The Worshipper

He is a worshipper. His life revolves around his worship. Nothing stops him.

There is no doubt about his worship. Everyone knows the object of his worship, because he cannot stop talking about it. Even the way he dresses and behaves declares his commitment to his cause. On a Monday morning he is full of the activity of the previous day, recounting everything that took place in the recent worship.

Actually, his whole week revolves around worship. To be honest, it’s his whole life! His planning is meticulous, his preparation never lacking. Days and even weeks and months ahead he is making things ready to be where he belongs. No time is too early, no requirement is too demanding, no forethought is too extreme. He intends to worship, and he will do whatever it takes to be there. It it clear that worship is his absolute priority, and nothing gets in the way.

He also exhorts and encourages. It is wonderful to see how he is concerned not only for his own worship, but for the worship of others. If zeal is lacking, he is the first to draw alongside. If someone needs help to be at worship, he is quick to offer his. You can often see him rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep—so quick to share the delights of worship, so ready to put an arm around the shoulder of those who are cast down. He is very ready to remind people of glories past, and to point to the hope of future glory. He loves his fellow-worshippers with ardent love; they know that he has got their back. His wife knows what has the first place in his heart, and he’s been bringing his children to worship since they were babes-in-arms. They certainly won’t miss any opportunity to worship, and nothing and no-one is allowed to encroach on their family commitment, either.

And he supports and invests. He is always in his place. You know that if he is not present, it must be a real problem or a real sickness. Otherwise, there would be no excuse. People still laugh about the time he broke his leg and made special arrangements to be present. There is even a rumour that he nearly missed the birth of his first child because he wanted to be worshipping! Even his spending is arranged around his worship: the first portion of his salary is invested in worship. A certain amount is set aside, in addition to which he makes a number of freewill offerings and thank-offerings during the course of the year. And if there were a need, he would always be ready to sacrifice even more.

And when he is in his place, he is fully engaged, entirely invested. Nothing distracts him. His eyes and inner being are fixed on what is taking place. He barely glances at his phone, except to check the references. Everything else is put to one side when he is worshipping. He sings with all his heart, and he knows all the words. He prays fervently—his intercessions are almost legendary for their length and their passion. He loves with heart and mind and soul and strength, and he worships accordingly. He’s got all the literature, too—he knows the history back to front, he’s totally up-to-date with the present needs, and he knows the entire situation inside and out, back to front. He’s a true fount of knowledge. If the worship lasts longer than usual, rather than becoming bored, he is all the more enthused. His intensity only seems to increase the longer worship lasts.

He is a real evangelist, too! He wants everyone else to worship with him. He has no regard for false gods, for he knows the truth. Indeed, sometimes his zeal borders on the excessive in his attitude to those who don’t see things the way he sees them. He has even been known to criticise his own fellow-worshippers if they don’t give themselves wholeheartedly to their cause. He cannot bear ‘armchair worshippers’ who don’t put in any effort. In fact, he once got beaten up because he couldn’t bear to hear people speak the way they did about the object of his worship. He wears the scars of that encounter with a certain gratitude, because they show what his worship is worth to him.

As for commitment, he is second to none. His place of worship is on the other side of the city, but he will make it every single time. Come wind and high water, he will be there. You will see him and his fellow-worshippers turn up early to make sure they get their places, standing sometimes in wind and rain, in ice and snow, in searing heat, because of their love. If he has to travel further, that’s no problem to him—he will be there! This is where his planning and preparation come in, and money is really no object. If he travels to a foreign city, it’s the first thing he thinks about; in fact, he even arranges such trips around his worship!

To be honest, things have not been going so well recently. Some of those armchair worshippers have fallen away. Worship has been tough. They haven’t seen the blessings for which they had been hoping, and there’s been some unrest among the worshippers. But him and his friends engage all the more fervently. Such difficulties only increase their zeal. He is a worshipper till he dies, and nothing is going to change his wholehearted allegiance.

He is a worshipper.

He is a fan of a football club.

And he puts the followers of Jesus Christ to shame.

It might not be football. It might not be sport. It might be business. It might be pleasure. It might be fame. It might be ease. Whatever it might be, there is only One who is truly worthy of worship. The instinct to worship is ripe and robust in the hearts of fallen men and women. Why does it seem to be diluted in the hearts of the saints? Why is it that the worship of the world puts to shame the worship of the one true and living God? Should not the glories and beauties of Christ capture and enrapture our hearts more than the fading glories and flawed beauties of this world? Should not the solid joys and lasting treasures of the heavenly Zion fix our energies and endeavours upon the things that do not pass away? May God help us to become true worshippers of the One who is truly worthy.

Jeremy Walker is pastor at Maidenbower Baptist Church and blogs at Reformation 21 and The Wanderer. More articles by Jeremy Walker at the Banner of Truth.