2 Timothy 4: 1-6

2 Timothy 4: 1-6 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Paul gives Timothy the charge to preach the Word and to fulfill his ministry until the end. The Greek word Latreuo means serve. It’s used 20 times in the New Testament. It always refers to service offered to God as an act of worship. This kind of service is never directed toward other people, but always directed toward God.

The word Latreuo is where we get our English word liturgy, which refers to the order and structure of a Christian worship service. For Paul, worship was a lifestyle of devotion to God, not just a Sunday morning church activity. As a church, worship is first and foremost about celebrating Jesus Christ. About celebrating His presence among us.

Our vision should be a church that has the facilities to house multitudes who gather each week to praise, honor and celebrate Jesus Christ. The worship services should be an outreach program. They should be culturally relevant without compromising the absolute authority of the Bible. We should mix contemporary, drama, music and any other artistic expression that may help the unchurched develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it seems like worship got lost in all the other church activities.

Paul reported how he prayed day and night for Timothy. He goes on tell the content of his prayers. He’s remembering Timothy’s tears, he’s reminded how Timothy came to faith in Christ, he longs to reunite with him. Paul’s not using any prayer formats. He’s simply pouring his heart out to God. Paul’s life was so directed that whatever was of concern in his heart he automatically told God about it. The heart of prayer is daily intimacy with God where we share our heart with Him and He shares His heart with us. That’s what the Bible means by abiding in Christ, remaining in His love, being constantly aware of His presence. Our church should be a house of prayer. Prayer should provide the foundation for every ministry we are involved in.