"If only we could duplicate this every week!" That's what our pastoral staff was thinking the day after our exhilarating Easter service. Of course we know that real revival is not the product of human planning or ingenuity, but comes alone from God. The Spirit of God is like the wind; he blows wherever he wishes (John 4:8). But that doesn't excuse passivity on our part. As G. Campbell Morgan put it,
On Easter Sunday, people came to church expecting a great service. They looked forward to gathering with God's people. They allowed sufficient time to get ready. They arrived early. They came with happy hearts.
Their anticipation of a great service ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy, so to speak. Their prediction became their experience. This reminds me of a conversation that took place between a discouraged minister and the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon. The down-hearted pastor lamented that people weren't coming to faith in Christ at his church. Spurgeon said, "You don't expect people to get saved every week, do you?" "No, of course not," said the minister. "Well, there's your problem," Spurgeon replied.
If we would see the Spirit of God work among us each week, we must anticipate his presence and prepare accordingly.
2. Celebrate
On Easter Sunday, our congregation was less inhibited in their worship. That is to say, they expressed their praise in the way that seemed most fitting, without being paranoid of what other people thought. Some clapped, raised their hands, and shouted, "Praise the Lord!" Others didn't. Fact is, some people are more expressive in worship, while others are more reserved.
Worship is ultimately a matter of the heart. Jesus declared,
We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.Based on observations about Easter Sunday, I would like to suggest four things we can do as God's people to make every Lord's Day a vibrant worship experience:
1. Anticipate
On Easter Sunday, people came to church expecting a great service. They looked forward to gathering with God's people. They allowed sufficient time to get ready. They arrived early. They came with happy hearts.
Their anticipation of a great service ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy, so to speak. Their prediction became their experience. This reminds me of a conversation that took place between a discouraged minister and the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon. The down-hearted pastor lamented that people weren't coming to faith in Christ at his church. Spurgeon said, "You don't expect people to get saved every week, do you?" "No, of course not," said the minister. "Well, there's your problem," Spurgeon replied.
If we would see the Spirit of God work among us each week, we must anticipate his presence and prepare accordingly.
2. Celebrate
On Easter Sunday, our congregation was less inhibited in their worship. That is to say, they expressed their praise in the way that seemed most fitting, without being paranoid of what other people thought. Some clapped, raised their hands, and shouted, "Praise the Lord!" Others didn't. Fact is, some people are more expressive in worship, while others are more reserved.
Worship is ultimately a matter of the heart. Jesus declared,
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
- John 4:24
No one should ever feel "forced" to worship God in prescribed manner in terms of outward expression. Though "all things should be done decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40), we can still celebrate our diversity.
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
- 1 Corinthians 12:18-20
Authentic corporate worship is marked by a unity that pervades our diversity. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our congregation and culture as we worship our one God and Savior Jesus Christ.
This leads to the third critical factor of vibrant worship:
3. Elevate
Lift high the cross;
the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore
His sacred name.
I love what one church posted on their website: "Worship itself cannot lead us into God's presence. Only Jesus can bring us into God's presence, and he has done it through a single sacrifice that will never be repeated - only joyfully recounted and trusted in." So true!
In his book Ministering Like the Master, Stuart Olyott asks a key question:
How can I know a greater measure of the Spirit of God?
To answer his own question, Olyott considers the ritual recorded in Leviticus 8. Aaron and his sons are consecrated to serve as priests in Israel. At a certain point, blood from the sacrifice was placed on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of each one of them. Shortly after that, anointing oil was put on the same places. Wherever the blood went, the oil went.
Wherever the blood goes, the oil goes. We can never "improve our act" to the point where our lives and our worship are acceptable to God. The only thing we can ever do is go to the Lord to receive his forgiveness and a fresh supply of his mercy and grace. Says Olyott, "I find that when I have a renewed sense of his blood cleansing me, I also have a sense of his Spirit helping me."
As we elevate Christ and the great salvation he accomplished for us, we experience life-changing encounters with his Holy Spirit.
4. Perpetuate
"To make something continue." That's what we want when it comes to God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered worship! That can only happen as we commit ourselves to the weekly gathering of God's people. Scripture is unequivocally clear on this point:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day [of Jesus' return] drawing near.
- Hebrews 10:24-25
Every Lord's Day is a celebration of our Savior's resurrection! So let's ensure a great turn-out by showing up ourselves and also by inviting non-Christians who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
Anticipate. Celebrate. Elevate. Perpetuate.
Is it in you?