It's a beautiful picture when you think about it as the church of the living Lord Jesus begins to gather world-wide every Lord's day for the sole purpose of worshipping Him. But, why do we gather? Let's look at some of God's Word to answer that question.
Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to consider how to stir one another to love and good works by meeting together and encouraging one another. By specifically setting aside and honoring a time for the gathered body of Christ we are creating opportunity for the saints to gather and build one another up in the Lord. We don't come to perform but to perfect one another in Him. We as worship leaders must never come to worship to perform and worshippers must not come to be entertained as the world entertains.
Another reason we gather is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in worship. Philippians 2:9-11 says we are to exalt Him and give Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, with every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the GLORY of God the Father! Our purpose and goal as we gather should always be to create an environment where the Holy God who created the universe will be worshipped.
Finally, we gather for worship because we are promised that God will be among us . . . present with us . . . working out His will and way among us. And, not only we as believers. Because we find in I Corinthians 14: 25 . . . that when unbelievers enter, secrets of His heart are disclosed, and they will fall on their faces worshipping God and declaring that God is among us. Unfortunately, people many times enter worship without any thought to God's presence. If God's people don't seek Him and His presence among us, how will the unbeliever who comes into a worship service ever know that God is among us? mjm
