Preparing For Worship

WORSHIP/DEVOTIONAL ARTICLE | Tim McPherson | Bountiful, Utah

Exodus 16:5: “And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Introduction:
To sustain a practical life, we prepare. Can you imagine the chaos without preparation? Think about your morning routine. What if you did not set your alarm clock, wash your clothes, or did not brush your teeth? What if you did not bathe/shower? What if you hadn’t gone to the grocery store for days? Think of the problems you would have in your morning routine if you had not prepared. You would wake up late, have dirty and wrinkled clothes, foul breath, dirty teeth, body odor, bed-tossed hair, and have no breakfast. Yes, living without chaos involves planning, arranging, and designing every day. We think beforehand and purpose for what is ahead of us.

GOD ILLUSTRATES HIS ABUNDANT PREPARATION:
In matters of our salvation, we are overwhelmed by the amount of preparation by God. The scheme of redemption was not by happenstance. God did not make last-minute decisions. First Peter 1:20 states, “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you.” God purposed, planned, and executed a blueprint in sending His Son. This plan involved a bloodline, a nation, a land, many “types,” foreshadowing the true to come, promises, patterns, and prophecy. God revealed what was ahead. His preparation in the work of salvation makes us rejoice even more as we see the intent and purpose of God throughout the ages of time. I stand in awe when I see what God accomplished, leading to His ultimate goal. I see tremendous planning and preparation.

I could mention story after story of the need for preparation. Noah in building the ark (Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20), David prepared a place for the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:1,3,15), John the Baptist “preparing” the way of the Lord (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:20). Search in a computer Bible program the word “prepared” and you will see case after case (99 references) on that word alone and “prepare” in 78 verses. Commands cannot be fulfilled without preparation. Jesus’ disciples stated there must be preparation for the Passover. That preparation required a place (Matthew 26:17). When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure, He spoke of His plan to send the Comforter. He went on to say that he was going to prepare a place for you (John 14:2). I am forever comforted by Jesus’ preparation.

THE OLD TESTAMENT SABBATH TAUGHT PREPARATION:
Let’s get down to the purpose of this article: preparation for worship. The Old Testament was written for our learning (1 Corinthians 10:11). Friday evening began the Old Testament Sabbath day (7th day) in which Jews rested and praised God. It was a Jewish holy day (Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:3). Such resting on the Sabbath meant no work that whole day. Remember, their Sabbath began on Friday evening was called “the Preparation Day.” On that day, Jews prepared for the Sabbath. They had to get ready to observe the Sabbath.

Let me quote from a modern Jew and their preparation for the Sabbath:

“In anticipation of the Friday night meal, observant Jews tend to eat lighter meals during the daytime on Friday. There is also much to do. In fact, the more observant you are of the details of Shabbat, the more you have to prepare before it arrives. The late eminent scholar Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik used to say that the true mark of a pious Jew is not that he or she is a Shomer Shabbat (a Sabbath observer) but is Shomer Erev Shabbat (one who properly prepares on the eve of the Sabbath).

By traditional Jewish law, one cannot shop on the Sabbath, so marketing is usually done during the day on Friday. Cooking is prohibited on the Sabbath, so that must be done in advance, too. Foods prepared beforehand can be kept warm on a hot plate or on the stove, a condition that has led to a preference for certain hearty dishes like a meat-bean-and-potato stew called cholent. In our home, we try to give our children special Sabbath eve responsibilities. Of course, there’s cleaning up their own rooms, but we also divide up family responsibilities like sweeping, or setting up the Sabbath candles.”

With the very first mention of the Jews observing the Sabbath in the Old Testament, God initiated preparedness (Exodus 16:5). God knew people would have to prepare to keep the Sabbath. It became customary to mention it as “Preparation Day” (John 19:14,31,42).

Christians are under the new covenant and worship on the first day of the week, which is Sunday (Acts 20:7). However, do we consider its preparation? Sunday is even more special than the Jewish Sabbath because this is the true “Lord’s Day,” the remembrance of our Savior (Revelation 1:10). Our thoughts and minds must plan and purpose for this day in which the saints gather together to worship God.

