The Blessings of Worship
Coming together on the Lord's Day is not just something we do because it's Sunday and that's what we always do. Rather, coming together to worship God is a blessing-filled experience wherein not only God is the beneficiary but so are each of us who engage in worshipping our Creator. Consider what we do on occasions like today and then consider the great blessings our God has afforded us through these things.
The Blessing of Prayer
Being able to pray to God is an amazing thing. And what is more amazing than when collective Christians are gathered in one place and give God thanks for His love and seek His continued care in our lives. The Hebrew writer says that we are come to God's throne in a "bold" manner, knowing that we are speaking with the One and Only Creator. During the time of congregational prayer we have the great privilege of leaving all of the world's cares elsewhere to instead turn our attention to our wonderful and loving Father.
The Blessing of Giving
Jesus taught about the importance of giving by telling us that it's, "more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). When we gather on the Lord's Day, we follow the example of first century Christians who gave of their means for the benefit of the church (I Corinthians 16:1-2). In a subsequent letter, Paul told these Christians to give in a "cheerful" manner and not simply because they were told to give (II Corinthians 9:6-7). Giving on the Lord's Day is our great opportunity to further involve ourselves in the important work of His church.
The Blessing of The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Day is when New Testament Christians came together to partake of the bread and fruit of the vine in memory of the Savior (Acts 20:7) In following their example, we too are blessed to commune with the One who died for our sins. While observing this important memorial, Jesus reminded us to do so in "remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). What a great blessing it is to spend time with other Christians thinking only about our great Savior and His love!
The Blessing of Study
Coming together on the Lords' Day to read, study, and hear God's word proclaimed is yet another wonderful blessing of worship. In the New Testament we read about brethren coming together to hear the word preached and we do the same (Acts 20:7). As we consider God's word, it is our goal to see what it teaches us so that we might more accurately follow His commands and be more pleasing to Him.
The Blessing of Singing Praises
Since Paul commanded New Testament Christians to "sing," so do we (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). When we sing, we are praising God, emboldening ourselves, and encouraging our fellow Christians. With heaven as our goal, it's a wonderful opportunity for us to experience just a bit of its joy while singing songs about God, His greatness, and His love for each of us.
Let us never forget how great an opportunity this is for us. And let us always be thankful to God for the wonderful blessings of worship.