Why Do We Come for Worship?

The answer to the question, “Why do we come for worship?” determines everything about the service.  It can only be answered one of two ways:

• We are in worship for God, or
• We are there for man.

If we come to worship for man, we become principally concerned with such questions as, “Are we having a good time?”  “Is this service giving us a good feeling?”  “Are we getting good fellowship?”  “Do we like the preacher?”  “Are we moved by the sermons?”   These questions have one common denominator.  They reflect man-centered purposes for worship, because they all have to do with man.

Don’t misunderstand.  Many of these questions touch legitimate concerns.  But they are not sound Biblical purposes for worship; for the coming together mentioned in the Scriptures.

The Bible clearly teaches that the purpose of worship is for God.  The Apostle Paul chided a group of Christians for putting their own selfish desires before God’s glory, for “coming together” for man-centered reasons.  The Corinthian church cared only about stuffing their own mouths, having a good time, and celebrating together.  They had lost sight of the real purpose, which was to “show forth the Lord’s death” (1 Corinthians 11.20-26).

They were not to be there  primarily for themselves, but for the Lord.  How they felt and what they liked were not the primary reasons for coming to worship.

As a matter of fact, it is possible Christians may not feel good when they come together.  In the same passage the Apostle Paul says Biblical worship may make some people sick if they come for the wrong reason. (1 Corinthians 11.30)  How we feel or even what we think about Biblical worship is not the point.  We are not the point at all.  God is.  We come to worship Him!

Once we’ve settled why we come for worship, the rest falls into its Biblical place.