Worship: Above Serving??
Hi, you've reached the sixth and final part in the article series on worship!
If you haven't yet read the five previous articles in this series, I suggest you read them first before proceeding with this one. Enjoy!
Worship: More Than Just Singing??
Worship: Bringing Down The Walls
Worship: The Dangers of "Rock" Music
Worship: A Sacrifice of Praise
Worship: The Highest Praise
We have now come to the last article in the series on worship. I hope you've enjoyed this series, but more importantly I hope you've learned something valuable from its lessons. We’ve discussed several aspects of worship so far, but we’ve really only touched the tip of the iceberg on this subject. There is so much more to be said…so much more to be learned about worship, but that would require a whole book! So with this article, we’ll be wrapping things up on the topic of worship. Look for the new article series on prayer starting with the next issue of 212 Degrees—Boiling Point!
I think it’s important that we talk about the place of worship for a few minutes. I’ve said it before -- over and over -- that worshipping God is THE purpose of our existence. I believe that Worshipping God is our first calling, before witnessing, before even “serving.” God’s original plan for mankind did not include or involve witnessing in any way. Why? Because there was no need for it. Mankind was perfect and did not have a sinful or fleshly nature. Everything and everyone, all of God’s creation, knew the Father AND worshipped Him. There was no need for people to minister to others or “show them the way.” But worshipping God was always in the plan.
When Jesus came to Mary and Martha’s house, Martha set to work preparing things -- serving -- while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, just listening to Him. Well, Martha got a bit angry at her sister for leaving her with all the work, but Jesus set their priorities straight when He said that Mary had chosen what was better. You see, spending quality time with God is far more important than busily working for God.
It is extremely easy to get so caught up with ministry and serving to the point that your own relationship with God begins to deteriorate. Sure, you are staying busy for God and working for His kingdom…but is your service to God pushing out your time with God? I’m not saying anything against ministry; I believe that it is important and has its place in God’s plan. But worship has to come first!
You do not have to truly know Christ and have your heart right with Him in order to “serve” Him or spread the gospel. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul said “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in everything, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice…” (Philippains 1:15-18)
So it is true that Christ can be preached by anyone; but on an individual level, does preaching Christ -- serving Christ -- make you a Christian? Or do you have to know Him, love Him, worship Him? Do the thoughts and intentions of the heart have anything to do with it? Which is better, to serve Christ or worship Christ? To spend time with Him or spend time working for Him?
I don’t want anyone to take from this article that I am against serving Christ and being involved in ministry. This magazine proves otherwise, as it is part of my service and ministry. But what I do want you to understand is that worshipping God and spending time in His presence should be your first priority. If you find yourself so busy that your own time with God is compromised, then you need to step back and evaluate things and perhaps make a few changes. Losing your focus is an easy thing to do, and anyone involved in ministry knows that (including me!). That is why we have to be extra aware and make the special effort to set aside time for God and only God.
Worship comes before service. Jesus said it Himself when answering Martha’s request that He tell her sister to help her with the preparations. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) Only one thing is needed... Have you chosen what is better, what won’t be taken from you? What do you think, is worship above service?
--Written by: Hannah Kelmis
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