Friday, February 26, 2010

Worship 5: Setting our priorities according to Scripture

As we've studied the first couple of chapters of Genesis in these last weeks, I was reminded of a stark comparison: God devotes two chapters of His Word describing how the entire universe was created. Later, in the book of Exodus, He devotes 12 chapters of His Word to describing how the Tabernacle (basically the house of worship for the desert-wandering Israelites) is to be built.

If God views these two in that proportion, which do you think should be more important to us: our devotion to apologetics about why Creationism is superior to evolutionism? Or our devotion to becoming better worshipers?

I'm afraid that so many believers take for granted their abilities and skills as worshipers, and believe that their time is best spent learning how to argue others into belief-- when, in fact, I think both Scripture and history is clear that, when Christians are wholly devoted to learning how to worship and how to live their lives as worshipers, those around them are inevitably drawn into curiosity, even longing, about what those Christians have that they don't.

When the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches us that the chief end of man is "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" I don't think we should neglect evangelism or even apologetics as an aspect of "glorifying God" but neither do I think we should place them as higher in priority than our duty to learn how to better worship Him. I've met many Christians who could effectively defend their beliefs, theology, and/or worldview but whose manner seldom suggested that they knew anything of worship other than self-worship. On the other hand, I've never met a Christian who had devoted himself/herself to becoming an ardent worshiper whose manner didn't disarm, and therefore their "defense" or answers for the reason for the hope that they have, however poorly- or well-developed, weren't more acceptable by those asking.

That's the sort of worshiper I want to be.

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