Mystery Motivated Worship: Breaking through the walls of the church

Mystery Motivated Worship

That mystery leads to worship in the case of our grand and glorious creator God. Paul gives light into this at the beginning of Ephesians in 1:3 but also more notably here in 3:20-21:

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ^[1]

God is able to do far more abundantly than we can ask or think!  We just will not be able to conceive or comprehend the full work of the Father in Jesus Christ.  That should not lead us to contempt or confusion, but rather to worship.  It should lead us to worship and to obedience in Christ. Paul emphasizes this:

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. ^[2]

New life in Christ is a direct result of His work in the life of the believer; therefore a response ought to be generated. That response is imitation. The believer is challenged to imitate Christ. This takes the context of “worship” outside the walls of the church.  When the motivation is pure and focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Sunday morning church service acts more as a re-energizing charging dock, not focused on music or pithy feel-good messages, but a genuine worship-inspired challenge to the people to respond to God’s grace in the gospel daily and take it outside the walls of the church.  This motivation must start in the leadership, particularly in the worship and senior pastors. When the leadership is committed to this motivation in their respective responsibilities, the end result is the cultivation of a culture of worship focused on giving glory and honor to God by lifting high the name of Jesus Christ as their Savior.

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²²The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Eph 3:20–21.

²³The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Eph 5:18–21.