This is the third of four posts on how worship is our primary pillar and all our other pillars flow from and feed into worship.
We’ve been working with this definition of worship: “Worship is our giving of glory to God in response to seeing the glory of God.” Discipleship is one of the main ways that we can give glory to God in response to seeing his glory.
The Priestly Service of Discipleship
Paul wrote the book of Romans to encourage, to strengthen – to disciple. And in chapter 15, he says this: “I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable . . .” (verses 15-16). Paul tells the Romans that his ministry to them is his priestly service, and that they are his acceptable offering – in other words, Paul’s discipleship of the Romans is Paul’s worship to God!
Discipleship as Response
All worship is in response to seeing God’s glory, so what about God’s glory is Paul responding to that leads him to worship through discipleship? He is responding to “the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus.”
Paul told Timothy about this grace he had received: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service . . . The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus . . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:12-15).
You see, Paul was living a life in complete opposition to Jesus. He had made it his mission to destroy the church, and he violently persecuted Jesus’ followers. Yet God responded not with wrath, but with grace. Christ appeared to Paul, and overflowed with grace and love and mercy, forgiving him of his sinful opposition to the Gospel. But that wasn’t all! Christ gave grace not only in forgiving Paul, but in appointing Paul to his service!! Christ bestowed the privilege to Paul of building up the church he had tried to destroy.
And Christ has bestowed this gracious privilege to every one who has received his forgiveness. We have come to know a God who is glorious in grace, and he gives even more grace for us to “minister Christ” to one another. Let’s respond to the glorious grace of God by giving glory to him through discipleship.