Psalm 95:1-2, Acts 2:42-47, Revelation 5:9-12

Paul Critchley considers the value of gathering with others to worship God

Paul Critchley

In my last article 'A Worship Time Or A Time To Worship' I wrote about the importance of walking out our daily worship, bringing all we are as an offering to God. So, I thought I'd share the flip side of this today. I've chosen to write about coming together as a body of people, 'the church', whatever diverse format this might take.

There's no doubt our faith is a personal thing, but it's definitely not just to be kept private. When God drew you to Himself; when He revealed the truth of Himself to you through Jesus, He meant it to transform you, absolutely, but also to benefit others.

All through the Bible we have examples of God's people joining together to worship. Psalm 95:1-2 give us an example out of the Old Testament of gatherings to praise God:

'Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.'

This suggests to me that it wasn't just one person being called to worship, but a group; a gathering. What do we find in the New Testament? Around Pentecost, the physical presence of Jesus had gone, but just as He promised, the Holy Spirit came. We read this in Acts 2:42-47:

'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.'

Of course, there are Bible passages that speak of living out our personal walk with God, but there are examples too like this that teach us not only a spiritual importance and benefit of meeting together, but also practical applications. It's not for me to define what 'church' looks like, but it is definitely bigger than just you or I.

Revelation 5:9-12 gives us a picture of an amazing gathering with many voices singing out and declaring to God 'honour and glory and praise!' When we come together we get a little taster of the eternal gathering where we're told every nation and tongue will come together. When we choose to meet with other we also strengthen, affirm and connect to His desire for His people to gather before Him. I know we don't always find the style we agree with, the format that suits us, or sometimes even the people we feel we 'gel' with, but I think that this might even be part of the deal. It's a sacrifice to self sometimes to serve others in supporting and standing alongside them. It's a way of saying to God, 'I understand that worship is bigger than just what I bring'. It's about diversity and creativity. It's about what I have to offer, but also experiencing a broader spectrum of what you've put into and are releasing from others.

I love to worship, whether in the car, in my office, with my team, or in Church. I love to worship in all sorts of places, in many different ways really, but I'm reminded of the blessing of being with others even when I might not feel like it! Here's a personal example:

A number of months ago I was planned in to lead worship at a retreat for local pastors, leaders and intercessors. They were a fantastic group, great to be with and always with plenty of space to share life together. I had a message from a friend that Bethel Worship team from California were due to be having a small conference about an hours drive from where I live. What was my reaction? As much as I love to worship, I'd have had two full days with others doing just that; did I want to go straight from the last day of that into a weekend with hundreds of other people? My answer was...not really. What I wanted was to go home and rest and be with my family. Tracy, my wise wife, sugested that I should go. She reckoned it could be an opportunity to receive rather than give. So, reluctantly, I agreed and set off with a few friends. There I was, stood outside the venue in a queue, a bit tired, but hopefully not too grumpy! I got into the hall with my friends (and over a thousand other people) and took my place at the end of a row, so that I could slip out if I wanted to. Then God took me by surprise. He caught me off guard and chose to use my obedience. What happened next wasn't what I'd planned for my Friday night. Every time I opened my mouth to join in with the songs I broke down in tears! I have honestly never had such a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus and all this in a huge gathering!

I guess what I'm saying is that God loves us to meet with Him however and whenever we choose to, but there can be real blessings from doing that with others, whether it's in a church, homegroup, school, or business. He's made us community and there's something special that can take place when that community comes together with the purpose of honouring Him. It's a place of heavenly exchange, which sometimes flows straight to and from Him, but often through others who love Him, just like you and I!

If you've not tried it recently, why not give it a go!