I often challenge people that the main purpose for the gathering of the church is truly not so that we can worship God. The Apostle Paul consistently calls us to gather for edification. However, the main purpose for Christians in all that we do is the worship of God and when we come to gather, we do so corporately in worship and as worshippers. As worshippers gather, what we bring with us into a corporate gathering will impact the worship of others. Worship is not a secondary issue of music style or liturgical order; it is a primary essential issue of the heart. Our demeanor in worship matters.
Most people agree that one of the most beautiful accounts of Jesus in the gospels is John’s recounting of Jesus with the woman at the well. By God’s grace we in the church get to listen in on a stunning conversation where Jesus shows this lady her own worship problem and allows her to pose a profoundly significant question. John 4:20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." Where do I find true worship?
Jesus’ ultimate answer is… “John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Jesus helps this lady to know that worship is not a place or people group issue, worship is a heart issue. It matters much less about the style of music, the beauty of a church building, the smell of the incense, the order of the liturgy, the clothes you wear, the hymn books you use, and much more about your heart that is focused on the God you love through the person and work of Christ Jesus.
When we gather as those who worship God in spirit and in truth even when we are not together, we affect each other in God-centered hearts as we hear the reading and preaching of his word, as we join in prayer, as we partake in ordinances, and sing God’s praise. For the church in this world, this is not an arbitrary, side issue. This in Christ is the very essence of our togetherness. Your worshipful demeanor in the gathering of the saints matters a great deal.