Godfrey 7 and 8

7. Entertainment, Evangelism, and Worship

These three words can happen at the same time, but they are not the same.  During worship, people can be entertained and people can come to Christ.  Sunday worship, however, is for God and his people to come together once a week and rehabilitate the believers.  It’s almost true that Church is a hospital for sick souls, but it’s actually a rehab.  We are supposed to tend to sick souls during the week.  If we don’t, then we are looking inward and not doing what God told us to do.  We must obey the Great Commission in all its aspects: making disciples, getting them to church, getting them to believe in Christ, and providing a support network for those who are Christians but who are torn by the world.

8.  Worshiping with the Heart

Here is another area where I will disagree with Godfrey.  I do not think that a person needs to prepare himself with prayer and Scripture before worship service.  If he does, then that is why churches have Sunday School.  But preparation takes the whole service.  The music and liturgy opens people’s ears to hear God’s Word being preached.  The sermon, which should use a lot of God’s Word, should prepare hearts to examine themselves to know if they are eating the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.  The heart does need preparation for the Lord’s Supper that is seriously neglected.  If you eat and drink unworthily, then you do risk serious consequences.  But that is what the rest of the service should call the worshiper to attend to.  Are you coming before God as someone entitled to God’s blessing or as a dirty sinner who is not worthy to even look toward heaven?  You must be in the latter group by the time communion happens.