“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” – 1 Chronicles 16:29
God’s people gathering together to worship is found all throughout the scriptures. The Jews gathered for Passover, Ezra read the law in sight of all the people, Jesus attended synagogue, and then of course there was Pentecost, and the beginning of the Church. It is essential that God’s people gather to worship him, and to worship in the beauty of holiness.
Seldom do you hear Christians question the value of gathering to worship, perhaps because the value is so evident. Even in the light of recent events, the value of gathering to worship has not been in question so much as the necessity of it. There is strength in numbers, there is value in meeting, singing, and sharing what God has done for you. The COVID virus temporarily put a stop to all gathering, including gathering to worship. It was our custom, and it stopped. All gatherings stopped: restaurants, school, weddings, vacations, business events, etc. They all just stopped, because of the threat of the virus. While the wisdom of this has been, and can yet be debated, what has been interesting is the restart. The degree to which people began to push back and interpersonally say: “no, this is essential.” Love is manifested in sacrifice. It was easy for us to gather before, because there was no sacrifice. Now we have all been asked a very valuable question: what is essential in your life? What can you do without, and what can you not do without? The answer is in our actions, more so than our words. True, there are elements of worship without the church that can sustain the Christian life. Prayer, praise, devotion, reading, witnessing; to name a few. You can do this from a jail cell, or sheltered in place; but the question is not what is possible; the question is: what is essential? We must ask ourselves, are we willing to do without gathering to worship? If you are, it is not essential. Essential, means you cannot sustain without it. With that said, if the whole of our existence is to give glory unto the Lord, and God is worthy to be praised, is it essential for you to gather and praise him? The question is personal. Personally, I believe it is essential. Firstly, because he is due it. He IS worthy of the truest and most fervent worship we can offer. If we are willing to go to work, to school, to vacations, and so many other places we have now manifested as essential (according to our restart); how much more the house of God to worship? Furthermore, the opportunity of faith and sacrifice has been placed before us because it is a risk to gather; how can we shrink back and deny God this praise? The one true God that sent His only Son to die for you and me; is he not worthy our worship in every sense? He is worthy and He is due it. Secondly, when God has taken you from sin and into holiness, it is your heart hunger to gather with others and worship. We that have experienced the beauty of holiness, who have confessed that we are “strangers and pilgrims” on this earth, is not this the time to stand together in faith? Is not this the time for the people of God to believe God? Lord help us to believe that he can keep us through COVID, inflation, socialism, or whatever other horrors may come along. He that can banish sin and elevate man into adoption with His Dear Son, let us trust Him, believe Him, and praise Him! When we offer ourselves, the first fruits of our entire being; it is worship. This worship we bring to God in reverence; personally, and corporately. Why? Because we love Him and because He is worthy.
Let us gather, let us pray, let us seek, let us preach, sing, trust, and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Bring an offering and come before him. Bring yourself and come before him. Yes, we may be afraid, and have cares, doubts and unrest, but whatever you have, bring. Bring it all and lay it before the Lord. Lay it down and worship. It is essential.
