A Community of Hope and Courage

Say “I Will” to Corporate Worship

praise-1154566_1280_smallWhy do you come to worship? For far too many, it is about what is received instead of what is given. That’s backwards. Worship is an opportunity to give to God the praise and thanks he is due for all that he has given to us.

To help us focus on God rather than ourselves, Thom Rainer, in his book I Will, suggests the following practices:

It’s time. It’s time for a decision. It’s time for a church membership revolution. Not because we are legalistically obligated. Not because we equate activities to commitment. But because a great attitude toward your church, the bride of Christ, will result in great actions for her.

How can we turn the focus away from ourselves and toward God?

Consider the following four simple items of action and accountability:

  • I will attend worship services.
  • I will pray before I attend worship services.
  • I will pray as I enter the worship center or sanctuary.
  • I will pray that I will be a worshipper instead of a judge.

Too many times we leave a corporate worship service as if we just judged an Olympic event. We might give the pastor a “7” for the sermon, or the worship leader a “6” for the music. And we might give other worshippers a low “3” because they would not move to the middle of the pews to let us in more easily. When we leave with such judgmental perceptions, we have not worshipped God. Instead we have attended an event to entertain us. We must pray that we will worship God instead of judging aspects of the corporate worship services. We must pray for a focus on Him instead of a focus on others.

(Rainer, Thom S., I Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian (p. 33). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)

It’s time to say “I Will” to corporate worship.

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