Our Most Important Calling

Worship is our main calling and occupation. It is the highest form of human activity and should never be thought of merely in terms of a Sunday morning experience. It is our response to God that gives Him worth and dominion and honor through our lives, and it should be participated in 24 hours a day.

But what precedes worship? Why do some people worship and others don’t?

"The people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped" (Exodus 4:31 ESV).

Belief fosters worship.

When we see some activity or creation or work of God and we believe in Him, it stimulates awe and leads to the honor that He deserves. Genuine faith is the catalyst to worship—the necessary driver. If we do not believe, we will never turn to Him in conscious praise and adoration. "Dis"-belief leads to self-worship and a life that leaves God completely out of the equation.

Seeing fosters belief.

Do you have a hard time worshiping? Maybe it’s because you are not seeing God daily—in nature, in others, in His Word, in your own experience—and believing in Him.

To see Him, you must look. We are bombarded with thousands of images and noises every day, and seeing God is not automatic. "He is there, and He is not silent," as Frances Schaeffer said, but we must realize that our Enemy has designed distractions galore. Seeing takes intentionality and spiritual focus.

But seeing leads to believing, and believing leads to worship. If we fail in this task, we instinctively slide down the slippery slope described in Romans 1, and we end up worshiping and serving the creature instead of the Creator.

Our Pastoral Role

The pastor is the ultimate worship leader in any church. He must shoulder the burden of bringing others into God’s presence.

He may not be able to sing well, but he can shepherd his people to see God. He can lead them to lay aside distractions and to notice God in every movement of nature, in every circumstance, in every word of Scripture.

He must help people open their eyes and see. If, as a pastor, I am not leading my people toward seeing, believing, and worshiping, what am I doing?

See, believe, and worship Him this week. It’s the pastor’s main responsibility, personally and professionally; and everything of value springs from this progression.