Why do we worship?
We’ve previously looked at preparing our physical surroundings, preparing the things we need, preparing breakfast and preparing our minds. To continue on, I want to turn our focus to the purpose of worship as we learn to “SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE.”
Have you asked yourself, ‘Why Sunday?’ As we read through scripture we see that in the Old Testament from the very beginning God sanctified the Sabbath day. He set it apart as Holy because it was on the seventh day that He rested from all the labor that He had done.
In a previous post I wrote about the importance of the First Day of the week and that even as God sanctified the seventh, the Sabbath, the first day of the week also played an important role in the fellowship and worship throughout the O.T. Scriptures. So if you are unsure of the reason for worship on the first day of the week, I urge you to read that post. You can find it here: The Lord’s Day.
Dictionary.com defines worship as reverent homage or honor paid to God.* We come together for the purpose of giving honor to God through Jesus Christ. That may not be easy to understand. How does one give honor through someone else? This is where we must examine ourselves to be sure we understand what our responsibility is toward our relationship with Jesus Christ.
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First we must learn that when we choose to follow Christ, we must believe that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life, and that no one goes to the Father except by Him, John 14;6**. We must believe that He is the Son of God, Acts 8:37. We must confess with our mouth that we believe, Romans 10:10, and be baptized for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38) Just as Jesus said in Mark 16:16 “He that believes and is baptized will be saved. He who does not believe shall be condemned.” Once we believe we must repent, Acts 2:38 and 3:19. We must die to sin, Romans 6:2, and be buried with him in baptism, Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12, and risen from the grave of baptism to walk in newness of life. We put off our self of sin, and put on Christ in baptism.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:26,27.
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,” 1 Peter 3:18.
As we come into his family, being made sons of God through Christ Jesus, Galatians 3:26,27. We come into worship with a mind to bring honor to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. For when God sees us approaching the throne of grace it is not our sinful nature that He sees before Him, but rather he sees us clothed in robes that have been washed in the blood of His dear blessed Son, Revelation 7:14.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.
- So have you examined yourself, 2 Corinthians 13:5?
- Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, Mark 16:15,16?
- Have you confessed his name before men, Matthew 10:32?
- Have you turned from your sins, Acts 2:38?
- Have you been baptized, Romans 6:3? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb, Revelation 7:14?
- Are you living faithfully until death, Revelation 2:10?
- Do you have the freedom to approach the throne of grace, Hebrews 4:16?
“Now to the King eternal, immoral, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17.
Be sure to visit all of the Set Your Mind Series.
*Defitions taken from Dictionary.com.
**Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
