A.W. Tozer is always a challenge! In his book “Whatever Happened to Worship?: A Call to True Worship.”, Tozer observes:
“It certainly is true that hardly anything is missing from our churches these days—except the most important thing. We are missing the genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (p.9)
Every glimpse of Heaven shown to us in the Bible contains worship. Isaiah chapter 6 for example or Revelation chapter 4, reveal to us myriads of angles crying our “holy is the Lord…worthy is the Lord” in awed adoration and jubilant praise. This spontaneous and joyful outburst provides Christians with a mirror reflection by which to measure our praise here on earth.
Comparatively speaking our worship here on earth, given that we are fallen creatures, will always be but a pale reflection, but if we are “true worshippers” in the spirit of John 4:24, our worship will be marked, however imperfectly, by a sense of awe and wonder in the presence of God.
This is a great challenge to our souls. Tozer declares: “I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven….God has provided His salvation that we might be, individually and personally, vibrant children of God, loving God with all our hearts and worshiping Him in the beauty of holiness.” (p. 13-14).
Our Lord Jesus tells us in John chapter 4 that God is seeking worshippers! I want to be such a worshipper. I want to heed the challenge of A. W. Tozer when he said: “What are we going to do about this awesome, beautiful worship that God calls for? I would rather worship God than do any other thing I know of in all this wide world…..I wish that we might get back to worship again. Then when people come into the church they will instantly sense that they have come among holy people, God’s people. They can testify, “Of a truth God is in this place.” (p. 18,20).