WORSHIP: A PATHWAY TO HEALTH
We are all familiar with this drill when we see our
primary care doctor. The first thing a nurse does is take the vitals, which are
critical indicators of a person’s health and current medical status. There are
five vital signs to look for: Body temperature, Pulse or heart rate,
Respiratory rate or rate of breathing, Blood pressure, and oxygen saturation
level of the blood.[1]
Imagine you have come to the heavenly clinic to see
the most outstanding physician of the universe, Dr. Jesus. Angel Gabriel comes
to take your vitals; what would those five vital signs indicate that you are a
healthy Christian? Before going further, let me define a few terms.
What do I mean by a Christian? Not everyone with a
Christian name, like John, James, Mary, etc., is necessarily a Christian. In
the book of Acts eleventh chapter we read, Barnabas went to Tarsus, and when he
found Paul, he brought him to Antioch and stayed there with the Church for one
full year teaching large crowds of people. There for the first time, the disciples
were called Christians. Acts 11:26. A Christian is a disciple or a follower of
Jesus Christ.
What is a Church? Is the Church a local building? Is
Church the pastor or the board and the committees? Is Church the music or the
ministries we do? If all these are taken away, can the Church still exist? The
answer is an emphatic “Yes” because the Church is people. It is a community of
believers. Healthy Christians make up of healthy Churches.
A healthy Christian is emotionally and spiritually
mature, reflecting in good physical health, financial stability, life-giving
relationships, and an active Church and social engagement. God wants us to live
healthy lives as His followers, as they are the salt and the light in the
community where they live. I want to share the five vital signs of a healthy
Christian or a Church by looking into the Church founded on the Day of
Pentecost. Acts 2:42-47
Last week we learned after Peter’s first ever powerful
sermon, a church of 120 disciples all of a sudden swelled to over 3000 people
(Acts 2:41). In a short time, it grew up to be about 5,000 men (Acts 4:3). What
a dramatic and exponential growth of the first Church in Jerusalem. What kept
them healthy? How did they grow up to be a worldwide movement of God?
The early Church organized around five life-giving essentials
that every believer should live by. Acts 2:42-47, “All the believers devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in
meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them
all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the
believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold
their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They
worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper,
and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. All the while praising
God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day, the Lord added
to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
These verses give us the five vital signs of a healthy
Christian and a Church. They are: 1. Worship (Vs. 46-47) 2. Fellowship (46) 3. Ministry
(Vs. 45) 4. Evangelism (Vs. 47) 5. Discipleship
(Vs.42). James Emery White, in Rethinking Church, calls these signs functions
or activities “These five activities constitute the business or purpose of the
Church. It is what a biblically functioning community looks like. It is what the
Church does.”[2]
As vital bodily signs are visible, so are these vital
spiritual signs of a Christian. We have a healthy Christian or a Church when
these vital signs are visible and function optimally. When they disappear, we
have a dead Christian or a Church. In the next several weeks, we will explore
each vital sign and see how they impact our lives individually and collectively
at Hope Church.
I.
Worship of God is a vital sign of a healthy Christian (Vs. 46)
Vs. 46, “They worshiped together at the Temple each
day.” Today
we will focus on “Worship,” the first vital sign of a healthy Christian.
Worshiping God must be the center of attention in the life of every Christian.
God primarily delivered His people from 400-year bondage in Egypt so they might
worship Him. Then gave them the ten commandments.
Exodus 20-3-5, “You must not have any other god but
me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything
in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or
worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate
your affection for any other gods.”
Worship of God must be the highest priority of every
Christian in every Church. All our activities must flow from our worship of
God. When all activities cease on earth, worship is the only thing that will
transcend time and continue in heaven. Nothing upsets Satan more than people
worshipping the true and living God. Therefore, he distracts them by letting
them worship wealth, cars, sports, etc. Why is the worship of God a vital sign
of a healthy Christian?
II.
Worship: A Pathway To Health
Here are a few reasons why the worship of God is
connected to our spiritual, emotional, and physical health. First, worship of
God reminds us and others we are alive. Only the living will praise God and not
the dead. God is calling his people to praise Him in many ways as long as we
have breath. “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!” Psalm
150:6
Secondly, Worshipping God shows us that we are God’s
people. He is our God, and we only trust and depend on Him. Psalm 100:1-3 “Shout
with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come
before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the
sheep of his pasture.” God is our Good Shepherd, and we can rest in His
presence, knowing He will take good care of us. Thirdly, worshipping God
releases Joy into our hearts. There were many times when I was overwhelmed and felt
sad and discouraged, I would sing or listen to Praise and Worship songs, and my
sadness would be lifted in its place my heart would be filled with Joy. That’s
what worship does.
Psalm 84: 1-4, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O
Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts
of the Lord. With my whole being, body, and soul, I will shout
joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow
builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of
Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your
house, always singing your praises.”
“Worship is basically adoration, and we adore only
what delights us. There is no such thing as sad adoration or unhappy praise.”
John Piper. Nothing or no one in the world can genuinely delight us and satisfy
the deepest longings of our hearts. Only God can. That’s why He invites us into
His presence, and in his presence, there is fullness of Joy.
III.
We Worship God because He is truly awesome.
These days we don’t express such awe and adoration of
God when we come together as God’s children. Our God is truly awesome.
Deuteronomy 10:17, “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords.
He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and
cannot be bribed.” Let us bow down in adoration of this incredible God.
How amazed are you by the God of wonders beyond the
galaxies? I pray that God would restore our vision of His greatness and splendor.
This awesome God comes and dwells among us when we praise and worship Him.
Let’s grow in our love, respect, and honor of our God, as the health of our
body and soul are interconnected with our worship of Him.
