Our Worship Is a Witness

I came to faith because of worshiping Christians. No one invited me to their meeting. No one broke down the gospel for me and said, “Here is how to come to Jesus Christ. . . .” But I saw a group of Christians sitting on the front lawn of my high school campus, singing songs to Jesus. I watched them and thought, “They have something I don’t have,” and it opened my heart to listen to the message that was presented.

There is a direct connection between our worship and our witness. Acts 2 says of the early church, “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved” (verses 46–47).

We are being watched by the world. And they marvel when a Christian can praise God when he or she is going through a hardship. It’s a powerful testimony. But sometimes they come in and join us in the pew. They sit next to us. The question is what kind of worshiper are you? What kind of witness are you?

You may say, “Well, it doesn’t matter.”

Actually it does. They are checking things out. Maybe they have never been to church before. They are sitting next to you, and while the worship is going on, you’re preoccupied. You’re chatting with a friend or daydreaming or texting. Pay attention and engage, because they are watching you. Praise and worship can be a sacrifice because sometimes we don’t feel like worshiping. But our worship is a witness. Let’s be good witnesses. Let’s make sure our hearts are in the right place.