Why Do We Worship Together?
Worship is a response to the revelation of Jesus Christ. We worship because it is our response but, why do we do it together? Why do we gather every Sunday to sing together. The answer comes from Colossians 3:16.
Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
We come together to give thanks to God but also to teach and admonish one another through singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. This is something we receive but also participate in delivering. Singing songs with biblical truth reminds us of the truth of the gospel. It reminds me of a psalm.
Psalm 73:1-17; 27-28
“Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue trust through the earth.
Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain have I kept my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus”, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end………..
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
The writer of this Psalm is Asaph who was the Chief of the Levites was also appointed to sing songs of thanksgiving. He was a worship leader who almost fell into the temptation of sin. The turning point in this narrative is when Asaph goes into the sanctuary and is reminded of the righteousness of God. That’s why we worship together. We sing songs together to remind each other of the truth of the Gospel. We learn more about God through the teaching of his word.
So as we gather this week, let’s keep this as a reminder. Let us sing loudly songs of worship. You never know who might need to hear it. It could be you, the person sitting next to you, the person sitting 5 rows away from you, the people leading worship, or maybe even the person preaching.
The songs for this week are reminders of who God is. Attributes to encourage us as we gather together.
