Many times we fail to realize or understand that church services are not for attending, we are not the audience coming to be entertained or "get our hour" in for the week. Do you realize when you come to church God is the audience? We are there to give Him worship and worship Him with our chuch body.
Not only church services, but in our Christian walks we should be living day to day, we are living for an audience of one...GOD! We get it so backwards or make it so complicated. We think church is about singing "our" favorite songs, or the traditions "we" like, or it's all about "us" when it comes to our church, our worship services, or our programs, and "YOU" would be very wrong. It's about God. He is audience, it is about Him, for Him, and because of Him!
If people could grasp this idea, change their attitudes, and grow in maturity in faith, then I think the way our worship services and other things might start looking a little different, maybe be a little more sincere, and might even move us with compassion, sorrow, motivation, conviction, or desire to give God our best, give Him ALL the glory, and we do it all because and for Him. Try it!
I want to encourage you this Sunday if you got to church, to worship with that attitude. That God is the audience not you. So many times we treat going to church like going to the movies, like we are the audience and it better be a good show. The preacher better not be boring or long-winded, the music better be to our taste or preference, and no one better be in my seat! What a horrible attitude to come to worship God with. We make issues out of things that are not, focus on areas that don't matter, and all the while, we are missing what it's about about anyway, God, not you!
Even sadder it, it doesn't matter what side of that you are on. Half complain because the music isn't traditionanl enough and the other it's not contemporary enough. Half complain it's too hot in the auditorium and the other it's too cold. Half complain about the activities of the church, the preacher, the leaders, the kids, etc....there is plenty to complain about if you look, but people are complaining as if church is to please them and for them, when it's for God and all music is pleasing to God if it's worshippng Him and worship is more than just singing songs! All activities new and old, traditional and contemporary, and everything in between is pleasing to God when it's done with Him as the audience and not me or you.
It's time we take our churches back and take our Christian Faith back and get them pointed back in the right direction toward God. We need to get out of the audience and on the stage because we are the ones who are being observed. How is your worship? Your atttitude? Your giving? Your spiritual growth?
If we are not growing in our own personal faith, it hurts the church, because we are part of the church body, and if we are not positiviely contributing to the church body, then we are hurting the body, and if we are taking the attention, glory, honor, or reverence away from God because we think it's about us, then we are hurting ourselves, others, and most of all God.
Remember everything we say or do is for God, the audience of one. Whether we are at public worship at church or we are at work, home, or anywhere, we always have opportunity to worship God and make it about Him. He is our Audience of One.
1 Timothy 1:17(NIV)
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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