A few weeks ago a man came by the church building. I’d seen him before. He was a local simply in need of some food to get him through the month. We’d helped him in the past but it had been a while, so I gave him a contact sheet to update his information and got a box of food ready to put in his truck. While he was filling out the sheet I tried to make small talk with him. I find that’s an easy way to gauge interest in whether or not he’s interested in learning more about the church and the possibility of setting him up with a Bible study. As we talk and I asked him if he went to church anywhere he answered that he didn’t. But at the same time he included the statement, “I’ve got so much wrong going on in my life, I need to be there.”
Whether or not he was sincere in that statement I have no idea, but if he was I know what he means. Our sin has a way of opening our eyes to just how much we need those precious few moments in corporate worship every week. However, I’m afraid that he had the idea that he only “needed to be there” because his life was messed up. But I can assure him that the church isn’t something that you connect with only when your life is messed up but suddenly don’t need anymore when you’ve “got it all together.” He may need to be there, but so do I.
I need to be there because worship puts me in the presence of God (Psalm 100:4).
I need to be there because worship reminds me of who I am in view of God (Psalm 95:6).
I need to be there because worship expresses my true affection for God (Psalm 63:3-4).
I need to be there because worship reaffirms my dependence on God (Psalm 63:1).
I need to be there because worship declares my trust in the mercy of God (Psalm 13:5-6).
I need to be there because worship glorifies the name of God (Psalm 115:1).
I need to be there because worship fulfills the most basic need man has to praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6).
You see worship isn’t just for times when life is at its worst. Sure, my friend needs to be there. But so do I, and so do you. Any time spent in worship to the great God of our universe is time well spent. It fills a need in our lives that nothing else can. But more importantly we need to spend time in worship because God is worthy of it. He’s worthy of all of our praise, all of our glory, and all of our adoration. In the words of Psalm 117 – “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”
-Andy
Photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash