Worship-Driven or Workman-Driven

I negotiated through unbearable rush hour traffic lately to hear Ravi Zacharias speak. Ravi is one of those speakers I will not miss to listen to if ever possible. The first time I heard him speak was during my early years as a Christian. His message had such an impact in my life that 31 years later, it is still very vivid in my mind. In his message, he presented Jesus as the “Pearl of Great Price” contrasting it with man’s selfishness and his propensity to “watch out for number one”.

Ravi has over the years gained a lot of following and popularity. It is evident that God is using him to spread the Gospel and to contribute to the building up of Christ’s body. He continues to be an inspiration to me. If you know Ravi, please include him in your prayers. If he happens to be in your area, don’t miss the opportunity to hear him speak.

What has Ravi got to do with my main subject? To underscore the point that a “workman” as well-known as Ravi does influence us. How many times do we say, “Let’s go see So and So” or, “Let’s hear this or that” just because they’re popular and considered celebrities? We even would not mind waiting and standing in line for hours just so we can catch a glimpse of these people. Televangelists, TV and Radio teachers, the latest and hottest Christian singers, have to issue tickets (free or not) ahead of time prior to their appearance to manage the crowd. There is nothing wrong with the fact that what drives or prods us to attend a Christian gathering is the presence of personalities. Many of these individuals are indeed being used by God for His glory.

Let’s take a case that is closer to home. What motivates us to go to church – worship or workman (pastor)? Why is this question important? When we attend church because of the pastor, we may be disappointed when he does not meet our expectations. This can lead to criticism and unfair comparison. “He is not as good as ….”, “He is not as funny as….” If he meets our expectations, then we become ecstatic and start developing our loyalty around a personality instead of Jesus and His Body. This approach to church attendance is divisive instead of cohesive and contributes to spiritual weakness that is so prevalent in church circles today. Tell me of any divided fellowship and I will tell you of a group whose main focus is anything other than the Lord.

In contrast, worship-driven church attendance is Christ-exalting as it should be. “We are gathering together unto Him” as a song goes. He is the focus, the reason. When our motive is to worship, we offer praise and honor to the One who’s deserving – Lord Jesus.
We are disinclined to look around to find fault; we look up, to lift Him up and to behold His beauty. Let us echo what the psalmist said. “I was glad when they said unto me – Let us go to the house of the Lord”.

Let every act, be an act of worship. Essentially, that’s what Paul is exhorting us about in Romans 12. The next time we attend church or any Christian gathering, let us go to worship Christ and focus all our energy for His glory.