God-glorifying Worship is Christ-centered Worship

According to Peter, our gifts, our service, our love, our prayers, our hospitality all exist in "order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ" . To glorify something is not to make it bigger than it is, but rather to demonstrate it’s inherent centrality. It is the difference between magnifying through a Telescope and a Microscope. How do we magnify God? Through Jesus Christ. We do this in two key ways: Creation and Redemption. As members, attenders, service leaders, artists and technicians we can approach God because he made us in Jesus (Col 1; Heb 1). We can worship God as these types of people because Jesus has bought our spot with his blood. We do not merit God’s presence in any way; it is a gift of himself to us. All things in through and for Jesus. Creation & Redemption. We worship because we were made and remade through him. His once for all sacrifice secures our spot as worshippers.

Worship Begins with Prayer

Worship starts with prayer, with confessing our inability to worship Christ on our own. With confessing that all things are in, through, and for Jesus, including worship. Worship is not something we manufacture; it is the giving of God Himself to us. We have things backwards. Practice, do, and watch, and pray for one minute. Let’s be aware that worship is fueled by prayer. The end of all things is coming. Let’s pray for God’s presence, not for musical perfection, not for perfect sermons, not for flawless performance. Let’s pray that our church would be full-time worshipers, not Sunday service singers. Let’s pray that worship would result in mission, the making of more worshipers in this town.
For God's glory and your joy