We Are a Nation of Worshipers

I recently preached on worship. Without question, it's what I've studied most both in seminary and real life. An average weekend has me leading worship in three services! However, leading up to the sermon, I found myself struggling to put an effective presentation of worship before a group of unbelieving teens. They have no relationship with Jesus, and they aren't about to worship someone they don't know. I had the foreboding sense that this message would be perceived as if I were speaking in a foreign language. It didn't all click until several days later when I in realized the transcendent truth that we are a nation of worshipers, every one of us. Sometimes we fail to see it, but do keep an eye out for the worshipers flooding streets, arenas, prisons, Twitter and Facebook feeds, the news, and just about everywhere else you look. I see people who value WWE wrestlers above all else, honor them by constantly speaking of them, and serve them with their time and money; that's worship. I see people who value money above all else, honor it by constantly speaking of it, and serving it with their time and financial decisions; that's worship. I see people who value sports teams and individual athletes above all else, honor them by constantly speaking of them, and serve them with their time and money; that's worship. I see myself valuing ministry itself above all else, honor it first in my word, and serve it with their time and money; that's worship. Ultimately, I see people who value themselves and their reputation above all else, honor them by constantly propping themselves up, and serving themselves with their time and money; that's worship. These are not wrong concerns, but when you value, honor, and serve them above all else, you worship them. You can fill in that "object of worship" space with any number of things - even ministry - but the bottom line is that only God fits there. It's enough that He created, it's enough that He woke us up this morning, but not the least of these reasons to make Him the object of worship is the gospel. That's been on my heart in giving Him fame and the inch-by-inch labor of turning a self-worship society back to the King.