his purpose in dying for all humanity was that those who live should live not any more for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life.
Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to me, and I will answer you; I will tell you wonderful and marvelous things that you know nothing about.
Proverbs 13:21
Ill fortune pursues the sinner; good fortune rewards the righteous.
Prayer
Jesus, You are life’s greatest Treasure as You emptied Yourself of equality with God and chose to be made in human likeness taking on the very nature of a servant. Thank You for coming to us and meeting our most critical need of salvation. May we not be fearful but openly voice Your presence in the public square even as great hosts of angels proclaimed Your earthly arrival in Bethlehem. Your salvation message brings hope to the hopeless, strength to the weak, and release for those help captive in the ravages of sin’s wasteland. You did not descend to earth in order to conquer or enslave, but to draw the hearts of humankind to Yourself through the incredible sacrificial love that poured forth from Your body on the cross of Calvary. What personal wondrous love is this! Amen.
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