Sunday morning church may have been a part of your weekly walk for as long as you can remember. Or you may have found your way there at some later time or maybe you have just recently begun. When someone asks you why you attend what is your response? One of the most quoted verses to answer this question is found in Hebrews 10:25 it says this:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
You can hear a since of urgency as the writer of Hebrews calls us out on the necessity of gathering together as we grow closer to the coming of the Lord (as you see the day approaching). We clearly need the benefit of exhortation and encouragement that we receive from gathering together as a body of believers, or maybe I should say someone may need what we have, and they will miss it if we’re not there to give it.
I believe scripture gives us further purpose for gathering as a body of believers
Psalm 100:4 says this: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
There is no misunderstanding here as we are instructed on how we should serve the Lord from the time we ENTER His gates. We are to enter with thanksgiving and praise, we are to bless His name.
Psalm 100:2 says this: Serve the Lord with Gladness; come before His presence with Singing.
Our singing, here can be seen as an expression of our service with gladness.
Then Psalms 116:18: I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
Do we have it backwards? Do we often enter the house of the Lord on a one-way street? Being served by the Lord but not serving Him?
When I was a child some of my earliest lessons were about giving. And let’s face it, serving is giving. On one occasion my dad asked me for a bite of my candy. My response was to shove it in my mouth as fast as I could so that he could not have any. I got a verbal lesson that day on selfishness and my desire to take instead of being willing to give. Another time we went out to eat with church folk after church. Pizza after Sunday night church was a thing. As I sat there at the table, the only child, bored out of my mind with all the adults I saw there was only one piece of pizza left. I had a nice size slice in my hand, but not wanting to miss that last piece I quickly grabbed for it. Now I had two, one in each hand and I had taken the last one. I have to say my parents waited until we were in the car but they let me know how rude it was to only think of myself and not to offer it to anyone else at the table. Let’s face it, we are born selfish individuals with a need to satisfy ourselves. It takes maturity and growth and maybe a few hard lessons along the way to learn to be givers, to be willing to serve.
So, what does this have to do with Church? Part of the motivation of church attendance should be our desire to serve our Heavenly Father in corporate worship. To “give” him thanksgiving, to laud Him with praises. To recount to Him all of His goodness towards us with joyful expression. The Psalms are full of examples of what serving the Lord in worship looks like. Whether it is in the singing of Hymns or with the sound of instruments, joyful celebration or shouts of praise, with lifted hands or bowing knees. The Lord is pleased with our full expression of worship.
We should have great expectation when we attend the house of the Lord with other believers because we have the promise that he inhabits the praises of His people and willingly meets us at the point of our need. So, what can He expect from us? Let’s rethink our part in the worship service. I don’t want to just be a taker but a giver. Will we walk in waiting to be served by Him? Or will we Enter with Thanksgiving in our hearts and Praise on our lips, giving to God the glory due His name?
PRAYER: Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Lord I desire to worship you with all of who I am. You alone are great and greatly to be praised. Forgive me for any tendencies I have to make it about anything other than you. Forgive me for withholding my praises and heartfelt worship. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.