This is part three in a series on “worship.” (To read part one, click here; to read part two, click here) Today, we answer the question “When do we worship?”

^“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The infinite wisdom of God speaks to every arena of life. Including our worship. There is an appointed time for worship.

When is that time? When should we worship? Continually! Regardless of where we are or what day it is (or how our circumstances fare), the Lord calls us to worship. Hebrews 13:15 instructs us: Through Him (Jesus) then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Technically, we are issued a command; in Greek, “let us” functions as an imperative. The command has an Old Testament ring to it. We can imagine smoke ascending up to heaven from a sacrifice of grain or meat. Similarly, “the fruit of our lips” are to be “continually” worshipping God.

Colossians 3:17 likewise directs the Christian. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. The main verbs (“do” x2) are written in a way that points to continual activity by the subject (“you”!). It is the heartbeat of the Christian to live in constant worship of his/her God.

The Bible also directs us to worship on a day—namely, Sunday. From the moment the tomb was empty, Christians regularly gather to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus (John 20:1, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2). John calls it “the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10).* In recent decades—and in the era of post-COVID in particular—“online church” has risen in popularity. This is a misnomer. You cannot have “church” apart from a gathering. (The Greek word for church means “assembly.”) Our activity on the Lord’s Day speaks to our identity. Since the time of the apostles, God’s children gather in groups worldwide on Sunday to worship the risen Christ.

When do we worship? We may circle every day our monthly calendars. The Bible calls the Christian to worship the Lord every day, and “the Lord’s Day” in particular. God has given us an appointed time for worship, Pastor Michael

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*We are not commanded to gather on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is Saturday. The Sabbath command applied to the nation of Israel under the Mosaic Law—the law Christ fulfilled (Romans 6:14, Galatians 3:10-13, James 2:10). A Christian may use his/her liberty to observe a “Sabbath day,” but may not compel or judge anyone who chooses not to (Colossians 2:16-17).