The quote, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t” by John Piper has been one of my favorite quotes for years. While in my last month of the race God really lit a fire in my heart for worship. That was our ministry for the few weeks that we spent in Berlin. We worshipped God with music and prayer. We worshipped alongside Chuck and Della Magnet who are the directors for Burn 24/7 Berlin. A passion for worship and prayer radiated from them. The time there was incredible and it made me realize that a heart of worship is missing from the average American Christian’s life. When I arrived home and began talking to brothers and sisters in Christ I have began to realize how much we overcomplicate our faith. We cannot comprehend, in the society that we live in, that a walk of faith in Jesus Christ could be so simple. We overcomplicate things with a top ten list of how to be a better Christian, or a ten step plan to evangelize your neighbor or the millions of books on what the Christian life should look like. All God wants of us is to worship him, to praise him, to adore and be a witness to his greatness.
The first page of John Piper’s book Let the Nations Be Glad puts it better than I can:
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. “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” (Ps. 97:1). “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!” (Ps. 67:3-4).
Community living decreases more and more every year in America. Group activities and programs show less and less involvement. People are living isolated, individual lives and are growing more and more depressed by the minute. Instead of going next door and becoming friends with your neighbors, who are also isolated and lonely, we stay at home and watch TV or surf the internet. We don’t ask for help and don’t want to be seen as a burden to others, yet long to help others. How can we do that if we are not connected and intertwined into their lives?
God has given me a vision for community, worship and prayer. It is something that is desperately needed here in Indianapolis and all over the world. I look at ministries like Burn 24/7 and IHOP (International House of Prayer) and say YES! That’s what I want here! It’s not an individual church creating another program to fit into all their other programs. It’s the body of Christ coming together and laying aside denomination, skin color, music preference, and all other differences and worshipping the Lord in spirit and truth. It’s looking at the big picture and living what we were made for, to Love God (worship) and to Love Others (community)!
On January 8, 2010 I will be heading down to Gainesville, Georgia again for something called Project Searchlight. It is a new program that helps racers that have come off the field and now want to know what’s next. It will be a time where we will process the passions that God is placing in our hearts and to see what we can do to start living them out. Please pray for me as I seek God, especially for the two weeks that I will be in Gainesville.
