Since March of this year, we have seen changes we never imagined. We have struggled with staying in “quarantine” to avoid catching Covid-19. We have seen a time when we did not meet together as the church, except online (and we are grateful for this technology granted to us by God). We have been frustrated that we cannot do what we were doing because of social distancing. Worship has changed in many ways, not because we wanted it so, but because we are thinking about others more and trying to prevent the spread of the disease.
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that we cannot count on anything, and there will be a time for everything. Change is a part of life!
Sometimes change is a good thing because when things change, we consider whether the way we are doing something is the best way, the right way, or if we can do something better.
We also know that when it comes to worship and things pertaining to God, we must, to please God, worship him as he commands in his word. We cannot change that, nor would we wish to. God is the Creator, we are the creatures, and we must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We should not add to, nor take from, what God has said we must do to worship Him. Another part to proper worship is that our hearts must be engaged – giving God what he has asked for, and hence, deserves. We can go to worship with the saints and not worship God.
It has been different since we have gone “online” because singing, prayer, giving, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, preaching, and teaching all have been different in one way or another. Bible study has been different. We could grow discouraged because “that’s not the way we usually do it,” – we can even think that if something is different it is then not Scriptural. We have to make sure that we examine what we do by Scripture.
Some may use this as an opportunity to no longer be faithful to the Lord in actually attending with the saints. They miss out on worship thinking that they do not need to worship with the saints if they can do so online. Yet, there is something about corporate worship that encourages us more than we will ever be by staying in a house and watching others worship. We do not write this to condemn anyone – if you feel that there is still a danger from catching COVID-19 then by all means do what you think is best. We do write this to encourage everyone to remember that we are to be faithful to the Lord and attend if we can.
When the saints in Jerusalem were persecuted and “run out of town” they went everywhere “preaching the word.” Worshipping and serving with the saints in Jerusalem then became much different, yet they went and established churches everywhere they went. They scattered the seed of the kingdom by preaching the gospel. They adapted to the circumstances and remained faithful to the Lord.
Please remember that being faithful to God means much more than just attending services and worshipping God. It means living the Christian life every day. It means staying in communion with God through his Word and prayer. It means serving the Lord by serving others, by teaching the gospel and being faithful in every way we can. It means faithfulness in the midst of adversity.
I am grateful that God has been faithful to me all of my life. I am grateful to God for the fact that he sent his Son to die for me, and for all mankind, on the cross. I am grateful for his continued forgiveness. I am grateful for his continuing love! I am grateful for the knowledge that the Son is
with me (Hebrews 13:5-6) and ever lives to make intercession for me (Hebrews 7:25). I am grateful that the Spirit prays with my spirit and makes intercessions as well (Romans 8:27-28). This is the motive for faithfulness. This is the motive for loving the Lord. This is the motive for worship.
Beloved, let us be found faithful when the Lord comes again! WE WILL NOT REGRET IT!
