Does God want worship on Sundays, only? And, if so, does He want the newest song or oldest songs, a service that is perfect, with no flaws or discontinuity of the routine? Does He want certain passages read from His word and a message that will always be that message? Does He want the service for us so that we should come out “feeling good?”
I contend that absolutely, anytime we get together for corporate worship service we should come out feeling good, but why? Who was that service for before we came into it? Us? Or for God?
Romans 12:1-2 states, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
God wants us! He has good and pleasing plans for His children! He wants our spiritual act of worship long before He wants our physical acts… He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds, LIVING to honor and obey Him. Worshiping Him daily, not just one day a week. Because He only wants what is best for us and because He gave His Son to give us life, we should joyfully give ourselves as living sacrifices to Him, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. Then, as we come into a Sunday service, we will know why we are there: to corporately get together as a body of believers to glorify Him even more. To give Him the worship He deserves. As we redirect our hearts from the notion that worship is for us to the reality that worship is for God, we will come out feeling good. Feeling good that we have directed our worship where it is supposed to go — and we will make Jesus smile!