Thursday, October 1, 2015

True Worshipers by Bob Kauflin

Kauflin encourages us to see worship “as our highest goal, our loftiest aim – the great purpose of our existence.” There is no higher goal than to revel in our great and awesome God. But what does that mean? Right now. Today. Sunday.

He reminds us that true worshipers worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). That is worship springing from a sincere heart and lining up with the truth of God's Word. We can only do that through the work of Christ. He emphasizes our inability to worship God unless He draws us by grace and reveals Himself through His Word.

The essence of worship, Kauflin says, is exalting God in our hearts and actions. He suggests a good way to begin is to remember that God exists in every situation. Right now. He also writes about the importance of gathering in community to worship. He wrote quite a bit about music too, why we sing, why we must sing. He also covers what we are to expect when we worship, including edifying one another. He ends the book with worship in heaven.

I like the way Kauflin has given us the essentials of worship. He could have written a longer book, he says, but wanted something that covered the questions he has been asked over the years and the areas where he has seen Christians struggle. I like how he clarifies when worship happens. It is not just something on Sunday morning. It is to be the totality of our lives.

This is a good introduction to worship, what it is, how we do it, and why we do it. I highly recommend it to those who want to make worshiping God their highest goal.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Bob Kauflin is a pastor, songwriter, worship leader, and author with thirty five years experience. After pastoring for twelve years, he became the director of Sovereign Grace Music. He is currently an elder at Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He and his wife have six children and a growing number of grandchildren.

Crossway, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

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