“The master was full of praise, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:21 NLT)
The Bible has nearly 200 verses that speak directly to the theme of celebration. The Jews had many seasons of celebration to give recognition to all the Lord had done in their lives and in the lives of their ancestors.
In recognizing that the “Church” is not a building, but a people of God, it is an avenue and outlet of celebration. Unfortunately, some who lead our churches may be “boring,” but being with Jesus and celebrating Him with His born-again family is NEVER boring. If you think the gathering of God’s redeemed is boring that may say more about you than about the people with whom you worship.
When I think of worship, I think of the woman kneeling at the feet of Jesus, covering her Savior’s feet with expensive perfume mixed with her tears and drying them with her hair. Or the blindman when he discovered who it was that gave him his sight. Or the woman with the issue of blood the moment she realized what the Savior had done for her. Or the Jewish leader the moment he saw his daughter had been brought back to life at the word of the Lord Jesus. Or __________ and you can fill in the details of your story when the reality of the Son of God’s power and authority were released into your hopeless life.
When I think of “boring,” I’m reminded of the poor souls who had to endure my too-often ill-prepared messages, when I had to prepare 3 messages a week with a full load of hospital visits, counseling, and administrative duties that no one else could do but the Pastor. Of course, now I know that was a lie, and if I’d been smart enough and willing enough to ask, I’m sure someone would have stepped up and helped me. But the point is, when we come to worship with an expectant heart, corporate worship with other like-minded souls, is exhilarating, encouraging, enlightening, uplifting, and like fuel that ignites our heart, soul, and mind.
It occurs to me that worship isn’t simply something we do at church, it’s an attitude that guides our mind and rules our life as we live our daily lives. To believe we can accomplish ANYTHING without the Lord is to not understand who He is and who we are as His servant. When Jesus said in John 14:5: “Apart from Me you can do nothing,” that wasn’t figurative language, it was a statement of fact.
Try drawing a breath, lifting a finger, bending to pick up something off the floor and remind yourself, “I can only do this by the grace and mercy of God.” At any second our body or mind could be paralyzed or disabled, and we’d be begging God to restore and heal us.
Worship should be like breathing for those of us who love Jesus. He’s our everything and deserves constant worship, honor, praise, and adoration. Worship and celebration should be synonymous terms that are embedded in the fabric of our being, illustrated in and through our lifestyle, our attitudes, our vocabulary, and especially how we respond to and treat those with whom we have contact during the course of our day.
R.C. Sproul nailed it when he wrote: “People in awe never complain that church is boring.”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 