In meditations 63 to 72 we saw that God’s Spirit wants to empower my church for mature, Christlike worship of God. We realised that the Holy Spirit wants to do that in such a way that my church fulfills God’s first and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
Let’s summarise the biblical components which are essential for my church’s growth in corporate Christlike worship:
• A ‘corporate personality’
In God’s eyes my church is more than a gathering of individual believers. He desires that my church begins to see itself as a ‘corporate personality’. God looks at my church as the ‘Temple of His Holy Spirit’, as the ‘Body of His dear Son’, as ‘His precious People and His cherished Family’, as the ‘beloved Bride of His Messiah’. (see meditation 63)
• A shared vision of worship
We need to pray that God gives our churches a shared vision of Christlike worship of Himself. Naturally, such divine vision will be firmly based on the knowledge of God’s Word [i.e., the Bible].
(see meditation 64)
• Bearers of that vision
In meditation 65 we saw that God’s Spirit wants to appoint in my church people who bear that vision of Christlike worship. In all likelihood they will belong to the leadership of my church: the pastor, one or more elders, the worship leader, etc. However, it is also possible that God calls an ‘average church member’ to this ministry. In that case the church leadership needs the humility to acknowledge that calling.
• Sustained devotion to worship
My church needs to receive Christ’s desire for unconditional and persistent devotion to worship. Therefore, it needs Jesus’ teaching on persistent prayer and follow His example. Actually, I wonder how many of our churches in the West are profoundly lacking in the sacrificial ministry of Christlike worship. It might be that God’s Spirit truly needs to do a divine miracle in many churches. Are we open to Christ’s teaching on worship and to Christlike transforma-
tion by God’s Spirit? (see meditation 66)
• The essence of true worship
However important prayers of supplication and intercession may be, God seeks first of all true worshippers and true worshipping communities. God’s Spirit needs to show my church the overall importance of true worship from the heart. Such worship is empowered by God’s Spirit and based on the truth of God’s Word. (see meditation 67)
• My church, a community of priests
This priestly ministry of the entire church and its leadership aims at meeting with God the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. During such times of fellowship with God, the church offers to God Spirit-empowered sacrifices of praise. Such a sacrifice might contain humble confessions of sin. It certainly will overflow in gratitude for Christ’s redeeming love. Above all, such a sacrifice of praise will acknowledge God’s all-embracing love and compassion, His holiness and righteousness, His judgment and mercy, His saving grace, His awesome power in creation and final restoration, His control of world history, and the faithful guidance of His people throughout all the storms of life. (see meditations 68 to 71)
Finally, such times of corporate worship might include elements which I have not yet mentioned in earlier meditations.
The apostle Paul encourages the church in Colosse, saying: “Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” (Colossians 3:16) In general Bible scholars are not sure what the exact meaning of these different types of songs was.
• “Sing psalms...” might point to the singing of Old Testament psalms during Christian worship. We are not able any more to sing those psalms with their original melodies as they are unknown to us. Yet, reciting and praying parts of Old Testament psalms surely help us to enrich our worship.
In meditation 72, I also quoted other texts from the Bible in which God is addressed personally. Those kinds of Bible verses might widen our horizon as we seek ever new reasons for extolling the Lord in our worship.
• The actual Greek term for ‘psalm’ might also signify “the playing of a stringed instrument”. In Psalm 71:22 and many other psalms David worships God by playing a stringed instrument: “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God...”
(Psalm 71:22). In our worship services we normally play instruments to accompany congregational singing or to play a piece of music for the congregation. God’s people in biblical times often played for God on their musical instruments. As God is in our midst, we might well learn anew to take the time to play for Him.
• “Sing ... hymns...” might refer to Christian songs written and sung or recited in the early churches. Also in our time songs directed to God the Father and to Jesus Christ are great ways to lift our hearts in worship. Here is one of the countless modern worship songs which address the Lord personally: “Lord, the light of Your love is shining...” And what about the rich storehouse of classical hymns like: “Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son...”
• “Sing ... spiritual songs” might mean “singing songs produced by God’s Spirit”. These Spirit-empowered songs seem not so much to be an indication that the early church publicly practised glossolalia [i.e. singing and speaking in tongues]. The apostle Paul does not encourage its use in public (see 1 Corinthians 14:2-25). The ‘spiritual songs’ of Colossians 3:16 are probably spontaneous songs of praise to God under direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Today we might find this kind of spontaneous worship more often in African churches than here in the West.
One thing is clear. Jesus said: “... the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23).
In our recent meditations we saw that the Holy Spirit wants to empower my church to worship God in such a way that it will fulfill His first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37). What is the sustained sacrifice of praise more than a unique expression of my church’s unconditional love for God? It lifts my church up to the worshipping congregation in heaven. It also teaches my church to focus on God instead of circling around its own needs and desires. Therefore, let our churches reconsider carefully if the continuous priestly sacrifice of praise is indeed our pre-eminent practice in meeting with God. And let us not forget David’s statement in Psalm 22:3 : “You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
Is the continuous sacrifice of praise to God indeed the pre-eminent ministry of my church?
Next time I would like to invite you to a fictitious church meeting, specially called together to offer sacrifices of praise to God.
Matthew 22:37 and Psalm 71:22 are quotes from the New International Version. John 4:23 and Psalm 22:3 are quoted from the New King James Version, Colossians 3:16 is a quote from the New Living Translation.
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