Has Online Worship Lowered Your Zeal? Remember, the Church Is the “People”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, under the PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restrictions) rules, church buildings appeared quiet. Worship services and spiritual activities were held online. It cannot be denied that this situation caused some people to become less enthusiastic about worship.

This lack of enthusiasm for worship when it is not inside a church building is rooted in the idea that the church is the building. So then, what is the true meaning of the church? How can we remain enthusiastic in worship, serving, teaching, and praising God, regardless of the medium?

The Meaning of the Church According to the Bible

And I also say to you: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18

The word church is first mentioned in Matthew chapter 16. The word congregation in verse 18, which in English is church, is translated from the Greek ekklesia, which means “called out.” So, the meaning of the church has nothing to do with a building, but with the people. The church is the people who believe and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, who are called out of the world by God.

A wrong understanding of the church can shape the congregation’s mindset into that of consumers, namely wanting to be served, as the saying goes, “The customer is king.” Examples of this mindset include:

• I deserve special service when I come to church.
• I want to enjoy attractive music and stage lighting.
• And I want to hear a sermon that sounds pleasant to the ears.

When you understand the meaning of the church according to God’s perspective, your mindset will change. The church is not a service provider for the congregation; rather, we as the congregation are God’s church.

Have the Characteristics of God’s “Church”

Here are several characteristics we need to have as God’s church:

1. Focused on God

You and I are God’s church. The question is, do we come to worship with our focus directed to God or to ourselves? Let us reflect through the comparison table below:

Self-Focused God-Focused

“It’s already good that I came, instead of not coming.” “I want to come and give my best to God”

“The music isn’t good, it makes me lazy to sing.” “I want to sing and praise God with all I have, because the listener is God, not people.”

“After all, the service is online, if I turn off the video camera while lying down at home, no one will know. Everyone else is probably doing the same.” “I want to turn on my video camera and wear clothes appropriate for attending an offlineservice, because God deserves the best.”

“The sermon makes me sleepy. The pastor’s way of speaking is unpleasant. It’s the same old thing, boring.” “I need to listen to the sermon seriously, because this is my moment to hear what God wants from me.”

When we come to God, who is the focus? God? People? Or ourselves? Have we built worship that is pleasing to God? If not, let us learn to do so starting now.

Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as for the Lord  and not for men. – Colossians 3:23

2. Host

With perseverance and with one accord they gathered every day in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes in turn and ate together with gladness and sincerity of heart. – Acts 2:46

This is a picture of the early church. The members of the congregation built the church together, not waiting for one party to provide everything while the other party simply enjoyed it. It says that they broke bread in their homes in turn, which means they all took part. Every member of the congregation is a host.

What is our attitude when we come to worship? Do we think that we need to be welcomed and served? Or instead, do we actively take a role as part of the church to serve one another?

When praising God, do we wait for good music first, and only then sing with enthusiasm? Does our enthusiasm for worship depend on other people’s music and singing? Shouldn’t it be us who ought to sing to God and encourage one another through our singing?

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Whatever the form of worship, whether in person or online, we need to come with a serving attitude, not to be served. We are not consumers, but hosts. Our brothers and sisters and people who do not yet know God are the people we need to serve. The Lord came to serve; it is only right that we do the same.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

3. A Congregation Committed to Teaching

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship. And they always gathered to break bread and pray. – Acts 2:42

The church is God’s congregation that is committed to teaching and being taught. In other words, we need to teach and guide one another in the word of God. And, as a congregation, we need to have a heart willing to be taught, to be advised, criticized, and trained to become more like Christ.

Teaching is given in the form of sermons as well as classes such as marriageclasses, parentingclasses, Bible studyclasses, and so on. Whether physically or online, as part of God’s church, we need to teach and learn, guide and be guided. Do we already have such a heart?

4. A Congregation Committed to Discipleship

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

The church is a gathering of people who help one another know God, in accordance with the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. This command is not only for pastors but for every disciple of Jesus. We need to make all nations His disciples. After being discipled, believers must continue to be guided and loved so that they can function according to their respective roles.

During the pandemic, we could not hold face-to-face meetings, but that does not mean we could not introduce others to Christ. In Paul’s ministry, when he was imprisoned and could not meet the congregation in person, he still guided them through letters. Today, we can make use of video call features as a substitute for physical meetings.

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So, as God’s church, are we still continuing to do our part in making disciples?

The church is not a building or a place you attend every week. The church is not a place where you can enjoy stunning worship either. Nor is it a place that makes you enthusiastic or not. The church is the people. We are the church. And as the church, in order to keep growing, we need to place our focus on God, have the mindset of hosts, not consumers, and be committed to teaching and discipleship. Even a pandemic must not diminish the function of the church according to God’s design.

Let us keep our zeal to be God’s church according to His design and for His glory. Amen!

Related Articles:

• Four Tips for Singing with More Confidence in Church
• Becoming a Christian Who Has Integrity
• Does God Need Our Service?
• Religious or God-Centered?
• “I Believe in the Lord Jesus”: Saying It Is Easy, What’s the Proof?

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