A little boy walked into church for the first time. My wife welcomed him as he looked about the sanctuary. What he said next rings in my ears, even now! Gesturing toward the cross on the platform, he said, “Why is there a big T up there?”. This was both exciting and disturbing. It was wonderful for us to have the opportunity to tell someone about the love of Jesus Christ. It was also disturbing to know that an 8-year-old Canadian child had never heard that Jesus came to take the punishment for our sin.
One might ask, “What does this have to do with worship?” or “Isn’t this story more about evangelism?” We do need to tell others about Jesus but my point is that this is a reminder again that worship is about Jesus. I could not think of a more troubling question from a newcomer to our church. This question went right to the heart of what the church is all about. Church in not about how good we look or how great we sound. It’s not a place to showcase our skills, talents, or abilities. Where else should the message of Jesus be clearer than in a church?
Many churches like the one that I pastor prominently display the cross. It’s there to remind us of the great sacrifice that the Son of God made for sick and dying humanity. We don’t worship things. It would be a gross sin of idolatry to worship any image, even a cross. And we don’t worship programs or social activism. How much more would it be idolatry to worship our singing, our songs, our favourite styles, and our teams of singers and musicians? Jesus Christ alone is to be worshiped.
The apostle Paul reminds us that “although he (Jesus Christ) existed in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is ABOVE EVERY NAME, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. (Philippians 2:6-11, emphasis mine)
It’s the reality of who he is that makes his coming so incredible. Jesus Christ, the Creator, the One who is perfect in all his ways, the One who is powerful beyond all measure, demonstrated love that boggles the mind.
Worship is all about him. Anything else pales in comparison to him. The music we make, the testimonies we give – even”the big T” that we display – exist to exalt him. In church, as well as in our personal lives, we focus on the healer, the giver of mercy and life. We sing about him, we talk about him and we bow before him, both physically and spiritually.
The next time that I walk into the sanctuary and see the cross, not only will I be reminded of a little boy that didn’t know about Jesus, but I will be challenged to point the attention of the congregation to the worship of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! “How great is our God! Sing with me, ‘How great is our God!'” We appreciate your Comments.