Praise of a Mission Field or Worship of a Missionary

Two dichotomies I heard this week that have each given me pause and motivation for self-reflection.  The topic we are discussing right now is Worship, Praise, and Spiritual Warfare.  In the first day of our lecture, the instructor said this short statement that has been on my mind ever since.  He said, “Anyone can Praise God.  But only those that know Him can Worship Him.”  All over the world, in every country, there are so many different kinds of people with so many different beliefs about who God is.  But when good things happen, people give God praise.  “Wow, somebody upstairs must be looking out for you.”  “Wow, God really got me out of that mess.  I gotta start getting back to church.”  When you invite people to church, you can see on their faces when they really enjoy the “music” and they clap along and sing with the “band” because it is exciting to praise Him.  Then, all of a sudden the music slows down and people close their eyes and each person, individually, is connecting with a personal Creator and all of a sudden, the friend you brought with you to church has an emotion change.  Whether it is confusion, a feeling of being lost in the midst of people they don’t understand, or longing to have whatever experience everyone else is having, your friend can’t worship God until He knows Him.  It has been a really interesting thought for me especially as I take into consideration Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.  For this is your spiritual act of worship.”  I am left with this feeling of my whole life, then, as worship or praise?  What have I been doing with my time, my finances, my thoughts, my leisure time… Do I praise God with my life when I have the time to give a little extra than the required prayer times?  Do I praise God when finances are good?  Oh, sure, I can give a little extra around Christmas time.  Especially after my bonus, God.  Oh, and how about some change in the salvation army bucket, Old Sport.  Or is my life a living sacrifice?  Is my life worship unto God?  And if not, why not? 

That brings me to the second dichotomy that I read in a book.  It’s called “Making Jesus Lord” and it is a very easy read.  If any of you are looking for something new to read, I have to admit, at first I was disenchanted by another book by Loren Cunningham, but truth be told I have been riveted by it.  Anyway, he says that every person fits into one of two categories; those who love Neil Diamond and those who don’t…no, not really.  He says you are either a Missionary or you are a Mission Field.  You are either carrying out the great commission or you are one of those the disciples of Jesus are being commissioned to.  You are either being the church or you are the reason the church still has great job security.  Because the responsibility of the Church, the charge Jesus left us with is to make disciples.  Now, if you have never heard of Jesus, or you have heard and rejected His message, well then you obviously are not his disciple…yet.  On the other hand, the less obvious but just as significant truth is that the immobilized church is just as much a mission field.  To call ourselves disciples is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and to make disciples.  To be a disciple is to make a disciple.  If you are not making disciples you are not currently a disciple.  Which leaves me with this sobering question.  Am I a disciple?  Do I have people in my life that are working through some process of discipleship that I am helping them through?  Now, of course there are.  My kids!  I am discipling them in the Lord!  Great!  Good job, Nick.  That’s true, you are.  But now, remember the first dichotomy, is your whole life a sacrifice to the Lord as worship?  Or is your life Praise to Him, which is for sure good, but would be the same with or without God in your life?  I know a lot of really great agnostic parents.  So, the question remains, what kinds of disciples do you have?  And if none, maybe you are still a mission field…