Attending Sunday Worship

I was in Manila over the weekend to officiate a wedding.  I arrived on a Friday, the wedding was Saturday afternoon, and I had the whole day of Sunday to wait for my evening flight back home.  When I woke up Sunday morning I did not feel like going to a worship service here.  I was not home, not where my local church was, and I was a little tired from all the travelling that is a norm for Manila life.  After my morning prayer I went to a coffee place so I could have my usual morning caffeine fix and to spend time surfing the internet and maybe do some thinking and planning.

But it was as if my heart was not satisfied.  It was a Sunday, the day when the Lord gathers His people to come together and worship Him.  I had to worship.  I needed to worship.  I checked my watch, it was 10 minutes to 11am.  I checked with my father-in-law what time the next service of his church was, and he said 11am!  And I was right in the building where his church holds their worship service.  So, after gulping down the last drops of coffee left in my mug, I went up to the church service to worship.
And I was thankful that I did.  Through the songs I was able to worship.  I was in the presence of brethren who were also there to worship.  I listened to a preaching of the Word (something that I rarely have a chance to do, since I am the one the Lord uses to preach).  The pastor did not preach as I do, which, of course, I shouldn't expect...but the word was preached.  And I was encouraged.

And I left the worship service thankful in my heart that I had obeyed the prompting of the Spirit to gather with fellow believers that Sunday and worship.  My heart was satisfied that day.

Psalms 122:1  A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

When we travel, and are in a different place, maybe on vacation in a foreign land, there is always the temptation not to look for a church where we can worship on a Sunday.  Actually, we don't even have to be somewhere else...sometimes in the comfort of our own home, lying in our bed, Sunday morning, after working for the past 5 or six days, there is always that temptation not to gather with fellow believers to worship.   We would rather stay home, rest and make that excuse that "anyway I can worship the Lord on my own, from my heart, and that will probably be acceptable to God".

Everyday, as individual believers, we are called to worship.  God deserves our worship everyday, a time spent with Him, reading His Word, the Holy Spirit "preaching" to us in our hearts.  We may even sing to express our worship.

But Sunday is a day when God gathers His people together to worship Him as a congregation.  Sunday is not about us individually.  This is where many believers err.  We think going to Sunday is about us individually.  It's not.  It's the day that God gathers His people to worship Him together, to sing together, to listen to a message for the church together.  It's about being with others, gathering as the body of Christ, worshiping together, listening together, and being in fellowship with one another.

Without this, our Christian growth is stunted.  Because not only are we to worship with our lives, individually, in our own private moments, but we are also called to worship together with other believers.

Both our individual and corporate worship become God's avenue for our spiritual satisfaction and growth.

Hebrews 10:24-25  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  (25)  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.