worship in all directions: outward

Think back -- way back to December 9...that was the last time we were together for rehearsal!  In that newsletter, we discussed the meaning of worshipping in an inward direction.  

Now let’s consider the outward direction of worship.  There are actually 4 distinct outward ways we can bring glory to our Lord, and they all have to do with our relationships with other people.

First of all, God is worshipped when we share our faith with someone or in some way play a part in a person’s coming to know Christ.  What a privilege!  Once we’ve helped someone become eternally transformed, we’ll be hooked on sharing our faith for life.

Second, we worship God when we help others.  These days, old-fashioned neighborly help can be hard to find.  And if we’re really honest,  most of us are OK with that trend.  We often lack the motivation to lend a hand.  We build privacy fences so we don’t see our neighbors, and then we fill up our schedules so we don’t have time to notice if they need our help.  But as followers of Jesus, we can’t afford not to be the good Samaritans he has called us to be.  Jesus clearly taught us, in Matthew 10:42, to give “a cup of cold water” in his name.

Philippians 4:16 touches on the giving hearts of the people there, “...for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.”  Paul goes on in verse 18 to describe the Philippians’ gifts as “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God”.  Giving financial aid to those in need is a third wonderful way to express our love for God.  However, it’s imperative that we be cheerful when we give, not grudging, because that represents the real motives of our hearts (2 Corinthians 9:7).  Once again, God considers our willing and compassionate hearts as the source of true worship.

The fourth way we worship God outwardly is by being sensitive to our weaker brothers and sisters.  The entirety of Romans 14 focuses on strong and weak Christians.  According to verse 13, we are to “live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall”.  In verse 18 we discover God’s view of this: “If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God”.

We’ll take a look at the final direction of worship, upward, next week.

[taken from Pure Praise: A Heart-Focused Bible Study on Worship, Dwayne Moore, 18-19.]