Sunday Wonder Worship
Why do we come to church on Sunday morning? Most of us would probably give the expected answer that is something like “to worship God and learn more about the Bible.” But week after week Jessica and I lead kids worship, we sit in Sunday School, and even go to adult worship every now and then. But so many weeks as we share our thoughts about services, how the kids respond, and how we respond, we often talk about seeing a lack of real worship
So a couple of weeks ago Jessica and I decided to meet this troubling perception head-on. All month we’ve been talking about Obedience, and this week’s bottom line was “It’s always right to listen to God because He is God.” Our Bible story was the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. We decided to focus everything on the phrase “because He is God.”
You see, when Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she wanted to take the place of God. She stole something from Him that wasn’t intended for her. It was intended for God. Then Adam did the same thing.
I believe worship works the same way. Worship is living a lifestyle of obedience to God. When Eve disobeyed, she stole the gift of worship from God. When we disobey, we steal a gift of worship from God.
But I think it gets worse. Every Sunday morning, we sit in corporate worship for the express purpose of WORSHIPPING OUR CREATOR. Why? BECAUSE HE IS GOD. But what attitude do we have? Who do we really focus on? Most of the time, I think we focus on ourselves.
If the temperatures not just right, we complain. If our worship pastor doesn’t sing just the right song, we’re disappointed. If we see someone sitting across the sanctuary we want to point out to our spouse, we can’t wait until later. We have to interrupt worship with our whispers of disgrace. I actually listened to someone behind me do this on Sunday. If we’re standing on the stage on the praise team or in the choir, we often worry more about how we sound or look to others than we do about how we look or sound to God.
I invited the kids Sunday morning to pretend they were God looking down from Heaven as we all arrived at church on Sunday morning. I imagine I would be so excited because my children were wearing their best and bringing their best gifts to a party in my honor. But then as the party begins, I would be so saddened as my children fought over whose gift was the better choice. As they whispered lies and gossip about one another while standing in my house. I would be so dismayed as some of them actually stole gifts of worship from me with their attitudes, talking about lunch, crossing their arms, or trying to catch my God-ordained servant making a simple mistake while delivering my message for my children.
Frankly, I think God is disappointed most Sundays. He knows our attitudes. At least, I know He knows mine. And mine simply isn’t its best many Sundays.
Why do we come to church on Sunday? Because He is God. Why do we breathe? Because He is God. Why do we put one foot in front of the other and walk down the street? Because He is God. Why do we get to eat to the point of gorging ourselves while others do not get to eat every day? Because He is God. Why should we stop ourselves from stealing His gift of worship each Sunday? Because He is God.
God’s greatest gift to us is the free gift of salvation made possible through the loving Grace of his Son Jesus. Our greatest gift to God is the love we show him as we worship him in obedience. Don’t let your lifesong be one of thievery and deceit in the house of God. Instead, let’s all check our attitudes by simply repeating this phrase over and over and over again.
…because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God….because He is God.
