These past months, I have had the privilege of doing ministry in California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ecuador, as well as here in Arizona. I have been with congregations large and small with a great variety of worship styles and different doctrinal emphasis. Yet they all love and serve Jesus Christ.
One Sunday I spoke at Glencroft, a retirement community in Glendale, Arizona. I walked into a pleasant sanctuary which seated a few hundred people. The lights were bright so their older members could see well. I was greeted warmly by the ushers and fitted with a lavalier mic by their sound man. I was shown to a seat in the front row. Most of the congregation arrived on foot from nearby apartments. Some came with walkers and a few in wheelchairs.
After an opening prayer, we began to sing a hymn. I was surprised by the loud, rich sound of singing and I turned around to see if something special was happening. What I saw was a sanctuary full of gray-haired people giving praise to the Lord with all their hearts. The room was filled with the presence of the Lord. It was a joy for me to worship with those faithful believers.
A few weeks later, I preached at Hope Church, led by Brian Smith, near the ASU campus in Tempe. Hundreds of college students filed into the community center where they hold Sunday services. As the worship began, dozens of students left their seats and moved towards the front of the stage. The worship team began to rap, and the students up front began to jump up and down. I have never been a fan of rap music. Usually, I can barely understand it. But at Hope Church the worship is captivating. The words are clear and uplifting. The Holy Spirit was moving, and refreshing us all.
Brian Smith preaches an uncompromising message of repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. It is the same message preached by Joel Eidsness at Glencroft, and at healthy churches around the world. The Lord shows up when people gather in his name and worship in Spirit and truth.
I am privileged to worship one week with Yuppies in downtown Phoenix and the next week with former prisoners and homeless people living in community at Church on the Street. The décor of the buildings and the dress of the people changes, but the presence of the Lord is the same everywhere in churches that love Jesus.
Jesus preached “good news” to the poor. The good news is not only the forgiveness of their sins, and heaven after death. The good news is equal access to the Kingdom of God. There is nothing better to experience on earth than the peace, joy and power of the Kingdom of God. The doors of God’s kingdom are open wide to everyone who submits to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I may change my tone and volume, and adjust my illustrations, depending on the congregation I’m preaching to, but my messages are the same. I want believers to know that Jesus Christ is alive, and they can have a blessed life if they put his words into practice.
I’ve learned that worshiping the Lord with wholehearted devotion is more important than the style of the songs or décor of a sanctuary. We all have preferences when it comes to worship styles and sanctuaries. However, the blessings that come from the Lord’s presence do not come because of our style, but as a response to what is happening in our hearts.
Those who honor Jesus are filled with grace, know the truth and love one another as we mature. Ephesians 5:32 says it’s a mystery that Christ and the church are one. The mystery is revealed as we see Christ and experience God's grace in each other.