Worship is not evangelism

“Evangelism is one thing, worship another. Worship is something you do before God. “Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due his Name; bring an offering and come before him; worship Yahweh in the glory of his holiness” (1 Chr. 16:29). “Worship Yahweh with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Ps. 100:2). “Worship the Lord your God and serve him alone” (Mt. 4:10). These passages and many more indicate that God is the object of worship. Evangelism, however, has man as the object. The Church evangelizes when she goes out from God’s presence to proclaim to the world that Jesus is Savior and Lord (Mt. 28:16–20; Acts 1:8).” ~ Meyers, Jeffrey J.. The Lord's Service: The Grace of Covenant Renewal Worship (pp. 20-21). Canon Press. Kindle Edition. “Jesus described the temple as “a house of prayer” (Mk. 11:17). Prayer is offered to God. In Matthew 6:1–13 Jesus warned his disciples about praying “before men.” The Pharisees loved to “pray in the synagogues” in order to “shine before men.” Jesus, however, commands private prayer. In context that cannot simply mean individual private prayer. Jesus did not oppose corporate prayer. But he was concerned that prayer be prayer and not transformed into something else like witnessing and evangelism. ‘Jesus was not happy with prayer that tried to be a witness. Prayer is not a form of evangelism, addressed to other people. Prayer is addressed to God.’” ~ Meyers, Jeffrey J.. The Lord's Service: The Grace of Covenant Renewal Worship (p. 21). Canon Press. Kindle Edition. I’ve never heard anyone apply Jesus’s command to pray privately to corporate worship. Intriguing. Worship is not evangelism, but rightly done, it will have a profound impact on an unbelieving visitor: “On the contrary, when the Church behaves properly in worship, the “outsider” who enters “is convicted” and “called to account by all” so that “the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really present” in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:24–25).6 A full-bodied liturgical service in which the people are honestly confessing their sins, carefully listening to large portions of the Bible being read, energetically reciting and singing the Psalms, loudly confessing their faith by reciting the creeds, and so on, ought to have a profound impact on visiting outsiders.” ~ Meyers, Jeffrey J.. The Lord's Service: The Grace of Covenant Renewal Worship (p. 23). Canon Press. Kindle Edition.#Meyers #worship #church #evangelism #prayer