LIFE=DEVOTION TO GOD (9 of 15)

"All the believers devoted themselves...they worshiped together at the temple each day." Acts 2:42, 46

Worship is an expression of reverent devotion and allegiance to God. This expression affects all those who possess devotion. To be devoted to God is to be a worshiper of him. The expressions of worship over the centuries have been exhaustive. There are many ways to worship the Lord, but one of the effective ways to worship God is to come together in the temple every Sunday. Just being together can produce phenomenal worship.

Get to church to worship. Come worshiping. Arrive on time so that you don't miss the beginning of the worship. Worship is the music, but it's not only the music. Worship is the offering, but it is not only the offering. Worship is all of it put together. It is the rituals and ceremonies where we show our reverent devotion to God.

Think about it, worship is not just hearing the word, it's believing the word. Worship is taking notes when God gives the revelation of the scriptures. Worship is those moments of silence following a powerful lyric. Worship is the greeting when another looks your way and smiles. Worship is your giving, your loving, your enduring, your understanding the new family with the crying baby. Worship is all of it. It's what we do to say to God that there is no one like you in our lives. We love you and honor you. We yield our lives to what you have for us, we worship you!

Imagine in the early church going from the religiosity of temple worship to the freedom to worship God. There must have been singing, dancing, laughing, loving, helping, sowing, caring, listening, honoring, correcting, exhorting and a host of other elements. This is what it means to worship together in the temple. It no longer is about us; it is about God!

Come to church to worship. There is no substitute for it. Some would tell you that you can worship by yourself, and they are right, the early church did that too. But there is no excuse to stay home, sleep in, and avoid the crowd on Sunday; unless of course, you don't really have reverent devotion to God.

Worship is what we are made of after we are saved. Worship increases as we increase in our love, knowledge and devotion to Him. Don't worry that there are times when you don't feel like it. Don't worry that you don't know all the to do's or words to the song, or prayers to pray. Don't worry that you forgot your offering in the car, just come worshiping and all those things will increase in your life. Worship is not a spectator sport. It's a lifestyle and it begins on the first day of every week, Sunday.