Don’t Make Church About You

It’s Not Just About You

I work as a nurse. At our monthly staff meeting, we review our hospital’s vision statement. It can feel rote, but it actually reminds us how each employee contributes to the larger goal. Vision statements keep first things first. If you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, then you’re better equipped to choose the right actions to meet that goal.

The Bible gives local churches a “vision” for what they should prioritize, particularly in corporate worship. Unfortunately, too many Christians develop their own personal vision statements and then impose them on the local church. We think the church exists to cater to our preferences or to give us a certain “feeling” or “experience” of worship. But corporate worship isn’t meant to cater to our desires.

It’s just not about us.

Our church’s gatherings are ultimately about God. We worship according to his desires, not ours. When we gather we should be governed by God’s word, not our preferences.

The Bible indicates that there are two ways you can commit the sin of idolatry. The first way is to worship something other than God: Molech, Marduk, a statue, your beauty, money, success, a happy family, or any other thing, good or bad, that’s not God. The second way to commit idolatry—one we regrettably give far less attention to—is to worship God the wrong way. Many Christians are careful to avoid the first path to idolatry but are often unaware of this second path.

As a result, we let entertainment culture, tradition, or personal preferences dictate what we do in church. But orchestrating our corporate worship around tradition, what we “like,” or what makes us “feel” close to God isn’t just unfaithful, it’s self-destructive. It’s like a little kid who pulls a stool up to the stove, turns the range on high heat, and proceeds to throw a Cadbury candy creme egg into the pan in an attempt to make scrambled eggs according to his way and by “hisself.” It’s just plain foolish, not to mention dangerous and messy!

So the first thing you need to do to make the most of the Sunday service is recognize that it isn’t about you. It’s about worshiping God in the way he commands and according to his desires. Let’s get this point down. Corporate worship isn’t about having a souped-up quiet time in the company of other Christians. It’s about gathering with God’s people, checking our preferences at the door, and worshiping the one true God in the way he commands.

How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Services?

Erin Wheeler

In this short book, Erin Wheeler details the biblical elements of God-centered, corporate worship and helps readers prepare their hearts to edify their local church family.

Corporate Worship, Not Entertainment Weekly

We can make the most of corporate worship if we understand why we’re there in the first place. And praise God, he hasn’t left us alone to figure it out!

Scripture repeatedly shows us that God assembles his people for the express purpose of exalting him and edifying one another. Before the coming of Christ, Israel—God’s people under the Old Covenant—gathered at the tent of meeting (Ex. 40:34) or the tabernacle in the wilderness (Num. 9:15) to worship him. They assemble to worship at the temple (1 Kings 8:1–11). They also assembled to praise God for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (Ezra 3:10–13). They listened to God’s word being publicly read (Luke 4:16). In the new covenant, the church continued this pattern of gathering to worship God corporately. They assembled together in local churches to devote themselves to the apostles teaching, to pray, to sing, and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42–47). God has always gathered his people so that they would exalt him together.

Why does God gather his people to worship him? Consider these two reasons.

1. We Gather to Edify

First, gathering encourages and edifies the saints. When we’re together doing what God has called us to do, we build one another up in our most holy faith (Jude 20).

When God saves us, he saves us into the church—the family of God. Like a family, each person contributes to the welfare of the home. The same is true for the church. As members of the same family, we gather each week to help one another and contribute to the well-being of the church. Yet many view corporate worship as consumers, not providers. But when the Bible talks about the church, it doesn’t talk about “me” and “them” but about “we.” The church is an “us”—a family gathered to worship and serve.

When we gather we should be governed by God’s word, not our preferences.

As Paul taught, the church is one body with many parts (1 Cor. 12:20). You might have a more public role or you might serve in quiet, unseen ways like making coffee or restocking the bathroom paper towels. Or you might simply serve by a faithful ministry of presence, singing gospel songs to those around you, praying for a brother or sister after the service, or encouraging others by being an attentive listener to God’s word.

Corporate worship is never a spectator sport. We gather to worship God and encourage one another—and that takes work. We don’t simply “attend” church in the same way we “attend” a concert or a baseball game. We are the church, and each one of us has a role to play! We honor and exalt the Lord Jesus when we come to corporate worship ready to serve others.

A good friend in our church suffers with a chronic illness. She often can’t make it to corporate worship. But when she’s able to come, her physical presence fills the room. She praises the Lord with her fragile hands turned up to God, sitting in her seat with a look of joy on her face. Seeing her faith and perseverance year after year strengthens our whole congregation. She edifies us all just by her presence.

Your faithful attendance and service does the same. As fellow members consider your life, your afflictions, your joys, and your obedience to Jesus, they’re edified by your ministry of presence. They’re encouraged by hearing you sing. They’re heartened by having a conversation with you after the service. We can’t edify one another if we never see each other.

We gather to edify.

2. We Gather to Evangelize

Second, gathering with the saints for worship indirectly acts as a means of evangelism. The apostle Paul makes this point in 1 Corinthians 14:24–25, saying that if “an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”

Corporate worship isn’t designed for unbelievers—the primary purpose is to edify the saints. At the same time, an unbeliever might show up. We hope they do! And when they do, Paul says they should recognize through the church’s corporate worship that God is really among us! Corporate worship pulls back the curtain and gives unbelievers a backstage pass to the life of the church. They get to see what the Christian life is about: exalting God, celebrating the good news of the gospel, and edifying one another.

This article is adapted from How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Services? by Erin Wheeler.

Erin Wheeler is the author of The Good Portion – The Church: Delighting in the Doctrine of the Church. She also works part-time as a labor and delivery nurse. Erin is a Bible teacher and one of the cohosts of the 9Marks Priscilla Talk podcast. Erin and her husband, Brad, live in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They have four children. They are members of University Baptist Church, where Brad serves as the lead pastor.

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March 25, 2024

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