Worship, Our Dwelling Place

Csaba sat motionless in his seat, his eyes misty, his face pale with astonishment. We had just concluded a worship service and as I noticed this young man, I asked if he was okay. He turned to me and with choked voice said, “Before tonight, I didn’t believe that God exists. But I felt his presence in the worship. Now what?”

This young man’s entire world had just been turned upside down; his belief system proven false. Our conversation continued, and over many days, God opened Csaba’s heart to receive Jesus as his Savior.

Something extraordinary happens when we earnestly praise and worship God together. The presence of the Lord comes in our midst and the Holy Spirit is present to touch, heal, and transform.

We find an encounter with God’s presence through worship described in 2 Chronicles 5:13: “The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice.” Then, after these singers and musicians had lifted their voices in praise to the Lord, the glory of God came and filled the temple like a cloud. His manifest presence was so strong the priests could no longer stand! A key to this powerful moment of worship seems to be “one voice.” They sang together and played their instruments with heightened oneness.

Why is this ‘oneness’ in our worship so important?

Our corporate worship counteracts the fragmentation of our society—strife, disunity, broken families, broken communities. It reminds us that following Jesus is never a solitary journey. We are members of one Body, the Body of Christ, and we are interdependent. In Ephesians 2:21-22, we see the Body of Christ joins together and “rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.” And in Christ, we also are “being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

We saw that living, joyous reality during Global Disciples’ recent NationsWorship event. From their homes and churches in many nations, hundreds of people joined our livestream to express their love and worship for Jesus Christ. What a thrill to experience so many hearts and voices raised in harmony despite distance, language, and culture!

When we sense God’s palpable presence while worshiping together, we experience the fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell among us. The Holy Spirit is not only in us as individuals but among us, in our midst, and we are empowered and transformed as a result!

Yet, we know over two billion people have never heard that God earnestly desires to be with them. We pray He will send more and more near-culture workers through Global Disciples and others to share the Good News of Jesus and draw people into the worship and praise of our God. So least-reached people will—like Csaba—encounter the living God who loves them and offers life through Jesus.