The Value of Worship

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Thursday, May 03, 2012

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
- Acts 2:46-47

Just as something wonderful happens when God's people get together and study His Word, something extraordinary happens when God's people get together and sing His praises. Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Now this verse is not saying that God only shows up when people worship, because God is omnipresent. But He manifests His presence in a special way when His people lift up His name in praise and worship.

The early church was a worshipping church. Acts 2:46–47 tells us, "They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people." The phrase "gladness and simplicity of heart" literally means "with unaffected joy." There was joy in the early church. There was vibrancy. But there also was reverence. A few verses earlier, we read that fear came upon every soul, and wonders and signs were done through the apostles (verse 43). There should be joy and reverence. Those are elements that should be in our worship. The Spirit-filled church will be a worshipping church, and the Spirit filled Christian will be a worshipping Christian.

Someone might say, "Well, I just don't always feel like worshipping." Do you think the first-century believers always felt like praising God? They were harassed. They were beaten. They were mocked. These Christians faced persecution on a massive scale, but they were thankful to God.

The Bible doesn't say, "Give thanks to the Lord when you feel good." Rather, it says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" (1 Chronicles 16:34). That is how Job was able to worship God after calamity came knocking at his door (see Job 1:20).

Sometimes worship can be a sacrifice. But we should still worship.

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