While most churches are still struggling to regain their pre-COVID attendance numbers, it’s been good to think about why gathering with God’s people matters. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:
1. Worshiping together is part of God’s intent in making us relational. He who is relational in Himself as Trinity created us needing one another (Gen 2:18). Worshiping with others is one expression of God’s creative intent.
2. It reminds us that we’re not alone in our Christian walk. Many of us struggle most in being faithful—or worse, in surrendering to temptation—when we’re by ourselves. At least for the worship service, we remember that others are walking the same path with us.
3. Our engagement in worship is encouraging to others. We have learned that it’s great to see brothers and sisters in person. Others encourage me, and I trust my being there strengthens them, too. The unity of heart and focus that true worship brings can help even the most discouraged believer find hope again.
4. Non-believers who see us worship might sense our love and awe of the Lord as we worship and praise Him. This assumes, of course, that lost people are in our churches—but if those who are present sense genuine humility, deep gratitude, and heartfelt commitment to God, perhaps God will use that experience to turn their hearts to Him.
5. There’s just something special about the people of God singing His praises together. No matter what the worship style is, focusing on God and lifting His name together can be a powerful experience. Bob Kauflin puts it this way: “A worshiping community recognizes that passionate times of singing God’s praise flow from and lead to passionate lives lived for the glory of Jesus Christ.”[i]
6. It is in our gathering together that we provoke one another to love and good works (Heb 10:24-25). We do that through other means as well, but encouragement to persevere in faithfulness is one task of the gathered body. Walking arm-in-arm as we serve Him and knee-to-knee as we pray together compel us to faithfulness.
7. The gathering together of the body of Christ to hear from their under-shepherd is a privilege, indeed. A worship gathering is a primary means of corporate discipleship, when the pastor accountable to God for watching over their souls (Heb 13:17) directs listeners to Christ. It matters that we gather.
8. It is what the early church did. Scholars debate the size of their gatherings, but we do know they shared life together—including worship (Acts 2:42-47). Gathering together for them may have been a brief respite from a dangerous world, but it was also a place of encouragement to go out and face that world again with the hope of the gospel.
What would you add to this list?
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[i]Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (p. 128). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
Posted on March 15, 2022
Dr. Chuck Lawless is a leading expert in spiritual consultation, discipleship and mentoring. As a former pastor, he understands the challenges ministry presents and works with Church Answers to provide advice and counsel for church leaders.
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3 Comments
Dear Beloved in Christ.
I pray that the Grace and Blessing of the Lord be upon you , your family and your Ministry in Jesus Name Amen.
As a of God I have strong love for the word of God , And I have been pastoring for some years now,And God have be using me and my wife to give people life a meaning, God have been using us to organize a none governmental orphanage home because of my wife heartfelt compassion she have for the orphans, she went out collecting children without parents, some of the children my wife is caring for their mother died the very day she gave birth to them.
We also found some children in the bush, some in the street, their mother throw them away because of poverty, they felt that they cannot take care of the child.
People in my state call my wife [ A WOMAN OF TRUE LOVE ] myself and my wife have been doing a great work trying to give this orphanage children a life a meaning, and we are also preparing this children for God’s Kingdom.
My Beloved in Christ as a man of God I have organize a crusade in different Villages in my Community of which many of our brothers and sisters were saved, the only challenges we experience in the crusade is that, majority of our brothers and sisters that attend the crusade did not come with Bible, They plead to me to help them get a Holy Bible, my Heart was broken when I found out that majority of the people that attend the crusade did not have a bible, Beloved there is no way a true Christian can grow perfectly without reading a bible,
Please I am using this opportunity to write to your ministry to help us with bibles to give to the people of my community, please kindly help us with Giant print Hendrickson Bible with leather back covered, these type of bible will serve the people of our community longer, Please send as many as you can afford to send to us,And we will appreciate it with all our heart, Please my beloved in Christ, Also, kindly send us 3 life Application study bible with leather back cover for ministry use, God Almighty will continue to bless you, bless your family and bless your ministry in Jesus Name Amen.
I shall be grateful if my request is granted, Thanks and God bless you richly.
PASTOR OSAHON NEDOMIAYERE
Chapter 2 Paul emphasised that the gospel does not rely on human wisdom, but on the power of God. It is God’s power through the Holy Spirit that empowers, guides and reveals God’s wisdom. Paul quotes from Isaiah 40:13, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Lack of unity, as they experienced at Corinth, meant they were focussing on the wrong things! Our unity is discovered when we come to worship Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour! May we never focus on anything but Him!
Amen.
Thanks for your thoughts, Rick.