More Than Sunday Morning
Here’s what Paul is telling us: God doesn’t want just our voices and religious activity. He wants our lives.
More Than Sunday Morning
What does worship look like?
For most of us, what comes to mind is singing hymns, listening to a sermon and gathering on Sunday morning. Those are certainly expressions of worship, but they only scratch the surface of what worship really means.
We were created to worship God. So, then, worship should be more than something we do for an hour on Sunday. It has to become the way we live.
Paul gives us a great picture of this in Romans 12:1:
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Here’s what Paul is telling us: God doesn’t want just our voices and religious activity. He wants our lives. Real worship involves at least four things.
Worship starts with surrender. We give God more than our voices; we give Him ourselves. We place our plans, ambitions and desires at His feet. We stop trying to have things our way and begin seeking His way.
Worship embraces obedience. We can’t claim to honor God while we are disregarding His Word. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Our obedience is an expression of our love.
Worship must lead to service. We demonstrate our love for God through the way we serve others. The greatest expression of our worship isn’t what happens in a church service but what happens after we walk through the door back into the world around us.
Worship is a lifestyle. Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:17 that whatever we do, in word or deed, we should do everything in the name of the Lord. That means our decisions, conversations, attitudes and actions should reflect Him.
You see, worship doesn’t end when the last hymn is sung or the church doors close. That’s when we have the opportunity to demonstrate what our worship really means.
How do you worship God on Monday morning or Thursday afternoon? What does your worship look like when nobody is watching?
If we were created to worship God, then let’s not limit our worship to a building or a particular time or place.
Don’t just go to church and worship. Go out into the world and live a life of worship.
