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How many of you have ever heard someone say, "I don't feel that I need to go to church in order to worship God?" Now, for the record, the focus of this week's devotional thoughts is not on who goes to church and who does not! But there is an unusual sense in which that oft-heard statement is true. "Worship" is not limited to what happens between 11 a.m. and noon on Sunday morning. I recall preaching a message years ago entitled "From the Postlude to the Prelude" which dealt with that very issue of what takes place when we are not "at church." Would it surprise you to learn that what takes place, or at least what is supposed to take place outside of scheduled worship services is worship itself?
It's true! Note in the words of the apostle Paul to the saints in the city of Rome his reference to that which is every believer's "spiritual service of worship." Our problem is that, whenever we see the word "worship," we customarily think of organ and piano music or praise bands, of free-flowing spontaneous congregational praise or solemn liturgy, of joyful jubilation or quiet reverence. But we seldom seem to think in terms of true "service" unto God. And that is what the thrust of the Greek word latreia is. In fact, it is likely that the King James Version carries for us the best translation possible here:
"which is your reasonable service"
As latreia in that day focused upon the actual service which the Levitical priests offered unto God daily in the temple, so our "worship" must include that which we give to Him in ministry through the living of our lives, a "worship without walls." Your "spiritual service of worship," then, that which He has every right to expect from you as His redeemed one, is that sacrifice of your whole life in living daily so as to glorify His name and accomplish His purposes. Don't leave your "worship" at church, beloved, but make it a matter of ongoing ministry, moment-by-moment as you seek to glorify Jesus Christ!
Ron
Ron
