When we think of worship we think of good music perhaps or meeting together with other Christians. Recently I was challenged once again by what the Bible says.
We are doing some talks on Ezra at our church showing us who the people of God are. In Ezra 3, the Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem, which has been totally destroyed.
The first thing they do? You might expect clear up and start rebuilding – but no they offer sacrifices in the way God told them to hundreds of years earlier on Mt Sinai after God had rescued the Israelites out of Egypt. The people worship in the way God tells them to.
In the new testament Peter says, ‘…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ (1 Peter 2.4-5 & see also Romans 12)
What are spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God? Peter says, ‘… abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’
Worship is not 'just about Sunday' it is NOT even about Sunday! Worship is living in obedience to God every day.
What will this mean living such good lives that our friends and neighbours end up praising God?
What might God have to say about our illegal downloads off the net, what we do with our girlfriend or boyfriend, how we treat our parents, the language that comes out of our mouths, the way we think about those we don’t like?
What we do on Sunday is important, but how we worship every day is much more important to God.