It’s been almost four months since we started two worship services in the beginning of February. When I don’t have preaching responsibility, I, at times, participate in Married Men’s Intercessory Prayer for the first worship. It’s quite amazing to see several men showing up at 8AM to pray together for church. I also know that our Membership and Magnification Team members come to church even before 8AM to set up and prepare for Sunday worship service.
Unfortunately, I have noticed that many of us are not coming to church on time to worship. This needs to stop because it is dishonoring to God and insulting to those who work very hard to prepare for worship service.
Come into the worship center five minutes before worship service begins. It takes time for our hearts to settle down and be prepared to enter into God’s presence. Use that time to pray for yourself, for those who will worship with you and for those who will serve through music, prayer and message.
There are some who consistently get blessed by Sunday worship service while others consistently say they don’t get much out of Sunday worship service. Worship service is a time when we offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices. It is not a time for us to get something out of God. Therefore, the expectation and statement that says, “I want to get something out of worship” is wrong. We get blessed through worship and “get something out of it” as a byproduct of laying down ourselves before God as living sacrifices. And this laying down ourselves before God starts with small things such as coming to worship on time. Honoring God and following Christ never starts with big and grandiose things.
Watch and observe those who truly appreciate worship service and those who take it for granted and frequently complain about it. Often it is those who habitually show up late to worship service who say, “I didn’t get anything out of today’s worship service.” Those who approach worship service as a time when they get to lay themselves down before God as living sacrifices always get blessed by it because they have already prepared their hearts for worship all throughout the week and have come before service begins with eager and expectant hearts.
New Life, be on time beginning next Sunday.
Your loving yet firm pastor,
Eric
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