THE VALUE OF WORSHIP

“Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.”  (Psalm 28:6-7 NIV)

At the height of the Civil War the need for hospital facilities became so great that many schools and other public buildings in Washington, D.C., were made into temporary medical centers. Dr. Phineas Gurley, pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, determined that the sanctuary of his church should be turned over to such needs, by placing a "floor" over the pews upon which hospital beds could be placed.

When Dr. Gurley announced to his congregation that there would be no more church services in New York Avenue until further notice, President Lincoln was present. Though not a member, Lincoln worshiped at that church most Sundays. The announcement was hardly complete before Lincoln stood to his feet. "Dr. Gurley," he said, "this action was taken without my consent and I hereby countermand the order. The churches are needed as never before for divine services." Needless to say, the President's order was obeyed. 

Mr. Lincoln realized that when mankind's needs are greatest, no need is greater than one’s spiritual sustenance. The most pressing problems of a critical time do not take precedence over the primary ministry of the church; they only accentuate its importance. For what is our profit if we have gained the world -- or saved our lives, economy, and health -- and have lost our souls? 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas, in the newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin, May 4, 1972

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A PREFERENCE FOR GOD

“Then Jesus came to His disciples and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”  (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

According to the final verses of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus met the disciples to give them direction and the promise of His presence. The Bible is filled with stories of people who received direction from God. Through the centuries, faithful disciples have discovered some essential qualities for the life and stance that permits us to receive God’s direction.

Practicing a preference for God and God’s will is the place to begin. That means putting God ahead of all else in our list of priorities. This is not only the way to receive direction but also the way to a joyful and faithful walk with God every day. Preference for God profoundly affects our lives. We not only receive direction but find our lives transformed as we learn to turn to God and seek to walk with God…

Begin practicing a preference for God and you will discover a growing capacity to receive and respond to God’s direction of your life. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE WAY WE LIVE

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  (Titus 3:4-5 NRSV)

Following Christ comes naturally to no one. As Christians, we are all on a journey under the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is forming and molding us to look increasingly like our Savior. That said, it can be easy for us to slip back into behaviors that do not represent Christ, which is why we must be intentional about the way we live…

Good works are necessary for the Christian life -- not to achieve our salvation, but to display it to the world. Our behaviors reveal what we truly believe, but we often discount the influence of our environment upon the ways in which we live.

There are many things contending for priority in our hearts -- culture, relationships, career, money, and so on -- and when we devote ourselves to anything other than Christ, we will live in ways that discredit the good news He desires for all to embrace.

We all have blind spots, which is why we need deep relationships within the body of Christ… Take the courageous step of asking whether or not your behavior reflects what you claim to believe. Doing so might require you to make some changes about the way you live, but they will lead you to a deeper intimacy with Christ, which is worth even the greatest of sacrifices. 

-- Excerpted from the study guide to “The Book of Titus” by Chip Ingram

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THE PRIORITY OF WORSHIP

If the Lord is to be Lord, worship must have a priority in our lives. The first commandment of Jesus is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). The divine priority is worship first, service second. Our lives are to be punctuated with praise, thanksgiving and adoration. Service flows out of worship. Service as a substitute for worship is idolatry. Activity may become the enemy of adoration. 

-- M. Scott Peck in “Celebration of Discipline”

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

Jesus said, “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV)

Jesus is saying that more will happen, more will get done, when we put Him first in our lives. When we keep order in our daily lives, then we keep our priorities clear. Order communicates priority. As Christians, we can be really busy doing a lot of good stuff for the wrong reasons. We slip into a mind-set of doing more so that we can feel like we’re closer to God or better Christians. But if we’re not spending one-on-one, intimate time with God each day and then acting  out of the overflow of that relationship rather than the other way around, then we have lost sight of why we’re doing all that we’re doing. One thing must come first and lead to the other. The order can’t be flipped. Whatever we put first place becomes the organizing principle for the other parts of our life. 

-- Chris Hodges in “The Daniel Dilemma: How to Stand Firm and Love Well in a Culture of Compromise”

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OUR LOVE FOR GOD

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  (Psalm 73:25-26 NKJV)

Nothing must become a rival to our love for God, even if it is something good. We sometimes have a tendency to let our service for Christ become a substitute for a longing heart to know Him more fully. To be active in missions work is a good thing. But to be so active in missions that one has little or no time to wait before God in prayer is to miss the point of true discipleship. Our first priority is an unhindered, unrushed experience of God, preferably in quietness and solitude. Then we can go from that experience renewed and energized to do the work of the Lord.

-- Jerry Mercer in “Cry Joy!”


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