Liberty University School of Divinity
4MAT Book Review
(The Great Commission to Worship)
Submitted to Dr. David Wheeler
In Partial Fulfillment of the requirement for the completion of
EVAN 525 – B01 LUO
Contemporary Evangelism
By
Ubong Jonah
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Abstract:
The Great Commission to Worship examine carefully the interweaving relationship
between “worship” and “evangelism” as the foundation for the fulfillment of the Great
Commission. David Wheeler and Vernon Whaley quote Scriptures to explain “The Mandate of
Worship and the Great Commission,” then shows how worship is a formational,
transformational, relational, missional, commissional, and reproducible. Each chapter includes
five “life questions” for reader’s digest and concludes with steps for practical application and ten
principles for developing “lifestyle worship evangelism.” The Great Commission to Worship
answered the question – “what is the ultimate purpose of the Christian?”
Wheeler and Whaley combine their thoughts and argue for worship-evangelism or a
Great Commission Worshipper, which is “a person totally and equally committed to evangelism
and worship” (p. ix).
Wheeler and Whaley began by talking about what transpired when a person becomes a
Great Commission Worshipper. While giving a quick historical overview of worship they come
to the conclusion that “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed
the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart
to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God” (p. 25). Thence, a Great
Commission worshipper is a person who simply cannot restrain his or herself from telling others
about the incredible relationship with the Son of God. Hence, worshipping God in the manner as
described by Wheeler and Whaley will require a clear personal experience - a clear reflection of
the reality as to whom and why they must worship as patterned in the New Testament whether is
requires withdrawing from the busy life to focus on Jesus, find a place where we can be alone
with Jesus, or recognizing who Jesus is, and then worship even when being surrounded by those
that doubt His power in their lives and ministry (p. 28-29).
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Response:
I grew up going to church but was not a follower of Jesus or a Great Commission
Worshipper until I have finish high school. I became deeply involved in my father’s church and
using my gifts to serve others when I got a glimpse of how to worship God from watching a
friend that invited me to her church. I had been under the impression that worship was centered
around the Sunday morning where a few slow songs was rendered by church choir. I would hear
my uncle say things like, “it is time for worship” or the selected worship leader would incite the
audience to “worship” the Lord. It took me all my youthful years to realize that worship was not
limited to music but as a lifestyle.
It was in college that I discovered what worship is – that it is much more than singing.
The college environment radically expanded my view of God and my response to worship. In the
beginning of this book, Dave and Vernon quote, saying, “Missions is not the goal of the church.
Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions because
God is ultimate, not man…” These words reminded me that my job as a child of God, is to take
the worship of Jesus to places where there is no worship – to the wounded, to the afflicted, and
the downtrodden (Luke 4:18-19). The Great Commission to Worship is formational. Meaning, I
must worship God by resting in His redemption. When I am worshipping, I am enjoying the
exhilarating romance because I have learned to relax in God’s presence. Now, worship shape and
fill my life with days that are like heaven on earth and transform me into the person that God
wants me to become. When I worship God, I am are leaning my mind [inclination and character]
on His righteousness. Wheeler and Whaley said that Great Commission Worship is a two-way
relationship, not one-sided. Hence, worship determines my life’s purpose, and provide the system
on which my life is based.
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Reflection:
The Great Commission to Worship is very well written to put a spotlight on most basic
biblical issue of interpretation about worship and evangelism and to demonstrate how such
understanding could impact our obedience to the Great Commission. I would like to be the first
(if there is none yet) to submit that it has achieved its purpose. David Wheeler and Vernon M.
Whaley did excellent job developing an argument that breaches the gap of misunderstanding
between worship and evangelism. They are very tactical on connecting and describing what life
that has resigned his or herself to God looks like in relation to both worship and evangelism.
However, this material could easily be place in a book store for all who desire to have
intimate relationship with God to buy rather than being assigned as a graduate course text. I also
enjoy their presentations supporting their argument for Great Commission Worship, but I do feel
like they could have presented more arguments, demonstrating the impact of worship as it relates
to evangelism. While I generally enjoy books that have list to help me process information, this
book had so many headings and subheadings that I think complicated my thought process on
maintaining my understanding of what the authors were trying to say. I wish for a topic like this
they could have simplified their information and would still get the message across.
Hence, as we focus on Jesus, which is the central point of worship, we are convicted of
our sin, and as we continue to worship Him, we grow, and our lives are transformed and our
worship then become relational – growing upward in our relationship with God and in our
relationship with others here on earth (p. 50-51). As we worship the Lord Jesus and focus on our
upward relationship with him, we learn that God’s love [that is eternal] transcends time and
allows us to dwell in Him in a divine communion, manifested in our lives toward others. We also
see that God takes pleasure in our worship and reveals Himself through this relationship.
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Action Plan:
In reading through the book, there were a couple of action steps that I felt like I needed to
place in my life. The first and biggest action step I took away from the book was “Worship: Core
of Discipleship Process. I liked the seven-week study that happens immediately after someone
comes to know Jesus. In this seven-week study, people are challenged to share their faith but also
get a Bible study and weekly assignment for the week. At the church that I get the opportunity to
serve, we struggle in evangelism. We are a three-year-old church plant that started to reach the
city and meeting in a hotel every Sunday for regular services and on the phone every Tuesday for
Bible study, however, we are not seeing very many new people come to our meetings. The
discipleship process laid out in this book is a good step that I am looking forward to combining
with our worship of the Lord and loving people.
Secondly, I have found from reading this book the idea of doing complete teaching of
what worship is. At our church, I am going to begin a six-to-eight weeks teaching series that will
basically deal with “Worship.” I plan on incorporating insights based on this book. Next week, as
we end our 21 days Daniel fast, we will start a series on worship. I found that the reading was
very helpful in crafting some of the lessons outline for the series. I think it is going to be very
helpful and fruitful session as I take some of the material lessons learned from reading this book
and use them to describe what a Great Commission worshiper looks like and how people can
become one. During this series, I would utilize this book to identify some of the common
misconceptions when it comes to worship and evangelism, so people within the church would
have a biblical perspective of “the Great Omission - Worship.”
Hitherto, according to human values, any apparent bias stresses reprisal, but God’s
standard response to bias is forgiveness. As a student of the Word, the Great Commission
worship, shared a lot about my biases and spotlight the importance of humility in response to
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God’s unmerited forgiveness. I was convicted by my lack of total surrender to God’s will. My
desire seems to becloud my art of worship. Lately, I have found myself in a spot that God had to
speak to me about surrendering. I work long distance and it cause me so much time away from
my family in driving to and from work. I had put in a transfer to another facility but some else
get selected for it twice. While I was attempting to make a third try, I heard God say to me –
“Am I not good enough for you? Will I not meet you at your point of need?” These questions had
sunk to deepest core of my being and, I must surrender my all to Him.
Finally, my thought has been if I could transfer to another facility at my job my drive
time will be shorten, I will have more time to spent with my family, and my worth would be
validated. However, after reading through this book I am convinced that my obligation is to be
entirely dependent on God. My desire in serving Him should never be about making my plans
and tempting Him to approve them rather, I should let Him show me His plans. Making my plans
and trying to have God’s approval will always be self-defeating because, He sees the heart and
knows the thoughts (Jeremiah 17:10). Hence, I don’t need to worry about my personal
satisfaction. I must focus on working in my obedience to His will and leave the challenges up to
him. Jesus says,
“If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey my teaching]; and My Father
will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with
him” (John 14:23, AMPC).
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