PREPARE YOUR HEART AND MIND:
How do we prepare for worship on Sunday? First and foremost, we must make every day of our lives holy. Sunday is not the only holy day in our lives. Some people might think that Sunday is “the” only day that is holy (set apart, sanctified), but this is not so! Holiness should embody our lives every day (1 Peter 1:15-16). Christians meditate and think about God daily. We continually serve and do His will. We pray, read the Bible, and honor God every day of the week. However, is it possible that Sunday worship has become less important because we have not focused on our hearts and prepared ourselves throughout the week? Maybe God has been crowded out by everything else. How can we suddenly switch gears to worship God when our heart and mind has only absorbed worldly things?

I came across a statement of a Jew who said, “One prepares for the Sabbath all week.” And another statement, “Most Jewish people look forward to Shabbat all week. They see it as God’s gift to his chosen people of a day when they take time out from everyday things to feel special. Shabbat is a time with no television, no rushing to the demands of the telephone, or a busy work schedule. People don’t think about work or other stressful things. it’s an oasis of calm, a time of stillness in life.”

Yes, it is good that they look forward to a day of rest to get away and find solitude. But what alarms me is the constant bombardment of this world. Christians, have we become so caught up in the affairs of this life that Sunday is the last thing on our mind until it arrives? Has our spiritual focus been choked out because we have allowed the world to encroach upon us, up to the very last minute? I’ll give you one example. One young man got upset that the preacher spoke a little over the allotted time. Why? Because he had his hunting dogs already loaded in the back of his truck (in the church building parking lot), with all his hunting gear, and couldn’t wait to get out to go hunting.

Let’s think about those activities on Saturday and step away to set our minds heavenward. Do not let Saturday become jam-packed with overwhelming activities, staying up with others, playing video games, or watching TV late into the evening. Are we tired and not getting adequate rest for Sunday? Our minds need time to focus and contemplate (Psalm 1:2). “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). We will anticipate Sunday worship if we let loose of things that interfere on Saturday before worship. I am mindful of the great priest and prophet Ezra. Ezra 7:10 states, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (KJV).

REVERENCE REQUIRES PREPARATION:
Ironically, after being asked to write this article, we visited my son and his family in Ohio. I attended worship service at the Knollwood Church of Christ. That morning Heath Rogers preached on this very subject. I suggest you listen to his excellent sermon to accompany this article (listen here).

One point he made was that without proper preparation, we are not adequately reverencing God. God is to be feared, revered, and held in awe. Think about it: we are presenting ourselves before the throne of our Almighty Creator. There is nothing more honorary than to be able to sit with the King of kings. Have we taken this for granted?

Psalm 95:6 (NKJV), “O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.“

Psalm 42:2 (NKJV), “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?“

Psalm 29:2, “Give to the LORD the glory due His name…”

When Moses stood before the burning bush, he soon realized that this was no common ground. God told him to take off his sandals for the place where he stood was holy ground. Are we contemplating Sunday as a special day where we gather together with our Savior to break bread? Our Lord is participating with us (Matthew 26:29). This memorial is not a common feast. It was instituted by Jesus, the Son of God, to remember His most precious blood and body sacrificed for our sins. We should not appear before God tired, haphazard, or irreverent. With a mindset on our great God and “how great thou art,” we come not casually before Him. I have to commend the Jews for their approach to God with the Sabbath.

Again, quoting one Jewish source, “People dress up for Shabbat and go to considerable trouble to ensure that everything is organized to obey the commandment to make the Sabbath a delight.”

Brethren, remember our reverence before God. 2 Samuel 12:20 (NKJV): “So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes, and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped…”

Some suggestions for preparation:

Always keep God at the forefront of your mind.
Look forward to Sunday, when we honor and praise our great God.
On Saturday, remember to rest and think of participating in worship to the great “I AM.”
Honor and present yourself in a manner worthy of standing before our King and Creator.
Give God your best. Be ready to sing, praise, and glorify God. Be prepared to engage in spirit and truth. Readiness requires preparation.

We must always be prepared. Closing with this verse:

“Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this until thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” (Amos 4:12, KJV)

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April 2020 | GROW magazine