Shepherd the Flock

The fact that there are many professing Christians around us today who are indeed deceived and who are, in reality, outside of the faith, should be plain and clear to all.

I often ask professing Christians just what it is about them that confirms their profession of faith as real and vibrant. That is, on a very practical level, what is it that makes you differ from the guy who attends church each week, professes Christ, lives a moral life, and who is yet visibly without Christ and deceived?

The usual answers normally follow, many of which are very good: ‘my love for God and others’, ‘what I believe’, ‘my sincerity’, ‘my faith is real, and the Spirit bears witness to that’, etc.

But I think, if we were to be honest about what it is on a practical level that makes us differ from the false confessor who appears to be a Christian on the outside (deceiving himself and many others), it would be captured in one word: Worship.

True Christians worship, and that is indeed their entire life.

We can indeed know all the right doctrine, and yet be without Christ. We can indeed pray all the right prayers; we can indeed say all the right things; we can indeed put on ‘love’ at all the right times (in many outward forms, as the pagans do); we can do anything and everything to outwardly convince ourselves and others that we have truly embraced Christ, and yet we can be completely and utterly devoid of Him.

If you desire an honest and biblical view of yourself, to see if you are really in the faith, to open yourself up before the Lord in acknowledging your sinfulness, simply look at your worship, specifically your private worship.

Do you worship God in your home, both as a family and in private? Are you fervent in prayer? Do you read, study, and meditate on scripture out of adoration to your God? Do you praise, adore, bless, and appreciate your God through private exclamations and song? Are you indeed worshiping God throughout the course of each day, in your thoughts, constant prayer, and thanksgiving?

Anyone can go to church each week and pretend to worship. Anyone can pray eloquently before others in public as if they are fervent and sincere in their petitions. But look closely at your private life: outside of public worship and normal prayers, do you worship your God? Indeed, this is the window into your soul which reveals where your heart affections truly lie.

What makes us differ from the pagans? What makes us differ from the false professors of faith? We worship, in spirit and in truth. We are enthralled with worship. Nothing can prohibit us or distract us from worship. We worship whether or not we attend church that particular week. We worship with our families, we worship in private, and we truly worship when we gather on the Lord’s Day.

Let’s look at David as an example; let us examine whether our affections are in any way similar to his:

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever…

…On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness…

…All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations…

…The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

-Ps. 145