We can talk circles around what it means to be a Christian but let’s cut to the chase. What is our job here? What is it that we are supposed to be doing? It depends on who you ask.
Some will say that our job is to worship God. Others will say that our main job is to bring others to Christ. Still others will say that we are here to glorify God. I couldn’t agree more!
But honestly, I don’t think you can dissect those and divide them out like a serving of English peas. You come at them as a whole. Together they form this beautiful picture of what we are here to do. Let’s start with worship.
Worship is simply our response to who God is. He has revealed Himself. He has shown us something of His glory and power and majesty. Our worship is simply the way in which we bow our hearts and our knees and we acknowledge Him for who He is. Worship is far less about what you are doing than the way in which you are doing it.
Some folks want to think of worship purely in terms of singing and of a service that we conveniently call a “worship” service. But worship is something far more than Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. Worship is a moment of time where we humbly acknowledge our Lord as the Owner and Creator and Redeemer and Father of our entire being. It can take the form of a worship song or a prayer but it could also be the moment we give an offering to God. It might be the joy that we share in times of fellowship. It certainly happens whenever we serve the Lord and honor Him as we do it.
We are here to worship and there is no question about it. But we are also here to share the goodness and the greatness of God with others. We are put here so that others may see and know that there is a God in heaven. We are here to share the Good News of Jesus and let people know that without Him they are lost and going to hell. It is a privilege and an honor to be entrusted with the Gospel message.
But we are not here to pick and choose what we would like to do for God. We are here to serve Him – that starts with worship and then it naturally flows to witnessing and sharing our faith. Once your heart is full of the goodness of God you just can’t keep it to yourself. You have to tell somebody!
Worshiping and witnessing are a huge part of who we are as believers. But I believe that those two components make a vital part of that final one – glorifying God. The Westminster Confession said that “man’s chief aim is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” That is pretty good. How can you glorify a God you are not actively worshiping? Worship is a 24/7/365 job. We are to live in an attitude of worship. Our worship will glorify God like nothing else. How can you glorify God if you are not talking about Him to those who need Him?
I remember watching Matt Redman, a UK worship leader, leading worship in Times Square in New York City. Thousands of people were there and many were singing along as Matt led 10,000 Reasons. But many others were staring in amazement. They didn’t know what to think. Clearly they had never been exposed to Spirit led singing in a time of worship. Yet our lost world needs to see that there is something so unique and powerful when we worship.
So make it your purpose today to worship and to tell others about Jesus and to glorify Him with all that you are. You can do that on horseback or in your bass boat or at work or in your kitchenor on your tractor or in your garden or at the nursing home or wherever you are. You can do it while you’re mowing the church yard or working in the nursery or teaching kids in VBS or on a mission trip to Memphis. You can do it in a thousand ways. Your life as a follower of Jesus is going to look a little different from mine or anyone else’s. That’s ok. In fact, that’s what it should be like. God isn’t making little cookie cutter Christians that are just alike. He is conforming each of us to the image of Jesus. That’s where our likeness will be.
So, there is your job. What are you waiting for? Go for it! Choose to make today count for all of eternity!
Your Pastor,
Bro. Tim Hobbs
“And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”” (Luke 5:25–26, NLT)