{"id":31593,"date":"2022-09-10T15:36:30","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/how-to-keep-your-worship-services-free-of-disappointment\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:36:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:36:30","slug":"how-to-keep-your-worship-services-free-of-disappointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/how-to-keep-your-worship-services-free-of-disappointment\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Your Worship Services Free of Disappointment"},"content":{"rendered":"
Patrick Schneider photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

By Mike Harland<\/em><\/p>\n

I enjoy the Twitter account of the \u201cChurch Curmudgeon.\u201d His profile description is simply, \u201cIt\u2019s not like it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

His tweets employ funny satire that makes subtle and not-so-subtle points about life in the pew.<\/p>\n

Honestly, most churches have someone who reminds us of characters like him. And, more often than not, their favorite subject to opine on is the church worship service.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not so sure I liked the service this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Smith didn\u2019t seem to have his best stuff today.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI liked that song, but thought she was the wrong person to sing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did we take up the offering at the end of the service? I hate it when they go changing the order of service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of us have our own version of this story. If you\u2019re like me, you don\u2019t necessarily like the ways you think about the worship experiences of your church.<\/p>\n

But, if you could rebuild the way you think about worship, would you do it? Is there a better paradigm for worship that transcends the role of critic and moves it to something that is a healthier and more biblical way to think about it?<\/p>\n

The Old Mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Without really meaning to, the modern Christian seems to have developed a consumer mentality when it comes to worship.<\/p>\n

We build theaters and equip them with the latest in lighting and sound technologies. The music is programmed and enhanced with the latest in trendy worship styles.<\/p>\n

Everything about how we do the corporate gathering suggests that the congregation is there to see something. Church is a place where you go to get something. Corporate worship is more of a \u201cfilling station\u201d experience\u2014a place where you go to get something.<\/p>\n

This paradigm leads to attitudes that can be counter-productive to the spiritual discipline of worship so needed in the life of a healthy disciple. Very soon, a person with this approach will take on the persona of the old guys in the balcony<\/p>\n

If you attend a church that is experiencing a transition, this can be an especially toxic.<\/p>\n

In such a culture, the very suggestion of changing something can create angst and confusion if the paradigm of worship stems from a consumer perspective.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the train of thought for many of us: Since corporate worship is designed for me to receive something and to \u201cfill my tank\u201d spiritually for the next week, I not only have the right to evaluate it against my expectations, but I have the responsibility to evaluate and express my expectations.<\/p>\n

There must be a better way. And there is.<\/p>\n

A New Way to Think About Worship<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Instead of thinking about church as a \u201cfilling station\u201d where you go to be filled, what if you thought about worship as an \u201caltar\u201d where you go to be emptied?<\/p>\n

Instead of receiving a blessing, why not think about worship as the time to give yourself\u2014your praise, your offering, your commitment, and your love for God and others away.<\/p>\n

Abram didn\u2019t climb up the mountain for a blessing. He went to offer his son.<\/p>\n

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See also  8 Ways to Persevere in Ministry<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Isaiah didn\u2019t look up to the throne to accept God\u2019s forgiveness. He bowed in repentance, and God\u2019s provision followed. His worship wasn\u2019t \u201cHere am I, bless me.\u201d It was \u201cHere am I, send me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of thinking about worship as the experience of receiving something with the purpose of having your expectations met, what if it was the place where you go to give your sacrifice of worship to the Lord?<\/p>\n

In this mindset:<\/p>\n