WHAT WE

        BELIEVE ABOUT

                WORSHIP

Our goal in worship is nothing more and nothing less than communicating with God Himself and expressing our praise to Him.

1.    True worship is an eternal activity. It will be the main activity in heaven. Our present worship is a prelude to what we will be doing in His presence throughout all eternity (Rev. 5:12-13; 7:12-17).

2.    True worship is directed to God. We don't worship style, songs, or people, but God alone. We come to God to worship Him--to give praise to Him (Ex. 34:14; Matt. 4:10).

3.    True worship involves both the heart and the mind. It is based on truth, but is also an emotional activity that consumes our entire being (John 4:21-24; Is. 6:1-6; 1 Cor. 14:15).

4.    True worship involves bringing our best in obedience to God. God desires the sacrifice of our lives more than our money or our singing (Rom. 12:1-2; John 14:15; Heb. 13:15-16).

5.    True worship involves all of God's people. We all ought to take part in worship, not just a select few "performers," while the rest of us sit by passively and listen. We participate spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically (Neh. 8; Eph. 5:17-20).

6.    True worship is only experienced with a spirit of freedom. We need freedom to express to God our adoration, love and commitment in ways that we desire and in the ways God desires. We should have the freedom to kneel, or not to kneel; to stand, or not to stand; to raise our hands to God, or not to raise our hands to God; so that we can praise Him in accordance with what our heart feels toward Him (Neh. 8:6; Ps. 47:1; 63:4).

7.    True worship enables us to enjoy God. It draws us closer to Him and helps us to know Him better (Isa. 6:6-7; Phil. 3:3).

8.    True worship is mystical. As we worship together, God visits us and draws us together in new and powerful ways (Neh. 8; 2 Chron. 5).

9.    True worship is a lifestyle. As we worship corporately, it enhances our individual worship and infects our lives. Everything we do--our work, our relationships, our play--should be an act of worship to God. Worship involves singing, praying, sharing, indeed, every aspect of our lives. Singing or praying is not our only mode of worshiping God. We don't want to limit the ways of expressing our love, adoration, and commitment (1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Chron. 16:8-12).

10.    True worship is attractive to unbelievers. As God's people worship together and live with worship at the center of our lives, we will attract people to the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:14; Acts 2:42-47).

11.    True worship is our response to God for Who He is and for what He has done for us. As God works in our lives, we respond in worship (Isa. 6; Neh. 8).

12.    True worship results in change. As we encounter a holy God, we see ourselves clearly. Our sinfulness and need become evident in the light of God. Not to change is to ignore what God is revealing to us (Isa. 6; Neh. 8; Phil. 2:12-13).