Now this one may sound easy for a pastor or even a lay leader. But for me, it is possible to preach and not worship corporately. See the temptation is in viewing the preaching as my job and not as worship. Ministry can become a job and not worship. In the days of Josiah, the temple was no longer the place of worship and the book of law had been lost somewhere in a dark, dusty corner. The temple was in disary because corporate worship had been ignored.
A true leader worships God with God’s people. This is a non-negotiable. Today worship has become negotiable because it is seen as entertainment. It is not seen as a means for the protection of our very soul. Hebrews 10 gives the much quoted admonishiment to not forsake the assemby. But the verse 31 is the key…”it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
When leaders worship corporately they exert corporate inflence in the sense that they humble themselves before the living God. As a pastor or lay leader there is much that can be accomplished simply by the humble and sincere participation and faithfullness in corporate worship. Not to mention all the other benefits. One may hold a spiritual office or title, but if one fails to commit themselves to the body in this way, their leadership is only by title.
May we all commit ourselves to worship on the Lord’s day. I must commit myself to worship, even while standing in the pulpit, lest my preaching become a means to pay the bills, rather than an instrument of the grace of God in the midst of the holy assembly.
Dear Tad, While I completely agree with you about worshiping as you preach, while you are preaching, doing all in your power and spirit to bring about worship for others, it is not always possible to worship while you are preaching. It sure is filling to sit under someone elses preaching and worship service to build up your spiritual battery. I have a hard time building up my spiritual reserves when I am giving. Like Jesus knew when the lady with the issue of blood–virtue went out.
God bless!! nelson
Nelson:
I agree that preaching can be draining, very draining. I and also believe that good pastors find ways to regularly sit under sound teaching to recharge their batteries.
I also want to stress that when a pastor is giving their best, however draining that may be, for the glory of God and for the benefit of the church, that is worship!
What does Paul say in 2 Corinthians?
“7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So death works in us, but life in you.
13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,
14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
I think preaching with all of our might week in and week out, the draining kind of preaching, the kind that leaves you emotionally exhausted, is a momentary, light affliction, that is producing for us an eternal weight of glory! John Piper says that the mantle of preacying is ‘drenched in the blood of the cross and singed by the fires of hell.” This is intense stuff! If I take it lightly, if I just go through the motions, if I just do an outline…I fail to preach and I give a speech. I fail to worship and thus fail to lead my people to Christ. So I think you gave us a great springboard into this truth – Preaching that is worship will and should knock us flat on our back exhausted!