Worship Energizes

Worship energizes the person who is a Christian.  Worship must lead to service!  In fact, the second most common word in the New Testament for worship is, “latreuo” (Lat-rio) and it means “service.”  In other words, contrary to popular opinion, worship is not something you watch, it is something you do.  Worship is a verb.

Through Acts, take note of how many powerful acts of service followed immediately after a collective time of worship.  The result is astounding! (Acts 2:1, 42, 46; 3:1; 4:31; 6:15; 8:27; 10:2,9; 12:5; 13:1-2; 16:13, 25; all the “synagogue” meetings…etc.)

• It was when the apostles were worshipping in Acts 2, that God uses them to spread the message of Jesus.
• It was when the church at Antioch was worshipping, the Holy Spirit selected Paul and Barnabas to take the gospel to the Gentile world.
• It was after worshipping that the Ethiopian official learned about Jesus.  It was after worshipping that Peter was ready to take the gospel to Cornelius.
• It was after worshipping that the jail opened, releasing Paul and Silas and saving the Jailor.

When we engage in vibrant worship that glorifies God, purifies our hearts, and edifies our minds, we cannot be still.  We must serve!!!  After Isaiah saw the glory of God Almighty, and worshipped before Him, and recognized his own sin, then and only then did he hear the question of the Lord, “Who shall I send?  And who will go for us?” And Isaiah replied, “Here am I Lord!  Send Me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Instead of an instinct to criticize, the person who has worshipped should leave with an incentive to share the truth with the lost, serve the hurting, and help the fainted.  “Enter To Worship—Depart To Serve” was a familiar motto over church doors many years ago, and it must be recaptured.  We must do something after worship, because of worship.  The whole reason for the command to “Not forsake the assembly” is so that we might “stir one another up unto love and good works!” (Hebrews 10:25).  When we assemble and worship, we are to love and serve!

~Dennis Jalbert