Why do we go to church every Sunday to attend worship? Is it to listen to the pastor’s sermon? To enjoy the hymns? To “recharge”? To receive comfort and help? To have fellowship with brothers and sisters? To fulfil the duty of being a Christian? Or simply because we accompany family or friends?
Whatever reason or purpose you may have for coming to worship, the fact that you come is already a good thing, because it shows that you are willing to set aside time for worship instead of doing other things. This decision may mean getting less sleep on Sunday morning, or that you cannot do other tasks, including housework, during that time. For busy Singaporeans, that is no small sacrifice. Yet, for Christians, setting aside one morning of the week for worship is exactly what we ought to do. “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:12–15). For Christians, the Sabbath is Sunday—the Lord’s Day. On this day, when we come to church for worship. On one hand we receive rest and renewal in body, mind, and spirit, on the other, it is also a time to remember God’s greatness and His salvation. The Lord Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and three days later, on a Sunday morning, He rose again (Mark 16:2). His resurrection proves that He is the true and living God, and that His promises to those who trust in Him are real. Afterward, Jesus’ disciples and the early church gathered together on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) to remember His resurrection. Two thousand years later, when we gather for worship on Sunday, we too are remembering and celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus!
Christians keep the Lord’s Day in obedience to Scripture. But God’s command is given for our good—that through drawing near to Him and fellowshipping with other believers, we may receive strength to live a joyful, abundant and God-glorifying life, especially in these end times. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24–25). One obvious purpose of worship is to listen to the sermon. More precisely, it is to listen to the message that God delivers through the pastor or other speakers. Sermons remind us of biblical principles, rebuke us in areas where we are wrong, encourage us to turn away from sin, and help us better know God’s character and understand His will. Through preaching, God also comforts us by allowing us to experience His unconditional love and the peace of His forgiveness. The sermon time is our time of listening to God—it is a time of drawing near to Him. We are not merely listening to a speaker; we are receiving God’s message delivered through that speaker. When God is speaking to us and drawing near to us, what should we be doing? Once, Jesus visited two sisters. Martha, the elder sister, busied herself with serving, while Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His teaching. Martha became frustrated and asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Perhaps Mary was so focused on Jesus’ words that she didn’t notice Martha’s call for help. “But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41–42). To quietly sit and listen to God’s Word in church is a precious blessing. We should cultivate Mary’s hunger for the words of the Lord Jesus, and not let other things—work, chores, mobile games, or social media—distract us. Unless you are serving in worship that day (which is also an act of worship), you should focus on singing and listening to the Word and minimise distractions. This benefits our own spiritual growth, and at the same time, with a humble and teachable heart, we offer worship to the Lord.
In worship, besides hearing the Word, we also have a time of singing hymns. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16). When we sing hymns, we are not indulging in music for its own sake. We are praising God according to the biblical truths expressed in the songs. Like the sermon, this involves both mind and heart. In praising God through songs, we place our focus on Him. He alone is the object of our worship and obedience. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).