What Should Our Corporate Worship Gatherings Do?

"Our worship should show the face of Jesus to those who have gathered and to those who need to gather to worship Him." 

Bryan Chapell, from Christ Centered Worship

Preparing for Sunday, 6/9/13

 

Hey guys!
Here's a quote for you to think about as you prepare for corporate worship tomorrow morning. We often come to church on Sunday expecting the wrong things. Ponder this:

We're prone to get this backwards: [w]e come to worship thinking that we're somehow giving to God, and we subtly expect we'll be receiving from others. We desperately need to turn that pattern on its head.

The God we worship is one not "served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:25). And when he came in the flesh, he did so "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Beware coming to corporate worship to serve God. But by all means, come on the lookout to serve others. Worshiping God and building up others aren't mutually exclusive but come to their fullness together.

We give to one another as we together come to receive from God our soul's satisfaction. We kill both the vertical and horizontal of corporate worship when we come looking to give to God and receive from others.

David Mathis, from DesiringGod

We do often get this backwards - we come expecting to be fulfilled by the people at church, leaders or otherwise, in some kind of worship experience. Let's come tomorrow ready to love, encourage, and otherwise serve one another as we worship our Savior with thankfulness. See ya' tomorrow!