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Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................1
Concrete Response...........................................................................................................................2
Reflection.........................................................................................................................................3
Action..............................................................................................................................................4
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................6
i
1
Abstract
David Wheeler and Vernon M. Whaley, in The Great Commission to Worship, examine
the assumed dichotomy between the Church’s call to worship and the call to evangelism. This
prevalent distinction exists for most 21st century evangelicals by erroneously separating these
two acts in the Christian experience, further perpetuating the trend that Christians have to choose
between being a worshiper of God versus a conscientious witness for God. Wheeler and Whaley
believe this trend to be rooted in unbiblical interpretations, furthering other current
misconceptions of what it means to worship God and what evangelism truly is.1 This popular
trend is unfortunate as it is also unbiblical for a balanced approach suggests “a lifestyle of
worship cannot be complete without a life of sharing — sharing the good news.”2 The authors
argue for a forgotten correlation between worship and evangelism, for “both are equally
important, and both are divine commandments” in their estimate; hence they present a new
model of what they coin as the “great commission worshiper.”3
A “great commission worshiper,” according to the authors, presents the proper balance of
worship and witness, bringing together the great commandment of Jesus to love God supremely
(Mar. 12:30; Matt. 22:37; Luk. 10:27) and the obedience of sharing the Gospel with the outside
world (Matt. 28:18-20).4 This resulting “new model of worship” answers the needs of
contemporary Christianity, in the author’s eyes, as being “formational, transformational,
relational, missional and reproducible.”5 Finally, Wheeler and Whaley package their model into a
1 David Wheeler and Vernon M. Whaley. The Great Commission to Worship: Biblical Principles for
Worship-Based Evangelism. (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 19.
2 Ibid., viii.
3 Ibid., 5 and 25.
4 Ibid., 25-40.
5 Ibid., 62-133.
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six-week process, whereby these principles are interwoven into a small group setting to
accommodate personal learning and growth better.6
Concrete Response
While reading The Great Commission to Worship, several thoughts began flooding my
mind of the first service that I actively took part in. Frist was the thought underscored when the
authors noted that “Great Commission worship is relational” as involving others.7 I remember
taking a young man and his sister to Church named John. John suffered from a disorder in the
brain that impaired his motor functions. He had trouble walking and talking in complete
sentences, making him socially unaccepted by his mainstream peers and lonely. As a newly
saved person, I offered him a ride to Church because that was the least, I could do. I felt, but as
the time went on, John enjoyed the worship songs, and John and I grew as friends at Church and
then later at high school. I do not know how much of the sermon content John comprehended,
but John truly enjoyed the worship experience as it brought him to tears as John more or less
hummed the songs as others sang. John felt a togetherness during the worship service that others
frankly missed, a closeness that made his attendance, despite his handicap, stand out to the Pastor
and other adults. Truly this worship experience was all the Church activities in which John could
participate, yet because John was worshiping, he felt a part of an extended family, which
delighted his heart to be able to worship others toward God. The other thought associated with
John was how his worship transformed the impression and depth of my worship. For here was a
young man, not capable of singing a special, never leading a prayer meeting or leaving his daily
routines; but his desire and enthusiasm about the chance to worship the God that saved him,
despite his handicaps, proved and much need a lesson on humility and setting a standard for
6 Ibid., 171.
7
Ibid., 50.
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worship in my own heart. John’s worship was with a sense of freshness, helping me never grow
complacent and cold in my worship. Worship is relational; no one worships in a vacuum or
alone, but when happening together, it changes those around the individual and us.
Reflection
One powerful but missed episode underscoring the formational power of worship is
closely related to the author’s example concerning the captives in Babylon.8 The authors did not
dive deep enough into this dark time in the life of Israel and how the power of praise could have
literally changed their attitudes the heart. If worship indeed shapes and forms our hearts and
minds, being infused with Scripture through song, how can the sticking point recorded in Psalm
137 be accountable? There in Babylon, their captives requested some of the joyful songs of Zion.
However, instead of obliging in mirth-filled songs, the very opposite came forth, as the Psalmist
records saying; “By the rivers of Babylon — there we sat down and wept when we remembered
Zion. 2There we hung up our lyres on the poplar trees, 3for our captors there asked us for songs,
and our tormentors, for rejoicing: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” 4How can we sing the
Lord’s song on foreign soil?” (Psa. 137:1-4, CSB). The Psalmist confesses their inability to
muster up mirth about their present circumstances, which the authors lightly touch upon,9 but a
clear distinction between worship driven by circumstances and not worship for God’s sake alone
goes undeveloped.
Such distinction in worship characterized Job’s worship after the death and loss of his
family and substance. The Bible records that dark time in the life of Job, saying, “20Then Job
stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, 21saying:
8 Ibid., 78.
9 Ibid., 71
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Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and
the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. 22Throughout all this, Job did not sin
or blame God for anything.” (Job 1:20-22, CSB). The authors could have keyed in on this theme
of what underscores our worship will eventually be revealed, allowing us to continue in worship
as with Job or presenting a wall as it were in the minds and hearts of the captives in Babylon.
Regardless, in everyone’s life, there seems to be the challenge of worshiping God despite dire
circumstances. If passed, this test will help form the hearts of the worshipers more into the image
of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29).
Action
Because of the author’s correlation between worship and witness, there are three action
steps are doable right away. The first plan of action is the six-week process outlined by the
authors. This small-group method can be worked into the church calendar, using the Church
facilities and the leadership of the Church staff already engaged in discipleship. The goal of this
six-week course would be, as the author’s words, a “means of refocusing seasoned Christians to
reconnect with the Great Commission.”10 This worship course could be presented specifically to
Christians, targeting those who could be considered leaders shortly to ensure the foundational
core group is all cohesive in spirit and material. This initial effort to create a discipleship course
would help reproduce the essential principles in others, who could, in time, teach others (2 Tim.
2:1-2)11
Secondly, because worship is relational in its makeup, those who are seen to be on the
fringes could be targeted to shore up gaps that society and sin create. One group that separates
themselves too often is veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who only
10 Ibid., 172.
11 Ibid., 133.
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congregate with others who can relate to their service experience. My local town has a center for
Veteran Affairs and offers church services for its members early Sunday morning. I could
approach the leadership there and offer our services to lead in singing and preaching and, for a
time, just worship the Lord together in song and Scripture until a relationship is formed. The goal
would be to get the veteran someday to venture off to others who do not share their background.
The worship and witness together could build the bridges needed to show the veteran everyone
suffers in some fashion because of sin and that healing can come from the right relationship with
Jesus Christ.
Third, the last doable step is changing the style of worship that of being a witness to the
general public outside the Church setting. This could take on the form of backyard bible clubs
during the summer break for Children. From evangelism groups to leading songs and teaching
VBS lessons among Kids in apartment complexes would be as intentional as Jesus traveling
outside his Jewish routine (John 4). These kids would not come to Church, but they would come
as they are in their regular clothes during the week to their center playground to hear the lesson
taught on their level of understanding. This action plan fulfills the missional side of worship and
witness, for some Kids will never come to Church of their own accord, so the Gospel has to be
brought to their surroundings. These doable action steps could help bridge the gap between
worship and witness, furthering the author’s model of the great commission worshiper.
