“Missions Exist Because Worship Doesn’t Exist”…
A strong statement by John Piper in his book “Let the nations be glad!” He describes why worship is so important, especially when we are engaged in missionary community building. For as important as we consider our mission, they are a means to an end: “Let the nations praise you, O God; let all nations praise you! Let the nations rejoice and sing for joy!” (Ps 67:3-4).
We would like to invite you to our Worship Vision Morning on April 15 in Veenendaal. View the invitation here:
Quote from John Piper’s book:
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.”
Worship is the purpose of our missions, but it’s also the fuel, Piper says.
“But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!” who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High” (Ps 104:34, 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.”
Let’s put it loosely: Missionaries (or evangelists, or church builders, or followers of Jesus) will never cry, “Let the nations be glad!” if they themselves cannot say from their hearts, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in thee, I will praise thy name, O Most High.”
If you don’t know the real meaning of worship, if you don’t walk the path of worship to God’s throne yourself, if you have no idea what it’s like to be in God’s presence in worship…or if you just kind of forgot how in worship your heart is first served by God Himself… then how can we lead the nations in that, bring the people to that place, into God’s presence, in His glory…?
Watch this short video and get inspired…
Piper concludes, “Missions begin and end in worship.”
At ICP we have a dream: all nations before the throne of God, in worship, focused on the Lamb. All nations, tribes, languages, colors, backgrounds… One heart, one voice, one Body.
On Saturday 15 April we are organizing a Vision Morning in Veenendaal. A morning for worship leaders, musicians, technicians, pastors, leaders; worship teams who want to delve together into worship in today’s intercultural church.